The Other Way Around

Read aloud quickly, starting now, repeat if necessary. I drive a Vitamin|Energy truck. It’s one of those drinks that looks like a prescription. You’re not supposed to care how it tastes, which is lucky; it tastes like kids’ cough syrup, only blue.

Temple’s Mentor

Between the weeklong mentoring retreat and the four-day money migration futurecasting conference, Temple had only one day left for work, and perhaps because of that pending workload,

Supercapital

One thing for sure, Uncle V’s business—as business, now—was as money as a business can be. Its revenues were pure profit and customers killed one another to give him his fees. He expended no effort to provide his service;

Stealing Amy’s Raise

The logic of the raise is ruthless and simple, I told Amy. We don’t get raises for what we’ve done: management doesn’t tip. Our raises are like higher bids. If there’s no other bidder, the auction’s over. Amy doesn’t get it.

Shaking Off the Signals

He was never the brash young hurler from Texas or Australia who brushed back batters from the plate with high inside heat. From the start, he threw more college stuff. I didn’t try to change him. I work with what I know is on the mound on game day.

Full Body Massage

He will be more difficult to satisfy than a man who only thinks he is a bull. That is Sunny’s opinion and she’s an expert. I keep my opinion to myself. I’ve not been in this country long enough to speak. With my diary, though, I’m fearless, and in my dreams, I revel in inexcusable deeds.

Butchie

He should only hang. He only survived his youth because he had his parents overmatched and lived by their protection. Their idea of punishing Butchie was to limit him to slightly less of something the rest of us couldn’t afford even a little of.

Loansharking for Dummies

This is not my usual business. I’m what my associates call a financial adviser but occasionally I will let out some surplus funds at an agreed return to help a person pursue a dream. This could be college; it could be a night of romance with a special lady, a shipment of cigarettes, or it could be something we all take for granted like walking straight.

Skip the Reunion

Sure, we can find your lost classmates and relatives if that’s what you want but our popular service is the reverse. That’s a misconception. You don’t always have to move to make a clean break: most people are easy to shake.

Beautiful Checks

I work hard on my checks to the phone company, the utilities, the landlord and those irresponsibly naïve organizations that have entrusted me with credit. God bless their mortal souls. My checks are late and never for the recommended amount but they are works of art.