"Tada", said Nadia, her roommate, enthusiastically as she peeled open the huge cardboard box.
"Go ahead and thank me", her roommate spoke as she rubbed her hands excitedly.
"Fuck"
"Excuse me? I...". Nadia was perplexed. She was pretty sure Tara would be as excited as her about the Ziisound system.
"...thought you also wanted a sound system, didn't you? I mean, music...hello?", Nadia finished.
"Yes. Not until I ordered the same online last week"
"Bitch, you didnt!", Nadia said aloud.
"Oh well, I can cancel it I guess"
"But hey happy anniversary,", she squealed in delight as she hugged Tara.
Tara squirmed. "No hugs. Goddamit, how many times do I tell you no hugs"
"OK OK. I was just excited about us"
Nadia and Tara had lived together for 1 year now as roommates. As for Tara, that was a record of sorts. She didn't like roommates or rather none of her roommates had liked her. She felt like that kid tossed from one foster home to another. The first time she moved into the tiny studio with Nadia, she had no hopes of making it this long with her. Specially since she was so much different from her.
She was your typical giggly, loves-pink-and-boys kind of a girl. She had thought this would last 3 months tops i.e if she avoided encountering her completely. "Familiarity breeds contempt". She believed in that. That described her roommate situation time and again. But Nadia. She turned out to be not-so-hard after all. It all worked like a charm.
"Btw, your man sent you chocolates. Not sure of the occasion. I put them in the freezer. Now don't you scream, there is no...."
"Omigosh!!!", Nadia screamed ignoring her
"...No necessity. Never mind", she whimpered.
Just then the doorbell rang.
Nadia stopped short on her way to the kitchen and went to fetch the door instead..."Oooh here's pizza". She tipped the deliver guy generously.
Tara was least interested in food at that point. Her mind had been pre-occupied ever since she was called in by her boss the previous day. It was still running in her mind's eye.
"Tara, please sit down", her boss had said. "How are you doing?"
"I am good"
"I wanted to have a little chat with you now, if that's ok"
You know what you want to tell me so stop the crappola and tell me
"You work hard and your columns are usually very good. In fact that piece you wrote about the female Amazonian warriors was very thoroughly researched. But.."
But what you jerk? I spent sleepless nights on that article while you were in Hawaii with that mistress of yours.
"But you know, we cater to a different audience"
"Diverse", she corrected her boss.
His boss sighed.
"Look Tara. You are a great research writer. But at the same time we also want a column that connects to people. I am afraid there is plenty of talent out there for this job. Since I knew your dad very closely, I dont mean to give you the pink slip. This will be the last time we have this conversation. Life is not that bad if you choose to look at it that way."
She got up to leave without reacting. As she opened the door she heard her boss say...
"And one more thing, drop that attitude"
"Tara, Tara, Tara", she heard Nadia yell. She snapped back to see Nadia irate over her.
"This isn't from my boyfriend. This is for you", she said aloud waving at the chocolate tin she picked from the freezer.
"You have a secret boyfriend eh? And you don't even care to tell me? To your roommate?"
Tara opened the box and neatly aligned in two rows were chocolate chip cookies. Frozen.
And a note that said "Cookies don't cry"
WTF did that mean?
"Go ahead and thank me", her roommate spoke as she rubbed her hands excitedly.
"Fuck"
"Excuse me? I...". Nadia was perplexed. She was pretty sure Tara would be as excited as her about the Ziisound system.
"...thought you also wanted a sound system, didn't you? I mean, music...hello?", Nadia finished.
"Yes. Not until I ordered the same online last week"
"Bitch, you didnt!", Nadia said aloud.
"Oh well, I can cancel it I guess"
"But hey happy anniversary,", she squealed in delight as she hugged Tara.
Tara squirmed. "No hugs. Goddamit, how many times do I tell you no hugs"
"OK OK. I was just excited about us"
Nadia and Tara had lived together for 1 year now as roommates. As for Tara, that was a record of sorts. She didn't like roommates or rather none of her roommates had liked her. She felt like that kid tossed from one foster home to another. The first time she moved into the tiny studio with Nadia, she had no hopes of making it this long with her. Specially since she was so much different from her.
She was your typical giggly, loves-pink-and-boys kind of a girl. She had thought this would last 3 months tops i.e if she avoided encountering her completely. "Familiarity breeds contempt". She believed in that. That described her roommate situation time and again. But Nadia. She turned out to be not-so-hard after all. It all worked like a charm.
"Btw, your man sent you chocolates. Not sure of the occasion. I put them in the freezer. Now don't you scream, there is no...."
"Omigosh!!!", Nadia screamed ignoring her
"...No necessity. Never mind", she whimpered.
Just then the doorbell rang.
Nadia stopped short on her way to the kitchen and went to fetch the door instead..."Oooh here's pizza". She tipped the deliver guy generously.
Tara was least interested in food at that point. Her mind had been pre-occupied ever since she was called in by her boss the previous day. It was still running in her mind's eye.
"Tara, please sit down", her boss had said. "How are you doing?"
"I am good"
"I wanted to have a little chat with you now, if that's ok"
You know what you want to tell me so stop the crappola and tell me
"You work hard and your columns are usually very good. In fact that piece you wrote about the female Amazonian warriors was very thoroughly researched. But.."
But what you jerk? I spent sleepless nights on that article while you were in Hawaii with that mistress of yours.
"But you know, we cater to a different audience"
"Diverse", she corrected her boss.
His boss sighed.
"Look Tara. You are a great research writer. But at the same time we also want a column that connects to people. I am afraid there is plenty of talent out there for this job. Since I knew your dad very closely, I dont mean to give you the pink slip. This will be the last time we have this conversation. Life is not that bad if you choose to look at it that way."
She got up to leave without reacting. As she opened the door she heard her boss say...
"And one more thing, drop that attitude"
"Tara, Tara, Tara", she heard Nadia yell. She snapped back to see Nadia irate over her.
"This isn't from my boyfriend. This is for you", she said aloud waving at the chocolate tin she picked from the freezer.
"You have a secret boyfriend eh? And you don't even care to tell me? To your roommate?"
Tara opened the box and neatly aligned in two rows were chocolate chip cookies. Frozen.
And a note that said "Cookies don't cry"
WTF did that mean?
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