In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

She brought over the coffee, holding her breath.
Ula sat very properly at the edge of the couch, the twisted shirt
in her hand as if it were just a tear soaked hankie.
"Here's the thing, Ula. Sandro, our dear Sandro, is probably
dying. You did know that, right? I know the two of you don't go in
much for pillow talk, but the doctors must have said something as he
lay unconscious in ICU?"
Ula was motionless, mask of disdainful hauteur frozen in place.
"Well, we're not gonna let that happen, are we?"
"And why not? He wants to die, he always has, he's a sickie,"
Ula sighed into her espresso.
"No, Ula, he's a sucker. Big difference."
Irritation twitched across Ula's lower lids as she set down her
demitasse.
"Suffering is his greatest talent," Ula declared, a slow smile
spreading across her lips. "His salvation, and ours," she whispered and
shut her eyes, a frisson of delight rippling through her.
Penny stared in disbelief.
"Holy shit, Ula! I can't believe you're not locked up! He's got
bolts in his door to protect himself from you and from your poison
potions."
"Oh, mind your own business, he's no angel, you know," she
scolded, wringing the shirt into an even tighter rod.
"I don't care if he's Satan!"
Sandro stood in the doorway, wrinkling his nose.
"You were talking about me?" He sauntered in, feigning
nonchalance. Ula turned away like an insulted cat.
He glanced at Penny, who did her best to keep it together.
"What has she done now?"
"Nothing, Sandro. It's nothing, we were discussing business.
Ula has apparently fired me, so now, I'm hiring you! Oh, yeah, she
found the shirt."
He glanced from one woman to the other, then saw the shirt in
Ula's hands.
"I make more coffee?" He picked up the empty cups.
Ula whipped around. "Is that all you can fucking say?" She
threw the little mother of pearl buttons collected from the elevator
floor into his face. When she saw this had no effect, she shook out
exhibit A and held it up to him. The thing was covered in spilled
coffee, soda, globs of gum, and the potent human smears. She
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