Free INITIUM NOVUM: Part 1 by Casper Greysun

words.”
    “Look, I thought I could make it in, I can’t,
I’m sick. Tell Javier that he’s in charge today.” And with that
Milton hangs up and hails a cab. As his focus is set upon traffic,
he’s oblivious to the obscene and disrespectful gesture his
employee executes. Unfortunately for him, a visiting undercover,
corporate employee does not share that same blindness. The gesture,
Tommy pressing his exposed butt-cheeks against the store window, is
secretly noted and neither Milton, Tommy, nor Javier will know
anything about the impending reprimand, which generally falls upon
the manager of a location, until the higher-ups come to visit the
store. Meanwhile, outside of the store, Milton finally succeeds in
getting a cab to stop for. After awkwardly climbing into the back,
the driver asks him where he wants to go. He ponders it for a few
moments.
    “Take me to Eleventh and First
Ave.”
    Milton never bothers to look at the license,
his mind being too preoccupied with food.
    The driver, a Guido named Antonio Gordo Jr.,
obliges with a courteous nod in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, he
thinks to himself, “Fat fuck, bet ya going to the bakery,
right?”
    Gordo Jr. drives off, however an instinct
forces him to take another long, hard look at Milton. He’s seen the
man before, in pictures maybe, but cannot recall exactly where. The
car reaches a red light and stops. The brake causes the little
luchador bobble-head on the dash board to bounce back and forth.
And back and forth. And back and forth…
     

CHAPTER 8:

    The best cheesecake in New York City comes
from Veniero’s on Eleventh Street; most New Yorkers will readily
admit this, as long as they’re from downtown Manhattan that it.
This is where Heather suggests, through a text message, that Ruth
meet her. Ruth’s response is a single word, “Eh,” followed by
another single word text, “Fine,” and finally an acronym,
“lol.”
    The newsstand where Heather had been when she
met William not too long ago is turned over to the new owner in the
few minutes following her text to her sister. The previous owner, a
friend of Heather’s, had recently sold the place and could not be
there to hand over the title deed and keys to the small business.
She had volunteered for the task, literally, an eternity
ago.
    Heather takes the uptown bound 6 train and
gets off on Astor place, right next to the spinning cube fancied by
dirty drifters and happy hipsters alike. From Astor Place station,
Veniero’s is only a few blocks away. She takes her time walking
there, knowing that it will most likely be some time before her
older sister arrives from her uptown home.
    The bakery is packed. Yet, despite the
congestion, the atmosphere inside the store is relaxed like it
usually is. This is ironic considering the amount of sugar and
caffeine being consumed by patrons at every given
moment.
    When Ruth arrives, the two sisters embrace,
squeezing each other tightly for some time. A tear forms at the
corner of Ruth’s eye which Heather wipes away when they come apart
from their hug.
    “Don’t be such a softy,” she tells her older
sister, secretly reminding herself to take the same advice as she
feels her own eyes water.
    “I haven’t seen you in too long,” Ruth
says.
    “Way too long,” Heather replies, choking on
her words. “But don’t make me cry.”
    “Don’t make me cry,” Ruth replies whiningly,
more tears forming at her eyes as she fans her face with her hand,
as the effeminate do when they are being moved to tears.
    The sisters walk inside of the bakery. Finding
an empty seat near the back, they set their items down before they
order.
    “Want to be a bunch of fat asses and spilt a
small cheese cake?” Heather suggests.
    The proposal arouses a smile on Ruth’s
face.
    “Are you crazy? A small cheese cake still
serves about eight people,” Ruth replies.
    “So what? We can offset the calories by not
eating anything else today,” Heather suggests.
    “Or