Tag: Dancing

My Friend Mariano: His Loves Are Mine

Personal Yummy #108

We met one perfect almost-spring evening at Rosebud, a dance hall in the Strip District. He asked me to salsa. “You must have been Latin in a previous life!” he said after about two minutes, his genuine face beaming. “Why haven’t I seen you here before?” And he led me into an underarm turn.

“Believe me,” I replied, as I spun around twice, “I would’ve been here if I could’ve, but I just turned twenty-one a few days ago!”

Ah, that evening of fate. It was such an effortless beginning, and it’s been so effortless ever since.

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She Works Hard for the Money

Personal Yummy #99

Approximately 10 months following my departure from my full-time job at the Wall Street firm where I worked for more than 11 years, my mom and I drive back to New York City on a chilly Tuesday in April of 2018. I had gone home to Pennsylvania for the Easter holiday. Our friend Bella, who enjoys New York City, and traveling in general, makes the trip with us.

The drive is nice. As I said, it is cold out, but fortunately not rainy, and the sun graciously appears every now and then, illuminating the stretching fields and farmland as we head east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

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An Attempt at Headshots, Restaurant-Style

Personal Yummy #94

We decide to do the “photo shoot” one Saturday afternoon that I have off, around four o’clock.

We pick this time because it is usually a slower time of the day: The main dinner crowd doesn’t start arriving until around five or five thirty. Obviously, we don’t want to disturb anyone’s drink or meal; plus, we want to avoid as much embarrassment and staring as possible.

At least I know I do.

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Hungry

Personal Yummy #91

The overwhelming smell of fries, burgers, pasta, wings, steak, and ribs taunts me, and my stomach growls—earnestly—hoping tonight will be like some other nights, when Tommy or Mary Ellen pushes a dish toward me, saying, “You want this Reuben? The customer decided he didn’t want it after I had already started making it” or “I misread the slip and put the wrong kind of sauce on this pasta. You want to take care of it for me?”

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A Night of Illusions

Personal Yummy #83

Developed from an image by Corinna Chifari

It’s late and I’m behind the bar drawing a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from the tap when Craig walks in, looking cute as always in jeans, a white button-up shirt, and cowboy boots. I glance at him and smile.

“Hi there, Jenna,” he says, rather softly. “What? Are you bartending tonight?”

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The Appearance Narratives: A Commitment to Shoes

Personal Yummy #77

She looks elegant in a spaghetti-strapped sequined top of bright orange…classy black slacks…and stunning, sleek, jewel-studded black Manolos.

He looks dapper in trendy glasses and a stylish button-up, with clean, crisp, blue lines…fashionable jeans…and pointed, lace-up, luxurious leather Cubans.

They are both a little under-the-weather. She said he had been coughing all night and she had to take a nap during the day because she had started to feel sick.

“You know how it suddenly just starts to come on, and you start to feel it?” she asked me.

“I sure do,” I answered. “But—don’t worry—you still look great…and I absolutely love your shoes.”

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