'And you keep your oath now, that you'll never drink again, Spijak?'... That's right girl that's my word. He lifts out a half finished bottle of vodka and takes a pull at it. ...and you won't be kippering none more than I can help.

There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

He'd drawn a variety of designs on the white rubber toes. “Nice shoes,” I said. “Likewise,” he said, glancing down at my rockabilly-red peep toe pumps. “Those kicks are a whole-ass mood.” Whether Steven liked them on me or might like to […]

1996, Janet M. Eisenhauer, An Investigation of the Socioeconomic Determinants of Allocative Inefficiency for the Owner Operated Firm, with an Application to Family Farming in Wisconsin