I love being ejected from coffee shops for staying past my welcome. So, I pour the brandy generously into my coffee from my flask. When I take a sip, I sigh, then open my laptop, calling myself a writer. The manager opens his flip phone and calls himself the police.

Brenda Lee Carlson is a writer from Minnesota. She has an MA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. She’s devouring YA novels and collecting The Phantom of the Opera memorabilia when not building libraries for those in need.