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Synopsis

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ALWAYS CATCH ME THE SAME WAY

I see the sign for the Plant Store, a familiar smell exudes from the sliding doors pulling me in like a being pulled into a vacuum. I known exactly where everything is, even when they try and shift around the shop floor to make it more exciting. I know where things are, it's a science particular plants need more sunlight or CO2 than others and therefore need to be by the windows or front of the shop. While others can hide in the back. That's usually my go to side of the store. I need some plant friends that are partial to a little bit of neglect.

It made six months and five days that Emily had been working for her strict, critical, exhausting boss. It had all started with a temporary week-long gig that had somehow landed her working underneath the woman behind the appearances of some of the most powerful of the city. The young woman took the challenging job as a way to continue living in New York City. What was supposed to be an easy paycheck ended up almost running her out of the city. She barely lasted three days with how demanding it was. Each day of her first week, she ended up in tears at her cramped apartment she shared with a variety of roommates. When her final day came to an end, she was so shocked that her boss offered her a full-time position, that she said yes before she had time to realize the words coming out of her mouth.

To tell the truth, 1969's 'Portnoy's Complaint', which is one of the few novels I've read in Philip Roth's now hailed oeuvre, was something awesome to behold the first time I read it. I felt like I was coveting something forbidden and dark, almost to the point where I didn't want my parents to know what I was reading. From the dynamic first-person narration to the witty dialogue, the shameless profanity to the uncompromisingly irreverent atmosphere, I couldn't resist enjoying any of it. Add to this the highly striking characters, led in front by young Jewish man Alexander Portnoy and his awful neuroses, which is something his psychoanalyst has no choice but to bear confronting, and you have one of the most thrilling reading experiences I'd ever had as a teenager. So when I decided to read 'Portnoy' again only a day ago, these same qualities didn't hesitate to immediately come to the forefront again.

Chapter 1

Well, most of you have undoubtedly heard of this series before. Admittedly, I have a love/hate relationship with this series, and it's caused a lot of controversy, as well as memes. Even if you've never actually read the books or watched the movies, I'm sure you've seen the images across social media for years now. Well, now it's mostly memes, but still LOL.

Gideon sat at the dim bar, listening to a favored jazz trio. A woman took a seat beside him and began talking to him in a low sultry tone. Her intentions could hardly be missed, and while she was attractive, Gideon just wanted to relax with a drink in hand to a good gig playing good music. “So,” the woman started, giving Gideon a once over.