As Allegra and Severine took their place in the long line, she found herself getting nervous. She kept fiddling with her portfolio, arranging and rearranging the pages there.

“Don’t be nervous,” Severine said.

Allegra gave her a tremulous smile. “Who me?” she said.

To take her mind off her own jitters, Allegra studied the others in line with her. There was a young guy in front of her who had a jar of some dark substance she couldn’t identify.

She tapped him on the shoulder. “Is that jam?” she asked.

“No, it’s cranberry chutney made with red onion, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar,” he said, automatically in pitch mode.

“What do you call it?” a man standing behind Severine asked.

“Cranbe...

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