Hello, hello, I'm taking a short break. Find out more after the story.

Welcome to the lesbian romantic podcast. This is The Taste of a Smile, Part 10, Spring.

Lex straightened her blouse and glanced down at her batch.

It said store manager trainee now, instead of just trainee, she had corrected the title with a black pen.

She was pretty satisfied with the result.

If Mary had noticed Lex's title tweet, she had chosen not to comment on it.

Then again, they had hardly spoken since their fight.

They had both avoided each other in every way possible.

It was already Friday, and Lex welcomed the upcoming weekend.

Two days away from the store and its team would be a much-needed break from the complicated situation she was in.

What came afterward was a whole other story, of course.

Hannah had insisted Lex would join Mary on a trip to Washington next week.

Lex suspected her scheming cousin had left Mary little choice, too.

She doubted Hannah had been as blunt as she had been with her, though.

And so Lex would be stuck with Mary for five whole days.

They were leaving on Monday morning and wouldn't return until Friday afternoon.

Hannah's assistant, Susie, had sent Lex train tickets, hotel reservations, and a detailed schedule.

Lex grimaced every time she pictured herself in the same room as Mary,

or the same train, the same restaurant.

Now that avoiding each other was no longer an option.

They were bound to start arguing again, she reckoned.

The doors of the store slid open with their usual whoosh, pulling legs from her thoughts. She spotted an elderly woman limping into

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