There was an excited murmur going around the break room of S. Super Food Mart that afternoon. All the talk was about the new store manager, who was being brought in by corporate to fix certain problems that had led to the previous manager's dismissal and subsequent arrest. The store had closed early to allow a full-staff meeting, and the tiny break room was overflowing with curious, anxious employees.nn"When's this goddam meeting gonna start?" Wanda Schmidt whined, to no one in particular. She scratched an ample hip as she shifted uncomfortably on the metal folding chair.nn"We ain't got everybody here yet," snapped Daisy Wells from the other side of the room. Daisy's parents had named her after the flower, hoping that she'd blossom and otherwise live up to her name; unfortunately, she'd grown up saddled with a hook nose, crossed eyes, an extreme overbite, and a know-it-all attitude. Wanda shot her a dirty look.nn"Goddam thing was supposta start five minutes ago. I ain't even supposta work today, it's my goddam day off."nn"Watch yer fuckin language, Wanda," Daisy said. Titters erupted from the other employees in the room. Daisy, oblivious, gave everybody a general-purpose evil squint.nnIn one corner of the room, three younger female employees were clustered together, deep in conversation. One was black, another white, the third Latina. nnTheir names, respectively, were Mary, Marie and Maria; but they were known among their co-workers as "The Three Stoogettes", primarily due to the fact that any one of them was rarely seen out of the company of the others, and the further fact that not one of them seemed to have an IQ higher than her bustline.nnNow, as bustlines go, their IQs were pretty impressive. Mary, who was a little chunky, wore a 40E bra.