Jeremy Taylor 
The Girl and Apple Martinis 

There’s nothing like a strong drink after a day of hard work. Calyssa is at her

favorite bar in New York, drinking, because things aren’t going swimmingly for her. After landing a remunerative job at Shred Unread as a secretary, Calyssa was able to afford a one-bedroom apartment, and even purchased her first couch to prove to her mom she’s now an adult. If life is anything like gambling, this job is the equivalent of a royal flush.

However, there’s Babette, a unibrow secretary with bad breath who wants Calyssa fired. For whatever reason, Babette’s boss, Mr. Grunt-the founder and CEO of Shred Unread-wants to see Calyssa first thing Monday morning, three days from now. To get her fired, for sure. Calyssa can’t afford to be fired. What would her mom think? True, Amelia is dead, but still. Calyssa has always wondered whether Amelia is in hell or in heaven, and most importantly, whether there’s any alcohol. Calyssa must keep her job. Whatever it takes.

The only person who can protect Calyssa is her boss Adam, who’s vacationing in Hawaii. But, what if Adam declines to speak up for her? To be safe, Calyssa decides to blackmail him, a task for which she’ll go to Hawaii, find him and get him drunk, and take some provocative photos of him naked-an idea empowered by the delicious apple martinis. This is how Calyssa ends up in Honolulu with a stolen fish, a black cat, a liar, a stripper, and a gambler-searching for Adam-to only learn that Hawaii is indeed a land of creation, but also a land of destruction.