Gourmet Week was a resounding success across the street. Suddenly, our seedy little neighborhood was the hottest place in town, just as we'd envisioned in the summer. Cars, even a few limos, were double-parked on all the side streets, and customers lined up around the block to get into, not Celie's Deli, but Monica's, her business rival across the street. It was driving Celie crazy.

"I can't stand it! It's more than a person can bear!" Celie grumbled. "The mere mention of Gourmet Week makes me sick. That woman charges ten dollars for a lousy bowl of pumpkin soup. She charges twenty for two chicken wings and five just to...