“Not because of me, because of your need for routine, I know.” Larry cut her off.

“Exactly!.” She smiled and slid her car keys out of his clasped hand. “Plus, it’s only part time. Six hours, four days a week. Simple.” She pecked him on the cheek. 

“Fine.” He sighed. “But when you come across a horribly disfigured, rotted body, and you throw up I’m gonna say I told you so.” 

“Deal.” She said before leaving the apartment. 

Piper was truly beginning to regret the conversation she’d had with Larry only two days prior as she looked at the scene in front of her. A three hundred pound man who had died in his apartment in the Brooklyn summer heat before being found four days later in his recliner by the maintenance staff. 

“Jesus fuck.” Piper covered her nose with the back of her wrist, struggling to take minimal breaths through her mouth to avoid the repulsive smell. 

“Ah, this ain’t that bad.” Her coworker shrugged. Her coworker was a woman by the name of Nicky Nichols. She had a wild mane of blond curls on her head and wide, chocolate saucers for eyes. She had her hands placed on her hips as she scanned over the apartment, admiring the vintage decorations. 

“Whatta guy, huh? Good music taste.” She nodded, looking over at Piper. 

“How are you breathing right now?” Piper asked in disgust. 

“Look kid, I’ve been doin’ this job for about two years now. Seen almost everything there is to see when it comes to death. You get used to the smell of decomposing flesh.” She nodded her head towards the bloated body of the man they were here to remove from the premises. 

“When?” Piper gagged. 

“Ehhh….about two years in.” Nichols laughed and clapped her hands. “Alright let’s get this taken care of.” 

Piper fought back the urge to vomit up her breakfast and followed behind Nicky. There was a police officer on scene but he had chosen to stand in the hallway outside of the apartment. Piper envied him. 

Piper had known the description of the job when she applied. Removal Technician for a locally owned funeral home, Vause Crematory and Funeral Services. She had never had the slightest interest in funeral services. Of course, she was curious about death, as most people are. But, she’d never put any thought into being a funeral director or anything of the likes. She’d gone to school for accounting but had dropped out three-fourths of her way through college to explore other options, much to the disdain of her parents. She’d always planned to go back, or at least gave the illusion that she did, but then she met Larry, and suddenly school was no longer a requirement.