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Sweet Tamara and Her Lemon Tamale!

April 09, 2005 from Delicious! Delicious! www.deliciousdelicious.com

INT. COSTCO WAREHOUSE--DAY

The aisles are crowded with CUSTOMERS rudely shoving their carts past one another. It is a mad house, and it's not even Saturday.

In one of the endless book aisles, one WOMAN tosses a cookbook aside and continues on her way. She bumps Caryn with her cart as she passes but does not apologize. Caryn wakes from her cookbook reverie and checks her watch.

CARYN

Oops!

She peels her loaded cart into a checkout lane behind PATRICK DUFFY, wearing a handsome Hawaiian shirt and clogs.

EXT. COSTCO--CONTINUOUS

Caryn rolls the cart outside and glances toward the snack bar line, which is easily twenty deep. After checking her watch again, she sadly heads into the parking lot.

INT. CARYN'S HONDA--CONTINUOUS

Caryn is on her way when something catches the corner of her eye. She immediately spins the car into an illegal u-turn.

INT. TAMARA'S TAMALES--CONTINUOUS

The few tables in the small, but colorful restaurant are filled with satisfied PATRONS. Caryn heads straight to the counter where a YOUNG MAN smiles warmly at her.

YOUNG MAN

Can I take your order?

She stares at the chalkboard behind him.

CARYN

I'll take one Calabazita, one Spinach-Mushroom, one Jalapeno Cheese and...which chicken one do you like best?

The man turns around to look at the board.

YOUNG MAN

Um, Chicken Verde. No! Family Chicken.

CARYN

I'll take one of those. And two Lemon. No, one Lemon, one Cinnamon Sugar.

He makes final notes on the paper and takes it to the cash register.

CARYN (CONT'D)

Wait, just make that three Lemon.

He pauses for a second to make sure she's done. Caryn smiles sheepishly and he finishes ringing up the order before heading to the back.

Off to the side, another OLDER MAN is stuffing some fresh masa into a corn husk. King Crab shells are piled next to him. Caryn looks at the board again to reconsider, but it's too late. The young man returns with her order, packaged in little brown boxes.

INT. CARYN'S HONDA--LATER

Caryn sits at a red light and eyes the boxes next to her. She gives in too easily. As the light changes, she grabs one with a sticker on the plastic that reads, "Lemon." She carefully unwraps the warm tamale while attempting to steer.

Another red light. Caryn seizes her opportunity to bite into the fragrant, barely-sweet tamale. She is not disappointed.