The Perilous Parasol

I scurried back from the bookstore and scaled the kitchen island, determined to construct an opulent sun cabana atop the marble cutting board. Spying an unpopped paper cocktail parasol, I seized the tiny bamboo spine to inaugurate the grand opening. I braced my fluffy slippers and shoved the cardboard slider upward with all my might. *SNAP!* The pleated pink paper flared open with savage velocity, springing backward and engulfing my entire perimeter in a pastel vortex! The toothpick handle skidded across the stone, trapping my sparkling hem beneath its wide paper dome. I gasped in breathless horror at the raw violence of celebratory decor... simply exhausting. *sighhh*.