“What brings you here instead of eating at your desk?” she heard a squeaky voice ask. She looked up into the sleepy, gray eyes of the receptionist, Agnes. Agnes was notoriously nosy and a backstabber. Candy rolled her eyes.
“Change of scenery,” Candy mumbled. Agnes sat next to her and threw her frozen Lean Cuisine entre on the table.
“I’m waiting for the microwave,” she smiled. “Isn’t Mr. Justice just the nicest?” she asked as she removed it from the cardboard container. Candy admired the pasta primavera photo on the box, noting that the actual product looked nothing like it.
“Yes, I suppose so,” she answered aloofly as she drank down half her water.
“So, I heard you got to see his house. I bet it’s really nice!” Agnes smiled widely, her crowded, eggshell white teeth on full display.
‘Bitch, get outta my face! How do you even find this shit out?’ Candy thought. “Yes, it is. Many people here have seen it, so they may have a better description for you. I was only there briefly. Well, I have to go,” Candy said as she abruptly stood up, taking her half-eaten salad along with her as Agnes looked on, dissatisfied with the lack of information. As Candy made her way out of the break room and down the hall, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart began to beat faster as she turned the corner and opened her office door.
“Candy,” Gabriel said. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Sure Mr. Justice,” Candy answered as she made her way to her seat. She watched as he closed the door behind him and sat down.
“I was in meetings this morning, or I would’ve been in here sooner” he said. “I want to apologize again for putting you in an awkward position last week. That was very unprofessional of me. We never have to speak of this again, and I understand that what I said to you could be construed as sexual harassment. I just thought, well, I thought you liked me that way too, but I understand now I was incorrect in that assumption. I’ll no longer discuss anything with you that isn’t business-related. Again, I’m sorry. I guess I just thought – well, I just misunderstood your cues. It’s certainly no fault of your own. I’m sure you and Quentin…”
Candy’s face flushed three shades of red in a matter of seconds. “Wait a minute, what? Quentin? How do you know about Quentin, and what does that have to do with this?”
“Well, I was told – I mean, after you were gone, I was trying to understand what may have happened. I asked you if you were seeing someone, and you said ‘no,’ but I suppose you just wanted to keep it private. If I had known, I would’ve stopped flirting with you immediately.”
“Quentin and I are over, Mr. Justice. That was a long time ago. Yes, it was after Eric, but that’s totally over. I dated him right after I filed for divorce from Eric, but it didn’t last long.”
“Well, he sent you flowers while you were gone, and they’re in my office.” Gabriel cleared his throat nervously and looked down at his shoes. “That’s why I asked around. It made sense.”
“I know what this is about,” Candy finally said. “I told you I don’t date people from work, and you found out about Quentin. I’m sorry, Mr. Justice. It’s just that – well, this makes me afraid. You’re my boss, so to me, it’s different.”
Gabriel stood up and waved his hand. “No worries, Candy. You owe me no explanation. Whatever the truth is at this point, it’s not owed to me. Whether it’s because I’m your boss or because of my race or something else, it no longer matters. I’ll have someone bring the flowers to you. Have a good day.” He quickly left before Candy could speak another word.
LIAR’S PIZZA
Roll out that rich man’s dough and pound out the possibilities.
Pour on the sauce. Make sure you’re nice and liquored up before you open your mouth.
Lie your ass off, bake at 350-degrees, and then start lying some more.
* * *
Candy twirled her necklace until it snapped into pieces, causing tiny pastel pink beads to roll across the floor. The work week was over, and Gabriel had stood by his word. He barely spoke to her, and when he did, he did so with no smile. He was all about business. There was no rudeness whatsoever, but Candy was shocked and, at the same time, amazed at his change towards her. He was polite, yet aloof. His eyes no longer swam in mysterious lustful projections. She no longer accidentally felt his hand glide against hers and that occasional pat on the shoulder had disappeared. She thought back to Dallas’s story and her heartbeat raced. She looked up at the clock – 5:32PM. She drove home, thinking intensely about Gabriel.
‘What am I gonna do?’ she thought as she reached her garage. She entered her home and looked at the clock on her DVD player – 6:24PM.
“I can’t believe I’m callin’ you,” Candy said as she slumped down in her kitchen table chair, “you of all people.”
“Well, you make it seem like I just fell off a turnip truck! I know a lot about men!” Jasmine hissed. “Now, I told you I think you should follow Dallas’s advice, but now things have gotten ugly,” Jasmine added as she filed her nails and watched Wheel of Fortune.
“I know,” Candy said as she closed her eyes and rubbed her aching head.
“Here’s what you do. You put on somethin’ cute and march your ass over to his house.”
“Huh? Girl, I can’t do that. Those damn Dobermans will come out and eat me alive!”
“If you want what Dallas had, with some money to boot, then bein’ eaten alive sounds a hell of a lot better than bein’ shunned and dead!”
“Jasmine! Leave it to you to turn this into somethin’ sexual. Look, I can’t just go marchin’ over to his house, it’s…”
“If you say inappropriate one more time, I’m gonna cut off your arm and beat you with it. Now look, put on somethin’ cute, fix your hair, and go over there.”
“He probably isn’t even home. It’s Friday night. This is his time to unwind at a pub or somethin’.”
“The man is just like you – a workaholic. His butt’s at home, trust me. He’s the type of guy to play golf and go to fancy dinners. This isn’t golf time, it’s too damn cold outside, and if he’s at a fancy dinner, then you wait until he gets home.”
“That’s stalker-ish. I’m not doin’ that.” Candy crossed her arms defiantly.
“Fine! Watch him get away then and get someone else. Hell, I may even drive over and try to get with him since this is how you want to act!” Jasmine laughed.
“OK,” Candy huffed. She hung up the phone and changed into a pair of navy flair pants she could finally fit into again, much to her amazement, and paired them with a white, V-neck blouse. Adding white pearl accessories and a hint of perfume behind each ear, she got in her car and drove to the large, intimidating gated doors.
“Here goes nothing,” she said to herself as she pushed the buzzer.
“Yes?” Gabriel asked after he pressed the intercom. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Candy. May I come in?”
There was silence followed by a click then static.
“May I ask why you’re here?” Gabriel asked in a serious tone. Candy’s face flushed.
‘Damn you, Jasmine! This man doesn’t want to see me,’ she thought.
“I just wanted to speak to you about a few things,” Candy explained, trying to be as vague as possible.
“Like what?” Gabriel pushed on. Candy hit her steering wheel in frustration.
“About some employee compensation reports,” Candy lied.
“And this can’t wait until Monday?” Gabriel asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Um…uh, well, it could have, but I thought you might want to know now so that you can follow up on it Monday.” She sighed as she dug herself deeper and deeper into the hole of deception.
“What about a phone call? Or email? Or even Skype?” Gabriel asked, his agitation completely obvious now.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Justice. I’ll be leaving now.” Candy now entertained fantasies of wringing Jasmine’s neck. Suddenly she saw the
gates part and open. She cautiously drove through and parked. As she walked to the front door, she once again was taken aback by the beauty of the property.
Gabriel’s maid opened the door, with a sweet smile. “Hello, Ms. Benet. Please, come in.” Candy walked past the tiny woman who was holding a file folder of papers in one hand and a small towel in the other. She sat down in the same chair she had seen many months prior, where she cried and bared her soul about a man she thought she would be in love with forever.
Gabriel came down the steps slowly, wiping his eyeglass lenses on his shirt. Placing them on his face, he sat down in the parlor and sighed.
“I haven’t been home long, so please excuse my attire,” he said as he pulled a white T-shirt over his muscular chest and stomach. “I was planning on rehearsing with my band tonight.”
Candy looked at Gabriel slowly from top to bottom. His hair, slightly disheveled, gave him a dangerous appeal.
“Band?” Candy said.
“I play bass and electric guitar for a contemporary Rhythm and Blues fusion band. We just do it for fun, but we’re good enough that we actually do gigs sometimes. Just a bunch of corporate guys who like to make music. We’re fraternity brothers.”
Candy smiled at the revelation. It was hard to imagine Gabriel enjoying a band, let alone playing in one.
“OK, well, let’s see those reports, shall we?” he asked as he rubbed his hands together and placed his glasses back on.
Candy sat there empty handed. “Well, I…”
“…lied – again.” Gabriel smirked and shook his head. “I never took you for being a dishonest person. Now all of the sudden, when I put you on the hot seat, you turn into Pinocchio. What are you really doing here?” he asked, crossing his arms over his well-built chest.
“I wanted to know,” Candy looked briefly at her clasped hands, “if the offer still stands?” she asked in almost a whisper.
“What offer?” Gabriel asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowing.
“To date,” Candy said a bit louder.
“No. No, it doesn’t. You were right to tell me that you don’t date people you work with, despite the fact that you actually do.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Regardless, you have the right to accept or deny someone the opportunity to date you. I realized you were right, and that’s how we shall keep it. Now, did you have any other matters to discuss, or shall I walk you to your car now?”
Candy’s embarrassment covered her like a sheet. It saturated her very being, leaving her heaving and sticky with sweat and disappointment.
“No, Mr. Justice, that will be all.” Candy stood up and gathered her purse and coat. Gabriel walked her to her car as he had offered. Candy sighed as she opened the car door.
“Well, thanks for being candid with me,” Candy finally said after catching her breath.
“No problem,” Gabriel smiled sweetly. Candy sat in her car and pulled out her cell phone so she could curse Jasmine up and down as she drove home. As she put the car in reverse, Gabriel turned back around towards her car and tapped on the glass. Candy rolled the window down.
“Yes, Mr. Justice?” she asked, anxious to get off his property.
“One more thing,” he said as he pushed his head into her car. Candy shrieked as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
“I’ve never had that reaction before from a kiss!” he smirked. “Of course I still want to date you, but the key is for us to be discreet and act as if nothing has changed between us at work,” he explained as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Blackberry.
“Then why in the hell did you just gimme that speech in your house?” Candy yelled angrily.
Gabriel laughed again as he turned towards his home. “Because you needed to be taught a lesson. Time is precious, so don’t waste mine or yours again. We’ll just take this slow. Look, I have to go. I’ll talk to you sometime this weekend.” He blew her a kiss and disappeared into his home. Candy burst out laughing as she put her car in reverse.
“Oh, my God. This is really happening,” she said out loud as she watched the gates open for her once more.
* * *
“What’s the final status of the Lymedale merger?” Ted, from Accounting, asked at the meeting.
“Nueswertz and Lymedale have not completed the deal, but it’s pretty definite,” explained one of the sales managers. “Once they do, their product line will be larger than ours, and they’ll have the Goldman brand, Nueswertz’s top-selling product.”
“Candy, did Kyle ever get back to you about our purchasing the building next door, and did you run the numbers to see if we can afford to revamp it right now? Should we wait until after the Christmas season?” Ted asked as he rubbed his forehead nervously.
“Kyle did contact me regarding the property on the corner of Daval road. It’s in need of new electric, there’s no heating and cooling system, and all five floors have extensive water damage. It would be cheaper to have it demolished and start from scratch. I can email you the information.
Ted nodded. “Please do so. We need to move on that.”
“As far as waiting, that isn’t necessary. At this point, a decision just needs to be made. We can purchase the land for a fraction of the cost or build from scratch a block away at the Hudson spot,” Candy informed.
“Sounds good,” Ted nodded as he ran his stubby fingers through his reddish brown hair.
Everyone slowly stood up and made small-talk. Candy waited as everyone left the room, then her thoughts drifted to Gabriel. She had a brief conversation with him over the weekend but hadn’t seen him all day. They still hadn’t discussed their courtship, and she was becoming antsy. She returned to her office and sat down at her desk. The black leather chair clung mercilessly to her hot legs as she slowly swiveled back and forth. Taking a sip of her cold cappuccino, she checked her emails. Her desk phone rang.
“Hello, Agnes,” Candy said as she rolled her eyes. “What can I do for you?”
“Mr. Justice would like for you to come up to his office. Do you need anything?” Agnes asked.
Candy coughed. “Like what?”
“Water? Tea?” Agnes offered, her true intentions bleeding into the conversation like a fresh wound.
“No, and thank you!” Candy disconnected the call and grabbed her drink before heading to the elevator to go up to the seventeenth floor. The soft seventies rock music played gently in the background as she held her head back and allowed her eyes to slowly close. The elevator chimed, alerting her that she had reached Gabriel’s floor. She looked around apprehensively to see who was watching her. No one seemed to be paying attention. Gabriel’s office was the last one on the corner and took up an extensive part of the area. It was enclosed and covered in custom-made wooden blinds. She reached his receptionist, Katherine. She was an older woman with chin-length gray hair, a square jaw, and slanted, dark-brown eyes that were always accentuated with the most beautiful eye shadow Candy had ever seen. She had a smoker’s cough, could type anyone under the ground, and was one of the most reliable employees one could imagine. Candy!” she said in her raspy voice as she set her coffee mug down which read “Best Grandma in the World.” “Gabriel, can see you now. Mr. Justice, Candace is here!” Katherine winked.
Candy grimaced as she approached. ‘He said discrete!’ Candy thought to herself as she opened his office door. Gabriel surrounded himself with expensive plants, a large mahogany desk, and a view of the city that was unbeatable.
“Have a seat,” he said as he finished composing an email.
“You said we’d keep this hush-hush, yet Katherine’s out there winking at me.” Candy twisted her lips in disapproval.
“I am,” Gabriel said without looking away from his computer. “I haven’t told anyone anything. That’s just how Katherine is.”
“Well, she must be psychic – and by the way, please tell me how Agnes, of all people, knew about my being at your house the very first time?”
“Well, hello to you too,” G
abriel laughed. “As far as Agnes, I let her know we were together in case anyone needed us. That was before, you know, this. I wasn’t up to anything, so I didn’t see a need to hide. I know to watch Agnes, though. She gossips too much,” Gabriel said as he hit ‘Send.’ “You look lovely today,” he smiled.
“Thank you,” Candy beamed.
“Secondly, I need the Ace project report by the end of the day.”
“You know it’s already done,” Candy smirked as she crossed her legs.
“I know. I just like acting like you need a supervisor. Also, I need to know what your plans are for this upcoming Sunday afternoon. I wanted us to spend some time together. I thought maybe a movie, an early dinner, or I can have my chef cook.” Gabriel looked away again at his Blackberry.
“That sounds nice.” Candy responded.
“Yes?” Gabriel asked as he picked up his phone. “Yes, Agnes. No. I’m sure.” He hung up. Candy shrugged her shoulders and twisted her bottom lip. “What the hell does she want?” Candy asked as she stood up and threw her empty cappuccino cup in the trash.
Gabriel laughed. “She was asking if I needed any coffee, said she’d bring it right up.”
“That’s what Katherine is for! Doesn’t she realize how obvious she is?” Candy reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and notepad.
Gabriel chuckled. “I know. One of the best quotes I ever heard goes, ‘Big minds talk about big things and small minds talk about people.’”
“That’s not how it goes,” Candy corrected. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
“That’s right! That’s it! That’s why I pay you the big bucks,” Gabriel teased. “What’s the pen and paper for?” he asked as he turned back towards his computer.
“To get your input on the company holiday party. I need the budget amount. I’m on the committee this year.”
I Want Candy Page 20