“You’re definitely not a fat girl,” Duke said, climbing out of bed and walking over to her. “You, my love, are plush.”
“Plush?” she said, trying to suppress a smile. “What the hell?”
“What’s wrong with plush? I like that. I’ve actually been saving that one for a special occasion to use it,” he said, laughing.
“Not funny,” she said, grabbing her clothes off the bed and pretending to head into the bathroom.
“Wait, did I say plush? I mean perfect!” Duke yelled.
“That’s what I thought,” Avery said. “Like I was trying to tell you, Meaty is my new supervisor at work.”
“Word? Did she remember who you were?”
“Hell, baby, I barely recognized her. She so different.”
“Different how?”
“Well, she’s skinny, with long hair and gray eyes. Oh, and she doesn’t go by Meaty anymore. She’s Demi Hayes.”
“Demi, how bourgeois.” Duke shook his head. “So, does she seem cool?”
“I can’t really tell yet,” Avery said, grabbing her books and laptop. “She’s only been there one day. Although she doesn’t seem like she’s gonna be the friendliest supervisor I’ve had.”
“Believe me, I understand. I wanna see what’s gonna happen when these bigwigs take over the shop. I’m telling you right now, Avery, if they come with some bullshit, I’m walking.”
“Duke, you’ve been there longer than anyone else. You practically run the place. If they have any sense, they will come to you before making any changes. It’ll be fine,” she assured him. As confident as Duke was, certain situations still made him uneasy, especially when it came to those he felt were better educated or of a certain class.
Avery wanted to share with him all the possible changes going on at her own job, but there wasn’t any point stressing Duke out without even knowing how the changes would affect her. If they say I gotta work nights and weekends, I’ll tell him then, not now.
“Okay, baby, have a great day at work. I love you,” she told him.
“You’re taking your books to work?” he asked, pointing at her leather bag.
“Yeah, I’m gonna try and get some work done during lunch,” she told him.
“Please, the only thing you’re gonna get done during lunch is gossiping with your snow bunny and Malcolm X,” Duke teased.
“And the only thing you get done all day at work is bullshitting with the guys in the shop about your latest Xbox game or who’s beefing with who in the rap game, so shut up,” she laughed. “Love you, gotta go, bye!”
The office was eerily quiet when Avery arrived. The usual hustle and bustle and morning chatter seemed to be missing.
“What’s the deal with everyone?” she asked Malcolm, who usually got to work thirty minutes early.
“It seems as if the she bear has been going around marking her territory,” he said, shrugging.
“Who the hell is the she bear?” Avery chuckled.
“He’s talking about Demi,” Tabitha answered. “She’s been calling people in one by one, and giving them their fate here with the company.”
“Great.” Avery sat down in her chair and clicked her computer on. There were several e-mails from Demi Hayes already. One addressed the noise level on the floor and in the break room, which she felt was too loud and unprofessional. Another one even banned eating at the desk. What the hell is this chick trying to do, she thought as she read through them. “This is ridiculous!”
“Ah, I see someone has read their e-mails.” Tabitha leaned back in her chair, showing off her perfectly tanned legs and put her feet on Malcolm’s desk. They were the same Jessica Simpson heels Duke wanted Avery to wear the night before: four-and-a-half-inch black stilettos. How Tabitha managed to keep them all day was beyond her. As far as Avery was concerned, the only place she would be wearing hers would be the bedroom.
“Excuse you.” Malcolm pushed her off.
“So, Malcolm, what’s gonna happen to us?” Tabitha asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t really heard that much.”
“Oh, you’ve heard something,” Avery turned and said.
“And you better make it quick,” Tabitha added.
He looked at his two coworkers and then said, “Well, like we already knew, they are basically trying to make this a customer service office. She bear has a customer service background and this whole thing is her pet project. From what I hear, she has a thing for Kurt and is doing all this to impress him. When she was in the northeast office, she had more grievances filed against her than any other manager, and then something big went down—I don’t know what it was—and they sent her ass here.”
“To torture us, probably,” Tabitha hissed. “You said you knew this chick in high school. Was she a bitch back then?”
“No, she mainly kept to herself. They used to tease her a lot,” Avery told them.
“I can believe that,” Malcolm said. “She’s not the cutest to look at, that’s for damn sure.”
“No, she used to be big, I mean, really big. Bigger than me,” Avery whispered.
“Wow.” Malcolm looked shocked.
“Okay, you’re acting like Avery is Quasi-modo or something. What the hell?” Tabitha punched him.
“I’m just saying, she’s on the small side, so I’m trying to picture her being big.” Malcolm glanced over at Avery. “Your words, not mine.”
“Whatever.” Avery sat back. “They were really hard on her in school, for real.”
“Well, it seems like her ass is taking it out on us, now,” Tabitha told them. “And I didn’t do nothing to her. I didn’t tease her so she needs to back up.”
“Like your little ass is gonna do something,” Malcolm tea-sed her.
“Boy, please, she don’t want no parts of this!” Tabitha stood up and posed as if she was Jay-Z.
The three of them cracked up until they were interrupted by Demi’s stern voice. “I take it you three didn’t get the e-mail regarding noise level on the floor.”
“Good morning, Demi, we’re fine. How are you?” Tabitha slowly turned and smiled at Demi.
Avery watched the two women stare at each other. Demi looked put off by Tabitha and Avery could tell Demi didn’t know what to make of the tiny white woman standing in front of her.
“The noise level needs to be kept at a minimum,” Demi informed them. “It can be disturbing to your coworkers and the clients on the phone.”
“Well, none of us are on the phone right now because we aren’t scheduled to be on the clock for another four minutes,” Tabitha told her.
“With the amount of calls I’m sure you all will be taking, you won’t have time to socialize, so I suggest you all get used to it.” Demi turned her attention to Avery, slowly looking her up and down and turned back to Tabitha. “Tabitha, I’d like to see you in my office as soon as you clock in. And after her, then you, Mister . . .”
“Mosley,” Malcolm answered.
“Not a problem,” Tabitha told her. “I look forward to it.”
When she walked away, Tabitha turned to Malcolm and said, “Well, I guess I’m next to enter the death chamber, then you.”
“I’m good,” Malcolm told her. “I’m gonna go right in there and throw some of this Malcolm Mosley charm on her.”
“Well, we know his ass is gonna be fired,” Tabitha said and once again, they all laughed.
“Shh,” Avery whispered as she clocked in on her desk phone. “Y’all better chill before she comes over here and tells us we can’t go to the bathroom!
“Well, wish me luck.” Tabitha said, sighing.
“If you need backup, I’m right here,” Avery told her.
“Thanks,” Tabitha snickered. Just as she left for Demi’s office, Kurt walked over.
“Good morning, just the people I need to see,” he greeted them.
“Hey Kurt, what’s up?” Avery asked.
“Where’s Tabitha?” He motioned toward the em
pty desk.
“In with Demi,” Malcolm answered.
“Uh-oh, well, when she gets back I need the three of you to meet me in my office. I have a special project for you all to handle,” he said.
“Special project like Habitat For Humanity or something business-related, and if so, special project like we broke this and need you to fix it or Christmas party planning committee?” Avery folded her arms.
“In other words, is it a good project or a BS one?” Malcolm clarified.
“It’s a good one, believe me,” Kurt answered, looking around and then added, “You three have the highest performance levels in the district. I know what you’re capable of and I need you.”
“We’ll be there,” Malcolm assured him.
Kurt paused at Avery’s desk and tapped her thick statistics book. “I took this class at Chrysler University last year.”
“I’m taking it there now,” Avery sighed.
“Dr. Brewer?” he asked.
“Yep,” she answered.
“Killer teacher,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t know you were in grad school.”
“Two more classes and I’m done,” she said with pride.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Their eyes met briefly, and then he said, “See you in my office.”
Tabitha returned minutes later, “That bitch is crazy!”
“What did she say?” Avery could see that Tabitha was so angry, she was beet red.
“She says that my new schedule is Wednesday through Sunday, from one to nine!”
“Oh, hell no,” Avery was shocked.
“And get this, she says that she’s moving my seat immediately. She feels that she needs to break up the monotony and change the atmosphere in the office.” Tabitha was almost panting. “I need a fucking cigarette.”
“Calm down, Tabitha. You’re not working some crazy-ass schedule and you’re not moving,” Malcolm told her.
“What, you’re gonna get her to change her mind when you go in there?” Tabitha glared at Malcolm.
“I’m not going in there,” Malcolm said, smiling.
“Why not?” Tabitha frowned.
“Well, we had a visitor while you were gone,” Avery said. She told her that Kurt selected them for a special project and they had a meeting in his office.
“Damn right.” Tabitha’s attitude changed instantly. She began digging in her large black Gucci purse and pulled out a makeup bag.
“Tabitha, we don’t have time for all that, boo.” Avery took the bag from her. “We have to go.”
“Okay, how do I look? Let me at least put some lipstick on. I can’t go in there looking any kind of way,” Tabitha said.
“Maybe if you would’ve had this same attitude before you went into Demi’s office, you would’ve got a better schedule,” Malcolm joked.
The three of them met with Kurt for nearly an hour, discussing the project and their responsibilities. They also had a conference call with the other marketing directors and by the end, they were all satisfied and excited about what they would be doing.
“Is everyone on board?” Kurt asked as they were about to leave his office.
“Sounds like a plan,” Avery said, nodding. “Basically, it’s the same thing we’ve been doing, only on a larger scale.”
“Exactly,” Kurt responded. “And I’m counting on the three of you to carry the load and make it happen. The same way you’ve been doing it.”
“We can do that,” Malcolm said, shaking his hand.
Tabitha looked like a kid in a candy store, but she didn’t have too much to say.
He walked them to the door and just as Avery was about to leave out, he touched her shoulder. “If you guys need anything or have any problems, let me know. I mean that.”
They were so close, Avery could smell the scent of his cologne, which she easily recognized as Aqua Di Gio. Duke wore the same thing, but it smelled slightly different on him, sweeter maybe. She could feel his eyes on her, and it took everything she had within not to meet his stare with hers. Instead, she quickly thanked him and followed her coworkers back to their desks.
There was an e-mail from Demi requesting to speak with her. Her first instinct was to ignore it, especially since she would no longer be reporting to her. Instead, Avery decided to do the right thing and went to talk to her.
“Come in,” she heard Demi’s voice call out after she knocked on the door.
Avery stepped inside and remained close to the entrance. “You wanted to see me.”
“Avery, have a seat.”
Avery sat in one of the two empty chairs in the small office. She looked around and saw that there were no pictures at all, just frames that held random quotes about success. It seemed so cold and impersonal. In Kurt’s office there had been pictures of him and his family. Malcolm seemed especially interested in one of him and Sharice. But there were no family photos in Demi’s office at all.
“I understand you have been selected to be on a special project for Kurt,” Demi started.
“Yes, I have.”
“Okay, that’s good. I also see that your performance since you’ve been with the company has been nothing short of stellar. From what I hear, people have nothing but great things to say about you. That is wonderful.”
Avery wondered where Demi was going with all of this. “I work hard and make it a point to exceed company expectations.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. This is a great company to work for, and there are several different directions your career can go here. I’m proud of you, Avery. We both know where we come from and the fact that we’ve made it this far is nothing short of a miracle. You know that. You’re a smart girl, or you wouldn’t have made it this far. Now, when it comes to your continued growth here at Jennings, I can play a vital role. And I want to see you continue to succeed.” Demi’s voice dropped. “Let me give you a bit of friendly advice: watch who you associate with. Sometimes, casualties of war are not those that are pulling the triggers, but those that are standing near the line of fire. Be careful.”
Avery sat in silence for a few moments and wondered how to react. Demi seemed to be sincere in what she was saying, but at the same time, it sounded a bit menacing, as if it was a threat. She chose her words carefully.
“I appreciate your taking the time to share that with me, Demi.”
“Anytime,” Demi said. “And Avery, I’ll be checking on you.”
Avery didn’t say anything as she stood and walked out of the office.
Chapter 5
Although she enjoyed working on the special project, it was still exhausting and they worked longer hours than ever. Sometimes, she was surprised at how late it was when she got home. Duke wasn’t too thrilled about the time she was spending at work.
“Damn, Avery, this is getting ridiculous,” he said one night when he called. It was after nine and she was still at the office taking care of some last minute paperwork.
“I’m getting out of here right now, Duke.”
“I thought we were gonna hang out and do something tonight,” he whined into the phone.
“I know, baby,” she told him. “I’ll be home as soon as I fax this shipping proposal off. It has to get to the client before I leave.”
“You said the same thing the other night, and the night before that. I’m going to Petey’s and win some dough,” he grumbled.
“Duke, I’m on my way right now. I’ll be home in less than an hour.”
“I left something for you on the table,” she heard him say and the line went dead.
She knew he was pissed, but there was nothing she could do about it now. For the past couple of weeks, it was as if she no longer controlled her life, but life controlled her. Her days were endless and tiring and her plate was full. Making time for Duke was a priority, and as hard as she tried to do so, he wasn’t making it any easier for her. The nights she came home late, she had homework and studying, which she barely did. Duke had started hanging out at Petey’s, the lo
cal pool hall, with his buddies and came home even later than she did, bragging about his winning. And as tired as she was, she still managed to find the energy to break him off in the middle of the night, when he needed it, and even granted him an early-morning quickie a few times.
Exhausted, she finally arrived home where indeed she found a large gift bag sitting in the middle of the table. She peeked inside and gasped as she pulled out a large Coach purse she had been eyeing for months. At the bottom of the bag there was a small card that read All my love, Duke. The bag must have cost him four hundred dollars easily, and probably all of his pool winnings.
“Oh, Duke.” She almost started crying as she looked at it. After taking a quick shower, she made a bowl of noodles, settled at the computer, and prepared to e-mail her teacher. The topic for her project had to be submitted by midnight tonight and the final project was due in less than a month. For some reason, she couldn’t get an Internet connection. “Duke must have this thing hooked up to the PS3.”
Avery grabbed her laptop and tried again to connect to the Internet but couldn’t. What the hell is wrong, she wondered and then she paused and reached for the rarely used house phone. Just as she suspected, it was dead as well. Damn it, damn it, damn it!
Avery thought about the conversation she and Duke had one morning last week before she left the house.
“Don’t forget the phone bill is due, baby.”
“I won’t. I’ll take care of it this afternoon,” he promised. “I brought my A game to the table last night and made plenty.”
“Just put the money in the account and I’ll pay it,” she suggested.
“I’ll pay it, don’t worry. Now go to work and have a great day. I love you.”
What the hell am I gonna do? Calling Duke would be a waste at this point because there was nothing he could do. If the service was off, that meant he hadn’t paid it in at least three months. Shit. She had to get to a computer and get to one quick. It was after ten and even the closest Starbucks was closed. Avery slipped on a pair of jeans and a top, slid her feet into a comfy pair of brown Uggs and rushed out.
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