5

Ansley had been fussing over her outfit all morning. This crazy February weather had her torn between business classics or the option of mixing in a sweater. She decided on a black pantsuit with a crisp white button down blouse for the tenth interview she’d have since New Breed fired her.

She was relieved to find out that Robin had not torched her name around Atlanta, but she was finding it a challenge to land a job where the industry wanted far more experience than she had.

Ansley had less than a year of practicing her craft post-college. Being the editor of a collegiate newspaper and magazine did not have as much influence as she had thought it would. She reached out to a few contacts by phone and email, hoping they had some more leads, but thus far she had not made any leeway. With the exception of Simeon, she had arranged for Ansley to have a meeting with Jason Moretti of Grind House Media. There were no guarantees, but she was glad for the prospect.

Putting the finishing touches to her outfit, Ansley accented her look with simple pearl earrings that her mother had given her after she graduated college and a pair of black pumps. Then, she grabbed her wool pea coat and headed to the elevators. Ansley felt confident and ready to start a new day.

On the way to the job interview, Ansley gave Simeon a call at her office.

“Simeon Harris speaking.”

“Hey, how are you, love?” Ansley said.

“I’m good. I can only chat for a second—headed to a meeting. Perfect timing, though; I got an email from Jason over at Grind House. He’s really excited to speak with you today.”

“That’s good to hear because I’m ready to meet him. I’m actually on the way there now,” she said. “I just wanted to call and say thanks again and don’t forget to say a prayer for me.”

Simeon chuckled sarcastically. “Will do. Meet up later at Tin Lizzy?

Ansley squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose. Umm…somebody is feeling some type of way today.

“If you say so,” Ansley replied. “Is everything okay?”

“I told you I was about to run to a meeting. Everything is fine this way,” Simeon responded, her tone nonchalant.

Ansley twisted her lips and considered Simeon’s tone again. Something was off with her, but she would address it later when they were at the restaurant.

“Okay, well I’ll see you after work.

“Sounds like a plan,” Simeon said. “Talk to you later.”

Ansley reasoned that her friend must have been stressing over her meeting. Or perhaps it’s because they had not spoken very much since the holiday party. Ansley had gotten busy with job hunting and getting to know Davis. She had yet to share any details about him with Simeon or Lanae because she wanted to get to know him better.

The more Ansley thought about it, that’s probably the reason Simeon was dry with her. The past few conversations they had were about her job hunt and they had not spoken to just catch up. She hadn’t been a very good friend. She would have to make up for that over dinner and drinks. But first, she had to go slay her interview.

“Ansley Wright is here to see you,” the receptionist said through the intercom. She then looked up at her. “Please have a seat. He’ll be right out to see you.”

Ansley scoped out the room to find a place to get her nerves aligned. The waiting area was a great space for the creative thinker, but was not doing much to assist in putting her mind at ease.

The office was very upscale and industrial. The ceiling had exposed beams and eccentric lighting, the floor was a black lacquer and the armchairs in the lobby were a heather gray accompanied by vibrant accessories, adding splashes of white, lemon, and teal throughout the room. The walls displayed framed issues of the past years and awards.

Grind House was very similar to New Breed Publishing, except they had a human resources department and a company that was managed by people with experience over hiring based on one’s bloodline. New Breed presented the illusion of sophistication, but Grind House exhibited a body of work that could support the claim.

“Ansley Wright? I’m Jason Moretti,” he said, extending his hand. “Welcome to Grind House. It is nice to finally meet you. Simeon has said great things about you,” he said. “Come on back to my office.”

Ansley shook his hand. She could not help but notice how attractive he was. Jason Moretti was tall and lean. His thick, coffee brown hair, cleft chin, olive complexion and round, green eyes—he was red carpet ready. Ansley admired his sense of style as well. From his faded blue distressed jeans, brown chucks, and buttoned down flannel. It was casual but he made it work.

She was feeling like a college senior all over again. Excited for the moment, but nervous about what was to come.

Once inside his office, she started to feel a little more at ease. Ansley attributed her shift in mood to the calming earth tones throughout the room, which was a major contrast to the vivid appeal of the reception area. Much like Jason, the office had a subtle charm.

“So Ansley, I’m going to cut straight to the chase,” Jason said. “We want to hire you as a contributing writer for Grind House. As a contributor, you’ll have full use of the office—pretty much the same access as a regular staff writer. If all goes well, perhaps we can move you into a staff position. What do you say to that?”

Ansley sat stunned for a second. She had not even spoken or shown him any of her clips. Of course, she knew it was quite possible that he had a chance to read some of the articles that she had written while working at New Breed Publishing, but considering that Robin’s goal was to discredit Ansley’s writing ability—she thought he’d at least want to review her work.

“Oh wow, this went smoothly,” she said trying to add humor to an awkward situation. She was flabbergasted. Most people would accept the job and dash out of the door before he changed his mind. Ansley wanted to make sure Jason knew that she planned to provide quality work and was not just planning to use her connections as a free ride.

“I have to be honest and tell you that I called Robin over at New Breed,” he said.

“Do you mind sharing what was said?” Ansley asked.

“Well, Robin said that she thought your writing was mediocre at best, but her father saw something special in you. I reached out to Quincy and he told me I would be crazy not to hire you. Considering his years of history in this business, I took him at his word and decided that I could not let you slip through the cracks.”

“I respect Quincy immensely and his vision. He gave me a chance and I’ll forever be grateful.”

Jason did not respond right away. She was not sure how to take this all in, but she knew she should speak. “I’m very familiar with your publication and would love to join the Grind House family,” she said. “I take it that you’re familiar with my writing style?”

He nodded. “You have a voice that our readership can relate to and I’m happy to have you join our team.”

Jason had no idea how much his endorsement meant to her. “Thank you for the opportunity. I do have a question. What is the salary?”

“We are able to offer you a fifteen percent increase above what you were making before,” he said before passing her the official offer letter.

Ansley broke into a smile. “Jason, where do I sit and when do I start?”

They shook hands.

As he gave her a tour of the building, Ansley observed the other Grind House employees working. She felt right at home in the midst of phone interviews, keys tap dancing, interview tapes being played for transcription, and people making plans.

Being back in the print world—it was her heartbeat. Ansley was eager to begin this new chapter. She was going to be making more money and she had the option of working from home—things were looking up.

She had a new job and Ansley couldn’t wait to tell her girls about it. Her future was already looking brighter.

Ansley pulled up to Tin Lizzy’s excited to share her news with Simeon. She walked into the restaurant and saw that Simeon had yet to arrive.

She walked over to their usual booth and sat down. Ansley pulled out her cell phone to call Lanae. She updated her and promised to drop by after her dinner with Simeon.

Ansley removed her laptop from her tote. While she was waiting on her friend, she decided to get started on a project for her new job. She already had a few ideas to pitch to Jason and didn’t want to delay in getting them in front of him.

After jotting down a few notes, she looked over the syllabus for the week; she had a paper due on Monday. There goes my weekend for sure.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Levon greeted. “You want to wait on Simeon or do you want me to start you off with a glass of white?”

She looked up. “Hey you. No, I will go ahead and have a glass of wine. How have you been?”

“Honey, this place is driving me crazy…you hear. I’m still waiting for my special someone to come and take me away from this life.” Grinning, Levon added, “I’m trying to be a kept man, honey.”

“You are too funny.” Ansley laughed, although she knew he was not joking at all.

“Some might say in more ways than one,” he said with a wink. “I’ll be right back with your drink.”

Levon was always good for a laugh.

“Mind if I join you?”

She looked up into the warm brown eyes of Davis. Even in casual clothing—he oozed sex appeal. He wore a teal, half-zip Polo sweater with a pair of khaki slacks. The fit of his clothing highlighted his efforts in the gym each day. The first time she met him he was in a suit and then at the spa, he was in a white terry cloth robe. He wore his clothes well…they did not wear him.

“Hey you,” she greeted him. “I’m waiting on my friend, but I’m sure she won’t mind. Have a seat.”

Davis slid into the booth. “So what has you beaming?” Davis inquired. “I noticed the way your eyes were sparkling when you came through the door.”

Ansley smirked. “I just landed a job with Grind House.”

His eyes grew large. “Oh word? That’s great!”

“Thank you. I think so, too.” Ansley craned her neck and looked towards the window facing the parking lot.

“Is everything okay? You see a better option outside?” Davis joked.

Ansley giggled. “Sorry about that. I see my girl, Simeon pulling up outside. That’s her in the silver Mercedes. I guess I can introduce you two.”

Davis turned around to get a look. “You said her name is Simeon. That’s a unique name.”

Ansley noted the shift in his body language. He slumped down in the chair and avoided eye contact. She reached across the table and touched his hand.

“Hey. I’m not saying that you have to leave or anything. I’m just saying that she’s here now, but you don’t have to leave.”

“Oh no, it’s not a problem at all. I need to get going anyway.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and then slid out of the booth. “I’ll give you a call later.”

“Uh. Okay. Don’t you want to wait and meet Simeon?”

“No. I mean I just want to leave on this high of getting a glimpse of you. I have plenty of time to meet your friends. Talk to you later.”

Ansley watched as he strolled through the patio exit, disappearing into the parking lot. That man is fine.

As Ansley turned her attention back toward the front of the room, Simeon came waltzing through the door. Her long layered bob looked freshly pressed and her mint colored pant-suit complimented her deep brown complexion.

“Hey sis. You wearing that suit.”

“Thanks. Who was that?” Simeon didn’t waste any time inquiring.

The corner of Ansley’s mouth went up, and her eyes twinkled. “Oh, that was just Davis. I’ll tell you about him later. What’s up, hon?”

Simeon raised her left brow and frowned. “Ut-uh, nah. Who is Davis? Is that Mr. New Year’s Eve?”

Ansley bit her bottom lip. “You saw that, huh? Yes, I met him at the office party. Do you know him from work?”

Simeon frowned and rolled her eyes. “Nope. I don’t know him from work. Honestly, I’ve only seen the back of his head. So anyway, how did the interview go?”

Ansley’s smile evaporated. “Don’t you want to explain this little twinge of an attitude I just peeped? I could have sworn I just saw your eyes roll up and to the side.”

Simeon tossed her hand to her chest. “Girl, I’m happy for you, but I’m having some guy troubles. You would’ve known this if you hadn’t been so caught up lately.”

Ansley cringed inwardly. It was true. She hadn’t been much of a friend but for good reason. She cleared her throat. “Guilty, but the majority of the time was spent with me looking for jobs and doing homework assignments. I promise.” She placed her hand across her heart as if she was swearing her truth.

“Yeah okay. I guess you can slide,” Simeon replied. “Are y’all supposed to be a couple now?” She began humming the melody to You Got It Bad by Usher.

“Ha… Ha… real cute.”

Simeon crinkled her nose. “What? Don’t give me the stink eye because you’re smitten. I see we need to talk about this guy before things get too deep.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ansley raised a brow. “What is there to discuss?”

Levon walked back to the table with their usual orders, and Ansley could tell by the mischievous grin on his face that he wanted to gossip.

“Okay girl, spill it. What’s the tea?” he asked. “I know I did not just see that fineness drinking you up with his eyes and now he’s gone. Why are you still sitting here? I would’ve been hot on his trail. Trust and believe that honey. Simeon, get your girl.”

Ansley and Simeon both laughed so hard that tears formed in their eyes.

Levon shook his head in disappointment and walked away.

Ansley grabbed one of the plates that he brought over and served herself. She eyed the cheese pulling away as she placed the triangular goodness in front of her. “Levon is a mess, but his timing is perfect. I’m starving. I was dreaming about these quesadillas on the way over here.”

“Yeah he’s a fool, but back to my question—who is the guy?” Simeon asked as she picked up a plate.

“His name is Davis and I really like him.”

“So are you two a couple now?”

“No we haven’t gotten to that point. It’s only been about a month since I laid eyes on the man.” Ansley gushed, “He did the sweetest thing the other day.” She went on to fill Simeon in on her library date with Davis. “It’s the little things like that I want in a relationship.”

Simeon stared down at her nails in between checking her text messages. This was not the reaction that Ansley was expecting. She thought her friend would be happy for her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bore you.”

Simeon looked up. Her eyes squinted. “That was nice, but … just don’t get too excited about this mystery man. I mean how much could you know about him in a month?”

Ansley slipped a curious glance at Simeon. “Where is all of this negative energy coming from?”

“Did you miss my saying that I’m having man problems or you just can’t be bothered to care about what’s going on outside of yourself?” Simeon snarled.

Ansley studied Simeon’s contorted face as she continued her rant.

“I’ve never been disregarded like that. For me to be stood up, and you somehow managed to walk out with a new love interest…well, I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t sit well with me.”

Ansley sat stunned. “Sweetie, I understand how you must be feeling. What he did was horrible and I hope you called him out, but you need to redirect your anger. I’m not the one who made you feel that way.”

She tossed her head back in laughter. “He? Ansley do you even know my guys name? All you cared about was that I help you find a job. You don’t care about what’s going on in my life.”

Ansley’s forehead creased with worry. She moved Simeon’s plate of untouched quesadillas to the side. “Listen, if I did something to upset you, I apologize but as I’m trying to recollect what I could have done—I’m bankrupt on that one. Did something happen?”

“Of course, you don’t get it. It’s only fitting that you can’t grasp what’s going on outside of yourself. You can be so self-absorbed. Please excuse my interruption of the Ansley show. Well let’s get back to talking about you and the job that I got you. Congrats by the way.”

“Whoa. What’s gotten into you? This is not who you are or who we are as friends? Talk to me.”

Simeon snatched her purse off the seat, shaking her head in disgust. “Don’t even bother. I have to get going. I have a presentation in the morning. We can finish this another time, okay?” She slid out of the booth to leave.

Ansley stood as well. “Simeon, we should talk about whatever is bothering you. It’s clear that you’re hurt. C’mon, have a seat.”

Simeon looked heavenward. “We’re cool. I just have to get home and finish this presentation. We’ll talk later.”

She started back toward the exit.

Ansley kept up the pace with her, matching her step for step. “Simeon wait—don’t walk out like this.”

She grabbed Simeon’s arm.

Simeon spun around and pushed her into a nearby table. “Get your hands off me.”

Ansley caught herself on the edge of the table with her right hand before falling to the floor. She looked around, embarrassed at the scene they were making. She braced herself as Simeon approached.

“I—I’m sorry,” Simeon stammered. “I didn’t mean to do that. Let me help you.”

“It’s fine. Just go.” She rose and smoothed out her clothes.

Simeon muttered a curse as she dashed across the room and out the front exit.

“Chile—what was that about?” Levon asked, while trying to clear the mess Simeon created.

“I wish I could tell you,” Ansley murmured. “Something’s definitely up with her, but she’s not telling me anything.”

“Well, you better keep an eye on her.”

Ansley stood there confused. She had never seen Simeon act this way and didn’t understand what had just happened. At any rate, she would be giving her friend some space, she had other things to focus on, which didn’t involve drama.

Simeon rushed to her car, not wanting to run into any of the other patrons in the restaurant. As she pulled out her keys, she looked across the street to see Montgomery getting on the bus. She rushed in his direction to let off some steam. Her pace slowed and her breath caught when she realized he was wearing the same outfit that Ansley’s friend Davis had on.

She closed her eyes hoping that she was seeing a mirage, but as they locked eyes through the window as the bus pulled away, she knew that she was not seeing anything but the ugly truth. Her lip quivered and her hands tightened into fists. You’ll pay for playing with my heart. Just you wait and see.