By the time Kevin and Cory got to the airport, Kevin’s mind was on something else, well, someone else. They checked their luggage and headed for the gate they would depart from. As they walked up, he spotted her. Damn, every time he saw her, it was like he was a nervous teenage boy going on his first date.
“Man, you got it bad.” Cory said.
“Got what,” Kevin answered.
“Man, even a blind man could see you got feelings for her.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Look, it’s like I’m walking beside the goddamn sun. I’m just glad I got my sunglasses with me,” Corey said as he pulled his dark glasses back into place.
There was no denying it. Kevin did have it bad for her. He had never intended to fall in love with her. He could remember when he knew he had fallen hard. He and Cheryl had yet another stupid argument. So he called her just to talk since they had gotten to be friends. They talked for hours about the argument he had with his wife and he told her how he could talk to her so much easier than Cheryl. He told her that he liked how she understood everything he was trying to do and how he worked so hard for a few years, so he wouldn’t have to work the rest of his years. He had asked her to meet him for drinks and she agreed. As they sat and talked he told her how his heart was becoming involved with her in more than just a friendship way and she told him she felt the same. He actually confessed to her how he felt the very first time she walked into their offices three years ago.
“Hey man, the agency is sending over one more candidate for the position.” Cory started shifting folders on the desk until he found the one he was looking for. “Umm, her name is Rebecca Hardy. She graduated from North Carolina A & T, with a degree in business management. She should be on her way.”
Kevin rolled his eyes before he spoke. “Well, I hope she ain’t a waste of our time. We told them what we wanted and they keep sending us these goddamn kids who don’t know shit about what they want out of life, let alone know how to run an office.”
Corey pushed the papers across his desk, “well after I got off da phone with them I think they got the message that if they keep sending us crap, we would pull our temp contract with them.”
Kevin jumped up from his seat. “You did what!”
“Look, calm down, it was just a threat. They have to know you mean business.”
“They have been cool when it comes to giving us temps for the summer, so don’t go fucking that up for us.” Kevin flopped back down into his seat.
Kevin liked Cory’s business attitude, but sometimes he would get a little beside himself with power.
Kevin took a sip of coffee, “so after your little threat, what did they say?”
“That’s when they told me about this Miss Hardy chic. They said she had recently lost her job with a big internet company and that she was one of the most desirable temps,” Cory said while walking towards the door.
“Well, if she is so damn desirable, why didn’t anyone offer her a job yet?” Kevin wondered aloud.
“Same thing I asked, they said something about her being very selective.”
“Great just what we need, an uppity white woman,” Kevin said, while sucking his teeth.
They were interrupted by the phone. Kevin walked towards the desk and picked up Cory’s phone.
“K & B Alliance, Kevin speaking. Yes, good afternoon Miss Hardy. My partner was just informing me about our meeting this afternoon. Yes. We are on the same block as the new Starbucks. We are two doors down, take the elevator to the third floor, and then pick a door.” Kevin let out a sly laugh. “Yes, exactly. We are the third floor. Ok. See you in an hour.”
Kevin was proud that within the span of five years his company was able to afford to lease the entire floor and of course with the help of the owners, they were able to come to an agreement on how the floor could be renovated to make everyone happy. They ended up having all of the walls knocked out. They always said that if they were blessed with their own space; they would knock out the walls and make two of the offices the same with enough space for a reception area. Same amount of windows, doors and floor space. They went in 50/50 and that is the way it would stay. The only distinction would be how they decorated their offices. Cory, well he was your typical bachelor. Black and leather everywhere. Whereas, Kevin had more of an Italian flair, with clean lines, as the decorators would say. They didn’t bother with the uppity white woman, which was suggested, for interior design. They went with their own taste. They allocated one office for their mutual secretaries. Black (Cory) had found his secretary a while ago, but Kevin, well he was very picky. They agreed that “Barbie” wasn’t office manager material and besides she wasn’t the brightest bulb in the socket, although she suited Black well. Kevin knew that Black “occasionally” got with her and he didn’t care as long as they were discreet and it didn’t affect his work. She wasn’t the best secretary, but Black was blinded by the blond.
“Well Mr. Know It All, what do you think?” Cory asked. “Well.” And then came the look.
“What’s the look for?” Black asked.
“What look?”
“The look that says, I will interview her, but she won’t have a job.”
“Cause I ain’t hiring no white woman to be my office manager. I said it before, and I mean it; I will not be like a lot of these black men who make it to the top and then hire a bunch of white people to run things for them.”
“And how do you know she is white.”
“Come on now. How many black women do you know with the name Rebecca?”
“About as many as you know named Cheryl.” Cory said.
“Nigga got jokes.”
“All day. Besides, ain’t no different than how you talk.”
Kevin raised an eyebrow. “And what does that mean?”
“Oh, you heard me Mr. White America.”
“Whateva nigga.”
Black got up and walked toward Kevin. “The only time I know you still my boy is when we hanging out. You talk so fucking proper it ain’t even funny.”
“It’s called proper English, my brotha.”
“It’s called, white America nigga.” They both started laughing.
“You want me to sit in on the interview?”
“And you know this. Have Barbie give her the pre-interview sheet and then bring her in.”
“I will tell Ashley.”
As Kevin got up and walked to the window overlooking downtown, he ignored Cory’s sarcastic remark. Kevin knew Cory didn’t like him calling her Barbie, but she was the typical white girl. Bleached blond hair, big ass tits, and lots of lip gloss, earrings in her nose, tongue, not to mention she loved herself some black men.
“Might as well see if Miss Hardy can fit in especially with a woman who has been here more than two years. Who knows she might become Barbie’s, I mean Ashley’s boss.”
“Cool, I’ll let her know.” Cory said as Kevin walked out the door.
“You do that.”