promotion is on the line. Help you? Help you?
Girl
—”
Michelle balled up her hands and put them on her own hips. “Look, lady, I’m just trying to help both of us, okay? I don’t know what your malfunction is, but I’m not the one.” It was so out of character, but Michelle was actually keeping her voice muted.
“No, you are
exactly
the one. You’re the one that stays on the phone—on personal calls—too long. You’re the one that’s rude to everybody like you don’t have any home training. You’re the one that thinks the sun and stars rise on your behind. You’re the wannabe princess who is about to cost me my job.” Tonya could feel her blood pressure rising. She was just going to have to go to the altar and ask God to forgive her later. “Oh, yes, Miss Thing, you’re definitely the one!”
Michelle’s neck went into overdrive. “Well, if you want to start slinging stuff, Miss Holier-than-Thou, what’s up with all those books and stuff? What are you trying to say? Are you stalking me now? And as for the sun rising and setting in me, don’t be mad because I love myself and my body and my self-esteem is intact.” She looked Tonya up and down. “Don’t get an attitude because I know how to dress. Just because you don’t have a life except for this chump job, don’t take it out on me. So sorry that you don’t have a man and I know it bothers you that I don’t have that problem, but don’t be jealous . . . it makes you look ugly! What you need to do is fix yourself up, get a man, and get a life!”
Fix yourself up! Get a life!
Tonya didn’t need to hear that, again, today. She didn’t need to and she wasn’t going to. “Look, Miss Michelle—”
“Hey! Hey, ladies!” Shadrach stepped out of an open elevator. “Just the women I wanted to see.” He grabbed them both by the arms, smiled like nothing was going on, and ever so quickly took them into the stairwell. Once they were behind the door, his smile faded. “I don’t guess there’s any point in asking what’s going on here?” He dropped their arms.
Michelle pointed at Tonya and told Shadrach how she had been trying to make amends, to begin a new era of cooperation. “She got all huffy.” Michelle rolled her eyes and turned her back to Tonya. “I don’t know why she copped an attitude.”
“She’s the one.” Tonya pointed at Michelle. She told Shadrach that Michelle had approached her, but that she came at her like she expected Tonya to apologize, and that was pretty clear or they wouldn’t be in the stairwell now. “I’m just not going to take any more of her stuff. I’ve had it.”
Shadrach looked from woman to woman and shook his head. “I guess I’ll never understand women. Why can’t you work together? Here are the two of you—both of you should be helping each other. What is the problem?”
He put his hands at his belt line and rocked back and forth as though he was about to start coaching. “Look, I know both of you got your own thing going on. But this—what you’re doing in this office—has to be a team effort. You all have to work together. You all are the only two sisters in your office. You should be helping each other. You have to put aside your individual issues so that you can work together to help each other grow. You see what I’m saying?”
Tonya looked at Michelle, who turned her eyes away toward the wall above Tonya’s head. Tonya followed suit.
Shad sighed. “No, I guess you don’t. Well, I’m going to take control of this situation.” He shook his head. “You two grown women, you two shining examples of beautiful black womanhood need a coach? Well, I’m signing on for the job. The two of you are going to get together and we’re going to work on this thing like you’re running drills to play in a game. You are going to get it together here.” He took their right hands in his two hands. “The first thing you’re going to do is shake hands.”
Michelle jerked her hand
Girl
—”
Michelle balled up her hands and put them on her own hips. “Look, lady, I’m just trying to help both of us, okay? I don’t know what your malfunction is, but I’m not the one.” It was so out of character, but Michelle was actually keeping her voice muted.
“No, you are
exactly
the one. You’re the one that stays on the phone—on personal calls—too long. You’re the one that’s rude to everybody like you don’t have any home training. You’re the one that thinks the sun and stars rise on your behind. You’re the wannabe princess who is about to cost me my job.” Tonya could feel her blood pressure rising. She was just going to have to go to the altar and ask God to forgive her later. “Oh, yes, Miss Thing, you’re definitely the one!”
Michelle’s neck went into overdrive. “Well, if you want to start slinging stuff, Miss Holier-than-Thou, what’s up with all those books and stuff? What are you trying to say? Are you stalking me now? And as for the sun rising and setting in me, don’t be mad because I love myself and my body and my self-esteem is intact.” She looked Tonya up and down. “Don’t get an attitude because I know how to dress. Just because you don’t have a life except for this chump job, don’t take it out on me. So sorry that you don’t have a man and I know it bothers you that I don’t have that problem, but don’t be jealous . . . it makes you look ugly! What you need to do is fix yourself up, get a man, and get a life!”
Fix yourself up! Get a life!
Tonya didn’t need to hear that, again, today. She didn’t need to and she wasn’t going to. “Look, Miss Michelle—”
“Hey! Hey, ladies!” Shadrach stepped out of an open elevator. “Just the women I wanted to see.” He grabbed them both by the arms, smiled like nothing was going on, and ever so quickly took them into the stairwell. Once they were behind the door, his smile faded. “I don’t guess there’s any point in asking what’s going on here?” He dropped their arms.
Michelle pointed at Tonya and told Shadrach how she had been trying to make amends, to begin a new era of cooperation. “She got all huffy.” Michelle rolled her eyes and turned her back to Tonya. “I don’t know why she copped an attitude.”
“She’s the one.” Tonya pointed at Michelle. She told Shadrach that Michelle had approached her, but that she came at her like she expected Tonya to apologize, and that was pretty clear or they wouldn’t be in the stairwell now. “I’m just not going to take any more of her stuff. I’ve had it.”
Shadrach looked from woman to woman and shook his head. “I guess I’ll never understand women. Why can’t you work together? Here are the two of you—both of you should be helping each other. What is the problem?”
He put his hands at his belt line and rocked back and forth as though he was about to start coaching. “Look, I know both of you got your own thing going on. But this—what you’re doing in this office—has to be a team effort. You all have to work together. You all are the only two sisters in your office. You should be helping each other. You have to put aside your individual issues so that you can work together to help each other grow. You see what I’m saying?”
Tonya looked at Michelle, who turned her eyes away toward the wall above Tonya’s head. Tonya followed suit.
Shad sighed. “No, I guess you don’t. Well, I’m going to take control of this situation.” He shook his head. “You two grown women, you two shining examples of beautiful black womanhood need a coach? Well, I’m signing on for the job. The two of you are going to get together and we’re going to work on this thing like you’re running drills to play in a game. You are going to get it together here.” He took their right hands in his two hands. “The first thing you’re going to do is shake hands.”
Michelle jerked her hand
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