In Too Deep by Dwayne S. Joseph Page B

like she thought I was about to hit her. I slammed the door again. And then I made the dummy move. I said the one thing I shouldn’t have.
    â€œWhy are you being a fucking bitch about things?”
    She arched her eyebrows. “So now I’m a bitch? Security is still here. I think you better leave before I have them come and escort your ass out of here.”
    I was too mad to watch what I was saying or doing at this point. I couldn’t believe I had gotten caught up like that. I flipped out and kicked her desk, causing her family photo to fall and shatter. I didn’t give a shit. I kicked it again.
    â€œThat’s it, I’m calling security.”
    Before she could start dialing, I snatched the receiver from her hand. I only wanted to talk, but she thought otherwise, and screamed and slapped me in my face. I reacted on instinct and pushed her away from me. Damn if she didn’t fall right onto her broken frame.
    â€œYou son of a bitch!” she screamed. “Look at what you did to me. My hand is bleeding. Look at what you did!”
    Shit.
    I dropped the receiver and immediately knelt down beside her. I hadn’t meant for that to happen. “Taki, are you okay? Shit, I didn’t mean—”
    â€œDidn’t mean? You fucking pushed me down! Get the fuck away from me! Don’t you dare put your hands on me again.”
    â€œTaki, I’m sorry. You hit me and I reacted. It was an accident. Let me help you.”
    â€œAbe, you better keep your hands off of me. I don’t need or want your help.”
    I exhaled, stood up, and watched her as she held up her hand, which was barely bleeding. Damn, women could blow shit out of proportion.
    I wanted to get the hell out of there so bad, but I couldn’t leave without trying to change the course of the tidal wave that was hitting me. I counted backward from ten and then waited until she stood up before saying anything. When she did, I did the best thing I could think of doing: I kept my voice low and apologized.
    â€œTaki, I’m sorry about your hand. I truly didn’t mean for that to happen.”
    She looked at me with violent eyes and shook her head. There was obviously no avoiding the wipeout. She licked a small trail of blood from her palm and then reached for her purse. From the inside, she removed a stun gun.
    â€œWhat’s up with that?” I asked.
    â€œFuck you and your apology. I want you out of here now.”
    â€œI could fight this, you know,” I said quietly. “I could say you sexually harassed me.”
    She held up her palm and smiled. “And I would turn that shit around and just tell them how you came on to me, and then knocked me down because I wouldn’t have sex with you.”
    I nodded and bit down on my lip. It didn’t surprise me that she had been willing to go there. I walked out of her office without a reply, refusing to lower myself any more than I already had.
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    After leaving the office, I drove down Collins Avenue with A Tribe Called Quest rapping from my stereo about how they knew how it felt to be stressed-out. I turned the volume up until it couldn’t go anymore, and then I rapped right above their voices. I definitely knew how it felt. I’d fallen face-first into the pit that I had worked hard to avoid. The sad thing was that I had been digging it from day one, and knew it. Now I was out of a job, and to make matters worse, in the frame of mind that she was in, there was no telling what Taki would do. If she could pull a stun gun on me, which still tripped me out, and was willing to lie about what went down, then she could just as easily call my house and speak to Nakyia.
    Women.
    I grabbed my cell and called the house to test the waters. Thankfully they were still calm. I had woken her.
    â€œWhen are you coming home, baby?” she asked with sleep heavy in her speech.
    â€œSoon. I have to make a quick run to the store. You need