because of a man?
“Kennedy, come on now. This is me you’re talking to and I know how you act when you try to lie.”
Silence.
“You are not very good at it.”
To calm down, I breathed deeply from my nose. “Taylor, I don’t feel like talking about this right now. Okay?” I felt a headache coming on.
“Knowing what a private person you are, I’m going to respect your request, but soon you gotta let me know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, soon.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Taylor said with determination in her voice.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Whatever, my ass. I am. I’m always in your corner and don’t you forget that. That’s why I’m your best friend.”
“I know.”
“Anyway, I’m supposed to be on a self-imposed twenty-minute break. My coworkers have gotten on my last damn nerve; everybody is tripping, so I had to take a breather. I’m gonna have to go, but I have to know one thing,” Taylor said in a whisper.
“What?”
“Have you seen him yet?”
“Seen who?”
“K, what is wrong with you today? Who do you think? Drake.”
“You know we broke up. I wish you’d stop worrying about me and Drake with your nosey self. No, I haven’t seen him and I’m not looking for him, either.”
“I’m not nosey.”
“Yes, you are. You are the nosiest person I know besides Mother.”
“Well, I’m in good company,” she laughed.
“Whatever.”
“K, you’ll have to see him eventually. For God’s sake, you work for the same company and department. I still can’t believe you of all people got caught up in an office romance. They never work out.”
“That’s right. Pour more salt on my wounds.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re usually so practical about everything. This romance was so uncharacteristic of you.”
“I guess Drake was very persuasive.”
“Just don’t let him sweet-talk you, change your mind, and draw you back into his life and his bed. His dick is not gold. If it is, break me off a piece so that I can cash it in.”
“I won’t, Mother. Now stop bugging me.”
“Kennedy, I know you and you didn’t stop loving that man overnight. You don’t give your love away frivolously. You’re vulnerable right now and Drake realizes that. So, be wary of that slimy snake in the grass.”
“I will. I promise. Now, enough.”
“Drake doesn’t deserve you.”
“That’s what you and Mother keep telling me,” I cited.
“It’s true. You’re too good for him. You always were and always will be.”
I didn’t respond one way or the other.
“Hello?”
“I’m here.”
“K, I have to run; we have our weekly team meeting in a few minutes. I’ll talk to you later. Maybe we can do lunch one day this week and play catch-up.”
“Cool. Let me know because I have something I want to ask you,” I answered as we said our good-byes and hung up. My mind was reeling back to what Taylor had said: the exact same thing Drake had stated what seemed like eons ago. I would have to see him sooner or later. Hopefully, it would be later, much later. Like when hell froze over.
Until glancing down at my watch, I didn’t realize how late it was, and I hadn’t eaten lunch. It was already one thirty. That explained why my stomach was growling like an angry bear and doing double somersaults. I opened my bottom desk drawer and pulled out my crinkled brown paper bag that contained a ham and cheese sandwich, a pickle, chips, and bottled water. Not exciting, but it’d do to quench the hungries. I knew I should have listened to Mother and taken some leftovers from last night’s dinner of lasagna, French bread, and salad.
I had been back at work for almost a week now and was just going through the motions. It was a good thing that I knew my job backward and forward because my mind wasn’t in it. Mother had hinted that maybe I should go back to school for my master’s degree; she said that she’d provide for me financially, and I wouldn’t have to work. She even
“Kennedy, come on now. This is me you’re talking to and I know how you act when you try to lie.”
Silence.
“You are not very good at it.”
To calm down, I breathed deeply from my nose. “Taylor, I don’t feel like talking about this right now. Okay?” I felt a headache coming on.
“Knowing what a private person you are, I’m going to respect your request, but soon you gotta let me know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, soon.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Taylor said with determination in her voice.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Whatever, my ass. I am. I’m always in your corner and don’t you forget that. That’s why I’m your best friend.”
“I know.”
“Anyway, I’m supposed to be on a self-imposed twenty-minute break. My coworkers have gotten on my last damn nerve; everybody is tripping, so I had to take a breather. I’m gonna have to go, but I have to know one thing,” Taylor said in a whisper.
“What?”
“Have you seen him yet?”
“Seen who?”
“K, what is wrong with you today? Who do you think? Drake.”
“You know we broke up. I wish you’d stop worrying about me and Drake with your nosey self. No, I haven’t seen him and I’m not looking for him, either.”
“I’m not nosey.”
“Yes, you are. You are the nosiest person I know besides Mother.”
“Well, I’m in good company,” she laughed.
“Whatever.”
“K, you’ll have to see him eventually. For God’s sake, you work for the same company and department. I still can’t believe you of all people got caught up in an office romance. They never work out.”
“That’s right. Pour more salt on my wounds.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re usually so practical about everything. This romance was so uncharacteristic of you.”
“I guess Drake was very persuasive.”
“Just don’t let him sweet-talk you, change your mind, and draw you back into his life and his bed. His dick is not gold. If it is, break me off a piece so that I can cash it in.”
“I won’t, Mother. Now stop bugging me.”
“Kennedy, I know you and you didn’t stop loving that man overnight. You don’t give your love away frivolously. You’re vulnerable right now and Drake realizes that. So, be wary of that slimy snake in the grass.”
“I will. I promise. Now, enough.”
“Drake doesn’t deserve you.”
“That’s what you and Mother keep telling me,” I cited.
“It’s true. You’re too good for him. You always were and always will be.”
I didn’t respond one way or the other.
“Hello?”
“I’m here.”
“K, I have to run; we have our weekly team meeting in a few minutes. I’ll talk to you later. Maybe we can do lunch one day this week and play catch-up.”
“Cool. Let me know because I have something I want to ask you,” I answered as we said our good-byes and hung up. My mind was reeling back to what Taylor had said: the exact same thing Drake had stated what seemed like eons ago. I would have to see him sooner or later. Hopefully, it would be later, much later. Like when hell froze over.
Until glancing down at my watch, I didn’t realize how late it was, and I hadn’t eaten lunch. It was already one thirty. That explained why my stomach was growling like an angry bear and doing double somersaults. I opened my bottom desk drawer and pulled out my crinkled brown paper bag that contained a ham and cheese sandwich, a pickle, chips, and bottled water. Not exciting, but it’d do to quench the hungries. I knew I should have listened to Mother and taken some leftovers from last night’s dinner of lasagna, French bread, and salad.
I had been back at work for almost a week now and was just going through the motions. It was a good thing that I knew my job backward and forward because my mind wasn’t in it. Mother had hinted that maybe I should go back to school for my master’s degree; she said that she’d provide for me financially, and I wouldn’t have to work. She even
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