Sweep Me Off My Feet

Chapter 6

It had been a while since Angela met someone who made her feel a certain type of way. Normally, the people she met left her feeling bereft and objectified and because of having had to deal with the scum of the earth, she was quite content that the only man who would ever treat her the way she deserved was the man she was raising. So, for her to find herself thinking about that tall, white man she had danced with that Friday night she and Candy went out was totally freaking her out. It had already been two days since she last saw him, but every time she closed her eyes or sat down in silence to do anything, she found herself thinking about him. Everything about him… his demeanor, the way he spoke to her, the way he looked at her when they danced, the way he held her, the way he smelled… Her mind was clouded with thoughts of the mystery man she had met over the weekend and what scared her more than anything was that at the back of her mind, she kept on wondering how possible it was to see him again.

When she got dressed for work on Monday morning, she was still wondering if it was possible to maybe go back to the club and try her luck at meeting him again. She knew that the chance of seeing him again was almost zero, but a girl could dream, right? How many times did someone like her, a regular working black girl who was also a single parent, meet someone with so much charisma as Mr. black pants and long sleeved designer shirt? A smile played on her lips when she looked at her reflection. She was wearing a black skirt and white long sleeved shirt paired with a pair of open-toe flat sandals. They were perfect for the moving around that was required in her job but also looked pretty decent. However, her favorite thing about her work clothes was how she looked in them. It was a simple outfit, black and white, but being the curvy woman she was, she filled out that skirt and blouse perfectly. Her naturally curly hair was pinned up in curly puff which was her go-to hairstyle for everything. It was simple, it was easy, and most of all, it was free.

She grabbed her jacket and purse and then led Brandon out. Unlike Friday, she had actually managed to make it out of the door in good time and so far, her morning was going pretty well. Whoever said that you could tell how good a day will be by how it begins had her feeling some type of way, she actually felt like the sun was a little brighter.

When she got to work, she got herself a cup of coffee before she made her way to her desk where she was supposed to do some inventory. She had just started on a new batch of paperwork when she heard a voice outside her office. It was strangely familiar and the worst thing was that it took her right back to that night at the club. It reminded her of Mr. black pants and long sleeved designer shirt.

“Snap out of it, Angie. This is not healthy at all,” she thought as she rubbed her temple.

She leaned back in her seat and shook her head. Just what was going on with her? Why did it seem like she was suddenly a slave to her feelings and desires? Was this what happened when you lived a life without men? Were you suddenly a servant of desire?

She was still lost in thought when Darlene poked her head through the doorway.

“Hey, I was just told to tell you that they need you upstairs,” she said.

Angela nodded.

“Yeah, but why didn’t they just use the extension?” Angela asked.

Darlene shrugged.

“Yeah, you need to have that checked out because I think what you have there is just a piece of junk.”

Angela raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Really? But I just had this installed…” Her voice trailed off when she reached for the phone and held to her ear. “What do you know? The line’s dead.”

“Thought so. You may want to hurry up and get to the office. Some bigwig’s here, I guess,” Darlene said before she rushed out.

Angela took a long, deep breath and exhaled loudly. A bigwig was in the store and she did not have the slightest idea why. She was not so sure if this was a good thing or a bad one. For all she cared, she was about to lose her job. She slowly made her way out of her small office and then through the store. With every step that brought her closer to whatever was waiting for her upstairs, she felt her heart beat just a little faster. When she got upstairs, it suddenly hit her that she had only been up here once since she started on the job there. There were two rooms upstairs and one of them was used to store the rejects and surplus while the other one was almost always locked. She had actually asked if she could make that her office rather than the broom closet she was stationed in that didn’t even have an air vent or window.

When she got to the other door, she stopped and knocked softly. She waited for a few minutes before she heard a male voice ask her to come in.

“Good morning, sir. Angela…” She started before she suddenly felt her voice fail her. She did not know the man, but she could not help but feel that she had seen him somewhere before. She just didn’t know where. As she stood there, looking at the man, she felt her heart slowing down. Something about how he generally looked put her at ease. He was a tall, toned Caucasian man in a dark grey suit that was almost black and an off-white shirt. She was a considerable distance away from him, but she could see his dark hazel eyes that matched his perfectly toned skin and wavy dark brown hair.

“I’m so sorry, sir, it is just that I have this crazy feeling like I have seen you somewhere before…” She bit her lip when the side of her brain that controlled her rational thinking kicked in. “I’m sorry. That was quite unprofessional.”

The man smiled at her.

“Not at all. I have the same feeling as you… I don’t know why, but I feel like I have seen you somewhere before as well.”

Angela smiled and slowly walked into the office.

“I am Angela Carter, the manager.”