Sweep Me Off My Feet

“Yeah, that definitely hits the spot,” she thought as she felt the flavors explode in her mouth. “Say what you will about a cheesy, bacon and onion sandwich, but it is definitely worth every cent.”

She was still savoring her every bite when one of her workmates, Darlene, walked in.

“Why don’t you two just get a room already?” Darlene said, and Angela smiled.

“If you took a bite, you would know exactly what I am experiencing right now.”

“Did you get it from Angelo’s?” Darlene asked, and Angela nodded. “Maybe I do understand that weird, almost s*xual experience going on in your mouth.”

Angela laughed as she began pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Do you want some?” she asked Darlene who shrugged.

“I already had a cup earlier, but I guess one more couldn’t hurt anyone, right?” she said. It was Angela’s turn to shrug as she reached for a mug and poured her a cup.“How’s Brandon?”

Angela smiled. The mention of her son’s name, the mere thought, always made her smile.

“He’s fine. Growing a little too fast though. I can hardly keep up.”

“I know, right? It feels like just the other day I was running after Kate and now she is just living her life, having parties, and choosing to stay with her grandmother over me.” Angela laughed as she handed her a mug. “Trust me, cherish these moments.”

“So, have you heard about the new CEO?” Darlene asked as Angela took a sip of her coffee.

“What are you talking about? What about the new CEO?”

“The racism stories about him?” Darlene looked surprised that Angela had not heard about the racism rumors flying around. If anything, she should have been on top of everything.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Angela said before taking another bite of her sandwich.

“You are not serious.” Darlene shook her head. “There is no way you would have turned a deaf ear to everything that’s going on.”

Angela dabbed the sides of her mouth and took a sip of her coffee.

“Come on, Darlene. I manage a retail store that sells clothes I can hardly afford working with people who are more often than not childlike than adults.” She took another sip of her coffee. “I could either do my job or do my job and I don’t know about you, but I kind of choose what puts food in my son’s mouth.”

“Well, I work in the same store as you and I know about the racism going on in the company.”

The tone in Darlene’s voice was defensive to say the least and Angela could not help but smile. Of course she knew about the alleged racism in the work place. That was juicy gossip and Darlene loved her some juicy gossip.

“Sweetie, you knowing about the latest gossip isn’t really news,” Angela said. “Your idea of keeping up with international news is checking out tabloids and the latest viral videos on Buzz Feed.”

Angela took another sip of her coffee.

“I choose to focus on why the hell we are still splitting hairs about the delivery of our flat-soled strapped sandals.”

Darlene raised an eyebrow over the other.

“I thought you talked to corporate about that.”

Angela shrugged.

“I did, but for some reason the bureaucracy in the corporate office makes it near impossible to do a good job. And what’s worse is that those sandals are our biggest sellers especially in spring and summer.” She took the last bite of her sandwich. “It is like I have to beg corporate to understand that no woman wants to endure the dead skin eaten by little fish off her feet only to put on socks and boots. Like seriously?”

She shook her head and Darlene smiled.

“Sometimes I think that this is what you should do,” she said.

“What are you talking about? I am doing this job. Or have I been in a weird suspended state, thinking that I am living my life while in actual sense, life just went on around me and I have just been existing?” Angela asked dramatically and Darlene rolled her eyes.

“No.” She wrapped her hands around her mug. “Being up there with those suits that make the decision.”

Angela frowned.

“What?” she asked. “Get out of here.”

“No, I’m serious. I mean, it would be great having one of us in there. Someone who truly knows and understands what it is like for us on the floor. Maybe there wouldn’t be so much oversight that way.”

Angela bit her lip and sighed loudly.

“Yeah, probably.”

“What do you mean ‘probably?’” Darlene asked excitedly. “Of course, it is going to be a good thing. I mean, you understand the dynamics of the workplace, the market, and what works. You are definitely so much better than a guy who has only known private schools all his life. This is why we have oversight, Angie.”

“And this is how political careers are launched.” Angela was smiling as she took one last sip and went ahead to rinse her cup.

“Think about it,” Darlene said. She was pressing hard.

Angela put her mug back on the dish rack and turned around, leaning against the sink. She took a long, deep breath. She hated that she had to ask, but Darlene had piqued her interest. Now, she wanted to know about this alleged racism that had Darlene so riled up.

“Tell me about it,” Angela said. “This alleged racism that you are so passionate about?”

Angela could have sworn that she saw Darlene’s eyes light up at the sheer prospect of sharing her juicy gossip with her superior.

“So, you know that the retail store chain has had a new CEO for a few weeks now, right? But as it so turns out, he is like many rich, white men out there. That is why there are hardly any models of color representing this store.”

Angela frowned.

“First things first, that could simply be a mistake made by some very lazy cyber bully and two, you and I both know that our society has a way of exaggerating the smallest of things. Every single molehill is Everest and I say this with the purest of intentions. Not daring to downplay the many social problems of this country one bit.”

Darlene looked at her for a long time before she spoke.