Anna couldn’t stand Steph from the moment she was hired. Steph didn’t know why, but she’d always made it her motto that what other people thought about her was none of her business. She did wish that they had hit it off as they were the only two female paralegals, but Anna always treated Steph as the competition. Steph had no idea what they were competing for but she was tired of fighting this morning, and a fight with Anna wasn’t on her to-do list.
“My night was fine, it’s the morning that’s putting me through the ringer,” Steph replied honestly.
Anna felt a hint of sympathy but couldn’t resist adding on to her crappy morning, “Well maybe you should quit then. You know your talents may be useful at another firm, where things don’t get you rattled as easily. I hope you finished the notes for that Graham deposition because she’s coming in this afternoon to have a meeting with John.”
“You mean, Mr. Pike,” Steph rolled her eyes at Anna’s attempt to make it seem like her and the CEO were on a first name basis, “And yes, my job is done. I hope you finished your part. Make sure it’s free of typos and errors. I spent too much time correcting your mistakes from our last group project. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get my day started and can’t focus with your bad energy in my space.”
“Whatever, bitch,” Anna mumbled just out of earshot of Steph. Anna didn’t know much about Steph’s past but one thing was certain, the pictures from around her neighborhood let her know she was not to be tried. She wasn’t sure what she was capable of, so verbal digs and subtle insults were as far as Anna was willing to go. Steph could read Anna from a mile away. She simply attributed her bitterness, and everyone else’s this morning, to jealousy. She didn’t know why they would be, but it was enough for them to speak to her in such a way that upset her. If they had any idea where she came from or what she’d been through to get to this point, they would know there was nothing for them to be jealous of.
Steph got through the morning and the rest of the day much easier than it began. She kept thoughts of John’s sexy ass front and center in her mind to keep her going. Maybe they would have more interactions today; ones that moved past polite greetings. The day ended far quicker than she imagined and without any further encounters from her billionaire CEO.
The bus ride was quiet. There wasn’t anyone waiting for her as she walked home. Stepping into her apartment, she looked around deciding it was time to unpack the boxes. Leaving the boxes packed just solidified her uncertainty about the positive changes she was trying to make. She made a call to her best friend, Charlize. It didn’t take long for her to show up.
“I was wondering when you were gonna call me,” Charlize pushed her way into the apartment with a bottle of wine and a few bags of take out. Steph slid out of the way to watch Charlize set out the food. After the women finished eating, Charlize began to pull out pictures and other items from Steph’s life, old and new.
“Are you even going to hang these up?” she asked looking at pictures of Steph and Bobby. Steph rolled her eyes as she snatched the pictures out of her hand and threw them in the trash.
“You know he had the nerve to come up to me this morning?” Steph shook her head thinking of her morning.
“And what did he have to say?” Charlize raised an eyebrow.
“Just how he misses me and how we should get back together. You know his usual, but he started calling me bougie and shit. I almost missed my bus this morning fucking around with him,” Steph sucked her teeth.
“Why ain’t you driving that Benz he bought you? Shit … break up or not, all gifts bought for me get kept by me. Ain’t no refunds on this love,” Charlize chuckled as she rubbed all over herself. Steph couldn’t help but laugh as she missed hanging out with her friend.
“I can’t ride around in that thing. You know how I feel about what he does. All that shit was cool when I didn’t know better, but now that I’ve gotten a taste of legit life I can’t go back to that. Besides, who knows what he’s got buried in the panels of that car? You remember what happened with the weed situation,” Steph reminded her.
Charlize pursed her lips before taking a sip of her wine, “Girl, I remember. I feel you on that too. But going from a Benz to the bus, shit! I’m proud of you. So how’s the legit life anyway? How’s work and have you gotten that sexy ass John Pike banging down your office door yet?”
Just the sound of his name made Steph moist. “It ain’t that serious,” she tried to play it off.
“He did introduce himself to me this morning, like he was some old regular ass employee. I nearly spit my coffee out. He is so fine with his dreads and that dark chocolate skin,” Steph’s mind drifted off to their mini introduction.
“And his multibillion dollar ass! I bet he is fine! The internet don’t do him no justice, huh?”
“Not in the slightest,” Steph admitted as she began unpacking her kitchen boxes. Charlize took items as she handed them to her and put them away in the empty cabinets. “He’s lucky Mrs. Cartwright’s uptight ass was there with us, or I would’ve stopped the elevator for a full-fledged conversation with him.”
Charlize rolled her eyes, “Wait, I thought we liked her? Ain’t she the one who hired you?”
“Yeah, but she had a real nasty attitude when Mr. Pike went out of his way to introduce himself to me. She was hatin badly like I pulled my panties off in the elevator. She made it her business to tell me to stay away from office romances and how they don’t work out! She was talking to me like she called dibs on him or something. I don’t know what her problem was, but I know that it shouldn’t be with me. I ain’t in no mood to be dating no new man right now anyway.”
“Girl, please. You mean to tell me that if he asked you out to dinner or something, you would refuse?”
“Yes! I’m about this business right now. I can’t let no dick get me distracted. I done wasted enough time with Bobby’s ass. But I ain’t worried about Mrs. Cartwright anyway. That prissy bitch, Anna, said some smug shit under her breath this morning too,” Steph rolled her neck.
“Yo, I don’t know why you don’t just let me catch this bitch outside of work and toss her ass like a rag doll. She can’t beat neither one of us. She need talking bullshit, like she won’t get punched in the fucking face!” Charlize started snapping.
“Easy killer!” Steph laughed at how easily she could get her home girl riled up, “She ain’t worth it. Besides, everybody knows where I’m from and they know if she gets her ass beat, it most likely would have come from me. I’m the only person she gets that slick mouth with, but she knows to keep that shit to herself. She keeps playing with me though and I’m gonna let you handle that so I can keep my job.”
The two women cracked up laughing as they continued unpacking the boxes. It didn’t take them long to put everything away and assemble a few shelves. By the time they finished, Steph’s apartment had looked like a home. They plopped down on her couch, drank the wine, and talked about John Pike’s sexy ass. They couldn’t resist as their conversations always ended up on the sexiness of Steph’s boss. They fawned over his good looks and large bank account, talking about all of the things they would do to him and his money. But Steph knew that if she ever got the chance… she wouldn’t waste it.