[Excerpt]:
"Does it bother you?" He asked, after an incisive moment of silence.
"Does...what bother me?" I immediately returned, unable to decipher the objective behind the closed-ended question.
"The way I stare. At you." He pondered, as his dark...
I cautiously glanced at my reflection in the mounted mirror, readjusting my chiffon dress for the final time before deciding I was satisfied. My outfit was egregiously over the top, but I knew that being a female in a male-dominated industry required an intact appearance at all times.
More over, as a woman of color, I had quickly learned that looking good was a prerequisite for being favored as men's equal. After all, the male gender were simplistic creatures who treated any women they found remotely attractive with the utmost respect, regardless of our true intelligence or qualifications.
"You look like such a bad bitch!" Marco complimented, using his phone camera to snapshot a series of pictures of me at different angles.
I knew he planned to upload the headshots onto his professional website in order to advertise his hair business. Because I was somewhat of a public figure, he often used my name and image to gain more traction with clientele. I didn't mind, considering he was rather good at what he did and deserved the recognition.
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"Thanks. To be honest, I'm still a bit nervous for today. Hopefully, Frank and I can somehow convince my uncle to change his mind about the company. Did you take enough pictures, yet?" I asked, needing a brief remission from the theatrical poses.
"Yes, can't wait to post them!" Marco's eyes briefly lit up, as he received a new notification on his phone. "Wait girl-have you seen what the blogs are saying about you? Oooh, this is juicy. I never knew you were down for the swirl." He lifted a perfectly filled-in eyebrow, showcasing his animated curiosity.
"Ugh, what now.. Wait, do I even want to know?" At this point, I was used to the routine convention of false rumors circulating about me.
"People Magazine says and I quote 'Sasha Milton and Kendall Fine spotted looking extra cozy at Five Star Restaurant.' Oop-and there's pictures too!" Marco squirmed a little too excitedly, switching his tone to mock the posh ambiance of television broadcasters.
I quickly snatched the phone from his hands and began scrolling through the blog post, eager to see for myself which photos had been taken of Kendall and I. From what I could recall, we hadn't spoken for too long. Without context, the photos simply looked like two people having a platonic exchange. I didn't understand how they could be perceived as anything more than that.
Besides, I had this afternoon to look forward to.
Caleb and I had agreed to meet at a small cafe in the city. It would be an understatement to say that I was hesitant to dabble into the dating scene again. But, I was also interested in learning more about him. From what I had gathered thus far, he was a true gentleman. Not to mention, his looks were an all-around ten.
I just had to get through the former half of the day first.
~~~
Upon arriving at Milton Co. Enterprise, the first thing I noticed was Frank's anxious figure pacing back and forth along the entrance steps, presumably waiting for my arrival. His usually tall physique seemed small in comparison to the giant tower positioned behind him.
