Hired at First Sight

1950's All Over Again

Mel's POV

                  My plan to avoid him failed. My attempt to decline failed. Maybe I would give up and be a failure. The lunch seemed to be lovelier than the past weeks. I can't let happen anymore. I'm getting confused and I don't want focus happen anymore. I want to focus on repairing my relationship with Neo. That needs all my focus.

                  My watch read 1:30. I'm going to tell him this second. I can upfront, I think... No time to think. I had to get a move on. Yes, go and do it. I was glued to my seat. Get up. I didn't. Okay, now. My body finally obeyed me. My body was up but every move I took was in slow motion. It was as if a turtle took over my body. I probably looked like a robot.

                   I was moving perfectly now. The awkwardness left till I seen his girlfriend. I paused. That's right, he has a girlfriend. I couldn't bare interfering. I don't think I had the guts to face her. I felt sort of guilty spending time with him. She probably would smell my guilt. I'm not good at hiding it. I turned around and walked away.

"Mel!"

Hogwash. I was so close to freedom.

"Heyyyyy, Jason and Emily." I faked a smile as I walked over. She didn't smile or say speak.

"I wanted to tell you I can't do lunch," Jason said.

Yes. This is exactly what I wanted. I smiled for real this time.

"Well just for today."

I got excited way too early.

"It's okay. I understand."

"Good, well my girlfriend-"

Emily cut him off. "Yeah, I, his girlfriend, needed to be with my man. So, I'm stealing him today." That was her first time acknowledging me.

"Oh, you should steal him for the whole week." I laughed awkwardly.

"You sure?" He asked. He seemed disappointed.

"Well uhmm..." I trailed off.

Emily stirring back the conversation. "Of course she's sure, honey." She answered for me. Okay, I'm getting real tired of her.

                    Time for my passive aggressive self to say something. "Well like I was going to say, sure. We can always reconvene another time." Or never. Hopefully never. Emily was too much for me to handle. I might accidentally forget that I'm shy and have her mouth shut, since she has such a hard time closing it herself.

"Yeah... another time." He sighed.

"Come on, let's go." Emily dragged him.

                    That whole time, he didn't lose eye contact. He stared at me till he left. Farewell. Good luck with her. Hopefully, she's not as horrible as she seems.

                     When they came back, I made sure I wasn't in sight. I walked- practically ran-to the bathroom.  While washing my hands, Emily appeared of nowhere. "Woah!" Oh, great. Another encounter I can't avoid. Why did I have to say that aloud? "Boss lady, or whatever?" She asked.

"It's Mel..."

"Well it doesn't matter anyway."

"Excuse me?" Maybe she wasn't trying to be rude...

"You heard me, skitch! I don't know what you're trying to pull here but keep your hands off my man."

"I'm not trying-"

"You definitely are and I know. Don't try to act dumb. I see the way you look at him. I see the way you flirt with him." Flirt? Where's this coming from?

"I don't even flirt." At least I try not to... I get too goofy sometimes.

"Of course you don't. You're ms. perfect boss who doesn't do anything wrong and who Jason admires so much."

"He admires me?" I was extremely flattered.

"That's not the point. My friend was at a restaurant with some random lady. It had to be you. Jason doesn't have any others female friends. I made sure of it. Then you came along. Strutting around. But why am I wasting my time with you? " Exactly what I was wondering... "You couldn't steal him if you wanted to." She said like I should be offended. She was deeply disturbed.

I decided to entertain her. "Why not?" I have to see what she has to say. It'll be another couple of stables in her lips.

"Ha." She scoffed. "Look in the mirror. You're black. You're only 3/5ths of what I'm worth. It's in the constitution too. That's like the American bible."

Does she really think this? Is she mad?

"Black women try so hard to be pretty but fail effortlessly. You think your big nose and lips are cute?"

Yeah.

"That you skin is cute?"

It glows in the sun. What's not to love?

"That your big hair that needs to be tamed is cute?"

Cutest of them all.

"It's not. Neither is your wide hips or big butt. It's disgusting. Jason thinks so too."

"You must not know him then." My gage for white guys being racist was on point. It never even showed a tick for Jason.

"No, you don't. I'm his girlfriend. I know him more than you ever will. So just give it up."

I just wanted to say okay to catch her off guard. Then I could smack her until she sees Jesus but my heart said no. I had to be professional. Plus, she expected me to be violent/ratchet. I could keep my composure enough to be the bigger person. "I have no freaking clue where you got these idiotic opinions from but they're wrong.Black people aren't inferior. We aren't beneath you or anyone else. Black women don't have to try to be pretty, they just are. It's a blessing that every black women gets. Our features doesn't make us less beautiful in any way. Guys do like curves. I'm sorry your lack thereof blinds you."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Whether Jason likes my features or not doesn't bother me. I'm beautiful either way. Also, fyi, stop trying to control him or you'll lose him. Not that you deserve him. I'm not even sure why he's with you. You're beauty on the outside doesn't make up for your ugly spirit. I hope you get some help. I'm done here." I dried my hands and left. She was speechless for a moment, then i heard her muffled voice as I got closer to my office.

I barely held myself together. I despise racists. I bet she had a tattoo of a confederate flag. She probably led a white power movement. My blood was boiling and I couldn't stand being in the same building as her. I can't stand living in the same city as her. I can't stand living in the same world as her. I sighed.

Jason. I should talk to Jason.