The Only Exception

7

Letoya

I sat with papers all around me as I wrote one of the 5 essays that I had due. My stupid computer was broke so after Jo let's me go home instead I'm heading to the library to email these to my professors.

Juggling between Jo and school was not as easy as I predicted. The way she had me ripping and running with sometime bullshit ass tasks, I barely had time to do the necessary shit.

Speaking of Jo, she was somewhere on the sixth floor in a meeting. She had been in there for at least a hour now and as soon as she left, I leaped for my backpack.

The door opened and I looked back, but instead of seeing Jo, I saw a man. He saw me and smirked. "Oh shit, she got another assistant. My my my my, and who might you be?"

"Letoya Luckett, and you?" I asked weirdly for his vibe was everywhere for a moment.

"Gil Duldulao. I'm Damita's best friend and imaginary baby mother. Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"You aren't gonna ask?" He questioned me.

Looking at him, I wore a confused face. "Ask what?"

"Why I call her Damita... Every other assistant she's had has always asked me."

"It's none of my business quite frankly." I answered as I turned back to my work. "She told me her name was Jo and if she wanted me to address her as something else, I woulda been told by now."

"Ouu. Soft with a tang of hood in her. I love it. Where you from Letoya?"

"South Chicago."

He clicked his tongue a few times. "You don't seem that hood to me. Interesting. How's working for—."

His voice was cut off by Jo coming in the office with us. "Gil Duldulao, what have I told you about coming in my office when I'm not here?"

"Honey, that doesn't work on me. I'm your bestie, appreciate me. Show me some love bih."

It was a few seconds of silence before Jo sighed. "I do love you, but we can talk later."

"Is the bee eating the honey?" He asked her.

"What?" Jo seemed confused by her tone before she exclaimed. "No! No the bee is not."

"But the bee wants to eat the honey."

"Get out Gil! We will talk soon." Jo told him and they hugged briefly before I heard him exit.

My pen moved quickly because I just knew that she was about to stop me on my creative run with some basic stupid task. The money was good— but sometimes I questioned if it was worth it.

Her heels echoed as she walked my way and I watched out of my peripheral as she picked up one of the essays that I had already finished.

"I was waiting on you to tell me you had homework to do, you know?" Her voice came out light.

Looking up at her, I questioned. "What do you mean?"

"I never forgot that you were in college, I was just waiting for you to tell me you had work to do. You never did so I just assumed the college was shitty and you all didn't get much homework."

Chuckling, I shook my head as I looked back down at my work. "No. We get homework. Lots of it at that."

Her fingers slid under my chin as she tilted my head back up and we made eye contact. "So you tell me that. Always tell me when you have work. Your job shouldn't interfere with your school, Letoya. I'm not here to make life harder, but closed mouths never get fed. Tell me things. I might come off as a asshole sometimes, but I do care. So it seems like you're swapped with stuff, what do you need me to do?"