Love And Redemption

~Distraction~

"You're Jackson right?" she asked.  

I looked up, my eyebrows raising.

Her lawyer and journalist friends who always followed her around rolled their eyes in unison. 

"Yes, you can call me David, what's the problem mam?" I asked, my heart pounding through my chest. 

"David, I wanted to thank you in person for doing a great job in glossing my desk and buffing my floors well, I almost thought it was someone else's office," she joked, tucking her jet-black hair behind her double-pierced ear. 

"Oh, the pleasure is mine," I said, flashing a smile. 

She smiled warmly back. 

She turned to walk away but for some reason turned back around, her eyes looking at the ground. 

"Um...this is probably strange to ask all of a sudden, but this whole week we're celebrating our church's 105th Anniversary, and I was wondering if you were interested, could come join us for one of the days...we'd love to have you." she offered, her eyes panning from the floor, meeting my eyes.

 "I'll think about that, thank you," I said as politely as I could. 

"Call me Victoria," she said, reaching out her hand. I looked at it for a moment and shook it. 

"Alright...Victoria." 

Her over-achieving friends, who got tired of waiting for her scoffed and walked away. Victoria laughed as she looked back at them.

 "Yeah...they told me not to come over and talk to you," she said.

 I laughed. 

"Of course they did," I said. People like that always looked down on janitors and other people they deemed lesser than their equals. 

"Well, David...I have to go, don't want to get you in trouble, see you later," she said as she walked away, catching up with her friends.

 I liked her, but I had no idea she was a "church girl". So she was probably just trying to be nice to me.

Out of nowhere, I felt something hit my head. 

 I turned around and saw John childishly throwing paper balls at me. "You staring at Victoria Wilkerson again, bro what she wants with a blonde-headed brother like you, except pay her bills and get her nails done each week." Josh teased. I rolled my eyes, I mean back in Yale I didn't have a problem with getting a girlfriend, I mean it was hard enough trying to keep them off of me.

 "Yeah, Romeo, the closest you'll get her to talk to you is just waxing her floors." Kevin, my short friend joked.

 "Aye man, we still on for tonight?" I asked, picking up a map.

 "You know it my vanilla brother." he teased, slapping my hand. "Yeah, you might find you a Mrs. Jackson up in there." John joked. I shook my head. 

I was not up for a one-night stand with a stranger.

 "Your loss boy, but Miss Victoria, that girl is classy, you couldn't get her if she wanted you." Kevin laughed. 

I pushed him playfully. 

"Aye man shut up if he wants to date a lovely lady like Victoria let him...if the boss likes the pitch he delivered, he'll get promoted soon and then you guys will be waxing his floor in his office," Joshua, throwing a mop at both of them.

He was one level above us, he was almost like our supervisor. He didn't have a glossy desk, but he did have the respect of others in the company. "Thanks, man," I said, dapping his fists.

 "No problem," he said. 

 "Everybody going to Amy's tonight, you coming?" I asked Joshua.

 "Naw man, that ain't no place for no married man, Tasha doesn't like when I drink," he explained.

 I nodded understandingly.

 "Tasha doesn't like us period," John said. 

 "See that's why I'm not getting married," Kevin announced like it was a huge confession of his.

 "I don't know any woman in her right mind would want to marry you." Joshua teased him. "You know what, I'm going downstairs," Kevin said. We all laughed chaotically. "He'll be alright man, that's just Kevin," Joshua said.  

"Aye! Get back to work, I'm not paying ya'll to gossip and snicker down there!" Mr. William boomed from the break room. We quickly grabbed our buckets and got back to work.