At lunch, I headed downstairs. There was a deli that Maggie and I hit almost every day. She was waiting in the lobby of the building as I came out of the elevator.
“Hey girl,” Maggie chirped. Usually seeing her was enough to put me in a better mood but today was different.
“You’re in a good mood. Why?” I grumbled. Her brown eyes fell.
“Uh-oh,” she said as we entered the deli. We ordered our regulars, a roast pork sandwich for me and a Cobb salad for Maggie. “Bad news?” she asked when we were settled in our seats.
“I got a bill from the hospital,” I said.
“Oh no. How high is it?”
“High enough that I’ll never get done paying it in this lifetime.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have nothing. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I have a job but they don’t pay me nearly enough to pay for it. I was thinking of getting a second job.”
“When the hell would you do it? All you do is work and take care of your mother anyway.”
“If I want her around for much longer, I’m gonna have to figure something out,” I said.
“Can’t you get Jameson to up your pay?” she suggested.
“He’d have to up my pay by a factor of five thousand for it to be enough.”
“Have you ever asked for a raise?”
I hadn’t in the past. I had gotten small promotions over the years but I had never asked Jameson, our boss to raise my pay.
“Enough about me and my stuff. What about you?” I asked. Maggie beamed.
“What about me?” she asked. I smiled at her. We were so different yet so the same in so many ways. Her personality was reserved and shy and I was a little more fiery. She was introverted and I was anything but. Today, her flame-red hair was down around her shoulders and chest. She wore a midi-length skirt with a white blouse tucked into it which showcased her generous figure. Both of us were curvy girls. When we met, she put me on to so many amazing online stores that actually stocked cute plus-size clothes. She always looked drop-dead gorgeous and of course, it helped that she had the face of a dreamland pixie fairy.
“Did you end up going on a date with that guy?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not trying to get into another relationship right now.”
“No one said anything about a relationship. Going on a date doesn’t have to lead to anything. It can just be a fun night out.”
“Why don’t you take your own advice then?” she asked. I hadn’t been on a date in too long to remember but that was different. I had a sick mother to take care of. She was nervous after the spectacular way her last relationship ended and I understood that but I hated seeing her sink into herself the way that she had. She was so loyal and loving, anyone would be lucky to have her in their life, provided they treated her right in return.
We headed back to the office when lunch was over. After a pitstop at my desk, I went to Jameson’s office. I knocked at the door and waited for a reply. Jameson yelled from the inside for me to come in. He was sitting at his desk and he smiled when he saw me.
“Good afternoon Brenna,” he said. I smiled and walked up to his desk. Eyes up, I thought, watching his eyes try and fail to stay on my face. It was something I was used to, from him and from men in general. That was just what happened when you had double Ds.
“Good afternoon Mr. Jackson.” I sat in the chair across from him.
He leaned forward. “What can I do for you?”
“I came to discuss the possibility of a raise,” I said. Jameson’s eyes widened. I kept going so I didn’t lose momentum and so he didn’t say anything to slow me down. “I have been working here with the company for the last three years. In that time, I’ve taken on longer hours and more responsibilities, but my wages do not reflect that.” He opened his mouth, but I kept talking. “My mother is sick. She’s currently fighting cancer. As you know, chemo and radiation are expensive, and insurance doesn’t cover it all. I know that she can fight this, but I can’t do anything if I can’t even pay for the treatment.”
His expression softened. I felt like I had grounds enough to ask for a raise without having to talk about my mother but I wanted to make sure that if he did say no, I had laid everything out on the table and there was nothing else I could have done. He stood and came around his desk. I was scared for a minute that he was going to try and hug me but he just placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he said. He sq
ueezed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”