Now, eight years later, I had beaten it and survived.
But my relationship with my mother hadn’t.
Our family hadn’t.
We couldn’t forget. She couldn’t stop bulldozing. Or stop searching for answers. Or stop worrying. My father couldn’t stop holding her up and staring at me with pity.
And I couldn’t stop the damn guilt of never wanting to talk to them, wanting to avoid all the awkward conversations and live harder than I had ever lived before, even if my mother wanted me wrapped in a plastic bubble of supplements, doctors, hospitals, fruits and vegetables. She wanted to place that plastic bubble in her home, in a nice little town away from the big city, and make sure I lived a long, prosperous, very boring life.
I gulped the wine she would scream at me for drinking and got to work, trying to forget about my wallowing. When I couldn’t forget, I drank more wine, and found myself mostly incapable of work.
I almost closed my laptop to go to bed, but the green dot next to Jett’s name on my e-mail list beckoned to me.
I opened our messages.
Me: This bad day started with you.
Jett: You’re up late.
Me: Have to start working like my new boss does.
Jett: I do like my employees motivated.
Me: Do you ever stop working?
Jett: I wasn’t working when I was with you last.
Me: You left me to work.
Jett: We’re still on that, huh?
Me: I don’t know what I’m on. I need to get off it though.
I slammed my laptop shut and unfurled myself from my cramped position, stretching out the stiffness to go to bed. I tossed and turned all night, wondering how I would get through working at Stonewood Enterprises the very next week.
14
Jett
Victory Blakely draggedthe sun out of hiding the very next week when she showed up at work with her crew. She even wore a yellow blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, as if to solidify her joy through colors. A large bag hung from one of her shoulders, and she smiled like she wanted to be here with everyone else who had arrived bright and early with stars in their eyes.
She showed all her teeth to Gloria who was introducing people, a grin so brilliant everyone should have known it was fake. Then she tried to laugh at something Stevie said, but her hand stayed on the handle of her bag, gripping it tightly.
Holding in her real feelings.
I stood in my office, leaning against a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooked the office space below. I seated the best of the best in that space, right there in front of me. The open desk concept allowed ideas to fly freely and honestly. It gave me immediate access to everyone I needed on a daily basis too. This was my empire, and I ruled from a few steps above.
Gloria, like a king’s hand, moved down my list of onboarding duties, brutal in her six-inch heels and plum form fitting dress. I noted which men’s eyes lingered too long on that violet fabric and filed the information away.
Most men who let their dick overpower them on their first day wouldn’t last long at Stonewood Enterprises. It seemed I would do some firing sooner than I had anticipated.
Gloria, efficient and effective in all she did for me, snapped her binder shut. Her dark eyes flicked my way, and she nodded to indicate she’d finished. Last week she’d played up her sex kitten role because I’d correctly guessed it was the right way to butter up the men in that room.
Now, we were back to business, and that woman was the best at it. She knew as well as I did most of the men eyeing her would be gone within a few months. I’d never failed her in that regard.
I pushed off the glass and walked out of my office. I unbuttoned my suit jacket as I stepped down the stairs.
Eyeing Stevie first, I addressed him for the last time as the man I’d relieved of a business. “Happy to have absorbed your company, Stevie. It’ll be great having you work for us.”