Jump to content

CHAPTER 12 THE ONLY ONE


Recommended Posts

Driving along, on her way to work, Carole found herself in better spirits, and neither the aggravation of the rush hour traffic, nor the cold dreary weather, nor the stupid chatter on the “morning drive” radio station could affect her upbeat mood. Renewed by the visit to her parents, motivated by the worthy cause that had sprung from her self-realization, she was now ready to disperse the dark past by taking on the role of a torch bearer for misunderstood black woman.

Earlier, staring into the mirror as she stood over the wash basin brushing her teeth, she had given herself a lecture. Troy Briggs was not out of reach. He was a part of her daily environment. And he was up for grabs. So, playing it cool was no longer an option. She needed to take advantage of this situation and become more aggressive. It was time to start charming Troy instead of challenging him. After all, as a woman of color, wasn’t she descended from a long line of temptresses that included the legendary Queen of Sheba, - an inspiration that served to ennoble her.

Selecting an outfit for the day she decided on a classic little brown sheathe with decorative gold buttons and gathered sleeves, a dress designed to be as provocative as it was modest. She would also exchange a couple of her posts for a pair of large earrings that dangled in a tantalizing way. She’d even tweak her make-up, wearing a darker shade of eye shadow. Lip gloss, yes; lipstick, no. No cologne, either, - just lotion with a musky essence.

And how lucky, she told herself, that enabling her new approach was a ready-made scenario. Troy was her supervisor. He was there to oversee her performance, there to assist her, there to answer any questions that she had in regard to doing a better job.What better way to win him over than to demonstrate her admiration and respect for him by seeking his advice about the constant work-related problems she had heretofore been solving on her own. Stroking his ego, giving him a chance to impress her, was the first step in captivating him. Right, Steve Harvey?

And with the embrace of this new attitude, it was like Carole had died and gone to cliché heaven as all the old sayings kicked in: anything worth having was worth fighting for; where there was a will, there was a way; winners didn’t quit and quitters didn’t win.

But what a difference an hour in the light of day made as, walking through the parking lot of her place of employment, she spotted them: Troy and Debbie strolling ahead of her, obviously enjoying each other’s company, lost in their own little easy going world that was undoubtedly free from the friction that chafed her encounters with Troy Briggs. Debbie, the bleached-blond ditz. Carole, the cropped-haired dummy.

And when Carole waved to them, the way they’d barely acknowledged her greeting, immediately set the stage for another cliché to loom into her outlook: what the fuck. Let Troy and Debbie go on their merry way, detached from everything but each other. And it was really disconcerting to observe how they actually looked as though - they belonged together!

A few minutes later, settling down before her computer, insult was then added to injury, when Troy didn’t even bother to look her way as he breezed by, smiling to himself, undoubtedly thinking about Debbie! Stung by his insensitivity, Carole had a sudden change of heart. What had she been thinking?? Sucking up to someone who had never even reached out to you no longer seemed like such a great idea. Carrying the sisterhood banner was not about groveling. It involved a degree of pride. Troy Briggs was a flawed mortal, - not some god in whose presence she was supposed to humble herself. Having a crush was one thing; being crushed was another. And it hurt. Was this her payback for treating Albert so shabbily? Whatever. The next time he called, she’d make an extra effort to be nice to him!

Back in the moment, her “knight in tarnished armor” would be riding off in 2 weeks, so she would let the damned chips fall where they may, just take things…

…“one day at a time,” she quivered to a sympathetic Wanda that evening, as she poured out the latest serving of her bottled-up romance.

“That’s all you can do,” Wanda counseled, “and while you’re at it, girlfriend, you need to ask yourself whose welfare is more important. Troy’s or yours?”

“Good question,” Carole agreed, “which is why I’m waiting on a phone call from Albert. I just saw in the paper that Esperanza Spalding is due in town on the first of the month.”

“Why don’t you call him?”

“Strange as it seems, I don’t have a way to contact Albert, and I’ve noticed that what comes up on my caller ID is a different number for him each time.”

“That’s a red flag!” Wanda said. “You sure this fool ain’t – married??”

“I don’t know,” Carole contemplated, after a pause. “I didn’t really get the impression that he was the type to be a - serious player,” .

“How about a - ‘serial slayer’ ?”

Carole managed to chuckle. “Yeah, - he kills you with kindness.”

“More than you can say for that damned Troy Briggs!”

“Right, seeing as how my name ain’t…

…Debbie Marlowe yawned as the “Sex and the City” re-run signed off, leaving her curled up in an easy chair, reflecting on how she totally identified with the characters on this popular TV show. Like the leading lady, she was an active participant in the dating game, free to sample a variety of interesting men, one of which was the delectable Troy Briggs. Yum.

Reaching down to pet her snoozing Chocolate Lab, Debbie began to stroke her dog’s back, still thinking about Troy. He was a really cool guy and they were definitely on track for a hook-up once he returned to his home office, away from the glare of her co-workers who didn’t seem to appreciate that she wasn’t exactly twisting Troy’s arm when it came to their interaction.

Now ready for bed, pulling herself up from the chair, Debbie stretched out another yawn. Yessssss, one day she expected to find a suitable man to marry; do the whole “house-in–the-suburbs-soccer-mom” bit. But in the mean time, pass up a chance to enjoy the company of a hunk who appealed to her, - and who might even be Mr. Right? No way! 2 more weeks to go!

And the little matter of her and Troy being of different races only added to the excitement! She relished the idea of exploring new territory, something that appealed to her adventurous nature. She thought about how she’d always wanted to go on an African safari and now she was about to embark on her own version of one! She could just imagine her jungle guide, ready to pounce, his weapon bulging beneath his loin cloth, aimed at the wild thing hiding in her bush! What a sex tape that would make!

As for her family, and everyone else, they’d just have to deal with what was no longer taboo. Welcome to the 21st century, folks! Sorry, Carole Everly, but you’ll still have your books to…

…keep close to doorway the shadowy figure thought, shivering there in the cold darkness of the storefront where he kept a regular vigil. Carole Everly had a habit of peeking out the window before she retired for the night, he reminded himself.

  • - to be continued, as a bend in the road leads to... -

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...