~Ava~
“You always get yourself into trouble, Ava! Damn, girl! You couldn’t just let the man have the coffee?”
I narrowed my eyes at Evie and shook my head succinctly. “Hell no. It was his fault I lost my cup. Any true gentleman would have been like, ‘Oh, miss. Please let me buy you another,’” my voice dropped an octave as I imitated a man’s voice. “But this dickhead walked past me as if nothing happened.”
And there I stood, in another line, waiting to order for lunch. There were too many people in this city. We needed another plague. Then maybe I would never have to meet the gorgeous green-eyed devil again.
“One of these days, you’re going to meet the man of your dreams, but your attitude is going to send him running from the hills.” As Evie told me this, she swung her straightened hair from her shoulder and eyed a man in front of us.
“There you go, again. Always searching for the bad boys.” I decided to ignore her warning to me. It left me somewhat unsettled. Instead, I followed her gaze and noticed the tattooed man she ogled. I couldn’t fault her taste. The tall, muscular blonde was attractive in a skater-boy way.
Evie glared at me. “What makes you think he’s bad? He could be the sweetest man in the world. A diamond in the rough.”
The look I sent her clearly said, “Bitch, please.”
She scoffed and turned from me. No doubt, so the attractive stranger could get a better look at her assets. Evie was always flawlessly dressed to accentuate her hourglass shape. She was very similar to me in build but slimmer. It was a surprise to no one in the office how quickly we had become friends. Birds of a feather flocking together and whatnot. With our similar body shape, attitude, and mass of wild hair, we could have been twins. If you excluded how different our features were. Hey, there are fraternal twins!
But, there was one major difference between the two of us. Evie was the kingpin of attracting men. I mean, no matter where we turned, dudes that made you drool were hitting on her. As her bestie, I was quite used to being the gatekeeper between her and several douchebags. She may have complained, but I knew secretly she was thankful she didn’t have to be the bad guy. So, even as she scoffed at my perusal of the next potential man, I knew she was listening.
“Bad boys are only good for one thing. So, if you’re thinking of pursuing that, you better bring some protection and be ready to see his ass out the next morning. Ain’t nobody got time for a pregnancy or STI scare with some washed up...”
Evie shushed me. Who else but the man in question came approaching us with a sexy, come-hither grin? She giggled. Damn, the girl went down ten IQ points before the man even spoke. She’s a goner.
“Hello,” he rumbled at her. Even I felt my stomach clench at the sound of his deep baritone. Whoa there, girl. Calm down. It’s just a voice. Who cares if he sounds like he just came out of Barry White’s vagina?
“Hello. Wow, you have amazing tattoos,” Evie whispered seductively. She used that as an excuse to reach out and touch his large bicep. Did I just see that man flex? Oh, good lord!
“Hmm, I love a woman that can appreciate tats. Have any?”
It seemed the two of them had completely forgotten we were in line for food. They were on the hunt for something altogether different. I used that to my advantage by skipping him and ordering Evie and myself a salad at the counter. Evie usually went for the burger and fries on Mondays to lift her spirits, but...you snooze, you lose. Plus, I needed a diet buddy, and I was tired of her refusing to be my partner in the 21-day cleanse I had signed up for. Yes, I did say I loved my body before. But being on a diet is not mutually exclusive with loving yourself, people! And loving yourself doesn’t mean there’s never any room for improvement either.
“No, but I always wanted one. You seem to know a thing or two about them. You wanna take me?”
At the way Evie’s voice dropped at the end of that question, I was shocked I didn’t turn to see the two of them humping each other. What kind of invitation was that? It looks like she took my advice and was on the hunt for a lover. Again, I can’t blame her. Who lays it down better than a bad boy?
“Actually, I work at a place not too far from here. You should come by, and I’d be glad to whip something up for you. The name’s Axel, by the way.” He playfully bit his lip as he held out a hand to take hers.
What they did next was a far cry from shaking hands. More like a sensual caress. Damn, I could even feel the heat between the two of them. There go my protests! There was no way I was convincing Evie to ditch this guy.
“Evelyn, but my friends call me Evie. I’d love to. What’s it called?”
“Thor’s Edge Tattoos. I’ll give you a free consultation and everything, beautiful. Just give me a ring.” He handed her his card.
Evie winked at him as I motioned for her to follow me outside after getting our food. They both said their goodbyes. When we were a few feet from the cafe, she let out a big sigh and fanned herself repeatedly.
“Okay, Mr. Rico Suave actually has some game, huh?”
“Oh, you have no idea. I’m already wet,” she laughed as I scrunched my nose in disgust.
“I did not need to hear that, thank you very much. So, are you serious about this tattoo thing? Or is this just a means of getting into his pants?”
Evie shrugged her shoulders. “Both. And I know just where to have him put it…” Cute line, right?
“Geez, Evie! You don’t play, do you?”
“Nope.” She opened the bag and glared at me. “What the hell, Ava!”
Whelp, looks like I got the last laugh!
All humor was basically erased by the time we returned to the office however. My heart was beating in sheer excitement. The moment I entered the conference room to find both Mr. Durand and Mr. Park standing at the front of the room, I knew something big was going to happen. As the primary partners in the firm, it was a pretty big deal for them both to be in the room. I took my seat and waited with baited breath like many others in anticipation. It did not escape my notice that I was the youngest and least experienced person in the room; I was already used to being the only Black employee, let alone the only Black woman. I went into this industry already aware of how notorious it was for its lack of diversity.
“Seems like we have everyone so let’s get started,” Mr. Park, or Slade, as he preferred to go by, announced with his signature heartwarming smile. It was always in such stark contrast to Mr. Durand’s serious disposition. So rare in fact, my colleagues would often brag about having seen it. Shockingly, it didn’t take away from his handsome dark features, but pronounced them. Between him and Slade, they were both a sight to be seen!
As Slade began to go over a few announcements, I did a cursory glance of the people I would be potentially working with. They were all at least familiar faces, some more detestable than others. When I heard a small giggle, I turned to find the very young woman I couldn't stand to be on the same team with- Ashley motherfucking Williams. Her grey eyes were glued to Slade with obvious adoration, following his every move predatorily. Admittedly, Slade often looked quite delectable in his form-fitting suits, but there was no reason to be so obvious about appreciating his physical attractiveness. More importantly, what is it with these women and their obsession with Dmitri and Slade, anyway? Dmitri was clearly taken, and while Slade lacks the telltale ring on his finger, he shows little to no interest in anyone he works with.
There was, however, a rumor that Slade had a kid. Though we had never seen her, people had gossiped about a young girl’s toys in the backseat of his Mercedes. It was frankly none of my business. But the way this girl devoured Slade with her eyes, I wish I knew for certain so I could wipe that smug, constipated look off her face. I wanted to yell to her to wipe the drool slipping down her chin but refrained. Of course, you’re wondering why all the hostility? Well, this was very the same woman who almost had me fired, that’s why. We had been working on a campaign together and the bitch decided to take credit for all my hard work after practically sitting on her ass the entire time. The beat down I was close to giving her could have landed me in jail, or worse.
But I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. Instead, I should be focused because whatever their announcement was, I needed to stand out if I ever saw myself in a leadership position in a male-dominated, primarily white corporation. Oh, I can see my name now. Ava Lewis, Marketing Director. And then, eventually, Vice President of Marketing. Okay, breathe, breathe. It’s going to happen, but not if you don’t get out of your head and focus.
“It is Dmitri and my pleasure to announce a new venture, called the NEW Launch Program. I know…very original,” he added drily, receiving a chuckle from the majority of the room. Mr. Durand didn’t so much as smirk. No surprise there. I wonder if the name was his idea.
“But this program is exciting nonetheless because it is a great opportunity for professional growth. Here at D&P, while we do pride ourselves on working with some of the biggest names in any industry, we also feel it is our duty to give back. And so that is what this program will do. By partnering with local businesses, we will be helping to expand our reach but also make ourselves accessible to smaller clientele. If our trial period goes well, Dmitri and I can see this becoming a larger non-profit sector of the company. Within these partnerships, there are those who would need specialization in brand revitalization while others may simply need a specialist to focus more on creative development. While these clients are not the big businesses we have done work for in the past, they will not be treated any less respectfully. Am I understood?”
Everyone soundlessly nodded their heads in agreement. But I could already tell which snobs would only take his words at face value. Some of them represented all that was wrong with marketing and advertising in this country with their one-track minds and prejudicial beliefs. They could be as tone deaf as the idiots who created the Pepsi commercial with Kendall Jenner. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t have touched that shit with a ten-foot pole.
“Over the next few weeks, division heads will be reaching out to those of you who show promise in being part of this new journey. However, applications and inquiries are always welcome.”
Slade took a step back and looked at Mr. Durand who replaced him by stepping forward. The large room was abuzz with excitement and questions; I could see people’s minds running through the possibility of promotions and raises. Because I certainly was doing the same.
“Before we open the floor to questions, I would like to add one very important thing. This program will only require a handful of individuals. As such, we are not seeking people on just their individual merit but how well they work within a small team. For some of you, this will be a drawback, so think over it carefully.” As he spoke, his eyes suddenly landed on me, and I felt a shiver of awareness down my spine. Why does it feel as if he is speaking to just me? Of course I’m a team player.
But just as that thought ran through my mind, I saw Ashley stand to ask a question in her annoying high-pitched voice. She could barely get out one clear sentence because she was still too busy drooling over Slade. And I couldn’t help rolling my eyes.
Well, damn…maybe I’m not a great team player.
~Thor~
I tore into the food Axel brought back as if I was a starving refugee. Ugh, okay. I’ll admit that analogy was in bad taste. The burger was juicy and my grumbling stomach was thanking me for the much needed lunch break though. Since the morning, I had several customers. Many were long-term deals that had designs needing to be done in stages. I couldn’t complain about the traffic. It was what paid the bills, after all.
“This is delicious, Ax! Did you go to a new place?”
Axel sat next to me in the back of the tattoo shop where our communal kitchen and eating area was. The round table was covered in a smorgasbord of food and packaging items. Mouth stuffed with food, he nodded. “Yup, I went to the joint that just opened up on the corner. Met a fine ass woman too.”
My ears perked up at that. “Finer than Ruby?” I laughed. I doubted it.
Axel frowned at my comparison. “Don’t be hitting on our new artist, Thor. Damn, can’t you keep it in your pants just this once? If this doesn’t stop, I’m no longer going to even consider female artists. And then we’re going to have a discrimination lawsuit on our hands. Do you want that?”
I scoffed at his exaggeration, “Relax, man. Ruby looks like she’s a girl that knows how to handle her business. I warned Skye that we were nothing serious. It was her fault for getting all tangled up and then wanting to whine about me disrespecting her. That was complete bullshit! You know I don’t work like that.”
“Frankly, I don’t care how you work. I love this place, and no amount of financial success makes you immune from these office liaisons coming back to bite you in the ass!” He paused and lowered his voice. “I’m saying this as your friend, man.”
“Yeah, I get it,” I conceded. “But if this girl approaches me, all bets are off.” Axel could say whatever the hell he wanted. I wasn’t looking a gift horse- or in this case, pussy- in the mouth! If Ruby wanted it badly enough to approach me, she could have it. Who was I to deny her a taste?
“Whatever, Thor. Just, if a woman comes in with the name Evie...don’t be giving her to anyone else but me! Got it?”
I nodded my head but wondered how sexy this woman truly was? There was no way in hell she was hotter than Ruby! Damn, why’d I hire her again?
I was still thinking about my next potential sexual conquest when another client came in and took a seat after our lunch break. Images of Ruby’s lips and seductive gaze fell further away from my conscious mind as my body fell into the familiar motions of work. The buzzing sound of the tattoo gun was a soothing background noise that helped me focus on nothing else but the design. While it may have started with the smallest of markings, I kept the final look in mind and watched as it slowly came to fruition.
Art had been a part of my life since I was fairly young. And while I had always had an appreciation for body art, I had begun with more traditional work in portraits and print design. But this was a side of me people rarely saw. It was the few moments outside of a woman’s legs where I felt passionate and alive. Every day I entered the shop, there was an excitement for creation that made my blood rush and my fingers itch to do something. There was no other feeling like it in the world, knowing that what you created will become a permanent part of someone else. It’s a powerful feeling.
“Man that looks awesome!” I heard the young man nearly squeal in glee after our session had ended. “Thanks so much, T-dog!”
I grimaced at the nickname he had given me without my permission but decided to excuse it. “You’re welcome. Now, remember to keep this wrapped and clean until our next appointment. That will be our last one, and you’ll really be able to see things come together.”
He nodded enthusiastically, clearly too enthused with the design on his bicep to pay much attention to my instructions. But given that this wasn’t his first time here, I didn’t push.
I walked him out of the shop when I noticed an envelope at the front desk with my name scrawled on it. Assuming it was a leftover tip from a client, I didn’t open it until I was back in my office. But instead of bills, I found a small sheet of paper tucked into the crisp white envelope.
I’m sorry. Let’s try again.
My body tensed, knowing immediately who it was from. Without hesitation, I balled the paper up and threw it in the trash. Heck, if it wouldn’t have caused the sprinklers to go off, I would have set the shit on fire.