I Want Candy (30 page)

The three ladies sat together, soaking in the information shared. The energy in the room had shifted.

“You know, him bein’ rich isn’t important,” Candy said as she looked at Jasmine. “If Gabriel had a blue collar job, he’d be just as endearing.”

“Fuck that! The hell he would!” Jasmine rolled her neck. “You already been there, done that. Stop datin’ men who are beneath you. If it isn’t their career, it’s their upbringin’. I swear, Candy, it’s like you always try to buy the fucked-up toy on the shelf in the kiddie store instead of the one that’s never been played with. If the man has somethin’ going for himself, you don’t want his ass! He has to be all fucked up to get your attention. You like mothafuckin’ projects! Fuck that! I’m not assemblin’ no damn body, and the batteries better be included, too!” Jasmine barked.

“Like Quentin.” Dallas agreed. “You always want the display model that everyone else has their damn hands on and tore up.”

“Oh, you too now?” Candy looked at Dallas with disapproval. “I don’t speak to either of you this way, yet I get no respect at all, especially from you, Jasmine!”“I do respect you, Heifa, but I tell the truth. I don’t lie to friends, and I don’t sugarcoat.”

“If I spoke to you the way you speak to me, you’d be done with me.” Candy stood up abruptly and walked into Dallas’s kitchen, opening the refrigerator door.

“Now, now, Candy. Just because you’re angry doesn’t mean you have to act like that! I’m an equal opportunity insulter!” Jasmine laughed.

“Fuck you, Jasmine!” Candy said as she pulled out a beer and came back over to the couch. Jasmine burst out laughing.

“OK, Ladies, simmer down,” Dallas smiled. “Candy, seriously, when you go back to work, have a talk with your boss. If you don’t want to date him, fine, but stop toying with him. It’s obvious the man wants you. Just move forward.” Dallas became reflective as she slumped back into the couch. Candy nodded as she sat back down and propped her feet up across Jasmine’s lap.

SUPER-BOSS PASTA

1 mansion with many bedrooms for many sessions

2 large bowls of bowtie and 3-piece suit pasta

8 tsp of leather, furs, pearls, and diamonds

3 cups of silk sheets

1 tablespoon of “OMG, is his penis pink?” concern

Combine and stir!

* * *

“My game’s improved though,” Ted, the General Manager of Accounting joked as he spoke to Gabriel in the tenth floor break room.

“I’ll kick your ass on that golf course. Just name the day and time,” Gabriel joked as he made his rounds talking to everyone. This was his usual once-a-month routine. Many of the employees would gasp in amazement to see him sit down and have lunch with them. Some would brown-nose while others would remain wall flowers, simply observing. Since his divorce, some of the younger female employees pushed the envelope with their attire and flirtatious ways. He was Blue Sun’s most eligible bachelor.

Candy stood in the doorway with her crumpled paper sack. Inside was her chicken salad with almonds, sliced avocado, and a bottle of Blue Mountain water. Gabriel glanced up at her and continued to walk around, tapping various individuals on the shoulder and making small-talk. Candy sat down at one of the tables and slowly laid out her food.

“What brings you here instead of eating at your desk?” she heard a squeaky voice ask. She looked up into the sleepy, gray eyes of the receptionist, Agnes. Agnes was notoriously nosy and a backstabber. Candy rolled her eyes.

“Change of scenery,” Candy mumbled. Agnes sat next to her and threw her frozen Lean Cuisine entre on the table.

“I’m waiting for the microwave,” she smiled. “Isn’t Mr. Justice just the nicest?” she asked as she removed it from the cardboard container. Candy admired the pasta primavera photo on the box, noting that the actual product looked nothing like it.

“Yes, I suppose so,” she answered aloofly as she drank down half her water.

“So, I heard you got to see his house. I bet it’s really nice!” Agnes smiled widely, her crowded, eggshell white teeth on full display.

‘Bitch, get outta my face! How do you even find this shit out?’ Candy thought. “Yes, it is. Many people here have seen it, so they may have a better description for you. I was only there briefly. Well, I have to go,” Candy said as she abruptly stood up, taking her half-eaten salad along with her as Agnes looked on, dissatisfied with the lack of information. As Candy made her way out of the break room and down the hall, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart began to beat faster as she turned the corner and opened her office door.

“Candy,” Gabriel said. “Can I have a word with you?”

“Sure Mr. Justice,” Candy answered as she made her way to her seat. She watched as he closed the door behind him and sat down.

“I was in meetings this morning, or I would’ve been in here sooner” he said. “I want to apologize again for putting you in an awkward position last week. That was very unprofessional of me. We never have to speak of this again, and I understand that what I said to you could be construed as sexual harassment. I just thought, well, I thought you liked me that way too, but I understand now I was incorrect in that assumption. I’ll no longer discuss anything with you that isn’t business-related. Again, I’m sorry. I guess I just thought – well, I just misunderstood your cues. It’s certainly no fault of your own. I’m sure you and Quentin…”

Candy’s face flushed three shades of red in a matter of seconds. “Wait a minute, what? Quentin? How do you know about Quentin, and what does that have to do with this?”

“Well, I was told – I mean, after you were gone, I was trying to understand what may have happened. I asked you if you were seeing someone, and you said ‘no,’ but I suppose you just wanted to keep it private. If I had known, I would’ve stopped flirting with you immediately.”

“Quentin and I are over, Mr. Justice. That was a long time ago. Yes, it was after Eric, but that’s totally over. I dated him right after I filed for divorce from Eric, but it didn’t last long.”

“Well, he sent you flowers while you were gone, and they’re in my office.” Gabriel cleared his throat nervously and looked down at his shoes. “That’s why I asked around. It made sense.”

“I know what this is about,” Candy finally said. “I told you I don’t date people from work, and you found out about Quentin. I’m sorry, Mr. Justice. It’s just that – well, this makes me afraid. You’re my boss, so to me, it’s different.”

Gabriel stood up and waved his hand. “No worries, Candy. You owe me no explanation. Whatever the truth is at this point, it’s not owed to me. Whether it’s because I’m your boss or because of my race or something else, it no longer matters. I’ll have someone bring the flowers to you. Have a good day.” He quickly left before Candy could speak another word.

LIAR’S PIZZA

Roll out that rich man’s dough and pound out the possibilities.

Pour on the sauce. Make sure you’re nice and liquored up before you open your mouth.

Lie your ass off, bake at 350-degrees, and then start lying some more.

* * *

Candy twirled her necklace until it snapped into pieces, causing tiny pastel pink beads to roll across the floor. The work week was over, and Gabriel had stood by his word. He barely spoke to her, and when he did, he did so with no smile. He was all about business. There was no rudeness whatsoever, but Candy was shocked and, at the same time, amazed at his change towards her. He was polite, yet aloof. His eyes no longer swam in mysterious lustful projections. She no longer accidentally felt his hand glide against hers and that occasional pat on the shoulder had disappeared. She thought back to Dallas’s story and her heartbeat raced. She looked up at the clock – 5:32PM. She drove home, thinking intensely about Gabriel.

‘What am I gonna do?’ she thought as she reached her garage. She entered her home and looked at the clock on her DVD player – 6:24PM.

“I can’t believe I’m callin’ you,” Candy said as she slumped down in her kitchen table chair, “you of all people.”

“Well, you make it seem like I just fell off a turnip truck! I know a lot about men!” Jasmine hissed. “Now, I told you I think you should follow Dallas’s advice, but now things have gotten ugly,” Jasmine added as she filed her nails and watched Wheel of Fortune.

“I know,” Candy said as she closed her eyes and rubbed her aching head.

“Here’s what you do. You put on somethin’ cute and march your ass over to his house.”

“Huh? Girl, I can’t do that. Those damn Dobermans will come out and eat me alive!”

“If you want what Dallas had, with some money to boot, then bein’ eaten alive sounds a hell of a lot better than bein’ shunned and dead!”

“Jasmine! Leave it to you to turn this into somethin’ sexual. Look, I can’t just go marchin’ over to his house, it’s…”

“If you say inappropriate one more time, I’m gonna cut off your arm and beat you with it. Now look, put on somethin’ cute, fix your hair, and go over there.”

“He probably isn’t even home. It’s Friday night. This is his time to unwind at a pub or somethin’.”

“The man is just like you – a workaholic. His butt’s at home, trust me. He’s the type of guy to play golf and go to fancy dinners. This isn’t golf time, it’s too damn cold outside, and if he’s at a fancy dinner, then you wait until he gets home.”

“That’s stalker-ish. I’m not doin’ that.” Candy crossed her arms defiantly.

“Fine! Watch him get away then and get someone else. Hell, I may even drive over and try to get with him since this is how you want to act!” Jasmine laughed.

“OK,” Candy huffed. She hung up the phone and changed into a pair of navy flair pants she could finally fit into again, much to her amazement, and paired them with a white, V-neck blouse. Adding white pearl accessories and a hint of perfume behind each ear, she got in her car and drove to the large, intimidating gated doors.

“Here goes nothing,” she said to herself as she pushed the buzzer.

“Yes?” Gabriel asked after he pressed the intercom. “Who’s there?”

“It’s Candy. May I come in?”

There was silence followed by a click then static.

“May I ask why you’re here?” Gabriel asked in a serious tone. Candy’s face flushed.

‘Damn you, Jasmine! This man doesn’t want to see me,’ she thought.

“I just wanted to speak to you about a few things,” Candy explained, trying to be as vague as possible.

“Like what?” Gabriel pushed on. Candy hit her steering wheel in frustration.

“About some employee compensation reports,” Candy lied.

“And this can’t wait until Monday?” Gabriel asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Um…uh, well, it could have, but I thought you might want to know now so that you can follow up on it Monday.” She sighed as she dug herself deeper and deeper into the hole of deception.

“What about a phone call? Or email? Or even Skype?” Gabriel asked, his agitation completely obvious now.