Page 11 of Tap In

A SHORT TIME LATER…

“Cobia,I promise if she says one more thing, I’m slapping her.”

I was in my office with the door closed, pissed. From the point that I received my company Range, she had made snide comments. Oh, and the backhanded compliments were her specialty. One day that bitch complimented me on an outfit that I wore. She then turned right back around and said that she admired my confidence to wear things that I did at my size. I was a damn size fourteen.

Jacobia laughed on the other end of the line.“Shit, go ahead and slap her stupid ass. You’re smashing the damn boss. Who do you think he’s going to fire?”

“I know that, but I also know the legal ramification that my actions could have on the business if I beat her ass. What I will do, though, is catch her ass outside.”

Since Chance and I made it official, it’d been outstanding. The attention that he paid to every little thing about me was almost overwhelming. We spent most of our time at his house since I didn’t want to invade Jacobia’s space too much. Plus, Joston had been spending more and more time in Mount Pleasant. One day I went over, and my hygiene products were in Chance’s bathroom. Normally, I took them with me. He told me that he took a picture of my products and had a shopper buy them.

My favorite snacks were in the pantry, my brand of water in the fridge. I was surprised to learn that under his serious exterior, he had childish humor. He loved to have fun when we were together. Last weekend, he did the whole pick a card thing. My wake-up options were breakfast in bed or dick. I pulled the breakfast in bed card which was fine because he pulled the cards out after we finished having sex. I thought he was going to order it, but he cooked it!

The afternoon card options were lunch or lunch and shopping. I picked the right card that time, because we had lunch at a local soul food restaurant that I wanted to try, and then he took me shopping. I didn’t realize Charleston had designer stores. When we got back to his house, the So Kate heels he bought me were in the air. The stretch studio sessions had done amazing things with my flexibility.

Early evening, the card choices were to fly to Key West or Vegas for the rest of the weekend. Let’s just say for that one, Numen showed me some new positions. I wasn’t sure if this was our honeymoon stage, but I hoped it lasted forever.

“I mean, if you want me to come up there and cuss her ass out, you know I will. I’m wide open today,”Jacobia offered. I loved that my girl was always with the shits. That was how she was raised.

Before I could respond, there was a knock on my door. My annoyance hit the roof when Eve’s triangle, beanpole body walked in before I gave her permission to. “Hey, Lark. I looked on Chance’s calendar and I don’t see that he has anything scheduled right now. Do you know where he is?”

“I’m not sure why I would if there is nothing on his calendar that I need to manage. Is there something urgent that I need to let him know about or something that I can handle?” The phone receiver was still up to my ear. You would have thought that she would have asked if I was on an important call.

Her top crunchy lip turned up. “Um, no, it’s not something that you can handle. It’s a personal matter. I just thought you would have a GPS on him since y’all seem to be extra ‘friendly.’” She held up air quotes when she said friendly.

“What the fuck did that ho say? Yeah, nope.”Jacobia disconnected the line, causing me to put the receiver back on the hook.Welp, there goes the house.

My back straightened. “Eve, do you have a problem with me? There seems to be thickness in the air from you when it comes to me. I want to give you the opportunity to clear it up.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not on my totem pole for me to think about having a problem with you. I’m not sure what thickness you feel. I know what thickness I see.” Her sparse brow creeped up her forehead.

“Okay, let me clear the air. I don’t like you. You’re messy, unprofessional, and lack the true intelligence to do a job as simple as answering the phone. Your snide comments and backhanded compliments are noticed. I have chosen to ignore them until now. I suggest you take some time to get yourself together before you have all the time in the world to get it together.”

This little girl had me messed up. She was twenty-four, fresh out of college. It was clear that maturity was not a class that she opted into while she was there. She was the gossip of the office. The bad part about it was that she wasn’t good at it.

Her eyes turned to slits, her arms crossed over herself, and her bony hip stuck out. “Since we’re being clear, let me add some crystal to it. I don’t give a damn how you feel about me. You don’t have the authority to tell me to take so much as a lunch. Just because you’re fucking the boss does not mean you are the boss. So how about you go suck the boss’s dick like you?—”

“She may not have the authority to tell you to take lunch, but I do. I can fire you too.” Chance interrupted Eve’s rant.

With wide eyes, she spun around to face him. He leaned against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.God, he’s so sexy.I didn’t realize he was in the doorway.

“Cha-Chance! I didn’t?—”

He walked into the office and took one hand out of his pocket to put a finger up. “Nah, you did. You meant to not only disrespect my executive assistant but my woman. I’ve warned you about your messiness. You can take that messiness somewhere else. You’re fired.”

“Are you serious!” Her voice was louder than it should have been. “Oh, I’m fired but not her? Did you hear what she said to me?”

His hand went back into his pocket. “Yes, I did hear her call you messy, unprofessional, and unintelligent. I frankly can’t say that I disagree, seeing as you’ve forgotten to pass many important messages on to agents. You know what else I heard? You explicitly and vulgarly referenced my dick and Lark’s sex life. Like I said, you’re fired. Get your shit and get out of my building.”

Her head looked like a bobblehead doll the way it went back and forth between Chance and me. She had the nerve to look surprised or maybe it was hurt.This bitch!When her chest started to rise and fall at a rapid pace, I knew she was about to make a bad decision.

“You know what! Fuck this job, and fuck both of you!” When she pushed Chance, then stormed out of the office, I slipped out of my heels. She had to be touched in her peabrain to think touching my man was acceptable.

Just before I could walk out of my office, Chance’s arm stopped me. “Calm down, baby. Never allow your throne seat to get cold. Stay seated.”

From my office, which was at the back of the building, you could hear Eve causing a ruckus in the front. By the time we got to the front, Travis and Marla were out of their offices, trying to figure out what was happening. Eve was walking around talking shit like an idiot instead of packing her Barbie décor desk up and moving around. When she turned and saw me standing there, she advanced toward me. Travis blocked her.

“I should beat your ass, bitch. You think because you’re sucking his damn balls that it means something. Ole uppity ass bitch! Your pussy probably dry!” she ranted.

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