Page 10 of One Good Reason

“But Mr. Harvey.” Rossi mewled his disapproval. “Please don’t let this one isolated event be the reason for her losing her job.”

Holding my hand up to halt him, I shook my head. “Send her in.”

Rossi stared at me a few seconds before slouching his shoulders and getting up to honor my request. I didn’t know what I planned to do; I knew firing her wasn’t in the cards. It was hard cyphering through the three qualified applicants. I vaguelyremember selecting her because of the years of experience she had. So no, I wouldn’t be firing her today.

CHAPTER 2

Talitha

For the past six months, I had developed a rapport with not only my staff but the children who visited the center. A few of them I had taken an extra liking to, after all they were the ones who needed more of my attention. I know my role was director, but I took my job serious. I had implemented an open-door policy at the center. When my kids felt like they couldn’t talk to the counselors we employed, I made sure to make myself readily available to them.

It is why my heart broke to hear Quantavious tell me he planned on seeking revenge on the person responsible for gunning down his brother. I offered to hire a grief counselor to help him with his transition, but he refused the help.

Quan had only been here for about a month and in the beginning, he was a tough nut to crack. I could sense that something was troubling him, so I started doing little things to get him to open up. Whether it be hanging out on the basketball court with him or simply letting him sit in my office while he did his homework. I wanted so much more for him because I saw more in him.

After joining the staff, I realized that while the center provided the kids with a safe haven, there was so much morethat we could offer. I set up meetings with city officials, even reached out to a few investors I knew in the area only to be told no. It was almost as if they didn’t have any hope in our youth, the future of America. That shit was so disheartening and if that wasn’t enough to make me want to reevaluate my employment, the shit that had just taken place outside surely had done it.

It wasn’t even five o’clock yet and I had already had about as much as I could take for the day. Powering down my computer, I closed my eyes and leaned back in the leather swivel office chair.

“Hey Tali,” Rossi rushed out in a desperate breath.

Without opening my eyes, I answered, “Yes darling.”

“Um. Mr. Harvey would like to see you in his office.”

“TheeMr. Harvey?” I croaked.

“The only and only. Unfortunately he was pulling up when you were outside with Quan.”

“Shit,” I faltered under my breath. Surely if he had witnessed that, me quitting wouldn’t happen. This man was getting ready to fire my ass. He probably thought I couldn’t do my job efficiently. “Did…” Swallowing the lump in my throat I asked, “Did he say what it was about?”

“No.” Rossi shook his head.

“Well, if today is my last day here, I may as well get everything that I’ve been holding in off my chest.”

Squaring my shoulders, I stood and rounded the desk. After smoothing out my pencil skirt, I walked out of my office and down the hall to the bigger version of my work vessel that had sat empty since my very first day of employment.

Knocking on the partially closed door, I waited to be invited in before pushing it open and stepping across the threshold.

Waving me over he ordered, “Mrs. Howard, have a seat.”

His voice was deep and raspy making him sound all authoritative and shit. But even that wasn’t enough for me tonot get my issues off my chest. One thing about it, Bertha Mae taught me to speak my mind and do it with conviction.

“It’sMissHoward but I prefer to be called Tali,” I let him know before plopping down in the chair. Instead of responding, he tipped his head toward me and ruffled through a stack of papers. My knee bounced rapidly as I sat across from him waiting for him to let me know that my services were no longer needed.

After what felt like minutes but was merely seconds of silence he finally spoke, “Before coming to work here you were at” He paused and flipped to the first page of the stack. “Youth Villages.”

“That is correct,” I confirmed, not really knowing where this was going.

“That was an inhouse facility?”

“It was,” I confirmed once again.

“I see. Nothing like what we have going on here,” he chuckled.

“Youth Villagesoffered some of the same things. The main difference is those kids lived there until they were able to transition out.”

“Umph.” He stroked his chin as his eyes scanned the papers.

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