Page 6 of The Aries Alliance
I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t.
“Why would they copy you on it if you weren’t supposed to read it?” I waved my hand from side to side before placing my hands on my hips.
I cocked my head, wanting to call Warrick a bastard out loud, but refrained.
“I’m copied on a lot of emails I don’t read.” He stared at me with a blank look on his face.
This man was a clown.
“Are you being serious right now?”
“Maybe you should explore other career choices, given your grievances.”
Warrick was worse than I thought. How had he been able to cover up his stupidity for so long? Ialmostfelt sorry for him, given his blatant incompetence.
“Check your email.” I spoke softly, hoping that my hint would give a brother a clue that might save his job in the future.
“Okay, but watch your tone.”
Watch my tone?Did he really say that out loud? I had had enough of Warrick’s foolishness.
“I’ve tried to be civil with you, but you’re not matching my energy. Instead of telling me where my next place of employment should be, you should learn how to do your job better.”
“I’m doing my job.” He spoke in that same calm, steady voice.
My eyes almost bugged out of my head as I stared Warrick down like he had four heads, and none of them were cute.
“Help me understand. Is your job to uphold oppression? Did you get that from a bubble gum machine?” I pointed to the back wall where a degree from American University hung.
Instead of following my finger, his eyes remained fixed on me. He tapped his pen on the legal pad again, then pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“It’s going to be one of those kinds of meetings, I see.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“What exactly does that mean?”
He leaned toward me and lowered his voice.
“One where the angry Black woman comes in and plays the victim. Everyone isn’t out to get you, Scarlett.” He sounded like my mother, scolding me.
I rolled up the sleeves of my cardigan and frowned.
“Bastard, it’s Dr. Kane to you. And I don’t know who the hell you think you’re talking to. What you need to do is get your Uncle Tom, funny colored-eyes, fancy glasses-wearing, non-seeing behind somewhere and sit down with that stupid talk. You’re Black, and your ass could be out of a job quicker than you can snap your fingers.” I snapped for emphasis.
“First of all, Dr. Kane, you can call me Warrick. Second, I am sitting down. And third, you need to watch your language. Stop fixating on my eyes and what I am wearing.” He scribbled some notes on his pad. “Do you act like this with everyone? If so, Imight have to write you up, with your bare-legged, brown-eyed self.” He pointed his pen at both parts of my body as he spoke.
“Are you making fun of me? I’m going to report you to your supervisor. Not a tad bit of professionalism anywhere.”
“Hmm . . . says the woman objectifying me at work. Weren’t you the one claiming discrimination, by the way?” Warrickclicked his tongue and wrote down several things on his notepad as I glared at him.
Hold the hell up.
“I thought you didn’t read my report. And what are you writing down?”
“I’m taking notes about our conversation.”
“To do what with?”
