"Kairo, I really don't want to do this right now. Can you just go?"
"Nah, I can't do that."
He looked past my shoulder.
"What's poppin, Mindy?"
"Hi, Kairo. Bringing me and your wife some lunch for today?"
"Nah, I'm not bringing Ciara anything. I'm not sure if she told you or not, but she's fucking someone else now with way more money than me. I just came here to ask when I can come get my stuff."
Mindy's eyes showed she was lost, and the expression on her face after she looked at me could've made me melt right there.
"Kairo, please leave now." She finally spoke up.
"I'm leaving, but I'll be back every day until you let me know when I can get my shit."
When he turned the corner of the building, I started crying so fucking hard because I was beyond upset, and I couldn't hide it.
"Oh my God, Ciara, are you okay?"
"Yes, yeah, I'm fine. It's just. He's."
I couldn't get my words out, just like when I would cry as a child. I was the kid who did that jerking thing when crying while trying to talk. It was always best that I stayed quiet until I calmed down, or no one would understand anything I said.
"Here." Mindy took a napkin from her pocket.
"Wipe your face, stay out here for a minute, and get some air. I will handle everything on the inside."
"Okay, thank you." I nodded my head. When Mindy went back inside, I paced the back alleyway from the dumpsters to the entry door until I felt I'd calmed down enough to go inside and get back to work. Just that quickly, he had turned a good, easy workday into a day that I am just ready to get over.
When my break started at noon, I went down the street to the Pizza spot that served $3 slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza during happy hour. I didn't eat much of it. Only taking a few bites as I walked back down to the Assistance center. It had been hours since I got embarrassed by Kairo, but it was still weighing heavily on me. I can't stand it. I couldn't form an appetite, and I probably won't until tonight.
When I walked back into the front entrance, Gretchen waved because she was taking a call, and I hit the back hallway. Only after a few steps towards the time clock did I hear my name being called from one of the offices.
"Ciara." I stopped in my tracks.
"It's Rhonda Can I please talk to you in my office for a minute?"
My boss, Rhonda stuck her head out of the door just as I was about to go to the back after my lunch break. I followed her into her small office that was filled with so much clutter,junk, and paperwork that I don't see how she keeps any of it organized.
"Good morning, how are you doing?"
"I'm good, I'm better than yesterday."
She smiled and gestured for me to take a seat. My stomach started hurting badly just from sitting across from Rhonda I'd never been in any kind of trouble here before, so I know this had to be because of my absence from work or Kairo acting like an ass outside. Of course, Mindy told her what happened. She always has to kiss Rhonda's ass.
"Hey, so I called you in the office this morning to discuss your position and future with The Bronx Assistance Center."
"Rhonda i'm sorry that I let that happen. My goal has always been never to do anything that could get me in trouble or fired from my job."
"Fired. Honey, no!"
She started that obnoxious ass laugh that we could hear all the way back in the warehouse.
"How are we going to fire someone who had their new boyfriend donate three hundred thousand to the center?"
"Huh?"
