Hypnotize Me Ch. 02

Goodness, I'm running late. I can't believe this shit. It's 7:39 and I need to be in the office before 8 o'clock this morning. I know I'm not going to make it on time. I live 30 minutes away from the office building and I'm just getting into the car right now.

Dammit, why did I stay up so late last night? I was on the phone until 12:30 this morning with her and I wish I had gone straight to sleep afterwards, but I was too wound up for that. After we hung up, I pulled my favorite toy from my box that I keep stored under the head of my bed and made good use of it. My mind was filled with thoughts of her and all that she'd said to me during the phone conversation. I wanted her so badly that I did all I could do with 'Jack' just to keep from losing it. As a matter of fact, I think I may have hurt myself in the process because I am very sore right now. I can't help but smile to myself as I think about this. It was definitely worth the pain because I came so hard that I actually shocked myself. I was moving that vibrator like never before and I fucked it like a mad woman. My hands were so wet and so was everything else. Shit, I must admit it was a good night for me, though.

"Dammit, you need to actually STOP at the red light asshole!" I yelled at the driver of the passing car that did not even attempt to stop at the light. Ugh, I hate crazy drivers and this is the last thing I need this morning.

Okay, focus girl.

A feeling of relief washed over me as I finally saw the tall brick building in sight. Whew, I'm here. I drove slowly into the parking garage and found my space. Thank God I have an assigned space because Fridays are always the worst days to find a place to park in this godforsaken garage. I turned the car off, grabbed my purse, laptop and portfolio and ran towards the building.

"You finally made it, huh?" I heard someone say just behind me. I turned to see Samuel, the office jerk, heading towards his car.

"We've been looking for you all over the place. You know the day begins at 7:45 for the rest of us peons and not..." he looks down at his watch, "...not at 8:23in the morning. I guess upper-level management has a different set of standards."

I can hear the sarcasm in his voice as he says this. He hasn't been cordial to me ever since I received a promotion over a year ago. He and I were two of the last three candidates left for the position and I was able to win management's trust and win the promotion. Samuel's sneaky methods of getting the job done, although he was quite successful in his own right, did not sit well with the hiring managers. He's been hating on me ever since and refuses to let his anger go while he always finds a way to direct it towards me.

"Yes, Samuel. We have a different set of standards in upper management. Maybe one day you'll understand if you keep working hard. I'll keep you in mind when we're looking to promote. You have a good day." I hate being that bitch, but this guy just irks my last cracked nerve.

"By the way, where are you going at 8:23 in the morning?" I ask with even more sarcasm in my voice.

"Well, I'm going to get kolaches and Starbucks coffee for Tom and myself," he said in a gloating manner. He was really pleased with himself to tell me this because Tom Mangum is the president of the company and is considering establishing another position parallel to mine. It is a great opportunity and I know Samuel is very interested in it. So, therefore the ass kissing begins. I guess this is his chance to move up.

"Well, since you're going to Starbucks I guess you could get one for me too. I'll take a tall coffee, black. Thanks, I really appreciate it."

I had to do it. I just had to...

Samuel looked like he could kill me with his eyes when I gave him my order for Starbucks. The look crossed his face for only a moment, but I definitely noted it.

"Oh, no problem" he said.

I knew as soon as it came out of my mouth that there was no way in the world that I would drink that coffee. Samuel might spit in it or something. It doesn't matter though because he knows I am on the hiring committee for the management position so he will do whatever it takes to please me now.

I felt so much better about my little dialogue with Samuel that as I entered the office building I had a little more pep in my step. I stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor. As soon as the doors opened I saw Nicole standing next to my secretary's desk.

Nicole is a young lady I knew from my college days. She was the first person I was able to help secure a position with the company so I consider her something like a protégé. She is a native New Yorker but you really couldn't tell because her family is from North Carolina and her southern accent is so deep. She has a great personality and is always the life of the office.

I love to see Nicole because she always has the best gossip in the office. We all lovingly refer to her as 'The Tatum Report.' Shoot, she's better than CNN, sometimes.

"Good morning, Fancy. Is Nicole bothering you?" I laugh as I walk over to her desk. She's the best secretary I've had but she's too nice sometimes. She'll let Nicole talk to her all day if I don't say anything.

Nicole sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes at my comment. "Anywaaaay..."

"Good morning, boss lady. No ma'am, Nicole is no bother at all.'" Fancy's smile helps to brighten my day even more.

She hands me the morning messages and I walk pass her desk towards my office. Ms. Nicole is in hot pursuit. I can tell that by the way she's smiling that her brain is brimming over with somebody's personal business.

"Boss lady? Hmm, whatever to that new name." Nicole says and laughs as we walk into my office together. "Hey girl. What happened this morning? Something must be up because you're never this late."

"I know, right? I woke up really late this morning."

Nicole squints her eyes and looks at me closely. I hate when she gets all 'private detective' on me.

"Was Stanley over last night? I just know he was and he got him some, right?" Her laughter is so loud that I immediately move towards the door and close it before she has the whole damn office peeping in.

"No girl, nothing like that." I walk back to my seat and fall down on my big, comfortable leather chair. I love that damn chair. "You better control yourself in this place. I'm not trying to be the talk of the whole damn office with your loud mouth."

"Whatever, boss lady." Nicole teases.

I pull my laptop out of my bag and snap it onto the docking station and as I am logging on Nicole is off and running her mouth. The story just starts spilling out of her without any coercion.

I am only half listening to her because I want to hurry and get started on the work for today and there are a ton of phone calls to return. Half way through her breakdown of the Thursday night happy our goings-on I hear something that peaks my interest and she has my full attention.

"Girl, I couldn't believe it. Ms. Monica was throwing back those drinks all night. I was surprised because she never drinks like that. At first I thought she was trying to wind down because you know she just got back from that training course in Vegas yesterday. But it was more than that. She kept looking back at the door and she wasn't even giving Vince as much attention as she usually does."

"Monica was drinking heavily?" I interrupt her. "I wonder what's going on with her. She's not usually like that."

"I know, I know. Let me finish telling you, though" she says.

Nicole loved knowing everybody's business but more that that, she loved telling me everything she knew. I guess it's her way of keeping me informed, but I know she really just loves talking about folk. I'm not mad at her though. She keeps me up with everything that's happening.

"Girl, I was thinking the same thing. I know Monica well enough and she was not herself. After I noticed her looking back at that dang door for the fifth or sixth time I just had to ask. "Who are you looking for like that? All night you have had your eyes glued to the door and Mr. Vince is a little uptight. You're not feeling him anymore or something?"

She looked over at me and I knew she was three sheets to the wind and I guess that's why her tongue was so loose but what she told me blew me away."

Nicole is dragging this thing out and I'm trying to remain patient but she is going to drive me nuts. I sit back in my chair and give her my full attention. This was her sign to spill the beans and she went for it.

'Girl, she started telling me about her little tryst from last week. Well, I had to leave the happy hour early because I had to go to Junior's damn accordion recital. I don't why he plays that damn instrument anyway. Two hours of listening to five kids play the accordion is enough to drive you crazy. But anyway, it seems that she and Vince were left there with Tasha. Do you know Tasha from IT?

"Yeah, I think. She's the lil' cute one with the fly short cut?" I asked.

"Mmm hmm, that's her. She's a sweetie and I just love it when she comes out with us. You know those IT people know how to party." She laughed her throaty laugh which made me chuckle. "They are the freakiest people in the whole office. Well anyway, she was there with the two of them and obviously Vince asked them to play some sort of drinking game. Vince will do anything to get a woman drunk and it seems that he had two willing women. According to Monica, they were all getting trashed."

"After about an hour or more of taking shots of Tequila and some serious partying they all decided to leave. Vince didn't want the party to end so he invited them back to his place since he was the closest to the bar. They all agreed and headed off with him. She says that once they got there he pulled out some bottles of wine and more Tequila and kept on with the party. Girl, you know what happens when you have three drunk people, two bottles of alcohol, and a couple of freaks alone in a house, don't you? Well, you get a 'menagatra" is what you get."

I laughed to myself because she pronounced it so badly. Her French definitely needed some help but I guess you can thank her Carolina roots for that one.

"A menage trios?" I asked.

"Yep, you heard me. A 'menagatra'. They all got a little hot and heavy and it seems that Vince and Monica were the first to get to kissing and touching and lil' Tasha didn't want to be left out so she got to kissing and touching, too. Monica said she wasn't bothered by it at first because she was only on Vince but soon she started kissing on Monica's neck and stuff. Well, Monica said she was too drunk to say no....I've heard that one before. So she just kissed her back. I declare that just blew me away. "

She said that Vince was on both of them like flies on shit. Oh lawd, 'scuse me girl. You know how I get when I'm telling a good story. Don't mean to cuss and all. Anyway, she didn't give me a whole lotta details and I'm not too sure I wanted more than that. But needless to say I was shocked by that part. And by the way she was looking at that door all night I think it all went way passed kissing and touching"

"Oh my word!" I was so shocked I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Is it in the damn water or something? First it was Bonita with the Thalia thing, then my thing with her, and now Monica and Tasha and Vince, no less. My, my, my...

"You sound like me. I was shocked, too and that's not even all of it." Nicole was leaning forward on my desk now with her arms crossed. She was getting ready to open up even more and I didn't know if I was ready for whatever it was she was about to say.

"Girl, after she tells me about what happened she goes on and on about how she doesn't want to see Tasha because she just didn't know how to act around her anymore. I'm like what do you mean? She says she feels funny about what happened and didn't know what to do now."

"Well that's understandable." I add. I can understand Monica's confusion about what happened on a drunken night.

"Well, you would think that's what it was. I did, too. But let me tell you... Ms. Tasha did show up and if I say so myself, and you know I'm not like that but, she looked hot. Everything was short and tight so you know Ms. Thing went home to change into that."

"Really? Short and tight?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am. When she sat down at the table everything was quiet for a moment. Mr. Vince found his way back over, I guess he thought he might at least get a little attention from Tasha since Monica had been ignoring him all night. We all chatted for a little bit and Monica drank the rest of her drink in one gulp while she was ordering another one. She was really drinking that Caribbean Rum and pineapple juice last night and I think that was her fifth or sixth one."

"I thought she liked those mudslides?" I asked, trying to get the picture straight in my head.

"I know, she usually drinks mudslides but last night it was rum for your girl. She was through, too. I'm talking drunk."

"It looks like she was doing that on purpose... you know, getting drunk." I add, still trying to understand where this was coming from.

"I think it was. Anyway, I had to go to the restroom but I really didn't want to miss a thing so I was rushing. On my way back to the table I saw Vince and Tasha on the dance floor. Your boy works fast."

"I now, right? He's such a slut sometimes." Vince and his fast ass.

"So I'm walking back to the table and looking at them so hard that I miss Monica get up and head over towards them. She walks right in front of me and before I can say anything she's on that dance floor and all three of them are dancing together."

'What?" I exclaim. I'm so glad I closed my door because I was a little loud on that one.

"Yes, indeed. And I was shocked because instead of Monica getting behind Vince she goes right to Tasha, puts her hands on Tasha's hips and is grinding all on her."

"What?!' My mouth is wide open. This is definitely unbelievable.

"Baaaaaby baby, I'm trying to tell ya." Nicole laughs deep in her throat and throws her head back.

"Look at you. That's exactly how I looked last night. I sat down and watched for a few minutes because I couldn't believe my eyes. I was just as shocked as you are... I still am. After the song ended and they stayed on the dance floor for the next one I knew right then and there that I was no longer a part of the group. I had to get home to Cleotis and Junior anyway. So I grabbed my purse and headed towards the door.

I turned around one last time just to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. There they were, Vince, Tasha and Monica all three on the dance floor. Tasha, with her freaky ass, was right there in the middle with her hands thrown up in the air, eyes closed, moving and grooving, loving every second. But let me tell you something, Monica and Vince loved it just like her. They all looked like a ball of heat ready to explode right there on that dance floor."

***********

This day has been crazy. It started off with me arriving to work late and then having to be greeted by sour Samuel. He brought the coffee that he said he would get for me. I promptly asked Fancy to throw it away because I did not trust the wide smile plastered on his face when he walked into my office with it. He arrived just as Nicole was leaving and I knew he was taking notes on that just to see how I spend my time. Damn, I can't stand haters.

The day seemed to fly by with all of the returned calls, a very long and boring conference call, and a working lunch with Tom Mangum and Dallas Wells. Dallas was one of the original five founders of TR Solutions, Inc., which is one of the largest distributors of pork products in the south. We met to discuss the last three candidates for the new position.

Samuel, JoAnna and Jose were the final three. I was definitely pulling for JoAnna because she was the most qualified, she had IT and Sales experience, and she was another sister who was all about business. The only thing that may hold her back now would be her age because the other two gentlemen were much older than her. This fact alone was the main point of discussion throughout the lunch. The two gentlemen did not feel comfortable with handing over so much responsibility to such a young woman. I just hope that is the only factor because I would hate to believe it was the fact that she was a young black woman that they would hold her back in this company. I am sensitive to this notion because I received the last (and first) position at TR Solutions in upper level management to ever go to a black woman. I hope I'm able to push that negative thought out of my head because I would love to see more women and men of color who are trusted in these positions.

Goodness, I can't believe it's already 4:15 pm and I haven't heard from 'her' at all today. My mind seemed to keep straying to her when I had a moments break, but we never able to speak with because something urgent would pop up and I was busy again.

Now that I have this free time, she's all I'm able to think about. I wonder how she feels about our conversation last night. We talked for four long hours and I still felt like I could have kept going. She was so damn intriguing and all I wanted to do was make her mine. She told me stories about her life as a kid growing up in the south. She spoke about her family, career, dog, and her college days. We talked about everything under the sun and nothing seemed off limits. The more we talked... the more I wanted to know.

I made sure I used all of my comfort phrases and cues throughout the conversation. I wonder if it worked. I wonder if she was just falling for me or being hypnotized by me. I need to call her. I should call her right....

BUZZ!!

Damn, I jumped at the buzz as it tore me away from my thoughts.

BUZZ!!

"Yes, Fancy."

"You have a call on line one. It's from the sales department about next weeks Pork Skin and Pig's Feet numbers. Can you take it now or do you want me to take a message, boss lady?" she asks in her stern 'mama' voice as if she's protecting me. She knows I hate last minute business calls on a Friday afternoon because they usually lead to longer hours in the office.

"Sure, send it through." Oh goodness, I hope I don't regret this.

"Hey girl. How are you doing? I haven't talked to you all day. You must have been really busy." I heard her soft voice on the other end of the phone and my face just lit up.

"What's up? Yeah, I've been really busy. Dang girl, I was just thinking about you."

"All good thoughts, I hope." She teased me.

"Definitely good thoughts." I said. I was at a loss at what to say next so I just brought up the reason for her call. "So, you wanted to discuss the pork skin and pigs' feet productivity numbers for next week?"

"Um, not really but we can if you really want to." I heard the laughter in her voice and knew that was just a cover for making the call. "Well, I told Fancy that because I just wanted to scare you. I know how fearful you are of business calls after 4:30 on a Friday so I was just joking with you. We're okay over here in Sales. You know I run a tight ship and keep these 'porkers' moving." I could hear the laughter in her voice as she said this and I cracked up as well.

"Girl, you are so silly. I love the 'porkers' comment. You are hilarious." I was laughing hard as I said this. She was the Team Leader in the Sales Dept. and was responsible for training and production for all Sales employees. Like she said, she kept the porkers moving.

"You know I missed you at lunch today, but I understand that you had to schmooze with the big dogs. Maybe we can catch up with each other next week."

"Oh yeah, that's good. We will definitely have lunch together next week. As a matter of fact, how about Monday?" I ask her as I look at my calendar.