Steve walked into the Watts Research section of the building and saw Carol the receptionist.

“Carol, you look marvelous today.” Steve said with a cheerful pep in his step. He grabbed her hand and lightly shook it while he hummed a tune.

“You are in a great mood.” Carol said with a playful snicker while looking at him.

“You don’t know the half of it, I wish I could take you from behind that desk and give you a dance.”

Dr. Stevens walked into the office with some papers in his hand and looked over his glasses at Steve. He shook his head and looked back in his papers while he walked to his office.

“What has you acting like a fool today?” Carol said holding back a laugh.

“I have found a special one this time.”

“Another woman, yeah right.”

“Well I don’t know but there is something…”

“A women got you acting like this?”

“Don’t hate, its about the love…” Steve then began singing an old school Barry White song as he walked back to office.

As he walked into his office his phone went off. He looked and saw it was Penny. He clicked over.

“Hey Penny…” Steve said

“I had an amazing time last night. I just wanted to thank you again for coming by, I really needed that pick me up.”

“No, I am glad you thought of me to pick you up.” He joked.

“I just wanted to know what do you want for dinner tonight, I am going to fix you the best dinner that you have ever had.”

Steve paused. He wondered if this might be going to fast. In addition, he already had a date for that night. He threw those thoughts out of his mind and said, “I love spaghetti.”

“OK, I am going to hook my baby up with some spaghetti tonight.”

“I will be there…Let me get back to work…”

“…I uh, I hate to bring it up, but my landlord is going to come by tomorrow, could you bring that 1500 dollars tonight.” Penny said tentatively.

Steve thought for a second and then said, “If you need it, I will have it.”

“You know I wish I didn’t have to bring…”

“No, don’t worry about it, I will have it and then we will have the dinner…”

“Oh thanks Steve…see ya tonight.”

“And I will see you tonight.”

Steve went to his bank account and saw that he had the money and planned that he would take off early and pick up the money from the bank.

Steve jumped up and remembered something. He ran into Michael’s room and said, “It is a good thing you didn’t take that bet.”

“What the hell are you talking about Steve.”

“Last night…me…Penny…You didn’t want to bet, probably because you knew it was gonna happen.”

“Naw…really?”

“Yep, just like I said I would.”

“So now you can move on to the next conques…”

“Nope…no moving on.”

“What?”

“In fact, I am about to go over her place tonight, she is making me a spaghetti dinner. She know she want this stuff…” Steve said while pointing to his crotch.

“Man, you must be serious about this girl, one night and you want more? Sounds like you are the one who wants more of her stuff…” Micheal said with a smile.

“All I’m saying is that that weekly card game may have a new participant.”

“Sounds good to me, yall know none of yall can compete with me and my baby. Laura and I have a connection none of yall can break.”

“Whatever dude…I just had to let you know not to bet against the great Steveinsky.” Steve said while walking out of Michael’s office.

******************************

Janet sat at her desk when her phone rang. It was Penny. She picked it up, “Penny, where have you been?”

“Girl, my landlord was just about to kick me out of my apartment. That asshole Barry stopped paying my rent.”

“Weren’t you dating Barry?”

“Well, he was an ass and I couldn’t bear him anymore. I wish I could find a great guy and settle down like you are doing.”

“So what are you going to do? I can only lend you a few hundred…”

“Don’t worry girl, your co-worker is paying it now.”

“My co-worker? You mean Steve?”

“That’s exactly who I mean. I put it on him last night and he is paying my rent.”

“So you are dating Steve now? What about Carl Clayton?” Janet said in an irritated tone.

“Who said anything about dating? I just need someone to hold me over. Carl is a long term project, but is well worth the wait. Steve is just gonna be fun for a while. By the way he is packing for a white boy…” She laughed.

“What…What do you mean?” Janet said while attempting to hide the fact that she was always wondering about Steve’s sexual prowess.

“He actually was very good, in fact, I’m bout to get some more of that tonight…”

“Tonight?”

“Thanks again girl, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

*****************************

Janet wasn’t sure what she should do. She knew she didn’t want Steve to be hurt. She thought about talking to Michael, but he and Steve were friends from college. She thought about talking to Laura, but telling her was like telling Michael.

She walked over to Ashley’s office and walked in and shut the door. “I think Steve is being played.”

“Steve is being played? What makes you say that?”

“Penny.”

Ashley laughed, first you were afraid that Steve was getting over on Penny, now you are afraid Penny is…”

“No, I’m serious, she just told me that Steve is paying her rent.”

“Well how you know they aren’t dating? I mean last time I saw them together, I thought they were going to go find a closet or something.”

“No, I know she is trying to play him.”

Janet and Ashley stopped for a moment when there was a knock on the door. When Ashley asked the individual to enter and Laura came in.

“It seems like I interrupted something.”

Janet grabbed Laura and shut the door and said, “Now this is just between us three, no one else is going to know.”

“Sure…” Laura said.

“No, I’m serious, no one includes Michael.”

“Why do you think I tell Michael everything, we are dating, but…”

“OK, this is about Steve.”

“Steve? Maybe I shouldn’t, I mean Michael and he are good friends.”

“A gold-digger is using Steve.” Ashley said matter of factly.

“Ashley…come on…Well she might be taking advantage of his generosity.” Janet said.

“Well let’s go tell him.” Laura said.

“I can’t tell him because I don’t know Penny.” Ashley said.

“Ahh, so it is Penny, come on.” Laura said.

“No, hold on, well I think. Maybe we should calm down.” Janet said.

“So you gonna side with your gold-digging fiend over Steve?” Laura said.

“It ain’t like that.”

“Well, I’m going to go tell him.” Laura said.

“No, if anyone is going to tell him, I will tell him.” Janet walked out of Ashley’s office and walked over to Steve’s office.

While Janet walked to Steve’s office she said, “I knew I shouldn’t have told Laura’s goodie-two-shoes ass.”