“Your girl was really stepping on my last nerve last night.” Janet said to Steve in his office. “I can’t understand why she has to throw herself at everybody. Why do you put up with that? You deserve better.” She continued.

“I…” Steve looked down. “You’re right, I really intended to break it off with her last night, but…”

“But what?” Janet asked.

Steve smiled sheepishly.

“What is it with men? Someone put it on you and you do whatever they want. What’s different about this girl? You ain’t had no trouble moving on before?”

“I ah…”

“You need to drop that girl, she is no good. And before you do, you tell her to keep her hands off my man.”

“Are you sure it is just her?” Steve said under his breath.

Janet put her hand on her hip and said, “What? So you blaming Terry?”

“No, I just…”

“Would you Spit it out Steve.”

“You saw what I saw and that flirting was not one sided.”

“So you are blaming Terry. You just need to mind your own damn business and keep your girl from me.”

“Janet…”

Janet walked briskly out of Steve’s office and slammed the door shut and walked over to her cube.

She couldn’t believe that Steve would tell her that Terry was flirting with Penny. She knew he was telling the truth, but she didn’t really want to hear it.

“Janet.”

Janet turned around at her desk and saw Michael standing there.

“Yes.”

“I need to see you in my office.”

Janet walked over to Michael’s office and saw Steve and Ashley sitting in there. She sat down.

“Now guys you know I love you both, but this is getting out of hand. One day Janet is yelling at Steve and the next day Steve is yelling at Janet. This can’t continue. Now I brought Ashley in here as the HR director of the company.” Michael said.

“I just want you to know that you guys are gonna have to keep the personal stuff out of the office. You guys fight like you are dating.” Michael said to both of them.

Steve and Janet looked at each other. Steve smiled nervously and Janet rolled her eyes.

“It appears that you two can’t work together, so we are thinking about shifting in the department.” Ashley said.

“No, no, not necessary, and I can’t afford to lose her.” Steve said. “Yeah we fight…” Steve continued.

“It is a 'love-hate’ relationship.” Janet cut Steve off.

“But mostly love.” Steve smiled. “We will keep it down.”

Janet was angry, but she didn’t want to leave the team. She didn’t want to work for Michael or Laura who both were a bit more structured and straitlaced about requirements. Steve was less structured which is why they worked well together.

“What do you want to do?” Ashley asked Janet.

Janet smiled at Steve and said, “I want to stay on Steve’s team.”

Michael looked unimpressed. He said, “Dr. Stevens has left me in charge of the ship, I want you to know that yall ain’t gonna take down my ship. Yall gonna have to prove to me that yall can work together.”

“What should we kiss and make up?” Steve jumped up and hugged Janet before anyone could say anything and hugged her.

“If you don’t get your hands off me…” Janet laughed and playfully pushed him away.

“One big happy family.” Ashley said as she walked out of Michael’s office.

“One big dysfunctional family.” Michael said as Janet and Steve walked out of the office.

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

Steve sat in his office and noticed that his cell phone was vibrating. He answered. “Hey Penny.”

“Stevie, my landlord just came by and I think I’m gonna need to borrow a couple hundred dollars.”

Steve exhaled and said, “Where do you want me to take it?”

“Just give it to me tonight baby, just this last time…”

“Whatever…” Steve said cutting her off.

“Bye…”

Steve hung up and angrily thought about the time he was wasting with Penny. When the phone rang again and it was Penny.

Steve answered and before he could say anything, Penny said, “Yeah baby, I’m gonna get the money.”

“What? Who do you think you are talking to?” Steve said.

Penny sounded shaken. “Oh I was talking to you, you did say you were going to give me the money didn’t you?”

Steve smiled when he realized that he could totally see exactly what everyone had been telling him. He then said, “Yeah, I will get you the money.”

Steve went by Michael’s office and said, “I’m done man, no more Penny. This is the last time I take off early for her.”

“How come?”

“She asked for more money, she thinks I am a cash register, and I am 99% sure she is sleeping with other guys too.”

“Well I ain’t gonna say, I told you so…I’m justs gonna say go handle your business.”

Steve walked over to Janet’s cube and stuck his head in, “I’m sorry, you tried to tell me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Steve walked on out of the office, got on the elevator and walked to his car.

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

Steve drove right over to Penny’s apartment. He knew she got off about an hour earlier than he did so she would be there.

Steve wanted to call off their relationship, but didn’t really want to do it over the phone. He got to her door and he heard screaming coming from her apartment.

He quickly used his spare key and walked into Penny’s apartment. The first thing he saw was a woman’s suit and undergarments strewn over on the floor.

He looked over and saw Penny completely nude leaning over the back of the couch while an African American man was standing behind her pumping her from behind. She was enjoying it so much that neither the man or penny realized what he had walked in.

Steve started laughing. He then began laughing harder until the pair finally realized.

“What the hell…” The man said. He turned around and Steve immediately recognized the man as Terry.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Terry said.

Steve was still laughing.

Penny grabbed a robe and said, “This ain’t what it looks like.”

“Then you must not be screwing Janet’s boyfriend, because that is what it looks like.”

“Come on Steve, I love you.”

Steve’s laughing had subsided and then he started laughing again, “You love me?”

Steve looked at Terry and asked, “You think she loves me?”

“Look man, I ain’t trying to start no trouble, let’s just act like this ain’t happened.” Terry said.

“You mean don’t tell Janet?”

“We don’t have to, I mean this really didn’t mean anything anyway.” Terry said.

“Yeah, it didn’t mean anything, I don’t even know why we did it, you know I love you Steve.” Penny said.

“Well, guess what, I don’t love you. You just made this the easiest breakup I have ever had.”

“No, Steve we can work this out.” Penny said while rushing over to Steve.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt…as you were.” Steve said as he began walking out the door.

“Well leave the damn key then.” Penny said as her demeanor changed.

“Oh I forgot.” Steve took the key and threw it on the kitchen counter.

“Get out of here with your punk ass, you didn’t know what to do with this anyway.” Penny said. “This is a man, and he takes care of business, you need to learn that.” Penny continued as Steve walked to his car.