Janet sat at her cube thinking about the events of the day. She thought about her anger with Steve. She thought about the events of the past week. And she thought about the events of the many months previously.

The good times of working with Steve entered her mind as she tried to work. She smiled at the way he made her laugh.

Penny walked by on her way to the copy machine without even looking towards Janet. The two haven’t spoken in weeks. Seeing Penny reminded Janet of the no good dirty dog that Terry was. She sashayed by in her dress that was up too high at the bottom and down too low at the top.

“What was I thinking even entertaining the notion of getting back with that fool?” Janet thought. But she couldn’t help but think of Steve. How helpful he was to her. She thought about the work that they did together. She smiled.

“But he stood her up, we had been through too much to just stand me up.” Janet said to herself as she attempted to still be angry at Steve.

She nourished that anger when Ashley walked by.

“You look like you thinking about something important. Need to talk to someone?”

“Yeah girl, can we talk for few minutes.” Janet said.

“Come on, I have five minutes.”

They walked towards Ashley’s office. Janet drug her feet as her thoughts weighed on her. Both of the women walked into Ashley’s open door.

“What’s the matter?”

“This Steve thing.”

Ashley said, “Hold on.” While she shut the door.

“I just don’t know if I can get over this.” Janet said.

“What made you so angry with him?”

“He stood me up.”

“Um…He stood you up? Haven’t you stood him up before? I mean yall ain’t dating.”

“I had to do a lot of things that day, but I made it a special point to be at this date and he stood me up.”

“You my girl, but I have to ask, Didn’t you tell me that you were going to let Steve down at that date?”

“He didn’t know that, he thought so little of me and my time that he didn’t come, over there screwing some girl.” Janet said trying to win over Ashley.

“Sounds to me that you are jealous that Steve was with someone else.”

“Naw it ain’t like that.” Janet said quickly.

“Then what is it like?” Ashley asked while looking in Janet’s eyes with compassion.

Janet was hit straight between the face with the big question. A question that she never wanted to ask herself.

“I mean you two weren’t dating, if you don’t care for him, wouldn’t you be happy that he had someone else, it would make it easy on you.” Ashley continued.

Janet felt like she had been hit in the face with a two by four. The realization came over her that she was masking her jealousy by attempting to be angry. She then immediately remembered that Steve said he did come and saw Terry there hugging her.

“Janet, you all right?” Ashley asked.

“Yeah, you right, I’m happy for Steve, I just wish he had called me to let me know that he wasn’t gonna come.” Janet lied.

“Oh…OK.” Ashley said.

Then there was a knock at the door. And Michael entered.

“What is this I hear about you still working with Steve on that Vanderholt project?” Michael said in an irritated tone.

Ashley turned to Janet with a surprised look on her face. Ashley said, “What?”

“Yeah, your girl here made a big to do about not working with him and now she decides to go back.” Michael said to Ashley.

“Temporarily.” Janet said quickly.

“Yall need to get this together before it affects work. Now Tina is asking him out.” Michael said.

“Tina is asking him out, I told her not to.” Janet said.

“Why? I am really getting tired of all this high school mess.” Michael said to Janet. He then turned to Ashley and handed her some papers. “Here are the reports you asked for.” He then shook his head and walked out.

“What the hell Janet?” Ashley said.

“Don’t yell at me.” Janet answered.

“If you want him, get him, if not, then don’t, but please make up your damn mind.” Ashley said.

Janet slowly walked out of the office barely hearing Ashley because she was thinking a bout Tina and Steve going out.

*****

Janet wanted to go confront Tina but she didn’t have much time to get ready for her meeting with Steve. She cursed Tina to herself, but couldn’t really be that angry at her because she was trying to throw Steve away herself.

Janet went into her filing cabinet and pulled out the folder labeled “Vanderholt.” She walked into Steve’s office and saw Tina going over some papers Steve.

Steve coldly said to Janet, “Please wait in the hall for a few minutes.”

“Maybe I can help.” Janet said cheerfully.

“Please wait in the hall for a few minutes.” Steve repeated his words very coldly.

Janet stood there imagining what was going on in the room. She angled herself to try to hear what was being said. She wondered if Tina was making a move now. Maybe Tina was making plans with him for their date. It ate Janet up. Then she heard the two laughing through the door. Janet put her hand on the door knob about to open it when her good sense stopped her. She let go of the door.

Then Tina walked to the door. Janet looked at Tina like she stole something from her. Tina had a look that told Janet you can’t blame her.

Tina walked into the office.

“I know you don’t want to be around me long so I will make this quick. Where are the Vanderholt papers?” Steve said in a business-like tone.

Janet tried to be cheerful and bubbly like the tone used to be when they worked together.

“Here they are, I think you will be surprised at how well they came out…” Janet said.

Steve looked at her while seated at the desk. He then took the papers.

“Hmmm…” He said. While turning a page and looking

He grabbed a pen and then said, “uh….OK” and dropped the pen on the table.

“You have got a lot of this done, you are further along than I thought you would be.” Steve continued.

“Now why would you say that? You know we always take care of business as a team.” Janet said playfully.

Steve looked at her and then without saying a word looked back at the papers.

“This is a particularly complex…wow you finished that too.” He interrupted himself. He then smiled. As soon as he smiled he stopped smiling and went back to his business tone. “This is good work.” Steve said.

“Thank you Steve.” Janet said.

“Please call me Mr. Bray.”

“Mr. Bray?” Janet asked.

“Is there a misunderstanding Ms. Mills?” Steve said while calling Janet by her last name.

“OK…OK…Look, I…uh…I probably was a little harsh and went a little overboard. I don’t want there to be any confusion.” Janet said.

“There is no confusion, you don’t want to work with me, you don’t want to be near me. I attempted to treat you like a queen, ain’t that what you always say you want to be treated like?”

“Hold on…I wouldn’t go that far…” Janet began to say.

“Michael told me not to fool with you.”

“Michael said what?” Janet said while rolling her neck.

“He said you didn’t want me, he said move on.”

“Well it look like you did when you screwed that girl instead of coming to our date.”

“There it is. You know what, it ain’t none of your damn business, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was thinking of you. I thought maybe, just maybe we would have a chance. Boy was I wrong.”

“No…you weren’t wrong…I…OK…I” Janet began to say.

“Please leave my office, we don’t have any more business.”

“I’m here trying to apologize.” Janet said as her eyes clouded up.

“I ain’t heard any apology yet.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Come on Steve, we have been through to much to let this thing come between us, let’s go, come on I’ll take you to dinner.” Janet said.

“You said yourself that the Vanderholt project is much further along than you thought, let me take you to dinner.” Janet continued.

“I already have a date tonight. So please leave so that I can finish up around here and prepare for it.”

“Who is it?” Janet asked knowing the answer.

“Bye Janet.” Steve stood up and opened the door.

***

Janet sat at her cubicle angrily thinking about Michael. Here he is all up in her business she thought.

At that point Steve walked by her cube to leave the office without even turning to Janet. That event made her very angry. Janet then walked over to Michael’s office ready to tell him off. His door was open. Michael was laughing with Laura. Janet walked in and slammed the door.

“What is this about you telling Steve not to approach me?” Janet asked.

“And now she mad at me. Is there anybody in this office that you ain’t mad at?” Michael laughed.

Janet got irate. “Don’t you dare make fun of me.”

Michael said, “Yeah I told him that.”

“And what the hell business is it of yours?” Janet yelled.

“This here, This right here. You in my office yelling about a man you didn’t want. This right here is why I told him that.” Micheal yelled back.

“Well please stay out of my business.” Janet turned and began walking out the office.

“Do you love him?” Laura asked.

“What?” Janet turned towards Laura.

“Naw, she said stay out of her business Laura, leave it alone.” Michael told Laura.

“Do you love him?” Laura asked Janet again ignoring Michael.

Janet fell into Michael’s office chair and whispered, “yes.”

“If you love him, go get him.” Laura said.

Michael threw up his hands.

Laura turned to Michael. “You said that they made the date in front of you. Where is it.”

“Come on Laura…” Michael protested.

“Where is it?” Laura asked again.

“They going to the Kitchen tonight at 8. I ain’t in this.” Micheal said while walking out the front door.

“There you have it, the date is tonight at 8 at The Kitchen.” Laura said.

“So what are you suggesting?” Janet asked.

“I was willing to drive to Orlando to get my man, what are you willing to do?” Laura said.

Janet smiled, stood up, and said, “I have to get ready, I have a date tonight.”