The small cafe was half full. “It is about damn time.” Ashley said to Janet. “So we finally get to meet this Terry, you had us wondering if he was a figment of your imagination.” Ashley joked.

“Don’t make me leave you with the check Ash…”

“I’m serious, you are about to marry this man and all we hear is that he may be coming, no he might be coming, no he had to back out…”

“Well, he well be here this week and I don’t know if you are still gonna get to see him because I have to make up for lost time.” Janet smiled. “But what about you? You said you were going to give me the low down on that date you had.”

“The guy was gorgeous. He’s a session musician.”

“Sounds promising.”

“Too bad he is dumb as a doornail and really too young for me.”

“Awwww…”

“At least he could make my toes curl…” Janet and Ashly laughed. “Do you think I will ever find someone? I haven’t had a good prospect since…since Michael. You think he and Laura are in it for the long haul?”

“Snap out of it. Your time is coming. The last thing we need is for you to put that kind of drama in the office.”

“You haven’t had him Janet, I just wonder if I lost the love of my life.”

“He is fine, but Ashley, please don’t do anything stupid…Maybe I aughta hook you up with somebody.”

Ashley perked up and said, “I hope it ain’t another golddigger from your church. I think I can find guys on my own who will empty out my bank account.”

“Now that ain’t right. There are a lot of good guys at my church. And really, I didn’t hook Penny and Steve up together.”

“You basically threw them into each other’s arms. And that guy is so high on her that he can’t see she is draining him dry.”

“Yeah, well I am threw talking about it with him. When you and Laura put me up to tell Steve about Penny, Steve tried to get me fired. Now two weeks later he is just now talking to me again.” Janet smiled.

“Now you know Steve wasn’t gonna do that. He was just mad, ya’ll two are like two peas in a pod. If you weren’t so in love with Terry you probably would be dating Steve right now.”

“Me and Jim Carey? You gotta be out of your mind.”

Ashley looked into her eyes and laughed. “You can call him Jim Carey all you want, I think you got a little crush on Steve.”

“You need to shut up about that.”

“If Terry don’t get here soon, he is gonna have to deal with Steve.” Ashley teased.

“Whatever Ash…Let’s get back to work before the man you claim loves me fires me for real this time.” Janet joked.

“I didn’t say he loved you, I said you loved him.” Ashley teased.

They both walked to the car to head back to work.

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

“Hey Michael, I have to step out for a few minutes.” Steve stuck his head in Michael’s door and said at 2:00pm that workday.

“No skin off my nose, what you got to do?”

“It’s Penny, she wants me to rush home and give her a couple hundred dollars so that she can get her hair done.”

“Bro, it sounds like she always wants some money.”

“What are you saying.” Steve asked.

“You need an intervention…”

“Not this again. Michael, you know Black girls and they hair.”

“Shut the door Steve.”

“I gotta go…”

“Shut the damn door Steve.”

Steve shut the door and stood there.

“Now I ain’t trying to get in your business. But have you seen how light your wallet has been getting?”

“Girls cost money, I am sure Laura is setting you back a few too.”

“Two hundred dollars today, five hundred dollars yesterday, fifteen hundred dollars two weeks ago. Doesn’t she have a job?”

“Yes, but her last boyfriend killed her financially.”

“Yeah, killed her financially by not giving her money for her damn rent.”

“What do you want Mike? I ain’t gonna stand here and listen to this.”

“Janet tried to tell your ass but you got mad at her. Now she walking on egg shells around your stupid ass.”

“It was just a misunderstanding, we are back to normal.”

“If normal is all you two is say hi and bye to each other…then you are back to normal.”

“This ain’t about me and Janet, it is about me and Penny, my girlfriend, it really sounds like you are jealous Mike. You and Laura having problems? Or maybe you miss the chocolate and are mad that I got some.”

“Steve…”

“Naw, I think that’s it…”

“Get the hell out of my office…”

“I think I hit the nail on the head.”

“I got work to do…”

“You lucky we boys, I wouldn’t let just anybody talk to me like that…” Steve smiled and said.

Michael laughed, “Don’t you have somewhere to be…”

Steve shut the door. Steve knew that he and Michael were fine. They may blow up at each other, but one thing they never did was hold what they thought was the truth from each other.

He did realize that the camaraderie between him and Janet was a bit off kilter from the day he went off on her till now. It hurt their business relationship and it made work a little less pleasant.

He knew wanted to clear the air and make everything straight between him and Janet.

He thought he would postpone his trip to the bank for more money for Penny and talk to Janet. He walked over to Janet’s cube and said, “Do you mind if we talk for a few minutes.”

Janet looked surprised, “No, you’re the boss.”

They walked back to Steve’s office.

“I was wrong and I want to apologize.”

“Wrong about what?”

“I never apologized for acting wrong to you when you spoke to me about Penny.”

“Ahh that, we over that…”

“No we aren’t, and it is my fault. I understand that you think she is bad for me. And it looks like you aren’t alone. But whatever happens between me and Penny, I don’t want to lose you as a co-worker and as a friend.”

Janet smiled. “Now that’s the Steve I know and love.”

The smile seemed to light up the room and Steve could not help to be affected by it. He smiled in response.

“Now come over here and hug me so that I can get back to work.”

Steve opened his arms and they embraced. Steve could not help as he became strangely aroused. He quickly pushed her away so that she would not notice.

“Now get back to work.” He said with a smile.

Janet left the room and walked out of the door.

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

Janet was very happy after that discussion. She also was struck by the fact that she felt Steve’s growing erection before he abruptly pushed her away.

She pushed the thought away as she thought about both that she and Steve were friends again and that her fiance was coming to visit very soon.