She turned her lips down, furrowed her eyebrows, and ran around her desk to me. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to dump all of my problems on you.”
“It’s okay. That’s what we’re here for. To support each other through the challenging times.”
“Speaking of, what brings you here?”
“Just got out of court, and I thought it would be a good idea to take my beautiful girl to lunch.”
“Ohhh, as much as I would love to escape, I just can’t right now.”
“Let me guess? The big campaign and all?”
“Well, that, among other things. There’s a lot that’s going on, Bryse, and I just?—”
“I understand. There’s always a lot going on here. That’s a priority for you, so I just need to understand that and stay in my place.” I was pissed the fuck off because there was always something going on at work that preempted my needs. While I understood her career was important to her, it shouldn’t have been at the exclusion of everything else.
“That’s not fair, Bryse. I’m not trying to upset you. This campaign has to go off without a hitch. Everyone is looking at me right now, and you know why? It’s because Milicent is retiring, and I’ve been informed that I’m up for promotion to become the fashion editor. That is a big deal for my career.”
“Congratulations, Kenni. I know that it is, and I hope that you get it. You deserve it,” I professed, heading to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To get lunch. You’ve got a busy day ahead of you.” I faked a smile. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, baby.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, Bryse?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t hold dinner. I probably won’t be there in time.”
I sighed, but I kept right on through the door and closed it firmly behind me.
Chapter 5
Kenni
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH
“Girl, I need you to breathe,” Lupita coached as I paced back and forth in her office.
“I cannot. You have no idea how stressful this past weekend has been. I’ve been working on pulling everything together for the campaign, and I finally got those files from the photographer. I sent them to your assistant this morning.”
“I got them. Thank you very much. I received the email at six this morning.”
“Because I’ve been here since five.”
Lupita’s dark mocha skin glowed as she smiled at me, and two deep dimples creased her cheek. My friend was a beautiful model, cover girl material. “You have to find some time to balance your personal and work life, Kenni. I tell you this all the time. You’ll suffer burnout if you don’t.”
“I know, but I really want this promotion desperately. Ever since Milicent told me that I was up to replace her, I’ve been walking around on eggshells half of the time and on cloud nine the other. But that’s not the problem.”
“Then what is the problem, my dear?”
“Bryse. He acts as if he doesn’t understand. I’m so supportive when it comes to his career, and I have his back in everything. To get to the next level is all about sacrifice. He’s a defense attorney with his own practice. He should know this. It’s like a repeat of Brent all over again. I don’t want to be pressured to quit my job and give up on my career goals and dreams for the sake of my relationship. Why can’t I be loved for who I am and supported the way that I’m willing to support them?”
“Have you sat down and talked to Bryse about how you feel?”
