Margot leans back in her chair and clasps her hands in front of her.
“Yuh look like Satan drag yuh through hell,” Margot says to the girl. “Please sit.”
“Is okay, ah won’t be long,” Sweetness says.
“We’ve been losing money because of you,” Margot says. “This meeting won’t be determined by you. Sit.”
“I’m sorry,” Sweetness says, still standing.
“Sorry?” Margot looks up at her. “Yuh know how much money we coulda mek dis week alone if you were here? ’Membah we have more responsibilities now”
“I know.”
“So what’s yuh excuse?”
“Excuse?”
“Why haven’t you been to work?”
“Work?”
“Sweetness, what’s di mattah wid yuh?”
“I can’t do dis anymore.”
“What?”
Margot gets up from her chair.
“I can’t work fah yuh no more, boss lady.”
For the first time since the business started, Margot has never felt so dependent on a girl. Like the men that Sweetness leaves begging for more, Margot is tempted to throw money at the girl. She would throw herself if she has to. What will she do without Sweetness? “What yuh mean, yuh don’t want to work anymore? Why?”
“Ah have to go, boss lady,” Sweetness says, holding her head down and clutching the raggedy leather purse on her shoulder. “Ah not coming back.” She heads toward the door.
“Sweetness!”
The girl stops. Margot hurries around the desk toward her. The girl stands still, trembling. Margot cups her chin. “You know I care about you. You know I’ll do anyt’ing for you.” She draws her face close to Sweetness, who closes her eyes and parts her lips, her sweet, eager breath hot on Margot’s face. She exhales slowly through her mouth, which Margot grazes with her own. “Jus’ stay wid me till the end,” Margot whispers. “You’re my number one girl.”
She strokes Sweetness’s arm. But Sweetness pulls away.
“Yuh only care ’bout dat other hotel. You don’t care ’bout me. If yuh did care, you woulda tell Alphonso to call off di reward or I will—”
“You know di reason why I had to,” Margot says, cutting her off. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
“Unlike you, is blood dat pump through me vein. Not greed.”
“Sweetness!” Margot reaches for her arm again.
“Nuh touch me! Either yuh tell Alphonso to change him mind, or I will mek sure to let him know how yuh scheme fi get dis office.”
Margot folds her arms across her chest. “Yuh t’ink because yuh give good pussy dat you have a voice? Dat yuh is worthy of an opinion? Yuh is nothing but a tar-black country girl wid not even a high school education. A girl wid nothing going for her but har long legs an’ big behind. Yuh t’ink anyone want to hear what yuh have to say? You’ll never talk to di Alphonsos of dis world without being laughed at. To them, you’re a servant. And will always be a servant.”
“So be it, then,” Sweetness hisses. She walks out of the executive office and slams the door behind her. Margot whips around and with all her might hits the cylindrical pen-and-pencil holder off the desk. It crashes to the floor and rolls out of sight, all the pens and pencils scattered on the immaculate floor.
33