2. Salem Iman Gates
EARLY MARCH
Of all the classes that I took to get my degree, my Humanities course was the one I loved the most. It wasn’t just the engaging debates or the information we were fed. It wasn’t the fine ass girls who tried to get with me or the papers that I looked forward to writing. It was her.
Only fate had brought me to the class of Professor Koi Pisces Hall.
It had to be fate. I had met that woman last summer and couldn’t get her off my mind.
One month before our impromptu vacation that I took my mother on for her birthday, I told my mom it was time to leave Atlanta and relocate somewhere else.
She didn’t think I’d lost my mind or really even question my decision. She knew that it was for the best and had been waiting for me to come to that realization. After the time I spent in prison, it was hard returning home to the same temptations, but I had done it.
The past three years had been a struggle for me, and I only had one more year of college to complete.
I didn’t want my final year to be marred with challenges.
I needed to buckle down and get focused on completing school.
More than that, I needed to get a fresh start in a new city, a place where I could reside after graduation.
After much research, Cherokee Springs turned out to be that city.
It was also the place where my mother’s best friend had relocated, so my mom was definitely on board.
“I mean, come on. It’s simply not realistic.”
“It may not be realistic, but it is feasible, and it makes more business sense.”
“How, Devorah?”
“If firm policies against workplace romance aren’t implemented, how will managers be able to navigate trauma and challenges that arise when they go awry?
You know that they will because they always do.
Generally, because a man can’t keep his pants up, and someone younger and firmer is going to come along, or he simply wants someone new because he’s tired of the old flame. ”
“Stick to the facts, Miss Stamford,” Professor Hall called out.
Devorah nodded. “When a workplace romance goes awry, several things can happen. The nature of the relationship turns volatile and becomes explosive, inadvertently involving other staff members, production decreases because they’re more focused on the emotions involved in the destruction of the relationship, or worst-case scenario, the scorned lover shows up with a gun or some other weapon to get vindication against the person who harmed them.
Inevitably, innocent people can be impacted.
Then let’s talk productivity when the workplace relationship is at its height.
“Employees lose focus when the relationship is going well. There’s a higher likelihood that you will find them in the copier room, parking lot, or the supply closet engaged in a sexual tryst than at their computers working.
It impacts productivity, morale, and the bottom line.
When managers have an ironclad policy in place to address these issues, it will have a much better ending. ”
“I disagree,” I countered with a smirk. I continued when Devorah gave me a subtle nod.
“I am not saying that there should not be an ironclad policy in place to deal with these things, but I do not agree that they should be banned, Miss Stamford, as you so eloquently stated in your opening statement.
Having a policy in place that embraces these relationships makes employees more comfortable about being forthcoming when they are involved in one.
“If you place a ban on them, do you honestly believe that the employees won’t be involved with each other?
No. They will be encouraged to hide it. Banning them is what leads to volatile situations, because no one knew about it, and you missed the warning signs when you could have offered corrective counseling. ”
“But why should managers be involved in corrective counseling when they should be focused on productivity and the bottom line? They’re not counselors and therapists, Mr. Gates,” Devorah argued.
“Ms. Stamford, I do believe Mr. Gates has the floor at this time. Two marks against your team,” Professor Hall stated, causing Devorah’s team to boo and mine to cheer.
“They need to be equipped with a policy that allows them to balance fairness with people’s right to privacy.
Banning workplace romances will cause employers to lose talent.
When the heart wants what it wants, it will find a way to get it at all costs.
They’re simply forcing employees to be craftier.
It’s normal human behavior, and banning them results in demonizing normal behavior.
When we consider the fact that we spend anywhere from eight hours and upwards with those we work with, it becomes easy to become involved with someone you get along with, who understands what your job demands of you, and with whom you spend more time anyway. ”
I continued making my points until I allowed one of my teammates to summarize the argument. When we finished, the rest of the class voted on the two arguments. There were three teammates with me, and Devorah had three also.
In the end, my team won the debate. As she walked by me when class ended, I whispered, “Next time, leave your personal feelings out of the argument, and you might stand a chance.”
I winked and ignored her rolling her eyes and hissing, “Cunt.”
I chuckled as she made her way to the door. Professor Hall stood at the doorway with her back leaning against it. She said something to Devorah before she made her way back into the class.
I didn’t have another class scheduled, so I took my time packing my bags. Professor Hall made her way to my seat, sat in front of mine, and turned sideways to face me.
She was a beautiful woman, and in another lifetime, she would have already been mine. Her tilted, chocolate eyes gave her a slightly Asian look. I wondered if she was mixed with something other than black.
She was much shorter than I was, but that wasn’t hard.
The long, raven-colored hair that flowed over her shoulders and to her waist was all hers.
She hadn’t added any like the girls in class.
Sometimes she wore it hanging in natural waves like she did today, and other times she wore it curly or in a ponytail.
I knew from our one night together last summer that when her hair was wet, it naturally curled.
I was immediately enamored with her when I met her on Sorrel Island last summer, and I spent the entire weekend trying to get with her. As much as she flirted with me, she didn’t give in until her final night on the island.
The way that woman worked her body and the things that she did to mine drove me insane. She didn’t want anything beyond that night, but I wanted more of her. I wanted more conversations, more kisses, more of her body, and more of her taste.
I hadn’t gotten her out of my mind the entire summer and found myself comparing other women to her.
Professor Hall was a beautiful woman with a trim but curvy figure.
I could tell that she worked out because she had muscles in her arms and calves.
But they weren’t overtly muscular. Everything about the woman was feminine, from her scent to the way she smiled and giggled.
With all her physical attributes, it was her intellect that I admired and respected her for.
“Great arguments and points. I’m glad that you stuck to the facts, but a little passion like Miss Stamford had never hurt anyone in a debate.”
“I disagree, Professor Pisces.” I loved teasing her with that name when no one was around. As much as she pretended to hate it, I knew differently. A little gasp always accompanied the slight parting of her lips and the deep heaving of her chest.
She tilted her head, and those plump, oval-shaped lips crooked up into a smirk, inviting me to state my reasoning.
“If you become too passionate and lost in personal experiences, you lose sight of the argument and the points.”
She conceded my argument, and I winked.
“I want you all to be the best at whatever you do and back up your arguments with logic and reason, but don’t lack the passion, Mr. Gates.
Otherwise, your arguments can sound hollow.
That’s fine when we’re in here, but in the real world, losing that argument can mean the difference between life and death, especially if you’re an attorney. ”
“Good thing that I’m not planning to be one then, huh?”
“You’re a communications major, correct?”
I nodded.
“Even more reason that you need to insert passion into your argument. I want you to read Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs.”
“Is that a fiction book?”
“It is not.”
“I tend to lean toward Walter Mosley, James McBride, Paul Beatty, and Colson Whitehead. So, I must ask, Professor Hall, . . . is this for an assignment or entertainment?”
Professor Hall stuck her tongue in her cheek and replied, “An assignment, Mr. Gates. I am not interested in what you do in your spare time.”
I chuckled. “Somehow, I doubt that’s true.”
“I’m not. Believe it or not.”
“Then you should be. You can learn a lot about a person like that.”
“And maybe you can learn a lot by observing a person.”
I sat back, draped my arms casually over the backs of the chairs on either side of me, and spread my legs comfortably. “Tell me, Professor. What have you learned about me through observation?”
“You’re confident in your intelligence and abilities.
You have a bit of a rough edge, but not because you chose that route in life, but it chose you.
You’re a bit of a loner, and you shun others because emotions and relationships bring complications.
I believe that you’re a spiritual man, although I doubt you are a faithful churchgoer.
You like getting to the truth and dissecting facts, and you’re a big tease. ”
I threw my head back and laughed. Shaking it, I replied, “You almost had me. But that last point, I ain’t gon’ lie. You got me mixed up with someone else. I ain’t ever been accused of that before. Besides, you know how I come through.”
She blushed. “I think you enjoy relaxing in the evening with a blunt, a good book, and a workout.”
I lifted my eyebrows. “Let me find out ya fine ass been stalking me. I’ma snatch you up and ain’t gon’ let go, Professor.”
Her eyes widened, and she sat back a little.
“Nah, don’t run now. Let me get my turn.”
“Okay, tell me about me.”
“You’re very compassionate, but you don’t want to be taken for granted, and you want to be respected.
You’re chill and enjoy your space, but you can sometimes be rebellious.
You hold things too close to your chest and sometimes take yourself too seriously.
You love romance. You don’t like know-it-alls.
You probably read a lot of self-help books. ”
She giggled and stood. “Goodbye, Mr. Gates. I have another class starting soon.”
“Am I right?”
“You’ll never know.”
“Oh, trust me. There will come a time when I’ll know everything about you. Time is running out, Professor,” I stated, reminding her of my promise. I grabbed my bag, looked at her over my shoulder, and replied, “See ya soon.”