Chapter 9 #3
She was threatening me. She was letting me know she wasn’t above interfering with my project.
“I’m pretty confident in what I sent them. I’m looking forward to hearing their thoughts.”
“Of course,” she interjected, her voice heavy with animosity.
“Well, I have to get going. I’m meeting with Martha.
I need to remind her we need to be cautious about the new projects we take on this year, with so many of these funding cuts, and all.
” Our Executive Director was not gullible enough to shelve a project just because Misty told her to, but the way she looked at me when she said it sent a chill down my spine.
“See you guys later. Don’t work too hard.
” With that, she turned around and left.
“Damn, but that woman is a bitch. Is she actually threatening you about the project because she saw you hanging out with Nesto? What the hell is her problem?” Carmen asked exasperated.
I shook my head, stunned by how vile Misty could be.
“You know she thinks she’s living in a Survivor episode.
She’s probably scheming how to fuck with Nesto, too, because he’s ‘competition.’” I went back to my desk, feeling out of sorts from the confrontation with Misty.
“The level of privilege of that woman is unreal. She’s pissed because people are doing better than her son, yet he opens the truck when he feels like it, and when he does, serves shitty overpriced food.
But in her mind, he’s still entitled to do better than people who are working their asses off. How do people even get like this?”
Carmen sighed wearily. “Being rich and mean certainly doesn’t help matters.
It’s typical,” she said, crossing her arms, her face sullen.
“Misty is at all the fundraisers, talking about the plight of this minority or that vulnerable group until her tongue falls out. But only as long as those people stay in their place, as her ‘good person’ talking points. As soon as she personally has to make space for any of them, all of it goes out the window and she’s back on her homestead guarding her shit to the death. ”
I nodded, feeling exhausted. “Too true.”
“Black and brown people causes are extremely nice on a tote bag, or for making you feel better than your country club friends on Facebook. But actually seeing them as human beings who should get to have the same things you do? Oh no, fuck that shit, there’s not enough to go around.”
I let out a long breath. “This all makes me so damn tired.”
Carmen just looked at me sadly. “Babe, at least you still get to walk into all this in your white skin. The rest of us have to go out there in our melanated armors and suck it up while working five times harder to get a tenth of what she got just for breathing.”
I came over and hugged her, she was usually the one going for the hugs, but dammit I needed one.
“Well, if there was any happy left after my make-out session with Nesto last night, this little interlude with Misty killed it dead.” I pouted while Carmen gave me a tired smile as we pulled apart.
“I’m serious, Carmen, I don’t want to be the reason for Nesto to get on her radar.
Misty is petty and mean. I should cool things off with him. ”
Carmen looked at me in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
I shrugged, feeling stupid that Misty got under my skin like she did. “Maybe, I mean, there’s nothing going on between us, really, and I don’t want to make problems for him.”
“Babe, you’re not. You won’t. Nesto is perfectly capable of looking out for himself and no matter what she thinks, Misty doesn’t actually run this town.
” She tilted her head in the direction of the street where Nesto’s truck was probably parked at that very moment.
“His food is excellent and he works hard. He’ll be fine, and so will you for that matter. The board will see the light.”
I gave her a grateful look; her unrelenting optimism went a long way to calm my self-doubt on moments like this. “Okay. Maybe I’ll meet up with him for a drink after all, but just as friends.”
She rolled her eyes at my “just friends” statement but still clapped her hands like I’d told her the best news ever.
“Good for you. Don’t let her mess with your happy.
” She walked back to her desk and pointed at her monitor.
“I’m in an ass-kicking mood, so I might as well tackle this proposal to get the bilingual social worker for the library I’ve been begging for and may finally get. ”
“Go for it. I’m going to try and do some work and not worry about the board hating my proposal.”
Carmen gave me a distracted thumbs-up, already focused on her work. I sat down at my desk and before I talked myself out of it, texted Nesto.
Maybe tomorrow?
His response came within seconds.
You just tell me what time and where. I’ll be there.
My face heated again and I felt my lips stretching into a wide smile.
I will.
I hoped the Misty interactions would be at a minimum this week, but mostly I hoped both Nesto and I stayed off her shit list.