12. You Better Be Careful
Chapter twelve
You Better Be Careful
Monday mornings always felt the longest.
Nobody wanted to be there.
The coffee tasted stronger, the conversations were shorter, and everybody counted down to Friday before lunchtime.
Miko walked into the office carrying her coffee and purse.
"Morning, everybody."
A chorus of sleepy voices answered back.
"Morning."
"Morning, Miko."
As usual, Meca looked up from her desk.
"Morning."
Miko smiled.
"Morning."
It was routine now.
So routine that neither of them realized how natural they had become around one another.
By midmorning, the office was moving at full speed. Phones rang nonstop. Employees hurried from desk to desk trying to meet deadlines.
Miko and Meca spent most of the morning working together.
Every now and then one of them cracked a joke.
The other laughed.
Nothing unusual.
At least not to them.
Across the room, Jemika noticed.
She watched Meca walk over to Miko's desk carrying an extra bottle of water.
"You forgot yours," Meca said.
Miko laughed.
"You always remember everything."
"I try."
Jemika raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm."
Later that afternoon, Miko walked into the break room and found Jemika standing by the microwave.
Without turning around, Jemika spoke.
"So..."
"So what?"
"You and Meca getting real close."
Miko laughed.
"Girl, that's my friend."
"I know she's your friend."
"So what's the problem?"
"I didn't say it was a problem."
"You implying something."
"I'm observing something."
Miko folded her arms.
"You observe too much."
Jemika smiled.
"You know what I noticed?"
"What?"
"The way she look at you."
Miko frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"That girl likes you."
Miko laughed so hard she nearly spilled her coffee.
"Girl, stop."
"I'm serious."
"You done lost your mind."
"I ain't lost nothing."
"Meca is just cool people."
"I didn't say she wasn't."
"So why you making something out of nothing?"
Jemika leaned against the counter.
"I'm just saying...women know when another woman likes them."
Miko shook her head.
"Not this woman."
"You blind."
"No...you just messy."
Jemika laughed.
"I might be messy..."
She paused before smiling.
"...but I ain't usually wrong."
Miko rolled her eyes and walked out of the break room.
She wasn't irritated.
She just thought Jemika was doing what Jemika always did—creating stories where there weren't any.
As Miko returned to her desk, she glanced over at Meca.
Meca looked up and smiled.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"You look like Jemika got to talking."
Miko laughed.
"She always talking."
"What she say this time?"
"You don't even want to know."
Meca smiled.
"Probably not."
The subject ended there.
Neither woman gave Jemika another thought.
Later that evening, after work, Miko's phone rang.
It was Meca.
"You busy?"
"No."
"I was just calling to see how your day ended."
"It ended better now."
Meca laughed.
"You always know what to say."
"No..."
Miko replied softly.
"I just like talking to you."
The words escaped before she could think about them.
Silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just...unexpected.
Finally, Meca spoke.
"I like talking to you too."
Neither woman realized it.
But for the first time...
Their conversations no longer felt like conversations between coworkers.
They felt like conversations between two people who had become part of each other's everyday lives.
Across town, Jayson was cutting hair, laughing with customers, completely unaware that another person had quietly become the safest place in Miko's world.
And somewhere in the back of Miko's mind...
Jemika's words returned.
"That girl likes you."
For the first time...
Miko didn't laugh them off.
She simply wondered...
"What if she's right?"