The Boss Lady (2 page)

A big smiled invaded her face and took up the bottom half.
Right then I remembered what it felt like to be happy.

“I have twenty buck
s.” The little girl reached in her pocket and pulled out what looked like four twenty dollar bills. She stuffed three twenties back in her pocket and held one out to me.

“Keep your money in your pocket until I talk to your mother.” I looked down at the TV on the floor by the closet. “This is your TV?”
There was a large pink TV on the carpeted floor and the old wall mount was lying next to it.

“Yeah, I want it to be on th
e wall up there.” Kelly pointed to the wall opposite the windows.

“
That’s a good place for it. My daughter has a pink Hello Kitty TV just like this but hers is a bit smaller.”

“You have a daughter?”
Her eyes lit up.

“Yeah.”

“How old is she?”

“Nine.”

“Really? I’m ten.” She beamed.

I bent to get
a closer look at the pink TV. It had to be at least 42 inches. “This is a big Hello Kitty TV.”

“Yeah my mother special ordere
d it from Japan. They don’t sell them over here in the States.”

I wonder if that’s true.
Although this little black girl was around the same age as my Hailey, it was clear she was wise beyond her years. She didn’t talk like a ten year old. “So Kelly, are you going to a new school?”

“Yes it’
s called Stonebridge Academy. I took a tour of the school a few days ago. It seems really stuffy and boring. My mother won’t allow me to go to public school. I think that maybe by the time I’m in high school I can talk her into letting me attend a public school.”

“I’m sure by then you will be able to
convince her.” I smiled. I remembered having these kinds of conversations with Hailey. I missed them more than I ever thought I would.

“Your daughter, does she like Hello Kitty?”

“Yeah she loves Hello Kitty and Barbie.”

“Really, me too. What kind of music does she have on her iPod?”

Hailey didn’t have an iPod but she did listen to mine. “She likes Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and One Direction.”

“Oh my God I like them too.” Little Kelly was smiling so widely I couldn’t help but to smile in return.
I miss smiling.

“What’s that noise?” Kelly asked as we both became aware of shouting coming from downstairs.

“I don’t know. Wait here. I’ll go see.” I left the little smart girl in her room. I quickly made my way down the newly polished winding staircase. The yelling was coming from the living room, no it was the den. There was only one voice I could hear as I approached, a females voice.

“
How the hell did you morons drop a two thousand dollar television on the hardwood floor?”

Tony was the only one standing in
shouting distance. I passed the foyer and noticed Juan and Paul had taken up camp outside the front door of the house. By the looks on their faces they didn’t want to have anything to do with the commotion. Miss Nevels, the black lady that hired us was standing in front of Tony with her hands on her hips.

When I en
tered the room Tony looked over at me. His defected expression was begging me to intervene. Then again maybe he was just looking into space. I looked at him and then down at the flatscreen TV. It looked fine to me. The screen wasn’t cracked from what I could see.

“Hello what
ever your name is!” She was yelling at Tony yet again. “You dropped a fucking television on my new floor!” Tony didn’t respond.

“Tony
, go to the truck. I will handle this.” Tony shrugged and practically ran away from the angry black woman.

As Tony bolted,
she yelled. What was her name? Oh Miss Nevels.

She followed Tony with her eyes.
“Great brother, leave me with the white man.” She shifted from Tony’s exiting backside to stare me in my eyes. “Who the hell are you?” She barked in the most chopped up proper English I had ever heard.

“I’m Lukas
?” I offered my hand but she looked down at it and balked. Apparently I had cooties.

“And what is that supposed to mea
n to me?” Was that a real question or black people talk? “You didn’t even see your clumsy colleague drop my television.”

“
No I didn’t. Look Miss Nevels, it was truly an accident.”

“Well smart guy I hope he didn’t do the shit on purpose. Why would I fucking hire someone to drop my furniture?”

Okay. “
You need to just calm down.”

“Calm down! You calm down! This is what you do for a living. You should be good at it
, you, Tony, Jamal, Jose whoever.” She was just making names up from nowhere.

“
I am good at my job. We all are.” I stepped closer to the doorway. The guys were in the foyer listening to the commotion. I waved the rest of my crew out the house. They shouldn’t have to be subjected to her vicious rants. Besides I didn’t want my guys to witness me lose my temper.

“What about the asshole that dropped and broke my television.”

“Hey now! The name calling is not necessary. You need to calm down.”

“No fuck you and the crack
erjack ass moving crew. I want to talk to your boss.”

“Lady, mam please
calm down. It’s just a TV. We can easily fix it, replace it or compensate you. It may not even be broken.”

“What about the fucking floor?”

“If it’s damaged, it can be fixed.” I looked down and noticed a barely there scuff mark on the hardwood. I could buff that out myself.

“
It’s too many people walking around incompetent. No, I want someone to lose their job.”

“
Miss, that’s not even remotely necessary.”

“
You can’t tell me what is and isn’t remotely necessary.” She was mocking me. “I will call your boss.”

“
If that will make you feel better, please do. The number is 6, 3 --”

Miss
Nevels raised her hand and placed her palm in my face. She put a halt to my numbers. I had never seen anyone say shut the fuck up with a hand gesture until today. She removed her cell from her pocket and she scrolled through her contacts until she reached the number she was looking for. She put her cell phone to her ear. Then my cell phone started ringing inside the belt clip attached to my waist. I removed my cell and hit talk.

“Hello, Miss
Nevels. How are you today?”

Her
dark brown eyes went fiery red. She was pissed and I was the cause of it. She hung up on me and I shoved my cell back in my belt clip.

“You think you’re so fucking clever.”

“No if you would have shut your trap for two seconds I could’ve told you that I own this moving company. I’m Lukas Hamilton. The t-shirts says Hamilton Moving Company.” Duh, corporate lady.

“No wonder it’s a piece of shit.”

“Lady what is your problem? I will personally fix whatever is wrong. Why are you so goddamn hostile?”

“You can’t properly do your job and
you’re an incompetent asshole! That is my goddamn problem Brad, Chad, Caleb.”

“Lukas.”

“Same thing.” She rolled her eyes.

Jesus she i
s a raging bitch. I inhaled and exhaled. I could choke her to death and not give a damn. I was one step from blowing my own brains out. I’m cool. I’m a hulking six two and she was acting like she was going to beat me bloody. This little chocolate lady was a mere five foot five at the most without the three inch heels. Sure she was no skinny-menny but I was a beast compared to her. One thing for sure she was fearless. 

“Mom would you stop it!” I heard the little girl scream from the
bottom of the steps. The ten year old silenced us both. “Stop yelling at that man!” Kelly’s voice was powerful for a kid.

This is the first time this has ever happened
in my six years in the moving furniture business. I really wanted to shake this lady. There was no way that sweet little girl belonged to this black bitch. But clearly they looked alike, only difference was the little girl had green eyes, lighter hair and lighter skin. Miss Nevels was staring at me like she was going to rip my eyeballs out the sockets. She was scary but I don’t scare easy.

Miss
Nevels took two steps forward in an attempt to intimidate me. I was six-two, how was that going to work? Under normal circumstances that closeness would be good for a man and woman but with her it was the complete opposite. If only it were legal to through her over my shoulder and lock her in a closet until she learns to behave. She was having an adult temper tantrum.

“Mom.” The little girl
, Kelly was now standing right beside us. “Mommmmmm, I need to show you something in my room.”

“Okay, I will be right up.” Miss
Nevels said through gritted teeth as she eyeballed me like she could take me in a brawl, like she could best me in hand to hand combat.

Kelly moved to the staircase
leaving me and her mother in a fierce eye battle.

“Move
the remainder of my shit in and then get the fuck out.” She mumbled the words so her daughter couldn’t hear her. Her breath smelled like lemon flavored cough drops. She crossed her arms under her breasts and pushed them up without realizing what she was doing. Her breasts were slightly spilling out her top and distracting me. I hadn’t even noticed she had breasts before that moment. How the hell did I miss full D cups?

I glanced at her daughter Kelly
standing by the stairs to take my mind off the mean ladies tits. I smiled at the girl who smiled back. I drew my eyes back to her evil guardian. “Yes mam with pleasure.” I sort of nodded.

Miss
Nevels turned and the sound of her high heels tapped as she stormed up her curved marble staircase with her daughter keeping pace beside her.

There was nothing but
pure hustle after that. I got all my guys together and we emptied that truck so fast. There was a new world record set. In and out was the goal. Miss Nevels took every moment to glare at me. I was her new target. She had lain off my guys and I was alright with taking the brunt of her displeasure and constant examination. She didn’t say anything but she didn’t need to. She was menacing enough with her uppity presence.

What kind of asshole was married to her? I noticed she was without a wedding ring. That’s not a surprise.
She had money coming out her ass. I wondered what she did for a living and how she spawned such an adorable kid. I made sure her TV was working properly. It was getting hot inside the house with the door open. Miss Nevels had removed her fitted suit jacket. She was wearing a pale blue button up blouse. No matter how big and perky they were I refused to look at her tits.

When we were done I searched the house and found the rude woman in the kitchen. She was sitting at the island with a glass of red
wine pressed to her lips. She had a MacBook laptop opened in front of her.

“Miss
Nevels, we’re done.” I interrupted.

She glared at me
like I was Satan. Geez, alcohol doesn’t even loosen up this evil bitch. “Okay, do you want a standing ovation?” She sneered.

“Very f
unny Miss Nevels, don’t you think it’s a little too early for a drink?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “
I paid you. You are done. What do you want?”

“I wanted to make sure you got my card so you could call me with the estimate for the
damage to your floor.”

“No thanks, I will take the tip money
I refuse to give you and repair my floor. I just want to be done with you and your little moving company.” She brushed me away with a hand gesture.

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I will put my card on the refrigerator if you change your mind.” I was lying. I was glad she was going to let me off
scott-free. I placed my new business card on the huge stainless steel refrigerator with a Blue Cross Blue Shield magnet that was already there. I never wanted to lay eyes on this rude woman ever again. I can’t wait to leave this house. This was my first day back at work and it was the pits. I promised the guys I would take them out for drinks tonight after this long dreadful day. I didn’t drink anymore but I would be their designated driver. It was the least I could do. Wish I could’ve put the little girl’s TV up on the wall. I’m sure she she’ll get it mounted. That little girl was smart and resourceful.

CHAPTER TWO

Every other job was a walk in the park after that
unwarranted drama. I had only gone out on other jobs a few times but all the guys felt the need to mimic the bitchy bossy lady from last week. Miss Nevels the Devil was a joke that never went away.

I learned the hard way that
you should never tell a black woman to calm down. Tony said it was the trigger word to make a black chick act a fucking fool. Since I said it to the lady a few times they said they were waiting for her to slap the shit out of me. I also learned that black woman could care less how much bigger you are than them. They will push your buttons and never back down. It is always best to stand there and take it until they just get tired of yelling. That was exactly what Tony was doing when I came down the stairs that day. He wasn’t saying a word. I wasn’t sure if all the black guys in my employ were pulling my leg or being truthful with their insight into the black woman. It didn’t really matter. I would probably never encounter another raving black woman ever again. Every black woman I had ever encountered was nice enough. Tony’s mother and his girlfriend were always nice and sweet to me. Tony’s mother even cooked a shitload of food for me to eat while I was off work for that month.