3 Chapter Three- Women
"For someone that just ate hot sausages for breakfast that I paid for Naomi you are full of nothing but gas and venom, why couldn't you just be happy for me with my choices and my promotion?" Tatalee quipped.
"That is because I am not sure whether you acquired it or you took it on a silver platter while you were on your back, Tatalee!" Naomi replied with a scowl.
"Naomi, by whatever means, I had to use my head, charm, charisma and whatever I learned in school to get the job. How many other persons with the qualifications that I have could just waltz into a six-figure salary and still have time to do my nails and hair during the day?" Tatalee asked.
"So who does the real work Tatalee?" Naomi asked
"That is why you have donkeys; Naomi, surely you would not expect me to be running around the office, typing, filing and setting up meetings and organising pedantic activities. I am management and I function at the strategic level not the operational."
"I said Nick and I are building the business. It does not mean that I am lifting a brick, I help him to clear his mind and to think and after the staff have left during the days, we formulate new methodology to deal with the impediments to our progress and create task sheets for the operatives to execute daily. After that it is usually dinner, or we just hang out at my place. Or, if he has an impromptu meeting somewhere until he drags himself home," Tatalee replied.
"Are you sure it's purely business related Tatalee? It sounds almost whimsical that you are able to demand and receive a salary for almost doing nothing at all and yet this is considered well-earned pay for a hard day's work?" Naomi asked
"Why, not look how hard I used to work with Nicholas for months I built him up and suggested the clothes to wear in the mornings and where has all that hard back- breaking work gone? Nowhere, prune face is living it up with him." Tatalee replied.
The veins in the side of her head stood out and her voice became raspy.
"So why shouldn't I benefit from Nick's kindness and generosity? He appends his signature on my pay cheque and the last time I asked if he wanted me to improve my level of service all he did was smile, wink and continue talking on his phone in very hushed tones," Tatalee replied with a cynical look on her face.
"Calm down Tatalee." Naomi whispered. "If you are not giving it up, do you think someone else is in the picture?" Besides his wife does not have a prune face. She might be pale in colour and slim, but not how you have described her. "Naomi replied softly.
"Does it matter?" Tatalee asked as she fixed her mini skirt, "I have to go back to the office now, Nick should be back from Montego Bay anytime soon and I want to be there to meet him when he comes. I hear he panics whenever I am not in his eyesight. I guess that makes me eye candy." Tatalee replied.
Naomi laughed out aloud, "Keep on flaunting it Tatalee and one day the candy will give him rotten teeth and the dentist may soon have fun yanking his teeth."
"Why are you so negative? Only people with negative thoughts would even entertain the manifestation of a relationship between Nick and I, Naomi. Surely people can be good friends without complications." Tatalee said with venom in her voice.
"Shut up Tatalee, my gut is never wrong, I think you are out for revenge against somebody or something but remember that Karma is a bitch, she wears the ring on her left hand. I am going to be sorry for you when she eventually catches up to you wanting an explanation," Naomi said softly.
"Technically, I don't owe her any answers. If she had questions, Nick is the one that should be answering, not me Naomi, remember I am innocent." Tatalee replied softly.
"Yes my friend so you say," Naomi replied with a sarcastic and wry smile.
The walk from Emancipation Park to the bank across the street seemed to take an inordinately long time and the wind seemed to have held the women in a firm embrace. The wind was hot and blew under Tatalee's mini skirt. She giggled loudly as the hairs on her legs, inner thighs as well as the cobwebs hidden beneath her pink thong were serenaded by the gust of wind.
"What is so funny?" Naomi asked,
"The breeze it feels nice on my lady parts," Tatalee replied.
"Woman you need a man," Naomi hissed.
"I can't find a good man and evidently all the good ones are already spoken far. I have no intentions of stealing one from anybody."
"It may be too late for that," Naomi mumbled.
"Hah, I told you Naomi, we are not involved. Please don't become like those nasty bad minded people who think that people can't be just good friends and colleagues without being intimate. I must admit that if Nick was single, I would be interested in him just because he is a nice guy."Tatalee said with a broad smile on her face.
"Oh, so you do like him?" Naomi asked playfully.
"I never said I didn't Naomi," Tatalee replied.
She glanced at her watch; the bursts of sunlight that played gleefully through the overhanging trees made it difficult for her to see the face of her brand name watch with the single diamond stud.
"What time is it Naomi?" Tatalee asked.
"Wait I never saw that before" Naomi said as she looked at Tatalee's hand. "Wow isn't that a…?" Naomi asked with a gasp.
"Yes, it is. Nick gave it to me last night, he says that I need to have the corporate image and he finds that my nails needed to be complimented by a nice watch so he got it for me. Remember he just came back from the seven-day cruise of the Caribbean and South America with Karma and he said he enjoyed himself and could not wait to see the excitement on my face when I opened the box. Naomi, please not a word about the watch, he likes to keep things very discrete, but I had to say it to somebody," Tatalee pleaded.
Naomi rolled her eyes.
"You said that you guys are not involved?" Naomi asked.
"So, your boss has never given you anything yet Naomi?" Tatalee replied snappily.
"Yes! Sure, a goodie basket on Administrative Professional Day and a birthday card that's all." Naomi replied sheepishly.
"Well technically, I am not an administrative professional anyway, so I suspect that is why Nick treats me a little different," Tatalee replied with venom.
The two women skipped across the busy road as taxi men held the line to ransom and watched keenly as the women rolled their hips productively across the road. Naomi's skin-tight blue pants highlighted her perfectly formed drumsticks that were well proportioned. Tatalee tried her best not to try to fight the hem of her skirt as it rode her thighs as she stretched her legs across the hot asphalt that glared up at her promised land with each step.
The blaring horns from the female drivers drowned out the wolf whistles. At five feet eight inches tall, both women were well proportioned and would have turned the heads of the blind. Dressed as they were, they would have caused a reaction from even the dead.
"That felt good don't Naomi?" Tatalee asked.
"What Tatalee?" Naomi asked in response.
"The attention. See I told you to stop dressing like a grandma. Sex sells Naomi, and the whole world is buying. In this day and age which man is going to notice that we are intelligent and thoughtful without us catching his eyes first? We know they all look at us from top to bottom front and back. If I looked anything like you Naomi I would have men eating out of my palms."
"Ah, Tatalee, I almost feel like a hooker, I can't wait to get home and cover up. Besides this G-string is giving me a warm time. I can just grab it and yank it out. Yes, the security opened the door this morning. He even called the elevator for me today for the first time in the five years that I've worked at the bank. I even got a compliment from the creepy lady in the filing room. I'm sorry Tatalee but I can't dress like you all the time, I like being behind the scenes and not out there on display, plus I hate wearing makeup."
"Watch this," Naomi whispered as they neared the timber frame glass panel door. "Watch his face as the security guard notices us."
Like a cue from the director, the man leapt into action and his face lit up like the sun as his hairy hands reached for the door and held it open.
