“Unh-hunh,” I mumbled.
“Anyway, what you need?” she asked.
“Is Hawk there?” I asked back.
“Negatory,” she answered. “He’s in the middle of somethin’, can’t take calls, forwarded them to me.”
Hmm. This didn’t sound good.
“Can you give him a message to call me?”
“Sure, but you can tell me what you want and I got authority to take care of it. Boys are busy but I know you’re quarantined at the Hawk Hangout so you need somethin’, let me know and I’ll find someone who can sort you out.”
“That’s nice but I just wanted to know if it’s okay if I asked my girlfriends to come over.”
“When you want us to be there?”
Us?
“Um…”
“I get off at five o’clock, could be there at five twenty,” she went on.
“Well… the thing is, I’m um…” I stopped because she’d gone out to buy shoes for me and then gone to my house to pack for me. The latter she did well, making sure I had everything I needed. It was a nice thing to do, even if she was getting paid to do it. Clearly she wanted to befriend me and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
“The thing is what?” she prompted.
Oh hell. Nothing for it.
“The thing is I want my girlfriends over to talk about Hawk.”
“I know Hawk,” she offered.
“Yes, but he’s your boss.”
“Sho’ ‘nuff, girl, so you need me there.”
“I do?”
“Hon, Janine may be in charge of doin’ the grunt work to organize his life but who you think gives her her grocery orders and sends her out to buy cargo pants? Me. You want the lowdown on Hawk, ain’t no one better equipped for that action.”
“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?” I asked and I heard her hoot (again).
“Fuck yeah but who cares?” she asked back then went on. “Listen to me, Gwen. I been working for Cabe Delgado for seven years. When I walked my ass into this place to interview for the job, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Hot guys everywhere. So much fine ass, shit! I woulda worked here for nothin’. First day, thirty minutes in, these boys, they became a pain in my ass. Sortin’ their shit out is like herdin’ cats. Luckily, eye candy provides job satisfaction, if it didn’t, I’d have gone to the supply cabinet and got myself a baton and wailed on some commando ass long before now. Then, coupla days ago, Hawk walks in and tells me to go to Nordstrom’s. Nordstrom’s! I didn’t ask, I just grabbed the company card and hauled my ass outta here. I was all over that shit. You think I won’t do all I can do to see that my duties include occasional trips to the mall, you… are… wrong.”
Oh boy.
“Perhaps you aren’t going to be able to be very objective during the discussion,” I suggested.
“You bet yo’ ass I won’t be objective,” she agreed then continued. “I’ll see you at five twenty, what do you drink?”
“Um… cosmos.”
“I’m all over that,” she declared then ordered, “Call your girls and see you later.”
Then she gave me dead air.
Hmm. I was uncertain how that went. What I was certain about was that Elvira was going to be there at five twenty.