"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love."

― Robert Fulghum, True Love

Walking onto the eighth floor I knew I would have to work extra hard. Not one black visible spot other than me on that whole damn floor. I made sure I was dressed very professional and my dreads were not a distraction. Everything about me was tasteful, and if anyone thought differently, they could kiss my ass.

There was something off about his greeting. He was surprised. I wouldn't say he was racist or prejudice, just ignorant. I had caught some of his sideway comments or silly questions and read him real quick. My cool calm demeanor had him realize immediately that I had just addressed his every thought or preconceived idea in such a way that he knew to never speak them out loud again because one, it was inappropriate, and he doesn't need more than me to know how ignorant he was, and two, I would be the best Personal Assistant he would ever have the pleasure to have in his whole damn life.

He was very attractive. He had some type of Macho thing going on. He never seemed relaxed. His lady friend would come to visit often enough for me to realize I didn't like her. She wasn't right for him other than she was Blonde, petite, and the perfect damsel in distress. She would come in to eat lunch in his office on Thursdays.

Mr. Grimes and I developed a relationship, friendship. More out of happenstance that involved his children and ex-wife Lorie who would come to drop the children off on Fridays. His long meetings meant his children spent their time around my desk harassing me to look at them. One glance was all that it took. I acknowledge their existence and they loved me ever since. I was more fun than Carol. We would play hide and seek. We had picnics on the floor of the office and I made sure homework was understood and completed. Carl was eight years old and Judith was almost six.

It took a few late meetings for him to reluctantly include me to join him and his kids for dinner. The kids begged and pleaded. It just went from there. He trusted my instinct. Things were weird, good weird, Good and weird.

"You have a problem with Jessie?"

"All I said was that you could do so much better, Mr. Grimes."

"Why can't you call me Rick?"

I had paused for a split second before responding, "The moment I start calling you by your first name will be every indication that lines have been blurred into oblivion between us. Are we blurring?" I waited for permission.

"It's when you talk like this I am the most confused." Mr. Grimes resorted to pretending.

"Your confusion is a choice." I touched the temple of his forehead with my flour covered finger. We were in his kitchen making chocolate chip cookies for Carl's class.

"But I call you by your first name."

"When you say my name it is in a professional way still. Well most of the time, unless there is someone in the room unfamiliar, you make sure you use Ms. Benton so not to have anyone confused with my Personal Assistant duties."

Mr. Grimes wanted to broach the topic on how I made Personal Assistant sound like two totally different job descriptions. I am not sure how he derived sexual stuff from it but if he wanted, I was down. He shook his head and I could tell he thought better of it because he changed the subject. A subject that could kill any imaginary mood.

"Jessie, thinks that you don't like her."

"I don't."

I watched him close up the second to last batch of cookies with the lid that I handed him.

"She apologized." He said as if I was suppose to care somehow.

I couldn't believe I got so emotional in trying to justify my stance. I let it all out in to the atmosphere.

"Judith was in your girlfriend's care when she almost drowned, because Jessie was too busy fucking worried about me taking up your time when we are actually talking about business...Ughhh." I began to lose all my composure as I continued on my rant. "Jessie was suppose to be on your boat with her two sons and your two kids. What I'm doing with you should be a secondary concern. Your kids should be first. Then Ron tosses Judith in the water and Carl goes in for his sister..."

"I'm sorry, Michonne." Mr. Grimes pulls me into his arms where I needed to be consoled.

"It was you and I out in that fucking water to get your kids out. You and Me."

I did not want to relive that moment that Carl and Judith were caught in a riptide down in the Florida Keys where Mr. Grimes kept his small Yacht.

I didn't know he was going to break up with Jessie.

...

"They broke up." Sasha announces as she sat across from me in the employee cafeteria. "Actually, Andrea says she broke up with him. I don't really believe it but it may be true. I think Mr. Grimes may be breaking up with her. She says he's smoking. Andrea doesn't like smokers. She using it as an excuse. Does he smoke, Michonne?"

"Only when he's stressed out. The last time he smoked he broke up with Jessie." I responded to this unexpected news.

I was secretly surprised by this news. I finally had more detail about the woman my boss was involved with on an intimate level.

"Really? Is she the one he almost married?"

"Yeah. He's dating Andrea?"

"You are his Personal Assistant. You didn't know this?"

"It makes me nutty to know the intimate details of his life." I admitted.

"I can't see how you are able to do it Michonne. You have all this time with his kids. You have a relationship with his ex-wife. You have even gone on vacation a few times with the family. Has he offered you Nanny duties too?"

"I am not the Nanny. They both know that. I put it out there immediately. I am not the Nanny." I clarified my relationship with Mr. Grimes family.

"What'd you call it?"

"I am his Personal Assistant. I am Lori's friend. I am the kid's friend. I am an acquaintance of Lori's new husband, Shane. Does that make it clearer for you, Sasha?"

"Mr. Grimes didn't even ask Andrea, but he wanted you to go to the Bahamas with him and his family."

"I told him that my Personal Assistant duties would be in the way of any lady friend he had in mind of taking on the trip. If that was what he wanted to do, then leave me out. I am about business not coddling another female's inability to know the difference between business and pleasure."

"Andrea was sure he was going to ask her on that trip."

"It would be the day I quit." I declared.

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Does he feel the same way, you think?"

"Doubt it. Grimes is so aloof. We've just started doing more things together. He calls me. I call him. I will admit that mostly our calls are business-related, but after awhile I veer off subject and then it is much about a nice nothing for a while. We have Movie Night, every Friday night practically too."

"Movie night?"

"He falls asleep every time, so I have us watch subtitles. He can't fall asleep if he has to actively participate. We play Candy Crush. He says he isn't addicted."

"He hasn't hit on you at all Michonne?

"I wish to GOD he would. I would be under his desk right now working that Atari joystick."

"He's not that old, Michonne." Sasha cackles.

"I am so serious. I would wear him out." I pretend to have a joystick.

"Girl the way you working it doesn't seem like it would be pleasurable at all for any man."

"I'm just being silly."

"I know."

"We spend a lot of time together."

"Andrea wanted to move things along, and he was going too slow."

"How do you know this?"

"Because I am her Executive Assistant. He doesn't talk about her to you? Refer to her?"

"No. If he does, I think I just go blank, or I black out."

"You are crazy."

"Crazy about him. He is my Clark Kent." I sigh over my Tuna salad. "I am going to quit. I am tired of being in a one-sided love affair. My brain and my heart can only take so much." I was being melodramatic.

"He would never let you quit. He would promote you to Executive Assistant if he could nudge Carol along."

"I think Carol is secretly in love with him. I've thought about pushing her down the stairs during the fire drill, today."

"Carol is a strange Bird. I have been here two minutes longer than you have, and I can't seem to figure her out."

"He has me as the Designated Driver. Pisses me off."

"You were the designated Driver last year."

"What makes him think I don't plan to drink this year?"

"You don't drink."

"He made sure of that."

"You don't have to be the Designated Driver. You aren't forced."

"I just want to have fun. I don't want to be responsible for anyone. If he would have asked, Michonne, would you be my designated driver, I would have said yes."

"That would have been Highly Inappropriate."

"I know. I don't care."

"Three years?"

"The first year doesn't count. He was in a blonde haze. From what I gather he is in another blonde haze."

"He's the top shark, Michonne. You have to be careful. You don't want to shit where you eat if you can avoid it. Andrea has regrets. She wonders if it's going to hold her back from promotions, or cause her to be overlooked somehow."

"Are you feeding me what you want me to funnel to Mr. Grimes from Andrea?"

"What?"

"Are you telling Andrea what we talk about? What I've been saying to you, Sasha?" I became suddenly suspicious.

"No. I am friends with you, Michonne. Not many of us at this level even though we are a fancy name for secretary. You are my sister. Figuratively. We need to look out for each other."

"She has nothing to worry about. Just go on with her life, like shit ain't happened."

"What are you wearing to the party?"

"A sexier than last year dress."

"What color is your dress?"

"Red."

"Good. My sexier than last year dress is black.

"If he doesn't take notice I'm just going to sabotage his whole system that I created to keep him organized and on task with flashing nude poses of me in various positions."

"You are so crazy. Did I tell you how much I love you?" Sasha giggled.

"Ughhh. He's texting me. Wants to know where I am at."

"Who?"

"Mr. Grimes."

Mr. Grimes: Where's my Starbucks Michonne?

Michonne: I remembered what you told me. I am Carol's Personal Assistant. Carol did not have that on the order of the day nor has she ever had that on the agenda. I am to follow Carol's orders, remember?

Mr. Grimes: Two years later, you decide to follow the order of things?

Michonne: My job duties are finished for the day, and if you look at your calendar I am weeks ahead of schedule. Your forecast for the financials that you need for today's meeting has been emailed to you. Your kids will be here later today.

Mr. Grimes: I advanced to level 60 on Candy Crush just now. Carl didn't help me either.

Mr. Grimes: When are you coming back to your desk?