Page 84 of Invisible Bars

“Good morning, Mr. Kors. Such a pleasure to meet you,” she said, voice smooth and steady as she stepped into the room with a crisp portfolio in hand.

Minimal jewelry. Natural makeup. Clear gloss. Sharp eyes. Pretty smile—but not the kind that begged for attention. Confident stance, and her tone wasn’t forced. She was professional without trying too hard. And… a wedding ring. Good.That means she came here strictly for business—hopefully.

I gave a small nod of approval.

She peered over at Chi. “And Mr. …?”

Chi quickly stood up to shake her hand with a grin. “You can just say Chaos, but yeah.”

I shot him atight-jawedlook that saidchillwithout me having to open my mouth.

Then I turned my attention back to the candidate.

“So Mrs. Evergreen.”

“Saroya is fine.”

“Saroya… that’s different. So,Saroya,tell me a little about yourself.”

“Of course.” She folded her hands neatly in her lap. “I’ve been in the PR field for just over eight years. I started straight out of college after finishing my master’s in strategic communication from NYU. Before that, I earned my undergrad in Business Marketing from Spelman.”

I gave a slight nod—I actually respected that one.

“I started in beauty and fashion PR,” she continued. “Then, I transitioned into crisis management, and for the past four years, I’ve focused strictly on real estate development and luxury branding. Most of my work has involved high-profile clientele with either public image concerns or scaling visibility for new acquisitions.”

“Damn, you’ve been busy,” Chi chimed in. “You single? I ain’t asking for myself… maybe a friend.”

He looked over at me.

I glared back.“You wanna keep this job or play matchmaker?”

“Dang,boss, I’m just asking for research purposes! Gotta know if she’s bringing single energy or married professionalism. Besides, I ask the bold questions so you don’t have to. Andjob? Nigga, I’m doing this off GP ‘cause you my boy, so I should be free to ask whatever.”

I shook my head.

Saroya chuckled and replied, “To answer your question, I ammarried… four years. And we have a three-year-old son who thinks he’s the CEO of our household.”

Chi smirked. “Okay. All that is cool. But have you ever been to jail?”

I whipped my head toward him. “Nigga!” slipped out before I could stop it.

He shrugged, all casual. “Hey! I gotta make sure we’re not hiring somebody who can’t survive the comments section.”

I leaned in, whispering low enough for only him to hear, “I’m never inviting yo’ ass to anything else with a dress code again.”

Chi clutched his chest like I’d just hit him with a cease-and-desist.

“So I crackonejoke and now I’m the reason Black men don’t get invited to boardrooms? Bet.”

I glanced back at Saroya, half-expecting her to be halfway out the door, deeming the whole damn interview too unprofessional to tolerate.

Saroya actually laughed. “It’s cool. I was prepared for these kind of questions. But to answer your question, just traffic court. I cried. They let me off. But I know how to hold my own when it counts.”

Yeah… she might just be the one.

I didn’t just want someone who was intelligent, dependable, organized, loyal, could read the room, unshakable under fire, sharp enough to navigate a crisis with grace, but grounded enough not to unravel under pressure; I also wanted someone who didn’t take their jobtooseriously.

What I meant by that was, someone who could still laugh and put professionalism aside when the moment called for it and just be real. I wasn’t looking for a stiff PR robot; I wanted a human… someone who knew how to wear the role without letting the rolewear them. And judging by the way Saroya carried herself, with that calm confidence and no extra fluff… she might actually be that person.