Page 49 of Taming a Menace

“Y’all have a microwave here, or does daddy need to get you one for your office?” I asked, looking around the room for a spot for my baby’s new microwave.

“Yes, we have a microwave in the break room,” she confirmed.

“The second part of the question still stands. Do you need a microwave in here, so you don’t have to leave out of here to warm your food up? I see a couple of good spots to put one.”

She smiled, which was exactly the response I wanted.

“No, I do not need a microwave in here.”

“OK, well do youwantone? I’m asking because I’m not going to keep eating in front of you. You have to join me.”

“I think I’ve already told you that this is not my lunch hour.”

“You have. I’m sure I’ve already told you I wasn’t trying to hear that. I’m not going to keep talking unless you eat. You need time to decompress after our dates.”

She took a deep breath and leaned forward on her desk. “This is not a date, Mr. Glover.”

“I love it when you call me that.” I grinned.

“Stop deflecting, Mr. Glover, and answer the question I asked you before you went off into a tangent.”

“Can you repeat the question? It got lost somewhere in our exchange.”

“Purposely I’m sure. I asked if there has been a time when you felt like someone should have defended you, and they didn’t.”

“Possibly.” I shrugged.

“Care to expound on that?” She pushed.

“I mean I can’t think of one example in particular, but as you said I haven’t always been this big scary guy. I’m the youngest of three boys. My brothers used to kick my ass all the time. Nothing crazy, just roughhousing and horseplay. Things like that. I’ve always been a mama’s boy, and they hated that. They still do, but they accept that I’m the favorite. I don’t think they scarred me or anything like that. If anything, they helped to toughen me up.”

“Was there a time when you felt like you weren’t tough enough?” she asked.

“I mean I was a little crybaby, but I was a kid. Kids cry.”

“So is that a yes or no?”

“No, I don’t think that was an issue as much of me just speaking up for myself you know. Defending myself verbally was an issue.”

“But now that you’re so big and scary you don’t have to worry about that,” she noted.

“It hardly ever gets to that, so I guess not.”

“But before when you were growing up, you didn’t always speak up for yourself?”

“When I was much younger, yes. Not to take away from my family because if I would have said something, I’m sure they would have done what needed to be done. Sometimes I just feel like someone should have noticed something was different about me and tried to figure out why.”

“What brought about the change?”

“Life I guess.” I shrugged, hoping my answer was sufficient.

“There has to be more to it than that. This is a safe space, Mr. Glover. Feel free to speak your mind. Nothing said here leaves this room.”

“Really?” I asked, leaning forward and putting my elbows on her desk.

“Yes. It’s unlawful for me to discuss what we talk about in here.”

“Well in that case, there’s something else I want to talk about.”