Just a meeting in St. Louis...
It was a day trip, leaving at the crack of dawn, returning after sunset. We had a 9:00 am presentation and it was over by ten. We had to hang out together for the day. The only afternoon flight available back to our city was after 5:00.
He hailed a taxi and we visited the Gateway Arch. It was breathtakingly beautiful when we reached the top.
He was rich and charismatic. He was a gentleman and he held every door open for me. He treated me like a lady.
We dined in a fancy restaurant for lunch. He stood when I excused myself from the table and again when I returned.
Please sit down, I thought. This is so awkward. He was so over the top.
He was old and a long way from being the handsome jock of his youth. His hair was tinted black; a failed attempt to color the curly white implants. His teeth were too bright on his recent trip to the tanning bed face. He wore gold rings on his pinky fingers, cufflinks, a tailored suit and expensive shoes.
I had dreaded this day for weeks. This was our first time traveling together without the team, no one to fill in the gaps of awkward silence.
He engaged me in conversation that left me queasy and uneasy. I was uncharmed with his wit. We had nothing in common. I played with the ring on my finger, hoping that no one thought I was with him - paid or otherwise. He was gross. He was my boss.
He ordered a cocktail and asked me, “What are you having kid?”
I relaxed.
I suppose I should have been happy to be treated as an equal.
I had suspected I got to tag along to show how diverse our company was or to make him look important with a tag along assistant. Additionally he didn’t know how to run the PowerPoint presentation. I was the clicker.
I was the team’s kid.
Kenya G. Johnson
This is a 333 word response to this weeks Trifecta challenge, using the third definition of the word 'uneasy'.
1: causing physical or mental discomfort
2: not easy : difficult
3: marked by lack of ease : awkward, embarrassed <gave an uneasy laugh>
