Chapter 3

Steven’s point of view:

I wait for the security man that told me to wait behind the trash, but looking at how dark the weather is getting I know for sure, that it was a ploy to get me away foe the mean time.

I begin scratching my hair in an effort to remove the nonsense that seems to be living in it.

“I have to take a shower” I say out loud. I bring my hands closer to my eyes to see just how much dirt has accumulated in there.

“you really do need to have a bath young man” a very stern voice speaks from behind me. I turn around only for me to come face to face with the absolute owner of “MacPherson’s cosmetics”.

“what can I do to help you” she looks at me from toe to head, totally sizing the whole of me.

This is my only shot; I need to ask for a job.

“I just need help ma” I respond, even my legs quake at the angry stare she gives me.

 She takes determined steps toward me, Mr. Whitestone in tow, “does this elegant structure look like a foundation to you?” asks Mrs. Sophia.

“no, it doesn’t Ma’am. But I promise I really have nowhere to go”

“and how is that supposed to help me, you don’t even look like you would last a day”

I begin taking steps away from her, that is before she calls me back. 

“I just need to say some words” she says, all the while, putting her arm over her nose.

“you really shouldn’t go around looking for Jobs in places like this, especially when you’re black, you see no one actually likes you guys. I mean it’s just like you’re a different specie all together”

Well for one I am 24, and I am black, so the majority of my life I have always been getting these racists remarks, and yes, they used to bother me, but now not anymore. 

“I..” before I could say a thing, we hear a click of the camera; we all turn our heads significantly at the same time.

Mr. Whitestone, immediately takes off, he goes after the cameraman, but what do you expect when an old man is in a chase.

Mrs. Sophia’s face is as red as it could possibly get as she looks at me, even I could feel the anger seeping off of every part of her.

She looks me from head to toe, this time around.

“follow me” she orders, another set of security men rush out, some running off to the direction Mr. Whitestone ran off to, whilst some escort both I and Mrs. Sophia.

I’ve been staying in a secluded area for the past few hours, receiving cruel glances from long legged workers, it seemed to be that everyone in the building had a particular king of shape.

Well except her, my eyes light up immediately Jmac comes into view. Mrs. Sophia’s daughter Jane, popularly known as Jmac. Her hair now dyed yellow is short, and with every step she takes she makes it move in delicate swings. And her green eyes a contrast to her yellow hair is all shades of beautiful, and her red dress. My mind goes blank when she looks at me, and then when she waves, I stop myself from smiling, because I know how brown my teeth is.

As I raise my hand up to wave at her, I realize she isn’t actually looking at me.

“such a shame though” I say, my whole life I don’t think I have really been more embarrassed than this, I think to myself as I begin to bring my hand down.

“you” someone calls at me.my head turns in response to the call and immediately I respond, making sure to try and look responsible by dusting my trousers, although I know I look far from that.

I catch her eyes, I catch Jane’s eyes her famous strawberry perfume wafts through my nose, making my head pound in dizziness, “follow me, Sophia wants you to sign a one-year contract.”

My eyes, I know are trying to bulge out of their sockets now. “a contract?” I ask, but before I could speak my thoughts, she’s already walking. And I make sure to walk faster.

I am given a different chair to seat on, different from all other immaculate chairs in her office, by butt already feels like it is breaking, apparently the lady from before gave me some false hope because they are still deciding my fate. The various stares I receive, from the thin white people around me, makes me uncomfortable, as if that’s not enough one says. “you really need to have your bath”. I catch Sophia’s eyes and she looks at me from head to my knees, well because her eyes couldn’t get to my toes, because I was seating on a chair, and she was staring at me from across a table.

“I think we should just sign him up, I mean we didn’t get to speak with the reporter, and I know within like the next twenty four hours, a lot of racist articles will pop up, so lets try and diffuse whatever thing that may come up” throws in a bald head-guy.

“I agree with James, Sophia, I mean he could eve get us profits, think about that, signing a black for a first time, to our line of cosmetics” the woman who brought me in adds, she looks at me as If trying to nod her head in confirmation.

“I know, Shirley, I don’t even know how I got myself in this mess, it’s really my fault”

“but Whitestone tried his best though, don’t know where to start from in appreciating him”

Sophia mouths, she then looks at me, and looks at the few people seated around the table.

“so are we signing the contract or what?” she asks.

“well what Shirley said” said the bald guy from before.

Others went nodding.

“I think we’ve found ourselves a model” says Sophia, speaking from her clenched teeth.