Tierra loved being in the big city. To some, Springfield, Massachusetts may not have been all that big, but being from a small town in Virginia, it was big to her. Here she could hide in plain sight among everyone, and no one would notice how lonely and unhappy she really was. Besides, Springfield was neighbored by several other small cities within minutes of each other, so she always had places to go and things to do.
Secretly, deep inside, she craved for someone to notice her inner hurt. She envied the couples walking by her on their lunch break, holding hands, laughing, and smiling while enjoying brief moments of stolen joy together. She wished just once that she was getting dressed up for personal reasons. Just once she wanted to walk into a room, and watch the eyes of the one who had confessed his love to her, light up by the sight of her. Instead, she was going to restaurants, charity events and business functions… alone. Love was something she had given up on. In fact, it was never an option for her. It was a chapter in her life that she wasn’t going to write, or think about writing.
That’s what she tried to convince herself of anyway. She had no time for love. She was focused on work and being the best at what she did. She wasn’t about to risk her status, or her heart, for a possible relationship, and end up like the secretaries at the office, crying by the water cooler because some guy didn’t return a phone call!
NO WAY!
NOT EVER!
NOT TIERRA RODRIQUEZ!
“Ms. Rodriquez, you have a call on line one,” Terri, Tierra’s secretary said through the intercom.
“Who is it Terri?” Tierra replied a bit irritated.
“It’s Mr. Markis, from Markis Entertainment.”
“Put it through.”
Markis Entertainment was the biggest music industry client she had. A few days earlier she negotiated the deal for one of their Hip Hop artists to sign to a major record label. She figured Markis probably wanted to say a few words to her concerning the deal.
“Yes Markis, what can I do for you this morning?” she inquired, removing one of her diamond heart studded earrings so she could hold the receiver more comfortably.
“Tierra girl, whatever you did with the Banks Project, I love you for it! Your negotiating skills… I swear they’re like pure magic! If I wasn’t happily married, hell I’d propose to you myself,” he laughed excitedly.
“You have a strong business sense, and you know how to command a boardroom, Tierra. I have to agree with Markis, I wish you were on our payroll,” Bridget, Markis’ wife and business partner interjected, in a more relaxed tone. Mr. & Mrs. Markis were the Will and Jada of the music industry in New England… refined, and mega talented. There was rarely anything close to any kind of negative press on them. Heck you rarely heard anything about them at all until BAM, all of a sudden there they were, front and center, commanding your attention!
“Bridget, is that you?” Tierra asked. “Thanks for the compliment. I’m just doing what you pay me to do.”
“Well, thanks to you, JD Banks is finally satisfied with the contract proposal, and the label finally gave in,” Mr. Markis said proudly.
“Well,” started Bridget, “Banks was a bit disappointed to learn you were off the market , as he put it,” she hesitated to say.
“What do you mean, off the market?”
“Engaged girl, don’t be so modest, it’s not like you. I am, I must admit though, a bit disappointed that I had to read about it in Inda Streetz Magazine and not from you directly,” Bridget pouted through the phone.
“HOLD UP! What magazine said I was engaged? And to whom am I supposed to be getting hitched?” Tierra pressed the speaker button on the phone base, and tossed the receiver across her desk, as she paced back and forth behind her desk.
“See, I told you honey. She’s not engaged. Tierra, I told her you would’ve told us!” Mr. Markis teased his wife, nudging her in her side, winking his eye.
“Whatever Markis! Ti, there was a big write up on you in this month’s issue. Is she finally getting hitched? That was the heading. We picked up a copy, right after we got the call about it from JD. He called and said he picked up his copy at Medinas, in the North End. We were in Tower Square. So we went to the first store we saw and sure enough, there was your picture right there on the front cover.”
Tierra quickened her pace back and forth across the carpet, breathing heavily as Bridget continued. “The article said they received exclusive information, including photos of a package being delivered to your building. The tipster informed them that your package included a dress, jewelry, and invitations. They even showed a picture of the dress. A bit skimpy for a wedding dress, but I figured maybe it was your dress for the reception.”
“See… Ok… breathe,” Tierra repeated to herself, beginning to hyperventilate. She inhaled deep and exhaled slowly, trying to regain her composure then picked up the letter opener off of her desk and stabbed it into the wooden top, “Look, the dress… the dress was a surprise gift for the White Ball. I don’t know how they could have gotten a picture of it, unless they had hidden cameras in the bag or my closet, and trust there was NO engagement ring included. You know I’m too busy for love and all that nonsense!” Tierra rolled her eyes as she spoke, knocking the letter opener over with the back of her hand.
“Love… nonsense?” Markis gasped, astonished by her words.
“Too busy for love? Missy, love is what gets us through every day,” Bridget loving responded, kissing Markis on the forehead.
“Well, I’m happy for the two of you! But, right now, that 4-letter word is not in my cards,” she quietly sucked her teeth, not wanting to hear how much in love they were. “So Bridget, have you gone shopping yet for the Ball? Shireece and I are going out to the usual spot tomorrow night, you in?” she asked hoping to change the subject.
“Girls Night, yes definitely!” Bridget smiled. She looked down at Marquis, who instinctively, reached in his wallet and inserted his Platinum Card into his wife’s hand.
“See you then,” Tierra disconnected the line and flung her body across a black leather chaise that sat in the corner of her office by the window.
“Why do I keep doing this?” she spoke softly to herself, closing her eyes.
“Thinking of giving this up for a white picket fence and dog?”
Tierra sat up and looked towards the male voice. It belonged to her boss Mr. Baxwell who was peeking his head inside her double office doors. “Mind if I come in?”
“No Sir,” she replied quickly, standing up, adjusting her clothes.
“Word on the floor is you’re engaged…”
“Funny,” she interrupted, “I just heard that myself. You shouldn’t worry so much. It’s just a nasty rumor. So not true,” she assured him.
“Whew!” Mr. Baxwell exhaled, wiping his brow, “Where would I find another employee like you?”
“Nowhere,” she proudly remarked.
“Exactly, that’s why I came to give you this,” he reached out his hand, handing Tierra a padded yellow 8x11 sized envelope. “Now when you close this account today, the contents of that envelope are yours. Don’t open it now, although we know you’ve already earned it. By the way Tierra, you know I gave you a personal driver and car service with your promotion, maybe if you used it, you might not be late,” a grin wide as a Cheshire cats, overcame his narrow face, as he spoke before he walked out the door.
“I knew he would eventually get around to mentioning that,” she said under her breath looking at the envelope he just handed her, “I hate when he does that!” she tossed the envelope on the desk, remembering the times before when Mr. Baxwell had given her such a mysterious envelope. The first time was when she reached her second year tenure at the company. She was able to surpass, and maintain, the clientele that the top agent was bringing in at the firm before her arrival. He rewarded her with the lease and keys to her current condo, as well as a personal driver. Last year at the Annual Christmas Party, in front of the whole company Mr. Baxwell announced that Tierra was the new he
ad of the M.M.&E. Department. His announcement brought her to tears. It also encouraged the women within the company; reassuring them there was room for them to advance. When she returned to the office the next day, Terri met her at the elevator and walked her to her new corner office, her name engraved in gold on the door’s nameplate ‘ Tierra Rodriquez Director of M.M.&E’ .
She shook her head and smiled, wondering what Mr. Baxwell could’ve possibly given her this time; he had done so much for her already. She pressed the intercom button on the phone. “Terri, will you please come and take the things I will need for this meeting into conference room 3?”
Tierra was a killer combination of beauty and brains that quickly took her right to the top of the All Boy’s Club. Now, many of the male colleagues that turned their nose up at her when she first arrived had to suck up their male egos and answer to her. You can’t beat that. Unfortunately, what she felt on the inside hadn’t matched the facade she wore on the outside for many years. The good thing was she had become a master at working the facade. So no one, not even Terri had any idea that the cool, confident woman that they saw before them was just an illusion.
She turned on her favorite CD that played sounds of a waterfall and sat on the floor, in her favorite yoga pose, Sukasana. Her legs were crossed Indian style, arms rested lightly on her knees, palms up, closed her eyes, and she breathed slowly meditating for just five minutes. She envisioned herself walking into the conference room and closing the deal. Then she gathered the Chai, Terri exchanged for the papers on her desk, and went off to add another account to her belt.