Knight & Day

Enemies With Benefits

-Phoenix-

Waking up this morning was unusually peaceful. I was up before my alarm and got the chance to watch the sunrise as I sipped some coffee. Truth be told, I wasn't really a coffee drinker but it seemed like what I should be doing as I enjoyed the slow increase of natural light that filled my apartment. I noted the ease I felt just sitting in the quiet, existing in the moment instead of having my mind race through all the things I needed to do today to make ends meet. I was off on Wednesdays when I worked at the hotel and typically spent them hustling. I'd either fill up my day with hair appointments, go to my favorite temp agency and see if there were any openings, or sit in the library filling out applications and looking for something that would pay me more for my qualifications. But for the first Wednesday in a month of Wednesdays, I didn't have to do any of those things. All I had to worry about was getting ready for my mostly easy, low-intensity office job. I'd spend my day sitting in an ergonomic office chair, responding to emails, making phone calls, filing documents, and doing a plethora of other mundane tasks that caused me no real trouble. And I'd get paid more money to do it than I'd ever made before. I beamed at the thought and sent a silent, grateful prayer up to God directly after.

I took my sweet time finding something to wear after my shower, picking through the new pieces of clothing recently delivered from Amazon. I'd finally put the money Zo had forcefully given me to use and ordered more work-appropriate attire. I chose a gray, patterned skirt that hugged my curves but still looked professional enough for an office setting, along with a black sleeveless turtleneck and black pumps with silver stiletto heels. I accessorized the outfit with a simple silver necklace that had a small 'P' pendant, my favorite charm bracelet that an ex had gotten me from Pandora, and a pair of cubic zirconium earrings I'd bought from the hair store a while back. When it came to material things, I'd never truly had expensive taste. Truthfully, I had a hard time rationalizing spending money on anything nice for myself other than food. If I owned anything of value it was because someone had bought it for me as a gift. The same was true for my Pandora bracelet. I'd never have asked for something that expensive but one Christmas, an ex who surprisingly wasn't Zo, had given it to me on one of the off chances that he felt like being nice to me. It was one of the best gifts I'd ever received and I appreciated it immensely at the time.

I found out a day later that it actually belonged to the bitch he was cheating on me with and I'll never forget the Facebook message she'd sent me making it known that my man was her man too and that he'd given me the bracelet to spite her because she wouldn't answer his calls. After cussing her clean out, I'd told her the shit was mine now and it's what she got for fucking on somebody else's man. That she could've kept her message because I wasn't giving shit back and she wasn't bad enough to come take it from me. Suffice it to say, I was definitely at my pettiest back then but I was grateful to have evolved since. I guess the bracelet was a reminder to myself of how far I'd come in a way. Never would I make a fool of myself for a man or argue with another woman over one again, especially one that wasn't even nice to me.

I brushed my hair back into a low bun and slicked down my edges before applying some light makeup and a red lip stain. I coated my lashes in mascara and checked my reflection once more before meeting Max outside for my commute to the office. During the ride, I got to know the older man a little better. He was quite friendly, giving a fatherly vibe although fully professional. I'd asked him to call me Phoenix as we talked, but he only referred to me as Ms. Knight. It made me feel way more important than Damien's assistant and I was appreciative for his respect, no matter how small the gesture. After he opened my door to let me out in front of the building, he assured me he'd return in the evening to take me home and I didn't even have to ask whether he'd spoken to Damien about it or not. Grateful, I walked into his office after discarding my purse at my desk and began making him a cup of coffee.