CATFISHING THE CEO

3| COLOR

Zo had been introduced and shown to her workstation about an hour ago, but the message remained on her mind. The CEO changed the dress code only seconds after she sarcastically mouthed off to the unknown giant. She was not naive enough to convince herself this was a coincidence.

The bossy man was exactly that, the boss, and she had decided to lecture him on how flawed their company was for not working hard enough. She referred to them as insecure.

Zo had applied to several jobs for similar positions but she wanted this one more than anything. Fraser Inc. had a great success rate and is recognized across the globe. She would never describe them as beggars. Yet, she practically did, in front of the CEO nonetheless.

All Zo wanted to do was crawl under a rock. No. She wanted to be squished by one.

Instead, she allowed her head to fall straight down her desk. A loud thump was heard but the office rumbled with noise. Nobody noticed her distress. She was insignificant, yet decided to lecture the head honcho.

She could already hear her mother's words. "How many times did I tell you no talking back?"

Zo never learned the lesson. She wished she could turn back time. One thing was certain. She was glad she went with option number 2 and didn't show the other Zo.

The Zo that would get in your face for an injustice. That Zo hardly came out to the world. Naturally, Zoraida is a patient, and understanding individual. It takes a lot to trigger her.

One thing that never fails to release that fire is degrading her, making her feel as if she does not belong in a world of prosperous individuals. Her family loved her but they sucked at acknowledging her efforts. She learned not to argue and accepted them as they were.

But they are her blood. She would not allow others to make her feel like she was not smart enough or worthy enough which was exactly what she felt at the elevator. She couldn't hold it in.

Her head sprang up with a thought. She quickly reopened the app on her phone and located the memo. Her eyes zeroed in on his name. Zo had to read it out loud to ensure she was not seeing things. "Scott Fraser. Scott. Scottman69."

Her hands covered her mouth immediately. The last thing she wanted was to conjure him up. She looked around the office frantically to ensure no one heard her.

Fate did not have her side. It did not have her back either. She was out in the open getting stabbed by its cruel humor. She could cuss it out, but "Diosito knows what he is doing," her grandmother would probably say about now.

Zoraida went on with the rest of her day as a model citizen. Someone looked her way and she flashed a cordial smile. It was not hard for her to do. Zo was often friendly and optimistic.

Growing up in a Mexican American household with four brothers, no privacy, and outdated gender roles, Zo had no choice but to look at the bright side. She could have withered under what others would call unfavorable upbringings but she decided to work her ass off. She was determined to grant herself the future she wanted. It's enough to have her exude happiness to most.

When Zoraida arrived home after a long day of work, she wanted to rush downstairs to her room and open the dating app. Instead, she walked in through the door and entered her second job.

"Come help with dinner." Her mother's nimble fingers shredded the steaming chicken.

They were going to have fried chicken tacos. She hated frying. She could envision the chaos.

Oil would pop and she would try to flip them with an extended arm, several feet away. Then her mother would reprimand her for "playing" around.

Zo kissed her father hello. His boots were off and beer in hand. She went to the fridge to grab him a refill. There were no words during the exchange but Zo was raised to understand that after drinking water an entire day, only cold beer can take the edge off.