The Boss Lady

The Other Mr. King

"Can I get a whiskey neat," I asked and sat down at the bar. I shoved my handbag in the seat next to me and stared at the bartender as he pulled out a cup.

Behind me, there was a group of middle-aged businessmen laughing and drinking.

"Here you are ma'am," said the bartender as he placed a coaster and the whiskey in front of me. I took a sip and put it back down.

"Who are they?" I asked the bartender and took another sip.

"You mean Mr. Ellington and King? I'm not sure who the rest are" The bartender said and I nearly choked on another sip of my whiskey. I hadn't heard that name in nearly seven years. I sure tried my hardest to not have to.

"King?" I asked and stood up grabbing my Purse from the seat next to me.

"Yeah, as in the King's family," He said, that definitely wasn't the King that I knew but he was certainly an older version.

I left a couple of bills on the bar and thanked the bartender, moving to a seat closer to the group of men. I sat my cup in front of me, running one of my fingers around the rim of it.

"Charles, you're funny," I heard one of the men say.

"His sales this year have been the best by far," King said and took a sip of his drink.

Is this really what men in high power positions talked about? Well, it's no wonder golfing comes as fun to them.

"Well, in that case, he might just be coming for your crown," Ellington said to King.

He got up and buttoned up his suit. Finishing off his drink.

"Men I've gotta get going, I've got a wife at home and she doesn't like to be kept waiting," King said and walked around shaking hands.

"Your wife..." One of the men started but was abruptly cut off by King.

"How are the kids Collin?" He asked smiling, a smile that I don't even think was meant to reach his eyes. I finished off the rest of my drink in a matter of seconds.

He started walking away before Collins could even answer and I got up right after him. He walked quickly for a man in what seemed to be his late sixties. He finally got to a limo that was parked on the side of the road.

That was when I decided to just go for it. Truly, I don't know what in the world came over me.

"Mr. King!" I yelled from behind him as he was about to get into his limo.

This was a mistake, a very big mistake. I am not in the same place I was seven years ago. I am not the vulnerable young girl who took calls anymore. I was the one who the calls were for now. Yet, I suddenly didn't feel like it anymore.

"Mr. King!" I yelled again, he ended up getting halfway in his limo and turning around to look at me. He gave me a slight smile.

He saw me there and decided to continue on into his limo. He could have at least entertained the idea of listening to me even though I didn't exactly have a game plan.

I sighed walking past the bar and back to my car. I think a part of me just wanted him to know of my existence because he was a man people would listen to. He was much more mature age-wise and I'd hope as a person, which was more than I could say for his son.

He ignored me which was kind of expected but I still had some hope. Maybe it was good that he didn't acknowledge my request to speak to him, which in his mind I'm sure was some type of barbaric way to communicate. I'm sure he'd much prefer to have me call his secretary and never actually bother contacting me.

I got to my car and began the drive home disappointed in myself. By the time I had gotten there I had convinced myself that I didn't need him or any other man to dictate whether or not I was going to succeed in a male-dominated corporate industry. But that might have also just been my embarrassment and the alcohol talking.

I had decided in that short time that I was probably going to continue getting rejected and the calls were never going to go through. I was a woman in the background that they didn't see as an asset.