The bartender noticed the slight movement of hand and the universal nod as the gentleman discreetly ordered another round of drinks while his date wasn't looking. He wasn't trying to get her drunk; he was actually trying to work up his nerve. Who would have thought that Doug Rivers, President and CEO of Major Conglomerate, Inc., or some such corporate plantation, would be nervous on a date with the overnight security guard in his office building?
He had seen her for months. He would leave his office at midnight and return at 6 a.m. and she would be there, competent, friendly, efficient and smiling. Even with their brief interaction, Doug could tell that she wasn't the usual overnight lackey that used the job to catch up on sleep or play video games on the computer. She always looked him in the eye, anticipated his wants and followed up with details above and beyond what Doug required.
Regina Marvel took her job seriously but it wasn't difficult to do. The job was beneath her, she dangerously underemployed and could do the job with one hand tied behind her back. It fit her schedule perfectly however, she could go to school in the evenings, use the overnight shift to study and do research and sleep during the day. It was the perfect gig for a grad student and she was going to take advantage of the situation as long as it was beneficial to her.
There was something about Regina that absolutely fascinated Doug. He found himself lingering in the lobby on his way home for inexplicable reasons. He would actually look forward to their brief encounters on his way to the lobby in the elevator, aware that she could see his every move on the security cameras. He wanted to strike up a conversation with her but he wasn't sure exactly how-- or why for that matter. She was a freakin' security guard for God's sake. AND Black. He was almost positive that he wasn't attracted to her. Regina was NOT his type. Doug could get any Playboy centerfold of his choice. If he met a bimbo and something wasn't exactly to his liking, he had the money and the wherewithal to hire the best plastic surgeons money could buy to remedy it. Surely, Doug Rivers could have any blonde-haired, blue-eyed, size 2 woman he wanted. Why on earth would he find himself looking forward to seeing her every day? Sure, she had a pretty face but she was every bit of size 18. The top button on her navy blue uniform did little to hide her ample cleavage and Doug found himself trying to not stare occasionally.
His curiosity could not be contained one night when he peeked over the desk one night and asked, "What are you reading back there?"
"Re-reading actually. It's a standard. Patricia Hill-Collins' Black Feminist Thought. I'm dismantling the womanist vs. feminist argument YET AGAIN for my professor.
Doug froze. He'd never expected a response like that. "Wow, I've never even heard of Patricia Hope-Collins yet alone can I articulate what the hell a womanist is. I didn't think you were smart . . . " He felt like an idiot the second the words left his mouth. He never intended to be disrespectful, even to the hourly employees. He knew he had insulted her and the sincerity in his voice was apparent as he said, " I'm so sorry, that didn't come out right."
"It's Hill-Collins and don't sweat it. I get it all the time at this job. People expect me to be functionally illiterate and stupid all time. It's part of the job . . . It's part of your white privilege. You don't have to see me as a human being. I'm just the black body behind the desk to wait on you hand and foot." Regina had never been one to censor her true thoughts and the words flowed from her mouth without even the slightest hesitation.
Doug felt the blood rise up in his cheeks. He was mad at her for being so blunt and mad at himself because she was right. He couldn't let her know that he was so shaken by her forwardness. "I'm not racist . . . see everyone the same . . . color doesn't matter." He was spewing out clichΓ©s left and right, stumbling over his words in an effort to ease the guilt and the fact that he was painfully aware the that higher the floor number in his company the lower the numbers of African Americans. "I don't think that at all," he mumbled. "And to prove it," gaining more nerve as he spoke," how about I take you out for a drink on Saturday night to make up for my stupidity? You can explain to me what womanism is." The words came out before he knew what he had said.
"Mr. Rivers, I don't need your pity date. I'm quite confident in who I am and I don't need to validate my intellect or personhood to alleviate your white guilt."
How dare she! The gauntlet had been thrown. How dare she challenge his motivations. Did she have any idea who she just turned down? Doug wondered if she had any idea how many zeroes he had in his net worth. He was incensed that she would be so bold as to reject his offer. There was some movement in his slacks that indicated that she had pushed the right buttons however and stirred him to an almost maniacal competitive passion.