Hello

Solomon's New Boss

Solomon sat at the peach-colored table in the lunchroom of the moving company he worked at. It was a nice place, but loud.

"I swear them love give we work dog," one co-worker exclaimed some distance away.

"So the supervisors stay!" Another retorted.

Solomon went through the contacts of his phone. He hovered over the name of Amber.

He wanted to hear her voice right now. Solomon initiated the call and waited.

A door opened.

"Hey, Baxton." Was that Ragnow?

Solomon looked up to see a toffee shade man with a sharp beard line turn around to Solomon's supervisor, Ragnow.

Ragnow was darker, skinnier and dreadlocks rounded his small head that always carried a smile. 

The co-workers were quiet now, which was great, because the call connected.

“Hi, Solomon,” Amber said.

Her voice lifted him out of his sunken toil. Solomon answered, “Hey, what's up? Can we meet tonight, it's been way too long.”

She chuckled. “It's only been a month sir.” 

Baxton walked into the lunchroom with Ragnow following. Both wore business attire fitting their elevated roles.

Solomon frowned, for it was a month and a half. “It's been way longer than that.”

Her flat tone came out. “You know how tired I be when I come from work. Plus you have your job too. When I get day off you are working. Especially with the distance between us, it hard for me. The nighttime driving is a killer. So me nuh know what you expect me to do.”

That was the last thing he wanted to hear. Solomon joked, “You could come down and visit me you know. You do not want to take time off for me? How you dash me whe' so?”

“Solomon, me nuh dash you whe'. Every day you a call me, I always answer the phone. Maybe you should take your free time and go do something.”

He should do something. His lips pursed together in receipt of her words. He tried to suppress the heaviness over his head, but it sank him like a shark dragging down a diver to its death.

Solomon was doing something, wasn't he? Maybe he shouldn't be doing this then what should he do? 

He called her every day. That could get boring he supposed. Should it be every other day? Maybe he should double down and call her twice a day?

"Yo, whe' you name?" A new deep voice entered Solomon's consciousness.

Solomon turned to see who he would assume was Baxton gesturing towards him.

Solomon answered, "Solomon."

"Solomon?” Amber asked.

Solomon said, “I hear you."

Baxton straightened and stared over Solomon. "I'm talking to you, sir."

Solomon fidgeted and looked up at Baxton. Baxton's eyebrows raised as if expecting an answer, but for Solomon, the question shouting in his mind surrounded the identity of this guy. 

A tense moment passed before Ragnow's laughter broke it. "Him on the phone Baxton. When him finished, him can help you."

“Sooo-” Amber asked cautiously. 

Solomon swiftly said, “Nothing, nothing, nothing." Baxton frowned and walked out of the lunchroom. That was when Solomon noted the absence of the other men. Of course, he had to be the one led behind. 

Ragnow thrust his hands into his pocket. "There's some boxes out a front that need to move to a car. You can do that?"

Solomon nodded his head. 

Ragnow grinned. "Great, you're doing good, keep it up."

Solomon beamed at the praise. Ragnow left the lunchroom and he returned to Amber saying, "Who were you talking to?"

He got flustered. "Work."

"You should focus on that. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm at lunch now."

The edge relaxed off her voice. “Okay, wa' make sure."

Solomon wanted to make sure their relationship wouldn't die, but maybe he should take her advice and do something else. “Anyways, I will call you later.”

Her voice dropped an octave. “Hm, okay Solomon.”

“Stay lovely.”

She giggled. “Yes, I will.” 

The call ended and he stared at his phone in regret. Solomon got up, put away the phone, and left the lunchroom. Once he reached the front office where he saw huge towers of boxes, some big, some long.

Solomon sighed and turned around to wave at the receptionist. "Where's Baxton?"

She blinked. "Oh, hold on." Her phone was pulled up and she called for Baxton to come down.

It took several minutes and Solomon's legs were sleeping by then. After Baxton passed Solomon, he said, "Follow me."

Solomon didn't want to follow anybody, but that was his job right now, so he took up two boxes and followed. 

Baxton came out to a parked SUV that was across from the company's white moving trucks.

The boxes were light enough and slotting them into the back of the SUV was made quick by his swift movements.

Baxton watched him and for some reason, it shook Solomon's bones worse than a rattle.

This must be what the eyes of a mafia underboss felt like, because Solomon feared death on receipt of it.

Who was this guy? Did he own this place, so he acted like it? He knew those bosses well. They always liked ordering people around, not even for the benefit of the business, only for their ego.

Once that was done, Solomon shook his arching palms as Baxton closed the back of the SUV. He needed to get away from this man. His soul never took to him.

"Thanks." 

Solomon blenched in fascination to see Baxton turn to him grabbing his hip. 

Solomon hesitated to speak, so he only nodded. 

Baxton pointed at him. "How long have you worked here?"

Solomon rocked his head in a shrug. "More than a month."

Baxton's face lightened like he refreshed from the taste of a good drink. "Like how you pack it. So much space left."

Solomon needed to go back to work. "I used to pack trucks, it's the same thing really."

"Oh yeah?"

"Drive them too."

Baxton pouted his lips in affirmation. "I see."

Something to do she said. The only thing left to do was more work. He motioned at the SUV. "If you need me for anything else. I'll be here."

"Alright, for sure." Baxton nodded and went around to the driver's side. 

Solomon stepped back as the car pulled away and left the parking lot.