Sometimes she loved her job, other times she hated it.

She loved the fact that she worked with a lot of the youth programs, dealing with lead poisoning and now Earth Day and helping children learn about the environment. She wished that was her full-time job. So she did not have a degree to back up her experience, she was qualified for more than just being an assistant.

St. Louis Metro Council of Governments was a revolving door of workers. Many came for an entree position in city planning, just a stepping stone to something better. The pay was on the low end for people in that field. All of the city planners had some kind of degree.

But there were some positions where no degree was needed, only experience. She worked at SLMCoG for over four years and learned so much about city planning. She felt she could start at one of those entry-level positions.

Yet, she was too nervous to apply.

"You only get an hour lunch break." That was the corny Sharon checking the time when she returned from lunch with Roxanne.

They were ten minutes late. Everyone else took ninety-minute or more lunch breaks, but because she had someone covering her breaks, she tried not to go overboard. This old bitty would literally run snitch to someone about an extra ten minutes.

"Sorry," she said politely to her as she stood from her chair and she could take her spot again.

She always felt that bitter woman left bad juju at her desk whenever she sat there. Maybe she rifled through her personal things. Maybe she misfiled things on purpose. Maybe her dragon breath hatred put some bad karma on her. She had no idea why she was always so bitter.

"I can't do your job for you if you carelessly don't consider I have to do my job."

She looked to Rox, calming herself before she blew up on this woman. She looked back at Sharon.

"Sorry, I-"

"Oh hell no!" Roxanne snapped. "If she is not going to say anything I will. Covering the front desk is part of your job as well. You've been here longer than the both of us. You covered before with the front desk, you will cover now. Now act like you have some damn sense and you do your job."

"Why are you talking to me that way?" Now here she goes playing as if she was hurt or something. "I will speak to my boss about the two of you."

Sharon stormed off after that. She could not believe this woman was having a whole hissy fit over ten minutes. Sheesh! If it was going to be that serious she would make sure she would be there on time. And then she would start clocking her breaks.

What a joke.

"Girl, let me go back to my desk before she runs and tells on me."

There were no other issues the rest of the day and she was happy to see Nikko drop in to see her a little before five. Why did that man have to look like a breath of fresh air? Gone was his uniform, instead, nice fitting jeans on his long legs, a black sweater peeking through his black puffy coat. His locs back in a ponytail. She wanted to pull him into a kiss but others were walking around leaving for the day

"Can you leave your car parked here at night so we don't have to take it to my place?"

"Sure. I have a few minutes left to finish up, want to sit and wait for me?"

She had to send off some emails, enter some work orders, and then she was done. She shut her laptop down, grabbed her phone, and slipped it into her bag. Put her laptop in her bag in case she needed to do a bit of work at Nikko's place, then stood.

Nikko sat in the reception area, head down on his phone.

"I'm ready."

He stood and knew where to go to get her coat. He retrieved it from the closet, taking a bit longer than he should have, and then came over to help her with it.

"Should we stop and get something to eat?"

"You like sushi?"

"I love sushi."

"I knew there was I reason I liked you," he grinned and kissed her.

They were just stepping into the elevator when around the corner she heard a voice

"Hold the elevator!"

That broad. Sharon the Karen. She was tempted to press the elevator close button as fast as she could, but Nikko the gentleman stuck his arm out to hold the elevator for that woman.

"Good evening," Nikko politely said to her.

Immediately Sharon saw him and tensed up. She grabbed her purse, switched it to the opposite side, and stood far to the left side of the elevator away from Nikko. This woman had some nerve as if Nikko wanted to harm her in any way. She let out a frustrated sigh, rolled her eyes, then took Nikko's hand.

"I hope you have a good evening, Karen...I mean Sharon."

She humphed at her and then quickly exited the elevator when it opened on the first.

"What was that about?" Nikko asked

"Don't even worry about it."

When they made it to Nikko's car, he held the door open for her. When she looked inside, there was a single red rose sitting on the seat.

"What's this?"

"For you," he said with that sexy, white grin.

She picked up the flower. She happened to love flowers, roses specifically, but she never told him that. "Thank you."

She took her seat in the car and he walked over to his side. Once he got in, he turned to her. "I know you said you might have some work to do tonight, but can I get a little me time? Can we do something?"

"Sure."

"Trust me?"

"I'm trying to get to know you well enough to trust you."

"I'm an open book, ask me anything you feel you need to." He took off driving. "Can we make a stop before we get to my place?"

"Please be food."

"Babe, I got you."

Even though she usually was tired as heck after work and wanted to relax, she was up for whatever Nikko was down with. So when he crossed the bridge to go to the Illinois side, she raised a brow but kept silent. Having grown up in St. Louis all her life and not been outside of St. Louis and the County area, coming to East St. Louis was something she had not done much. A few times for work in the last four years for her work with lead poisoning, that was it.

Nikko pulled up into what looked like an abandoned lot. East St. Louis could be known as the murder capital if it was a big enough city. She felt a little bougie thinking someone would carjack them and she would be murdered.

But as soon as he parked, she knew why they were there.

There was an incredible view of the Arch and the downtown area all lit up.

"Come on, I like looking at the view here."

He turned off the car and they both made their exit. He came over to take her hand while she held the rose with the other.

"I know it's cold out here babe, we won't stay for long." He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his cheek down against hers. "I'll keep you warm."

There was a fascination with St. Louis. She loved her city and would not live anywhere else. When Theo was doing well in business they discussed moving elsewhere but he realized the value of the dollar in their Midwest city versus either of the coasts. Her family was mostly still in St. Louis and Theo also came from a big family. He had two brothers and three sisters and they were all in the St. Louis region. Her children had lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Her parents, both sets, were still here. St. Louis was beautiful if you knew where to look and it was Nikko who knew all the beautiful spots.

"Ever think about moving out of St. Louis?" she asked him.

"Why?"

"Something different, I don't know."

"My mother moved out of St. Louis a few years ago, because of her job. She wanted me to come with her. Finny thing, I get along with my mother, I love her dearly, but I can't ever live with her again."

"Why?"

"We don't see eye to eye on the things that matter. She wants me to go back to college and get a degree. She doesn't think my art is serious. She hates that I work as a postal carrier."

"What? That's a good stable job."

"Money isn't everything to her, status is."

She nodded a bit. Similar to Theo except money and status both mattered to him.

"What about your father?"

"He hasn't been around. I mean, it's no hard feelings. How can you miss or care for someone that wasn't there? My mom tried to give me everything. Her brother, my uncle, stepped in to be the man in my life and I respect him for that."

"Only child has to be rough."

"That's why my mom and I were close. She did her best...I just feel like I disappoint her, not doing what she wants me to do with my life."

She turned in his arms and rubbed his cheek. "As a mother, with kids that do their own thing, we just want our kids to be happy, that's all."

"I'm happy," he rubbed his nose against hers. "With you. I feel like since you've been in it, you make my life complete."

This boy needed to be a poet.

"But come on, let's go. I need to feed you."