Michael & Noelle

"These F#@$king Blacks"

"Hi, I'm looking to replace these but . . . I don't see them on the shelf,"

"Hey, great choice, the vanilla and cinnamon is such a nice fragrance, unfortunately we're out of stock."

Damn.

"I'm Hannah," she outstretches her hand and I take it.

"Noelle."

"Love your name," she gushes, her red hair swaying on her shoulders.

Vanilla and cinnamon was one of my best smells. I used it all the time before I danced. I felt like it did the job with attracting customers.

"We do have some similar fragrances if you'd like to check them out . . . "

"I kinda needed the Vanilla and Cinnamon, but I guess it won't hurt to just smell a few."

"Yay," she happily moved from around the counter, and down the 4th aisle.

"Here at Sincerely we take pride in creating different fragrances for our customers to enjoy, Mr. Kane is excellent at what he does."

"Oh, a man runs this company?"

"Yup, his formulas created all of these too, even the candles."

"Okay, wow. That's impressive."

She nods in agreement.

"This is our vanilla and coconut scent, our cocoa butter and cinnamon scent –,"

"I'd like to smell the cocoa butter one," the employee hands me the bottle and I spray it onto my fist, rubbing gently.

The smell was warm. It reminded me of fresh shower aftercare on a hot day. It reminded me of my mother hands, wrapping around my waist as she held me as I slept.

"I think as an addition I'll take this one."

"No pro –"

"So you're gonna steal it?"

Furrowing my eyebrows, I turn around to face a fat, hardly breathing white man staring down at me.

"Excuse me?"

"You said you're going to take the perfume. Does that mean you're going to steal it?"

Was this man on drugs?

"No," I answer simply, turning back to the employee who was as equally confused.

"Yes you did, I heard you say it," the man insisted.

"Sir, I'm rights here, how would she steal anything?" the employee asks and he scoffs.

"She'll do it right under your nose, you won't even notice," he says, "these f*****g blacks."

"Woah," Hannah's widen at the same time that mine does.

"What the f**k did you just say?"

"It seems that you heard me, negro."

"Sir, you got five seconds to get your ass away from me before I wipe the floors with your titty sweat."

"b***h you better watch how you talk to me."

He takes a step forward, successfully removing the space in-between us. I could feel his heat on my body, his nasty breath on my neck, it made my  skin crawl.

Before I could stop it, my hands were swinging.

"No, no, no," Hannah sprinted away as I launched into the man, throwing cuffs into his face, "Mr. Kane! Mr. Kane!"

He was big, but he was too heavy to do much so I had a bit of an advantage. 

"Get off me," he screams, "f*****g monkey, get off –"

It was aggravating. The way I had his nose bleeding, his lips busted, and he was still hell bent on being racist. Maybe I hadn't done enough, maybe –

I'm being lifted off of him, strong hands resting right under my arm.

"Let go of me!"

I thrash in their grip as the drag me away.

After a second, they place me onto the floor. I turn around quickly, ready to give him their taste, but once I recognize him, I'm planted in place, just like on stage.

Recognition flashes in his eyes as well, and his lips part, his creased eyebrows now relaxed.

"It was him," I breathe, suddenly out of breath, "he was being racist – I -,"

"Call the cops!" He continues to wail in the background, a group of people surrounding him.

"Look, Y'all got cameras right? And I had an employee right next to me, he called me a monkey, he called me n***o –"

"Breathe," the man in front me says, crossing his arms and I place a hand on my hip. Embarrassment glows on my cheek as I realize what I had done. I place a hand on my forehead, tears brimming my eyes.

"s**t," I whisper to myself.

"Relax," he repeats, "you're fine."

"I'm not fine, I just beat that man up."

"You said he was being racist," he shrugs, "sounds like he deserved it."

"I – but that only makes me – us what they say we are. Vile, angry, aggressive beings."

"Are you a just vile, angry, aggressive being, or were you provoked and as a result showed emotion?"

"I don't condone violence, especially not in my building," he places both of his hand behind his back, his chest slightly puffed as he tilts his head, "but I'll never tolerate discrimination or racism. Neither in here, nor out there. So believe me when I say that you're fine. Nothing will happen to you."

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"I guess I should've given you the lap dance instead."

I expected him to laugh, maybe even smile, but he averted his eyes to the racist man.

"Hannah," he waves over one of his employees, "tell security to get that man's picture before throwing him out. He's banned from my store. Also, get her whatever she wants, I'll cover it."

"Yes sir," Hannah disappears and the man turns to leave.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, please accept my gifts."

"Wait!"

He pauses again, "er – do you know when these ill be back in stock?"

He merely tilts his head to look at the familiar bottle.

"It's the only scent I genuinely, wholeheartedly enjoy .."

"I don't know when they'll be back," he replies.

"Oh . . . "

The man takes this as his chance to leave, and I watch his back as he disappears.

He was . . . he was something and more.