88. No Means No

At the end of the table I saw Anna sitting across from Heath.  I could hear Anna quizzing Heath about his new girlfriend. Jimmy the Weasel sat down next to Anna.  Anna slid her chair a few inches away from Jimmy.  Jimmy leaned in close to Anna, pretending he was having a hard time hearing Heath across the table.  Heath said something to Jimmy about leaving Anna alone.  Jimmy put one hand in the air, and other around Anna’s shoulder, as if to say, ‘Look, what’s the problem? She likes me.’

Anna froze for a second. I thought ‘Oh no, this is going to be a setback for her.’ She dumped her steaming hot coffee into Jimmy’s lap. He jumped up cursing.

Her voice was shaky, but she was smiling when she said to me, “In group you told us to be clear when we say ‘no.’”

I smiled back at her. “I think I was talking about refusing a drink.” She shrugged and went back to grilling Heath. I decided the next time I needed to tell someone ‘no’ I’d try to be as clear as Anna.

Today I will be clear when I say ‘no.’

Time for a Change ©2017 by Ken Montrose

Time for a Change is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/