Shipped

by Angie Hockman

I resist the overwhelming urge to grab him by the collar, shove my nose in the crook of his neck, and snort like a politician doing a line of coke off a prostitute’s cleavage.

Men rarely do, especially the decent ones. But still, too often their actions sting. How many times had I shown up to meetings only to be underestimated? Talked over? Snubbed by my male colleagues while they exclusively talked to one another and ignored the women in the room? Plenty. And I am so over it.

“And in our weekly video conferences, you wear those dresses—very professional. But pretty too. Colorful.” Heat floods my cheeks. “Oh, um…” He laughs. “I’m saying I like them. Your style is like you—a sucker punch people don’t see coming.”

“He’s definitely threatened by Henley,” says Tory, her normally cheery voice flattening. Christina nods emphatically. “When it comes to smart, ambitious women, mediocre men usually are,” says Michelle.

“Life doesn’t give you many of these opportunities. My advice? Seize it, mold it, and make it everything you want it to be.”