Vidhi and Cyrus in Ottawa

"Good afternoon, mademoiselle," Cyrus Dorvil said, politely addressing the young South Asian woman seated at the front desk of the Saint Paul University library. The young woman nodded, and not for the first time, Cyrus was struck by the sheer beauty of ladies from that part of the world. Too bad most them don't like us brothers, Cyrus thought, sighing deeply.

Cyrus, who was still getting his bearings in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, had a devil of a time getting to the Saint Paul University campus. It seemed located in an older part of Ottawa. After getting lost a bunch of times, Cyrus finally called Blue Line Taxi and rode the cab to the campus of Ottawa's only religiously affiliated institution of higher education. Being late on his first day at his new job wouldn't be a good look, so Cyrus did what he had to do...

"Oh hello, are you the new security officer?" replied the young woman, whose name tag read "Desai." Cyrus nodded, and looked into her eyes. Miss Desai licked her lips and when she smiled, it was genuine, rather than a mere stretching of the lips. Cyrus found this puzzling, to say the least. As a newcomer to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, by way of Fort Saint Michel, Haiti, Cyrus considered most people in the Canadian Capital to be a bit on the fake side...

"Yes, I go to Carleton University, and this is my first job," Cyrus said quite enthusiastically while pointing at his security card. A flicker of interest appeared in Miss Desai's rather lovely chestnut eyes. The short, curvy, long-haired and brown-skinned young woman appeared to consider the big and tall, dark-skinned man standing before her. She wore a flower-patterned traditional outfit which Cyrus recognized as a Sari, what lots of women wore in India and other places.

Cyrus wore his security uniform proudly. A lot of people looked down on security, but he saw it as a way of paying the bills. Miss Desai looked into the computer in front of her and typed something. A group of students walked by, and pretty much ignored the reference desk. Cyrus glanced at them, and looked at his watch. The security supervisor was supposed to be here by now. Sensing Miss Desai's eyes on him, Cyrus looked back at her.

"Hmm, I like your accent, where are you from?" Miss Desai asked, and Cyrus paused. He'd been living in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, for eight months and most people loved to ask him where he came from. Actually, come to think of it, most of the people who asked him about his origins were of the Caucasian persuasion, and they tended to tell him they were Canadian while making this inquiry. As if he didn't know...

"I'm from Haiti, Miss Desai, and my name is Cyrus," he said with a broad grin, and he held out his massive hand. Miss Desai reached out with her small hand, and they shook hands. The young woman's grip was rather firm. This short cutie is definitely stronger than she looks, Cyrus thought, and a sly smile spread across Miss Desai's features. She might as well have read his mind...

"Nice to meet you, Cyrus, you can call me Vidhi, Miss Desai is my mother," she replied with a soft chuckle. The lady has a nice smile, Cyrus thought, and he was about to reply when a loud throat being cleared caught his attention. Cyrus turned around and found himself facing a rather stocky, middle-aged White man with a buzz cut clad in a security uniform.

"Hey, bud, I'm Paul, the security supervisor, follow me," said Mr. Buzz Cut, in a tone that was anything but friendly. Cyrus faced the security supervisor, wondering why the man's demeanor seemed so hostile. I don't even know this fellow, why is he acting like this? Cyrus thought. Normally, he'd shake a man's hand upon meeting him, but not this time...

"Good afternoon, mademoiselle," Cyrus told Vidhi, who nodded, and then he followed Paul. The security supervisor took him out of the Saint Paul University library and into the court yard. There was some construction going on. Cyrus saw several men in construction helmets and steel-toe boots, and wondered what his duties would be for the day.

"Alright, bud, your job is to follow the construction guys around, you can get a helmet and safety glasses from the foreman," Paul said, and then, without even learning Cyrus's name, he walked away. Cyrus watched the grumpy old security guard go and then went to inquire about who the foreman was. Most of the construction guys were in their twenties, though one appeared to be in his fifties...

"Hey I'm Rob Mitchell, the foreman, you must be the security guard for today," said the older man, a tall fellow with dark hair going gray at the temples and steely blue eyes. Cyrus shook hands with the man, who gave him a rundown of his duties, and then handed him a helmet and safety glasses. As per orders from the security scheduler, Cyrus wore the steel-toe boots he'd purchased from the Walmart near his apartment off of Innes Road the day before...

"Good to meet you, Mr. Mitchell, I'm Cyrus, and you can count on me," Cyrus told the man before going about his duties. The construction guys seemed to know what they were doing and went about their job without paying Cyrus any attention. Cyrus found himself bored most of the time. Most security jobs were boring anyway. The previous week, Cyrus watched contractors as they fixed the electrical system inside a high-end female clothing store in the Rideau Shopping Center. Talk about boring...

From eight o'clock until about noon the men worked nonstop, and then they took a break for lunch. Cyrus, who hadn't brought anything, cursed his luck. Since Saint Paul University had summer classes going on, he figured he'd find something to eat in the school cafeteria. There were about eighty or so students in there. Cyrus headed to the nearest pay counter to buy a can of Pepsi and a sandwich. There were several people in front of him, and the clock was ticking...

"Hey stranger," came a female voice, and Cyrus turned around, a bit surprised by the greeting. At the same time, it occured to him that given the limited number of people he knew in the City of Ottawa, and his current location, it could only be one person. Upon turning around, Cyrus faced the beautiful face of Vidhi Desai, library receptionist extraordinaire and resident cutie...

"Hello again, Miss Desai, I mean Vidhi," Cyrus said, and the young woman looked him up and down, and she smiled. It suddenly occured to Cyrus that he was still wearing his helmet and safety glasses, even though he was indoors and not on the construction site. Taking off said helmet and glasses, he looked at Vidhi, who held a tray containing a sandwich, avocadoes, and chips, plus a can of Pepsi. Small people can eat and get away with it, Cyrus thought enviously.

"Hello again, Cyrus, care to join me?" Vidhi asked, and Cyrus was about to reply when the lunch lady cleared her throat. The people in front of him were gone and it was his turn to pay. Cyrus took out his RBC debit card and paid for his meal, then smiled enthusiastically at Vidhi. This woman is too cute for words, he thought.

"Absolutely," Cyrus replied, and Vidhi flashed him that radiant smile of hers as they headed for a table by the window. Cyrus set aside his helmet and glasses, and looked at his new companion. Vidhi was quite lovely, and he definitely wanted to know her better. Cyrus also remembered his older brother Stanley's advice about playing it cool when dealing with attractive women...

"So, Cyrus, how's your day so far?" Vidhi asked, sipping on her pepsi, and Cyrus regaled her with tales about all the excitement that a security guard can find on a busy construction site...or lack thereof. Vidhi listened to Cyrus while attacking her meal quite eagerly. Cyrus on the other hand hesitated to wolf down his sandwich in his usual fashion because he was dining with a lady...

"Doing alright, the construction guys are chill, I just hope to avoid Mr. Grumpy until my shift is over," Cyrus said evenly, and Vidhi laughed, recalling his interactions with Paul the security supervisor. She'd seen Paul walking around the Saint Paul University campus, acting all big and bad. The old buzzard looked ridiculous but she thought he was harmless, until today...

"Hey, bud, you only get half an hour for lunch," shouted an angry voice which caused Cyrus to nearly jump while Vidhi frowned. He turned around and saw Paul the security supervisor at the pay counter. He finished paying for his drinks and walked away, smirking at Cyrus as he exited the cafeteria. Shaking his head angrily, Cyrus forced himself to stay calm. I want to beat that fucker, Cyrus thought, fuming.

"That guy's an asshole, you shouldn't let him talk to you like that, Cyrus, if you need a witness for your report or whatever, here's my number," Vidhi said, looking him in the eye. Cyrus nodded hesitantly, and watched as Vidhi took a pen out of her purse, and scribbled her digits and name on a napkin, which she then handed him.

"Thank you, Vidhi, he's out of line, I'm going to have a word with him later," Cyrus said firmly. Vidhi grinned and patted him on the arm, and they continued their meal. Half an hour later, Vidhi and Cyrus parted ways, and she looked at him in a certain way that both thrilled him and made him uncomfortable. What's going on inside her lovely head? Cyrus wondered.

"Cyrus, we are minorities in this country, yes, but we are still people, you should demand respect, always," Vidhi said, and she wished him a good day before walking away. As Vidhi presumably returned to her post at the campus library, Cyrus watched her go. The first thing which occured to him is that Vidhi was absolutely right. Paul and goons like him shouldn't get away with disrespecting him. Oh, and the second thing Cyrus thought of? Vidhi had a really nice ass...

Cyrus returned to work, and the rest of the day went by uneventfully. The construction workers and the foreman did their job, and that was that. Cyrus barely had anything to do. Two competing thoughts were at the forefront of the young man's consciousness. He really wanted to get in touch with Vidhi, but not before he confronted that bozo Paul. As it turns out, Paul wasn't done with Cyrus either...

"Hey bud," Paul said, as he sauntered into the construction site like he owned the place. Upon seeing him, Cyrus felt his ire rising. The old bozo reminded Cyrus of an old Cowboy movie he'd once seen. The bigoted sheriff of a small town, who looked the other way while some of his townspeople wore White sheets and went around terrorizing anyone who didn't look like that.

"My name isn't bud, and we got to talk, Paul," Cyrus said sharply, and as the construction workers and the foreman watched, he let the old bozo have it. At this point, Cyrus didn't give a fuck anymore. He wasn't looking to become a permanent security guard on the campus. He went from place to place, week after week. He didn't want or need to take shit from people like Paul, whom he'd forget by the following week anyway...

"Oh, I'm going to report you to the office," Paul said as he walked away, and Cyrus shrugged. Growing up on the island of Haiti, Cyrus was taught to respect his elders, sure, but he was also taught to stand up for himself. He'd shown up early for his job, and done said job, but Paul just had to get on his damn nerves. To hell with Paul and the horse he rode in on, as they say...

"That guy is an asshole, and he's a pain to everyone on site, young man, I'll talk to the school management," Mr. Mitchell said to Cyrus, after Paul left. Cyrus looked at the tall, dark-haired foreman. In his time in Ottawa, Cyrus had become something of a cynic. He knew that having a low wage job like security and being a Black man put him at the bottom of the totem pole in the eyes of many, but he wouldn't put up with disrespect. Money wasn't worth anything...

"I hope you mean that. sir," Cyrus said, looking Mr. Mitchell in the eye, and the older man nodded. They shook hands. Cyrus finished his shift and then caught the first OC Transpo bus he saw. He rode it to the Rideau Center, and then switched buses to head to the east end of Ottawa. While riding the 94 bus going to Innes, Cyrus thought about the day he'd had. Thoughts of Vidhi's smiling face and feistiness made him smile.

Cyrus saved Vidhi's number in his old Alcatel phone, and then, for some reason, he kissed the napkin it was written on. The old White lady sitting across from him on the bus shot Cyrus an odd look. Cyrus smiled at her, shrugged, and then called his older brother Stanley, who was studying at the University of Toronto. On the sixth ring, Stanley finally picked up the phone.

"Hey, little brother, what did you do and who did you do it to?" Stanley Dorvil Jr. said, chuckling. Cyrus rolled his eyes. His older brother inherited their father Stanley Dorvil Sr. sense of humor, while Cyrus had their mother Anne-Marie Dorvil's quiet strength. Cyrus couldn't wait to tell his brother about his day, and so he did, starting with the best stuff and then working his way backwards...

"I got a hot gal's number," Cyrus said excitedly, and Stanley laughed incredulously. Sitting on his couch, in the one-bedroom apartment which he shared with his girlfriend Nancy, Stanley couldn't believe his ears. His little brother Cyrus was smart as a whip but also socially awkward, and something of a nerd, especially around the ladies. Some hot gal gave him her digits? This was good news indeed...

"Alright, brother, remember what I told you and play it cool, call her tomorrow so you don't seem thirsty, alright?" Stanley said, and Cyrus hastily promised to heed his advice. The two brothers caught up on each other's adventures. Stanley, a fourth-year civil engineering student, was looking forward to graduating from the University of Toronto in the Fall and hopefully getting a good job. Cyrus had just finished his first year at Carleton University and was still blown away by campus life and all that Jazz...

"Remember to call Mom and Dad, Stan, peace out," Cyrus said, and then he hung up. Cyrus and Stanley's parents were currently visiting Miami, Florida. The recently retired pair rented a townhouse in the Little Haiti area as the site of their second honeymoon. Cyrus planned on visiting them later in the summer, after saving some money, hence his accepting numerous security shifts all over Ottawa.

Lying in bed, Cyrus smiled, remembering the events of his day. He held his phone in his hand, thinking about Stanley's advice. Tall, fit, athletic and handsome, Stanley was the ladies man of the Dorvil family. He was like a Black version of Zach Morris. Cyrus was almost like Steve Urkel...on his best day. Stubborn as can be, Cyrus ditched his brother's advice and called Vidhi...

"Hello handsome," Vidhi replied, answering on the second ring, and Cyrus laughed nervously after greeting her. His heart thundered in his chest as Vidhi's soft yet melodious voice slid into his ear. He could imagine her chilling at home, perhaps out of that Sari and into jeans and a T-shirt. Visualizing her, he suddenly remembered her butt...and blushed. Calm down and be cool, Cyrus silently told himself.

"Vidhi, I do have some good news, I let Paul the security supervisor know that he's nobody's lord and master, you should have seen his face," Cyrus chuckled, and Vidhi laughed as well. They bantered over the phone, and he got to know her better. Cyrus learned that Vidhi was pursuing a bachelor's degree in Ethics and Contemporary Social Issues at Saint Paul University. Small wonder she seems so worked up this morning, Cyrus thought, pleased.

"Hmm, looks like I'm a good influence on you, Cyrus, I think you owe me," Vidhi said, laughing. Cyrus nodded at that, and then it suddenly occured to him that Vidhi was throwing a major hint his way. The lady wanted him to ask her out...if he was right about it. Of course, he might be misreading the signs. Women have a habit of throwing flirtatious hints at a man, and then suddenly clam up and mention some boyfriend or husband out of nowhere...

"Well, Vidhi, would you like to go bowling with me?" Cyrus asked, his heart thundering in his chest. The seconds ticked by, and Cyrus waited. He heard Vidhi's breath intake on the other line. I don't know anything about bowling, and I've only seen it done by White people in the movies, I'm screwed, Cyrus thought, panicking. Be cool when dealing with the ladies, Cyrus thought, remembering his brother Stanley's words.

"Sounds good, how about this Friday?" Vidhi replied, and Cyrus gladly accepted when she suggested Mac Arthur Lanes, a bowling lane located near the Saint Laurent Mall area. Of course, Cyrus would have to look the place up online, but that's why phone apps and the Internet are for. After some more banter, which somehow lasted another forty five minutes, Vidhi and Cyrus said goodnight. Game, set and match, Cyrus thought, laughing so hard he kind of snorted.

Cyrus fell asleep that night with a smile on his face. The big and tall young Haitian international student/security guard had one of the best days in recent memory. A bit of adventure, some mishaps, an adversary to confront, and the appearance of a lovely lady as potential love interest. What more could a gentleman-scholar and seeker with a taste for adventure and a thirst for knowledge want? More, of course...

On the other side of town, in the master bedroom of her apartment in The Glebe, Vidhi Desai, proud daughter of wealthy Indian-Canadian business owners allowed herself a smile. As soon as she got home, she went online and did her homework on Cyrus Dorvil, the rather interesting young man whom she met at work today. As it turns out, Cyrus social media accounts were wide open...

"Interesting," Vidhi said to herself, as she browsed through Cyrus profile. The brother was born in 1999 in Cap-Haitien, northern Haiti. Apparently, he's an Aquarius, a fan of both Beyonce and Jay-Z, and studies criminal justice at Carleton University. Oh, and he seems to have a fascination with Indian actresses, judging by the pictures of Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma on his profile. Hope he doesn't fetishize us, Vidhi thought.

Vidhi Desai thought about her last boyfriends, who were nothing to write home about. Firstly, there was Ismail Khan, a tall young Pakistani guy whom she met while visiting friends at Algonquin College. Ismail seemed charming at first, but his parents were deeply prejudiced against Indians. The fact that Vidhi's family came from the Gujarat region of India apparently irked them for some reason...

After the demise of her relationship with Ismail Khan, Vidhi Desai swore off brown guys and went in the opposite direction. At a mixer for humanities students at Saint Paul University, Vidhi met Todd Clinton, a tall, blond-haired, square-jawed White guy originally from Iowa who was spending the year in Ottawa. Todd was cute, smart and fearless, and he was good in bed. Vidhi was thrilled to be dating such a guy, until she discovered he fetishized brown girls...

"Cyrus, I hope you're what you seem and not less," Vidhi thought, remembering the brother's apparent sincerity and honesty in her fun but brief interactions with him. Vidhi is by nature a fiercely private person and didn't give out her number easily. She had a good feeling about Cyrus. The brother was cute, and from his diction, evidently smart, though slightly awkward. Vidhi was still pondering these things when her phone rang. Of course it was Cyrus...

After her chat with Cyrus, Vidhi lay in bed, a big smile on her face. She looked forward to seeing him. Interesting how he proposed going bowling as their first official whatever-you-want-to-call-it. The dude was cute, and smart. Vidhi had gone bowling with her father Vatsal Desai numerous times. If she wanted to, she could have gone professional. She was that good. I look forward to testing Cyrus, in more ways than one, Vidhi thought, before falling asleep.