Page 23 of Be My Valentine

“You fired me! I’m home!”

“When exactly did I fire you? Because I really can’t remember.”

“Saturday night, I mean Sunday morning.” She became entangled in answering.

“Did I happen to utter the words: you’re fired?”

“No, but…”

“No buts! Come here, immediately! Unless you wish to be fired for real.”

“Coming!” Kate yelled into her cell phone, but Arrow had already hung up.

She ran into the room like a madman.

“What’s going on?” Shrieked her mother from downstairs.

“I still have a job!”

After about an hour, sure that she had broken every possible record, she knocked on the door of Arrow’s attorney’s office before she even took off her coat.

Just in case.

“Finally!” He greeted her irritably.

Kate swallowed uncomfortably.

“Are you here for a reason, Miss Donovan?”

“T… to digitize the archives, I suppose.”

“And since when do you use my office? Go!” With that gesture that so irritated her, he dismissed her.

Kate thanked every deity she knew she was not unemployed.

Before closing Annie Carson came by to check her work, she examined how the work had been filed with exasperating slowness. Kate had sprung to her feet with hands behind her back, leaving her own desk and approaching Meg; her friend held onto her finger as if to give her courage and Kate clung desperately to that tapered anchor. They were the only two secretaries who had yet to leave.

“You haven’t made the progress I would have expected, you are slow, and your lateness today is not justified.”

“Ms. Donovan was personally admonished by me,” Attorney Arrow stiffly intervened, standing a few feet away from them. It was clear that he had been waiting and carefully observing what was going on.

Kate and Meg jumped. Annie Carson flashed a smile that made their heads spin.

How in the world does she do that?

“Great. I hope this doesn’t become a habit, or I’ll be forced to issue an official disciplinary reprimand; it’ll stay on your record and of course you’ll be docked pay for the hours you missed.”

Mark Arrow stepped forward and stood in front of Annie. Kate and Meg tightened their grip even more.

“Ms. Donovan answers to me personally.”

“I’m the chief of staff, it’s an unusual procedure to say the least, Mark.” The smile had only stiffened for a few seconds.

“She will answer only to me, as of this exact moment: no one will ask her to retrieve files in the file room except yours truly, no one will be able to ask her to run to the cafeteria, nor will anyone have her bring any kind of beverage of any kind into this firm. As chief of staff, can you make sure that’s clear to everyone?”

“Certainly, Mark.” She stood up smoothing her skirt and walked out with her head held high without giving anyone a look.

Kate and Meg breathed again.