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“I’m not sure what you did on your farm, but—”
“Did you forget why I was standing?I can be very sensitive about my hometown.I… said… I… understand. Am Idismissed?”
We glared at each other before he nodded me out of his office. I closed the door on my way out, despite him telling me to leave it open. When I plopped down in my seat, my heart was racing from adrenaline. I’d never been scolded like that in my life. I had way more to say, but not only would I be fired, I would never be able to get a job in another corporate office ever.
* * *
After work,I was so angry that I walked thethree miles to Lux just to cool my head. When five hit, I started packing my things to leave DHQ, and he called my desk phone, telling me that just because it was five, it didn’t mean that I could leave, so I ended up staying at DHQ for an extra two hours.
I was a little grateful because I wasable to get my newemployee packet done.I couldn’t believe that I’d opened the packet and wasactually goingto fill it out after I’d already been fired and rehired again. Looking at the $4,800 a month I’d be making made it a little bit easier to sign my name on the papers.What reallypissed me offwas the factthat when he finally told me I could leave,I was literally damn near the only person in the building. It looked like a ghost town. If I had the energy, I would havegone backand givenhim a piece of my mind.
InsideMetri’s, I sat at the bar waiting for my mom’s phone to connect on FaceTime. It was nearing eight, so she more thanlikely had just finished cleaning the kitchen and was getting ready for bed.
“I been waiting on you to call,” my mom said as soon as the phone call connected. “How was your very first day?”
“You wouldn’t believethe day I had, ugh. I was fired today.”
“What?Fired?”
“Quinci was fired? Where is she?”
“Hey, Dad. Yeah, but Denim got my job back. His mouth and attitudeisso freaking irritating.Like, he’s got an attitude out of this world, and I’m going to stand up for myself and not let him talk to me like I’m a child or a dummy.You know he called the grove a farm today, and I nearly lost it?”
My mom grinned. “That’s my girl. You know I always taught you to stand up for yourself, but you justgottatreat him the way we treat agrumpy customer.Combat the meanness with kindness. Make them feel dumb for being meanto people who hadn’t done anything to them.”
That made me laugh.
“Here you go, beautiful.” The bartender setmy two drinks in front of me.
“Thank you.”
“He made you real mad for you to be drinking.What youdrinking,girl?”
“He got my baby drinking after the firstday.You need to come home.”
“Shut-up, Quest.”
“I’m drinkinga Whiskey Sour and a Lemon Drop. Then I’m going to eat, shower, and go to bed, hoping tomorrow will be a better day.”
“Oh. Maybe you can take him an orange. You know our oranges are grown with love.”
“We’ll see, Mom. I trust you.”
“Alright.Call me or send me a text before you go to sleep. This manneeds some medicine.” She winked into thecamera.
“Oh, God.Mom, bye. That’s whythatback won’t heal.”
Mydad laughed in the background.“I have thefunniest daughterin the world.”
“Love you both.” I ended the call.
Before I could put my phone down, a text message came through.
Unknown: 8:00 a.m.Black tea from World of Teas.2 cubes of ice. One scoop of ginger.Splash of peppermint.
I already knew who itwas, but I was going to ignore it.Before my six months was up—if he didn’t fire me again—he was going to learn to respect me, even if he never respected another woman aday in his life.
