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“All right. I need a week or two, but no problem.”
We chatted a lot longer, said our goodbyes, and I headed home. As I walked inside, the heavy smell of perfumed deodorizer and wet greeted me. So much better than the toxic situation I’d left down here last night.
The note on the kitchen table from Steve said to stay off the carpet as much as possible today, and that it should be okay by tomorrow morning.
Damn. I’d probably be best off asking the guys to stay in my room again tonight… if they were okay with it. The thought pasted a goofy smile on my face and sent butterflies dancing in my tummy.
My phone rang and I grabbed it without thought. “This is Daria.”
“Why the hell aren’t you answering your emails? Why does your chat show you offline?” Bernie’s harsh questions shattered my mood.
My instinct was to shirk away from his anger, but I didn’t do that with business associates or anyone. Besides, I wasn’t in the wrong. “I spoke with Kandace, and she ordered me to take the rest of the week off once the fire was out.”
“Kandacedidn’t secure your time for the week.” Bernie’s sneer was like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re working on my project, and I offered you an incredible bonus to do so.”
He’d offered a reasonable bonus considering the request, but I wouldn’t argue the subjective. “The work is done. I didn’t leave the task unfinished.”
“Your week was mine. That was our agreement. This is absolutely unacceptable.”
What was I supposed to say? I could offer to be available for the next day and a half, but my anger was rising at his tone and approach, and that made me want to sayfuck youand hang up. “What do you propose?” I resisted the urge to ask the question through gritted teeth.
“I propose you wipe your machine of any and all company information, and don’t come back on Monday.”
My heart stopped. I’d heard him wrong, I must have. “Excuse me?”
“I’m terminating your employment with the company, effective immediately. Expect paperwork this afternoon. Enjoy your extended vacation, Ms. Lane.”
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone, and numbness spread through my veins. What in the… That didn’t… What?
16
tanner
Today was a good day.
Who was I kidding? Today was an incredible day. From the way it started—mutual masturbation in bed waswaybetter than breakfast in bed. Could I call that breakfast in bed? To the fact that I’d made my target time at the pool. Multiple times in a row. I was heading to the qualifying trials for the Olympics in a month.
I’d shouted, I’d yelled, I’d punched the air, and I’d even done a dance at the edge of the pool. I wished Colin was there to celebrate with me, but we could figure that out tonight.
He was right to stop me last night. I hadn’t been thinking clearly. Now that I’d had a chance today, I was good with it. With kissing him and if it turned into more. Not that we had many more days here to play, but we might as well continue to enjoy our not-vacation.
When I stepped into Daria’s house, I wasn’t surprised to see portions of the living room still crammed into the dining room. It was the way the cushions from the couch were configured that made me pause. Some were stacked on their ends, and others sat on the table, pinning a blanket in place that was draped over chairs and more cushions.
Was there a blanket fort in the dining room?
I didn’t hear anyone talking, and the only car outside was Daria’s, so the carpet cleaners were probably gone. I approached the structure quietly. “Daria?”
“Yeah.” Her voice was soft, and it definitely came from under the blankets.
“Can I come in?” Did I really just ask that? This was surreal.
“Sure.”
I knelt, and crawled through what could be a doorway, where two blankets overlapped.
Daria was sitting inside, knees pulled to her chest, clutching a stuffed duck in a pink sweater.
