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He curled his fingers into a fist. Of course she loved her grandmother and was loved back. That was the difference between them. Her grandmother would love her no matter what. “I sympathize, but I can’t trust you. You betrayed the company, and going forward, I don’t think you should retain your job.”
Color drained from her face, and he fought the instinct to protect her from the truth. “What are you saying?”
He uncurled his fingers and looked at her square in the eye. “You’re fired.”
She shook her head violently, lifting her hands in denial. “What? No. Listen, I made a huge mistake, but all I wanted was to show you guys that the majority of residents opposed the idea. I wanted to be their voice, not start a revolution.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t have people who are a threat to what we’re doing working here. I’ll call Steinberg and explain to him what happened. For now, please go home and we’ll let you know when you can collect your things.”
Tears brimmed at her eyelids, and his gut clenched. An urge to shield her from the news zapped through him, making his fingertips tingle. He wanted to hold her, for some strange reason he didn’t dare to dwell on. Hold her and tell her all would be well—but he couldn’t.
He’d made a mistake before, and this was his chance to make amends to his father. If he gave her a second chance, his reason would be self-serving and not for the good of the company.
“Look, I know we kind of started on the wrong foot,” she said, threading her fingers together. “This isn’t about how we met, right? You aren’t using the kiss as some kind of—”
Sourness rose from the pit of his stomach. “Funny thing you bring it up. Seems like you’re the one using it as leverage. But if you’re considering waving that flag and getting anything from me, you’re wrong. It won’t hold water in court.”
She tilted her head to the side, like she didn’t hear him correctly. Then, she perched her hands at her waist. “Court? You really think I’d use a fucking kiss as some sort of… leverage?”
He looked deep into her eyes, not proud of himself for the pain he’d inflicted. He wanted to believe her, wanted to trust, but following his instincts wouldn’t get him to the finish line. If anything, it’d set him back for miles and that he couldn’t afford.
She cleared her throat. “You’re an asshole.” The anger in her voice sent a chill to his heart. She strode away from him before he gave her a comeback, and emptiness sneaked its way into his chest. He’d done the right thing. Stopped her in her tracks, prevented a senior care rebellion. But he didn’t feel an ounce of victory.
* * *
Cole set aside the paperwork he’d been signing for two hours. Shit. Ever since he’d fired Nikki earlier, his mind kept darting doubts at him. Why? He’d done the best for the company—he followed the rules. As time passed, his signing paperwork in print or on the digital version on his laptop became more mechanic. He sighed loudly, rocking back and forth in the chair.
He glanced at the paperwork he’d had Brian start about Nikki’s dismissal. He lifted the sheet, playing with the edges. Certainly Steinberg was busy, and Zach probably swamped with all the changes they had to implement.
So he’d taken it upon himself, but didn’t manage to go through with it. He would, of course, see to her termination, but needed time to understand he wouldn’t be seeing Nikki anymore. If she crossed him on the street by accident, she’d probably ignore him. Could he blame her?
He thought she’d screw his goal of a smooth merger, so assuming she would, he got rid of her for his own peace of mind.
“Cole?” Brian, his assistant, popped his head into his office. “Sorry to bother you. We have a situation on Building B and the manager in charge can’t find Nikki.”
“What is it?”
Brian readjusted his sleek glasses. A shade of pink spread across his face. “One of the residents has become romantically linked to another one.”
“And?” He made a mental note to brush up on the policy for this kind of situation. Because his job was to successfully merge and transfer the residents, he hadn’t but glanced at the operational manual yet. That was… Nikki’s job. Annoyance crept up his spine.
“And his wife who doesn’t live at Great Escape found out and she’s having a meltdown in the downstairs restaurant. She already broke two vases.”
Excellent, he thought sarcastically. If the local media got their hands on this, especially given what they were about to do, it wouldn’t bode well for the company. The board would get mad. Acid spread into his stomach. His father would be furious. “Where’s the manager of operations?”
“He’s off-site running some errands.”
He rubbed his fingers down his face. Maybe firing Nikki without an immediate replacement had been a bad call. “Okay. I’ll take care of it,” he said, surging to his feet. He’d deal with the amount of stuff to do later.
4
“Mommy, can we have mac and cheese for dinner tomorrow night?” her son David asked at the other end of the line. Luke had taken him and his brother to a checkup at the dentist and then to sleep over at his place.
“Sure.” Why not? If she didn’t find another job, she’d have to dip into their college savings or introduce them to the wonders of Ramen noodles. Frustration expanded in her chest, floating up her throat and clogging it. After Cole had fired her, she didn’t talk to anyone. Too angry and upset, she’d picked up her dry cleaning and headed home.
What would happen to her grandmother? Without the special discount Nikki received, she wouldn’t be able to afford the retirement home. I’ve failed her. Grandma had been the one person who had cared for her during her childhood without a hidden agenda after her parents divorced. And how did she repay her?
A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. “I have to go, sweetie. I’ll talk to you when you get home tomorrow.” She tossed her phone on the couch, then crossed the living area and made it to the foyer. Taking a deep breath, she clasped the handle, weighing it in her palm. She was in no shape to talk to the girls. Please let this be some salesman or the new neighbor across the street saying hello with a Bundt cake in hand. Cake would definitely make things better. Preferably chocolate.
