AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Landry, I need to see you in my office,” he ordered in lieu of a greeting.
“Uhm…yeah, of course-”
The weasel hung up on me before I could say anything more, and it was a good thing that I had a few minutes to practice my breathing exercises. Yeah, he was only one floor up, but that was still enough time for me to pray for some positive energy and work on my poker face. Rush swore that my poker face sucked, but, surely, it wasn’tthatbad.
Walking out of the elevator, I skipped any greetings or pleasantries, making my way directly to Bryant’s office. Whatever he wanted to talk to me about, I knew that it had something to do with Rush taking me to lunch, though it was none of his business. However, when I saw Ward Kelly sitting in Bryant’s office with him, suddenly, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
As soon as I entered Bryant’s office, he said, “Please, shut the door, Landry.”
After doing as he’d instructed, I took the only other empty seat in his office. “What’s this about?”
Ward cleared his throat uncomfortably, and that wasn’t a good sign. Granted, HR in a private meeting was never a good thing, was it?
“Landry, we called you in here because Bryant has brought it to my attention that you seem to be involved with a client of Jacobi Auditing.”
This sonofabitch.
“If you’re referring to my lunch date with Rush Crawford, I was under the impression that the audit had already been wrapped up,” I replied, doing my best not to become an internet clip.
“We’re not stupid, Landry,” Bryant snapped. “Do you honestly expect us to believe that nothing was going on between you and Mr. Crawfordduringthe audit?”
I could feel my temper flaring. “That’sexactlywhat I expect you to believe, because it’s thetruth,”I shot back. “I have never behaved in a manner that violated company policy.Never.”
“Landry, while we’re very aware of your impeccable employment record with us, it is unethical to get involved with clients that we’re-”
“I didn’t get involved with Mr. Crawford untilafterthe audit,” I repeated.
“Technically, the final reports haven’t been submitted, Landry,” Bryant pointed out. “So, Crawford Industries is still a current client.”
“And?” I challenged. “Those reports are out of my hands. What impropriety could possibly happen to documents that I no longer have access to? The summary reports have already been sent off, so what harm can possibly come from me having lunch with Rush Crawford?”
“Because I was there,” Bryant fired back. “I saw the way that he kept defending you when you weren’t working to expectation.”
“What?”
“Did he or did he not defend you after we caught you sleeping on the job?”
No number of margaritas were going to be able to drown out the murderous impulses that were racing through my body right now. I was the only one that ever challenge Bryant, and he’d just found a way to get me off of his team and out of his hair.
“I wasn’t sleeping on the job,” I seethed. “I fell asleep after doing mineandyour job, so that you could catch a hockey game.” I could feel how hot my blood was. “There’s a difference between sleeping on the job and falling asleep because you’re doingtwopeople’s jobs.”
“Now, you’re just lying to save your own skin,” Bryant sneered, and I never wanted to hit another human being so badly in all my life. “I never would have asked you to do such a thing.”
“You’re a liar,” I stated heatedly. “You’re a liar, and not only are you a liar, but you’re a worthless one at that.”
“Now, calm down, Landry,” Ward ordered, his voice brooking no argument. “There’s no value in calling people names.”
I looked over his way, incensed. “Oh, so it’s okay for him to callmea liar, but the knife doesn’t cut both ways?”
“Bryant isn’t the one violating company policy by getting involved with clients,” he replied evenly.
“I am not violating company policy,” I said again. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“Well, the evidence and Bryant’s witness statement claim otherwise.”
“The evidence? Theevidence?”I could feel my eyes bugging out of my head. “What damn evidence?”
“Did or didn’t Mr. Crawford take you to lunch today, Landry?” he asked, and I could feel myself ready to explode. “And was he or was he not affectionate beyond that of friendship when he arrived to pick you up?”
