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She scrambles to the desk and jerks open a drawer. “Yes. Of course. Good luck.”
She snatches her purse and pulls her jacket off the back of the chair.
I stand unmoving in the middle of the lobby as she moves as far from me as she can to escape through the door.
Maria barrels down the hall and into the room. “What on earth?” She watches Abigail hustle to her car. “What happened?”
“She was wrong for this place.” I cross the lobby to cut through an empty exam room to the back.
Maria doesn’t budge. “Who’s going to answer the phones, then?”
I have nothing to say to that. I don’t know.
I sit at my desk. Should I call another agency? Call back this one?
I turn to my screen to do another search.
There has to be someone out there who can work with me. Someone who isn’t impossible.
Todd stands in the doorway. “I don’t speak up much about things happening around here.”
“So don’t start now.”
He frowns. “We could cut and run, you know. The entire staff. We don’t because we see how much you love these pets. You’d jump in front of a train for one.”
I clamp my jaw to avoid yelling. “And your point is?”
“If you can’t treat us like the lowest of the animals. Like the baby bunny you stayed to watch being born.” He gestures to Sasha, curled up under my monitor. “Like this stray kitten you decided to keep.” He blows out a rush of air. “Then you need to have a smaller, solo practice out of your house or something. Because when you treat someone like Ensley worse than a dog, it’s a problem. Not with how you love dogs. But with how you don’t love humans.”
Speech done, he raps his knuckles on the door and leaves.
Who knew Todd was an orator? I should fire them all, but I catch myself. What’s with this burn-it-to-the-ground mentality? Where is it coming from? Why can’t I control it?
I know exactly what it is. Of course I do. It has nothing to do with Ensley. It goes so much further back.
But I won’t think about it. I won’t let those thoughts intrude one bit.
And to make sure it all goes to the same place, I picture the memories of Ensley, shove them into the same part of my brain that holds all the rest of it, and slam the damn door.
Chapter 37
ENSLEY
I don’t want to go to work after Cindy’s gone.
I didn’t drink much at the happy hour, but I definitely have a crying jag hangover. Those are the worst. Puffy eyes, red nose, and lingering despair.
And of course, it’s the first day of hell with Milton as my boss.
On Thursday morning, he tries to line all of us up in a row like soldiers at basic training.
The banking reps bug out almost immediately, claiming they have calls from corporate. Milton can’t do much about it, and he takes out his frustration on the tellers.
Helen, Janet, and I stand in front of the wall of windows looking out on the drive-through lanes, waiting for Milton to get through his spiel about punctuality, accuracy, and self-discipline.
Janet nods the whole time, eyes big behind her round glasses, her cheek-length bob swinging back and forth like she’s found a new religion.
She’s sucking up. And it sucks.
