by Mandy Harbin
“We’re pleased you were able to stop by before your trip to the other offices,” Mac said to the executives at the table.
They all chitchatted as everyone settled down and prepared for the meeting ahead.
“Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Cartwright, Mrs. Downing, I hope you’ve had an opportunity to view the consolidation plan Ian Cope has prepared via directive from me regarding the initiative to consolidate the southern office I’ve been overseeing,” Mac stated as he glanced at Ian in recognition. He was a little surprised by that. He didn’t want any part of this mess, but it was unlike Mac to share any glory, no matter how bloody the battle.
“We have, and we agree with the assessment. Closing that office will save millions and increase our cash flow, which is needed for the new direction of our software products. Did you build the generic prototype we want to market to the security industry?” Mr. Winthrop asked.
“Yes sir.” Mac pulled up the application on the overhead projector and showed how seamlessly it could be modified to fit individual client needs. He droned on and on while Ian shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
He had to do something. He owed it to Cassie to try to save her job, but these jokers were only interested in the bottom line, and it really did make sense to close that location. It didn’t matter, though. He would try something. When the conversation drifted back to the office closure and off new product development, Ian found his window.
“With the level of expertise in the southern office on this particular application, it might make sense to consider keeping a few members onboard,” Ian said thoughtfully. Or he hoped like hell he sounded that way, because he really felt desperate.
Mac immediately looked irritated and bustled to respond. “If you felt that way, Cope, you should’ve outlined that in your consolidation plan.”
Not taking the bait, Ian sat up straighter. “I agree closing that office makes the most sense. But with the influx of clients we expect with the launch of this new application, it seems logical to keep some of the talent who initially created it.”
“Yes, well, your office modified it. There’s no need to keep any of the old team members,” Mr. Cartwright said as he poured a glass of water from the complimentary pitcher.
His office modified it? What about the joint effort with the other office. What about Cassie’s work? “Mr. Cartwright, I don’t think you understand. This office—”
“Easily finished the assignment assigned to it,” Mac finished, cutting off Ian’s explanation. He glanced at his immediate supervisor, and Mac was glaring daggers at him.
Mr. Cartwright stood, followed by the other two. “We need to be on our way, we have a meeting with Mr. Weiner this afternoon. We have an office to close.”
The three ill-informed executives quickly left the room, but Ian wasn’t watching them, he was staring down Mac.
“What the fuck was that about?” he asked once the coast was clear.
“We had an application to build, and you needed to create a consolidation plan. We didn’t need their help on the software changes. It was only a ruse to get in to do your real job.”
“And that’s why you didn’t want anyone else over there working on it. You didn’t want to risk the chance of that office getting any credit.” Mac was a fucking weasel!
“It’s a sinking ship, Cope. You know it. I know it. There’s no need to draw praise when it’ll fall on deaf ears.”
Ian slammed his hands down on the table. “That’s bullshit! I’m going to clear this up right now!”
Mac stepped forward, blocking his exit. “You do that, and you’re fired. You were given an order, and you followed it. I can’t help it if they want to close that office. This is just business. It’s not my fault you crossed the line and got involved with Cassie Tucker.”
The blood drained from Ian’s face. How the hell did Mac know about that?
“Don’t look so surprised. You’ve been looking for a reason to work with her for years. Of course you’re involved with her. I just hope you were smart enough not to leave a trail. We have a policy about office romance. Your texts and emails on company equipment are property of the company.” Mac gave Ian a knowing look, but Ian and Cassie had been careful. Sure, there were a few innuendos made on company cell phones and emails, but the hot-and-heavy stuff happened through personal equipment.
Ignoring the comment about Cassie, Ian glared at Mac. “You can’t fire me for doing my job. I have every right to inform the executive staff about the south regional office’s involvement in the product modification.”
“But I can fire you for becoming involved with Cassie Tucker.” Mac sighed. “You made the mistake of getting too personal, Cope. Leave this alone. Don’t make that same mistake now.”
How could he not? He betrayed the woman he loved.
Loved?
Shit shit shit shit!
Oh, yeah, he was definitely the biggest asshole who walked the face of the Earth.
Cassie grabbed her notebook and hustled into the conference room with the rest of the office. She didn’t know what all the hubbub was about. Like everyone else, she’d seen the top executives in here talking to Richard and other upper management. It wasn’t a common occurrence to see them all here, but it wasn’t necessarily uncommon, either. A couple of times a year, they’d descend and gab about quarterly profits with a speech about teamwork driving the company into the future. The same speech probably every executive at every company had given to peons across the nation.
But what was odd was that they hadn’t spoken to the entire office, only the managers, and then they’d left.
That was only fifteen minutes ago, and immediately meeting notifications went out to everyone. People were speculating left and right on what this could be about. Some were speculating about a raise. Others were less optimistic.
Cassie was in the latter group. She didn’t believe for one second that if it were good news, the executives wouldn’t want to tell everybody themselves.
By the time she got into the meeting it was standing room only. The conference table only seated about twenty and there were forty in the office.
“Marks, shut the door,” Richard said over the murmurs across the room as Sophie Marks walked in. She was so pregnant that she waddled. The woman was ridiculously adorable, and Cassie was going to miss her dearly when she went on maternity leave.
She was surprised the woman hadn’t gone on leave already.
After shutting the door, Sophie took a seat closest to it, and Richard turned his attention to the congregated group. “There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it. Our office is closing.”
Cassie shut her eyes as her stomach plummeted. The buzz of voices picked up again as panic set in. Several people barked questions concerning why and when—including the very pregnant Sophie at the end of the table—but Cassie couldn’t understand enough to even find words.
This was her first job out of college. She’d worked here for years, moving up the ladder. She had a mortgage, a car payment, credit card bills, student loans… She was going to be sick.
“I know this is a shock to everyone. The company is doing well, and they are impressed with the work we’ve done. But they are redefining our, er, I mean, their marketing strategy.” He cleared his throat and looked down while he took a fortifying breath. Richard was obviously taking this hard too. Then he looked at everyone again. “We close our doors at the end of the month. Everyone’s severance package is based on years of service. Look in the manual or your employment contracts to determine what you’re entitled to. Please let me know if you have any questions. The company will provide employment counseling and replacement assistance for anyone interested.”
Yeah, like she’d ask for help from the shitheads who’d throw her out without a second thought. Cassie had worked her ass off for this company. Hell, she’d just finished a major project that probably helped with the company’s new focus. And did they care? Apparently not. She and Ian had
worked hard on that.
Ian.
Shit! Was it just this office closing down, or was his office on the chopping block too? She’d have to call him and tell him what happened, hoping he was in the clear. Cassie looked around, and her colleagues were at different stages of grief. Most were still too shocked to process what was happening, some fuming mad, others crying. She wasn’t crying yet. But when she looked at Sasha, she felt the first pang of sadness. Sasha was stuck between shocked and crying. Cassie had to go to her, console her. She was on her way over when Richard adjourned the meeting.
“Tucker?” he called to her. She stopped and turned to him as the room cleared out. Sasha stayed frozen in place.
“Yes?”
“Did Cope mention anything to you about this?”
Confused, Cassie looked at him. “No. Why would he?”
“Evidently, he was the one who created the consolidation plan to close this office. He presented it to the executives this morning.”
Cassie felt her knees give and grabbed the edge of the table, bracing herself. Her head was spinning, blackness surrounding her. No! This was impossible. She wouldn’t, couldn’t believe this. She started shaking her head before she could find her voice.
“He and Mac met with them. When I asked about your work on this project, they said nothing was mentioned to them about it.”
Too many emotions swamped her. Anger, betrayal, devastation, they all hurt. Richard kept talking, but she couldn’t hear the words anymore. Her eyes watered. She wasn’t crying before. She was crying now. Sasha stepped over, a look of regret marring her normally spunky face. She felt sorry for Cassie, and Cassie was too lost to fully register her friend’s pity. Her phone vibrated since she’d turned the ringer off for the meeting. She numbly pulled it out of her pocket and stared at Ian’s number. She sobbed at the instant stab to her heart. He’d used her. He didn’t feel anything for her. It was just another day at the office. At the next buzz, she accepted the call and put the phone to her ear. She didn’t know why she did that. It wasn’t as if she could talk right now. She tried to say hello but she couldn’t catch her breath to speak.
“Oh God, baby, let me explain,” Ian pleaded.
Cassie ended the call, threw the phone like it’d bitten her, and collapsed into the chair beside her. Her head fell into her hands and she wept.
The man she loved had used her.
She wanted to die.
Chapter Ten
By Friday, Cassie was too numb to feel anything. She stayed in bed, only getting out to fix a bowl of ice cream when she got tired of pretzels, which stayed by the bed. She never realized one could live off eating only those two things, but she was a living case study. She considered starting a blog about it. Maybe she could do that for a living since she needed a new job. She loved her some ice cream. She could focus on new flavors of ice cream and varying brands of pretzels each week, concentrating on the nutritional aspect of carbs. Yeah, that’d go over really well, she thought as she crumbled up some pretzels as an impromptu topping for her rocky road.
She hadn’t shown up at work since the big announcement. What would they do? Fire her some more? She was already an elite member of the unemployment club. She had the snazzy new t-shirt and everything. But she knew she had to clean out her desk. She figured she’d go in sometime next week to do that. She didn’t see the rush in pounding the last nail into that coffin.
After she’d hung up the phone on Ian that afternoon, Richard had told her his belief that Ian had pumped information out of Cassie to complete his report. That theory was surely floating around the office, with her coworkers hating her guts by now. She couldn’t really blame them. They needed something to focus their frustrations on, and she made the perfect scapegoat. Cassie knew it wasn’t her fault the company administration made this call, but she also knew she’d played an unwitting part in the demise of her colleagues’ careers. And she just couldn’t face everyone yet.
That was her clinical observation. She couldn’t allow her emotional observation to be considered, because as soon as she thought about what Ian had done, what this meant to her heart, she would start crying all over again. So she steeled herself against the pain. Being numb was better than thinking about what he did.
A knock sounded at her door and she groaned into her ice cream, ignoring the visitor. She didn’t want to speak to anyone. And by God, she wasn’t going to.
“Damn it, girl, I know you’re in there. Open this door!” Sasha yelled from the other side as she pounded relentlessly.
“Shit,” Cassie groaned as she made her way to the front of her house, and when she got there, she yanked the door open. “I have neighbors, for crying out loud! What do you want?”
“Well, now, is that any way to treat your comrade? Go get dressed.” She stepped past Cassie, walking into her house. “Strike that. Go scrub your stinkin’ ass first, then get dressed. Tonight we’re hittin’ the bar.”
“I don’t wanna go out,” Cassie mumbled as she closed the door and followed.
Sasha leveled her stare directly on Cassie. “I didn’t ask.”
“Damn it, Sasha. I don’t feel like it.”
“You listen to me, Cass. You owe me big-time, remember? Just because that traitorous prick is on your shit list now doesn’t negate the fact I spanked your ass for him. It’s time to start paying up, and you going out with me tonight is a good start.”
Cassie sighed, defeated. Sasha did go way above and beyond the call of girlfriend duty, and Cassie always repaid her friends. “Give me thirty minutes.” She turned to walk away.
“Take an hour, because damn, you look rough.”
After Cassie showered, shaved, plucked and buffed her way back to the land of the living, she put on the ridiculously sexy outfit her friend had picked out. This hooker dress counted as part of paying back her debt. She was keeping score.
Sasha drove to the bar, intending on getting Cassie too drunk to drive herself home. She was fine with that. Alcohol had amazing numbing powers. She’d have indulged more these last few days if liquor and ice cream went better together. She didn’t mind giving her ice cream the night off.
When they walked in, the music was blaring and bodies were gyrating. Cassie tuned it all out and made a beeline for the bar. Sasha followed her, yelling two drink orders while Cassie fiddled around in her purse.
“You look beautiful tonight,” a male voice said as her drink was placed in front of her. She looked up and right into Chip’s eyes. Crap. She sort of forgotten about him. She glanced over at Sasha, who was doing a piss-poor job of hiding her smile. Ugh! Cassie just realized she was much slower grasping the meaning of tonight. This was just a ploy Sasha orchestrated to get Cassie to see Chip. Her friend was one dead bitch.
“Thanks.” She smiled, and he nodded as he walked away, working on another drink order. Her smile faded as she turned to Sasha. “This favor counts as more than just a simple night-on-the-town favor.”
“I. Spanked. Your. Ass. The only way we’ll be even anytime soon is if you take lover boy over there to the back room, lift up your dress and let him stick his dick inside you.”
Cassie snorted as she tried to take a drink. “How do you figure me getting laid would even the score between us?”
“Because I’d gladly call us square if you’d take one for the team. Ain’t nothing wrong with some causal lovin’. Besides, Chip is a cutie patootie.”
Cassie took a big gulp of her martini. Damn, he made it ever better than last time. “I’m through with men for a while, Sasha.”
Sasha waved at Chip when Cassie set her empty glass down. He quickly prepared her another and placed it in front of her. He wasn’t making small talk, and she figured he was keeping his distance because she’d rejected him last time. She was relieved he wasn’t making another attempt tonight. She really didn’t have the strength to fight off advances right now.
The girls chatted about work, or lack thereof, for most of the evening. By the time Ca
ssie was on her fourth drink and Sasha had just started nursing her second, Cassie was feeling much better. She should’ve given more consideration to the alcohol-versus-ice-cream argument earlier in the week. Booze rocked!
“Hey, Chip,” Cassie slurred. “I’m hungry.”
He eyed her briefly before walking over. Sasha gave him an apologetic look. “Whatcha got to eat?”
“Kitchen’s still open. You can have whatever you want. I’ll grab you some menus.”
Cassie grabbed his arm as he started to walk off. “I just want a cheeeeseburger. Oh, and, er, fries, yeah. No wait, onion rings. Just don’t bring me any pretzels or ice cream. I looove ice cream, but I can’t, I need something else to eat now.” She kept hold of his arm, staring at him.
“Cheeseburger and rings. No ice cream or pretzels. Got it.” He pulled at his arm, but she wouldn’t let go. Wow, he felt really strong. She stared at his muscular forearm, fascinated. “I need you to let go, babe, so I can get your food,” he murmured.
“’Kaaay.” She let go and he turned to Sasha.
“I’ll have the same.”
He nodded and walked away, and Cassie started eating the olives out of her martini. When Chip brought the girls their food, Cassie still had a little left in her glass.
“I need another one of these things.” Cassie picked up her glass and tilted it from side to side as if it were empty. Chip steadied her hand and helped her set it back down.
“You still have a little left. I’ll make you one when you’re ready.”
Sasha cleared her throat, but Cassie didn’t give a care what she was hinting at when she shook her head at Chip. “We, er, lost our jobs this week.”
Chip slumped down, leaning against the bar. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, facing Sasha first and then Cassie. “You okay?”
Cassie shrugged as she tried to take a bite of her burger. When she swallowed the small amount, she looked up at him. “Why are men such fucking assholes?”