She’d worked so hard for them.
She’d kept her mouth shut when she disagreed with the changes Geraldine made to her articles.
Mostly.
“Is this about Bob Randall?” she asked. The CEO hadn’t been happy she’d cut his interview short.
Geraldine shook her head. “It’s about what’s best for the paper.”
Piper didn’t believe her. “I write great articles for the paper.”
“And inappropriate blog posts,” Geraldine said. “We can’t have that associated with the Age. I’m sorry, Piper. You don’t fit the paper’s values and mission statement and it’s best you go now, before you cause any trouble.”
Cause trouble? Hell, she’d toed the line for months. Her blog was her only outlet to say what she wanted.
“In lieu of notice, the Age will give you two weeks’ pay,” Leslie said.
“Effective when?” she managed to ask.
“Today,” Geraldine answered. “I’d like to thank you for your work and your dedication.” She passed over her business card. “If you need any references, you can call.”
Both women stood.
Piper sat there, staring at them. They couldn’t be serious. She’d busted her gut writing a huge number of stories each day and with the additional work like the profiles. No wonder Geraldine had wanted them done by the end of last week. She’d known this was coming.
“If you come with me, I’ll escort you to your desk and you can collect your things,” Leslie said.
Piper got to her feet. Her throat burned, but she was lost for words. Numbly she shook Geraldine’s hand and followed Leslie out to her desk.
Automatically she went to pack up her laptop and Leslie stopped her. “That’s the company’s laptop.”
Of course it was. She wasn’t thinking straight. But she had notes and article ideas on there she wanted to delete. She didn’t want to give them any of it. “May I get my personal files from it?” she asked.
“No. You shouldn’t have saved anything personal on it.”
Piper swallowed. Damn it.
One of her coworkers asked, “What’s up, Piper?”
She stared blankly at him. “I’ve been laid off.” Her voice wavered and she swallowed. There was no way she was going to break down and cry here. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
He swore and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are many going?” He directed the question to Leslie.
“Everyone who is affected will be told before lunch,” she said.
He went pale.
Piper packed up her things. She didn’t have a lot of personal items – just a photo of Libby, Imogen and herself on Libby’s wedding day, a coffee mug and a few training and reference manuals, which she tucked into her satchel.
She followed Leslie to the elevator and down to the ground floor, where she handed in her security card.
“Good luck in the future,” Leslie said and shook her hand.
“Thank you,” Piper replied.
She walked outside. The sunlight and heat hit her in a wave. She blinked and then pinched herself.
That had really happened. She’d really been laid off.
What the hell did she do now? She had rent and bills to pay, and the number of full-time journalism positions were rapidly on the decline. But she couldn’t stand here in the sun. Her mind a jumbled mess, she headed for her car.
She’d worked so hard.
She’d been so sure Geraldine was going to give her a chance to branch out. She’d been working toward investigative journalism from the moment she set foot through the Age’s door. Sure, she hadn’t been happy, but she was sure it was a step in the right direction on her career path.
Her vision became blurry and it was hard to swallow. At her car she stopped, wiped her eyes.
She shouldn’t be surprised.
She’d never felt she was a valued member of the team.
Geraldine hadn’t respected her skills.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, she couldn’t stem the tears. She leaned her head against the steering wheel so no one saw, and cried.
***
After she’d cried herself out, she wasn’t sure what to do. Normally at this time on a Monday morning she was deep into the stories she had to get done for the following day’s paper.
Now she had nowhere she had to be. It was unsettling. She was used to her routine, to always being busy. She should probably head straight home and start searching for a new job, but her head wasn’t in the right space. Surely she could afford a single day’s grace.
But she also didn’t want to be alone. Her thoughts were too sad and she didn’t want to be with them right now.
Maybe that was how Tai had been feeling the other night. He would be at the restaurant now, catching up on the week he’d been away and preparing for the lunchtime rush.
Libby would probably be at home. As an author, she had a home office, but she was likely to be in the middle of writing or editing, or some other thing writers did as part of their working life. Piper wasn’t going to be one of those people who expected Libby to alter her routine just because she had need of her. She had to treat it as if it were any other day job.
So that left Imogen, who would also be at work, and Elle, who may or may not be at the café. It was nearing the mid-morning lull so Piper put her car into gear and drove to Eat, Drink, Read, parking not far from the front door.
Inside, the café was humming with people but there were a few spare tables. A little shimmer of relief went through her as she saw Elle taking an order. Piper waved and moved to the bookshelves.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d read a book, so she browsed until she found a romantic suspense that appealed, and went to the counter to pay. Then she ordered a cappuccino and a humongous slice of chocolate cake, and took a seat at one of the tables.
Elle brought her order over to her. “What are you doing here so early?”
“They sacked me,” Piper said. Her words were bitter.
Elle gaped at her and slid into the seat closest to her. “What?”
“I was laid off,” she explained. “Geraldine called me into her office first thing this morning and gave me the news.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Elle hugged her. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty crappy. I don’t know what to do with myself. My world has suddenly shifted. I have no job, no income and no idea what I’m going to do next.”
“I know how you feel. When I left Dean, each day was like stepping into a dark room. I didn’t know what was ahead of me.”
Piper sighed. Her situation was nothing like what Elle had gone through. She’d left an abusive partner with only two hundred dollars in her pocket and a five-year-old boy to care for. It put Piper’s own life into perspective.
“If you need a job until you find a permanent one, I can find you a few shifts. Some of my regulars are busy getting the kids ready to go back to school.”
“Thanks.” Piper smiled at her friend. “That would be great. Call me if you need me.” She’d pitched in and waitressed for Elle when the café had been understaffed, and didn’t mind the work on an occasional basis. Besides she couldn’t afford to be choosy.
They chatted for a few minutes more before Elle had to get back to work. Piper opened her book and resolved to immerse herself in another world.
***
When the lunch rush began, she said goodbye to Elle and moved to a park down the road, freeing up her table. She sat underneath a big shady tree and kept reading.
A few hours later, she closed the finished book.
She sighed.
If only life guaranteed a happily-ever-after.
She rubbed her eyes, which were sore after the crying jag and several hours of reading. It was time she went home.
Her phone rang as she walked back to her car. Checking the caller ID she discovered it was her younger brother, Tom.
“What do
you want?” she said with a smile. Her brother was not one to call out of the blue, or really at all.
“Mom’s invited us for dinner Sunday night,” he said.
They hadn’t had a family dinner in a while, but usually her mom would call. “Sounds good.”
“She wants me to bring my new partner.”
“I didn’t know you had one. What’s his name?”
He paused. “Casey.”
There was definitely more to it.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
He sighed. “You know how Mom gets. She’s always so interested it’s like she’s giving them the third degree, and I don’t want her to scare Casey off.”
That was new. Usually her brother brought boyfriends to their parents for just that reason. “Is he special?”
“Kind of,” he admitted. “I don’t suppose you’ve got someone you could bring? Someone to split Mom’s focus.”
Tai would definitely get his share of their mother’s focus. It had been a long time since she’d brought a guy home for dinner. It would depend on whether Tai was working. “Maybe.”
“Really?” He was surprised. “That would be great.”
“I’ll let you know.”
She hung up. The idea of introducing Tai to her family was exciting, and that was as unusual as her brother being serious about a guy. Deciding now was as good a time as ever to catch Tai, she dialed his number.
“Piper, I was just going to call you.” His voice sent warmth through her body.
“I hope you’re not busy,” she said, suddenly nervous about asking him to dinner at her parents’ place.
“Not for you.”
“Well, listen, do you want to come to dinner at my parent’s place on Sunday night?” When there was nothing but silence, she added, “You probably have to work, and I have to warn you Mom is usually overly enthusiastic about getting to know her guests, but my brother Tom is bringing his boyfriend for the first time too, so you wouldn’t be alone.” She was rambling. Shutting her mouth tightly, she ran a hand through her hair and waited for his response.
Perhaps he didn’t consider them a couple and she would scare him off.
“I’d like that. What time?”
Relief poured through her. “About six.” That would give them time to talk before dinner.
“Great. I can pick you up if you like.”
“I’d better drive. Mom’s got a thing against motorcycles.”
“All right, I’ll come to your place about five-thirty.” He paused. “What can I bring?”
“You don’t need to bring a thing.”
“I’d like to.”
She remembered what he’d said at George’s place about always bringing food. “My mom loves chocolate mousse,” she said.
“Done,” he said. “Are you working late tonight?”
Piper laughed. “No. That’s not going to be happening for a while. I was laid off today.” This time instead of tears, anger stirred inside. She’d been loyal to them.
He exhaled loudly. “That sucks. I’m sorry. Do you want to come by the restaurant and talk?” His tone soothed her.
She did. “Not if you’re busy.”
“I’ve got an hour or so before it will start to get busy.”
There was no decision to be made. “I’ll be there soon.”
***
She drove straight to the Spoon and went in the back entrance. Kath was heading out, her street clothes on.
“Nice to see you again. He’s in his office,” she said.
Piper walked through and found him at the computer. He rose when he saw her and came around his desk to give her a hug. Then he kissed her and some of her worries faded.
“Are you all right?”
She shrugged. “I’ve had better days.”
He glanced over her shoulder.
Piper turned and found one of the waitresses staring at them. She searched her memory – Rayen. “Is she your cousin?” she asked.
“Yes.” He waved Rayen in. “You’ve met Piper before.”
Piper shook her hand. They had met, but before she was kissing Rayen’s cousin. Would she have a problem with that?
“How are things?” Rayen asked.
“Fine. Were you planning to study before work?” Piper asked, indicating the pile of textbooks Rayen was carrying.
“Some pre-class reading I want to get ahead on. One of my units has a mountain of reference material. I’ll catch you later.” Rayen disappeared into the room next door.
“I’m not sure she was happy with us kissing,” Piper commented.
“Probably surprised is all,” Tai said. “I can see who I want.”
Piper turned to him. “Is that what this is? Are we exclusively seeing each other?” She really wanted to clear it up.
“Yes.” He shuffled his feet. “I wanted to—”
At that moment Jared walked in. “Hey Chef, Louis just called in sick.”
Tai swore. “Thanks. I’ll sort it.” He turned to Piper. “I’m sorry, we’ll have to take a rain check.”
The disappointment was instant, but she understood. “No problem. I’ll get out of your way. I should probably be looking for work anyway.”
“Use Kath’s computer,” he said. “If you want to stick around a bit longer that is. I’ll provide dinner.” He said it with a smile.
She would have stayed without the dinner, but that was icing on the cake.
“I’d love to.”
He showed her to the other computer and left to deal with the absence.
With a sigh, Piper typed in the usual employment search websites and trawled through the results. There wasn’t a lot. A couple of communication jobs wanting a journalism degree, sure, but nothing for a newspaper journalist.
Nothing for someone who wanted to use her writing to make a difference in the world.
Perhaps freelance was the answer. She knew a couple of people from university who had gone on to make successful careers from freelancing. She’d never really considered it because she’d been so focused on her initial dream of newspaper work, but so much had changed in the last five years with the rise of online news sources. Perhaps she’d been too narrow-sighted. She was sure she could find journals and newspapers whose editors wanted the type of articles she wanted to write. There were even blogs which would pay for well-written pieces.
The problem was it would take her time to establish herself and she wasn’t sure she could afford it.
Maybe she could start running advertising on her blog. She didn’t like the idea, but right now she had to consider every option that would bring in an income.
She changed her search queries and delved into the world of freelance and online advertising.
She only surfaced when Tai brought two plates of steaming food into the room.
“Time for a break?” he asked. He had changed into his chef’s uniform, which was now decorated with a few splotches of sauce.
“Yes please,” she answered, and turned away from the computer, rubbing her back.
“Any luck?” He passed her the cutlery and sat down across from her.
“A few options. I’ll call a couple of contacts tomorrow morning and find out if anyone’s hiring, but I suspect they aren’t. Fewer people are getting their news from newspapers these days. It’s all online content, so papers don’t want full-time staff.” She’d considered herself so lucky when she’d got the job at the Age last year.
“What will you do?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She didn’t really want to talk about it. Her whole financial world was crumbling. She no longer had the security of regular pay and it was scary. Two weeks’ pay wouldn’t last long and there weren’t any jobs out there.
Searching for a change in topic, she realized she hadn’t spoken to Tai about her fundraising ideas. She grinned at him. “I’ve figured out how to raise money for the youth center.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
&
nbsp; “I meant to tell you earlier. I had dinner with Elle, Imogen and Libby on the weekend and I was telling them how we need to raise money. They came up with some great suggestions. We’re going to do an online auction with items donated by Libby and Imogen. Both were sure they would be able to get some more people on board. You could donate a private cooking lesson – that’s sure to raise some dollars.” She paused but before he could speak said, “But the big one is a concert, headlining Kent Downer. George is all for it and he thinks he can hold it at the arena. He’s going to ask around for other performers to donate their time. Adahy would sing, wouldn’t he?”
Tai sat there staring at her for a long time, an unreadable frown on his face.
Had she done something wrong?
“Say something,” she said. “Did I get carried away? I thought you wanted this.” Maybe she’d misread the whole situation.
“I do,” he said. “I never considered anything on such a scale. Do they realize it’s for the rez?”
“Of course.”
He shook his head. “Something like that could raise thousands.”
“It could. Maybe we could stream the concert live on the internet,” she added as the thought occurred to her. “We charge a small fee, like five or ten dollars, so people can watch it as it’s happening.”
He stood up and pulled her into his arms. “Thank you. Even if it doesn’t work out, thank you for thinking of it. Thank you for trying.”
He was overcome. It humbled and concerned her that he would be so surprised people would want to help the kids on the reservation.
“It’ll work. I’ll make sure of it.” She wasn’t sure it was a promise she could keep but she would do her best.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve got some friends who will probably donate to an auction. I’ll ask around.”
“Great idea. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would pay to have a chef cook them a private meal, or to win dinner at a five-star restaurant.”
He nodded. “I’d better get back to work.”
He left the room and Piper turned her attention back to her job search.
***
At closing time Piper wandered out of the office with her satchel over her shoulder. Tai wanted to go home with her, but he had to give Rayen a lift. It would take him an hour to drop Rayen off and return to Piper’s and by then it would be too late.
The Texan Quartet (Books 1-4) Omnibus Page 92