The Run Around

by Bernadette Franklin

  Garret chuckled, and his amusement implied I’d passed some sort of test. Some employers viewed the initial phone call with a potential employee as the first interview, and my behavior could make or break me with him and his firm. Most disliked the practice, but I thought it wise.

  People often behaved differently outside of interviews, and an employer could tell a lot about a person from how they acted outside of work and interviews. Skills played a major part of being hired, but other factors mattered, especially when a firm cared about its reputation. Due to many companies caring about their reputation, mine included, I avoided social media like I’d contract the plague if I delved too deep into its turbulent depths. I avoided a lot of things, the news included, although I’d discovered a new love for Florida Man headlines and other zany news articles.

  I waited, aware that employers valued a person with patience, especially when money issues could take a frustrating turn with a single report.

  “You’re correct. Because the embezzlement involved upper management and someone in accounting, a lot of the local firms want an outside look at their operations. It’s very unusual. And with the FBI sniffing around one firm, there is a cause for concern that their attention will turn to others—especially others who have had any business associations with the firm. Unfortunately, the firm handled corporate law matters. There have been falsified invoices for several businesses the firm worked with.”

  “Well, that’s stupid. If the IRS audited either company, the ruse would be discovered.”

  “We have come to the conclusion that those behind the embezzlement are not what we would call intelligent individuals. But, there’s a real risk of other legal firms being investigated by the IRS as a result of this case. Personally, I don’t view the risk as all that substantial, but because there are so many businesses with crossover with other firms, it’s a possibility. Most legal firms have had dealings with employees or directly with the company that the embezzling firm used.”

  The reason for concern clicked, and I didn’t blame the legal firms for taking a few extra steps to make certain they were in the clear. “The FBI will do an audit on all companies the legal firm worked with, and as such, it’s a possibility they will audit the companies who worked with any company audited; it gives them legal grounds to secure the warrant for the audit, which means they could access rival legal firms. Everyone wants to clean up their operations just in case the FBI decides to check just how far the rabbit hole goes.”

  I loved puzzles, and I especially loved mysteries involving money. For most legal firms, I expected the accounting would be so clean it squeaked when I rubbed it. But sometimes, an audit revealed interesting things, things I would get to investigate and make sense of for my bosses, who would handle the situation as they saw fit.

  “Precisely. With so many businesses potentially earmarked for investigation, everyone is making certain their accounting is in order. These businesses are lucky. The trial ensured they had advance warning.”

  “Trial?”

  “One of the firm’s employees was assaulted by a partner, and she sued for damages. She won.”

  “Good for her. I hope she took the firm for everything it was worth.”

  “She didn’t do badly; they called in a good prosecutor from Buffalo, and he definitely did her justice and gave the defense quite the run. The defense played fair ball but not hard ball.”

  “The attorney tossed the defense?”

  “There wasn’t a lot he could work with. Only an idiot assaults an employee, tries to frame her, and then attempts to assault a second employee in front of the police. The defense tried to drag it out, but the partner lost rather miserably. He went down with a fight, but he only ended up burying himself deeper. I’m of the opinion the jury caught onto his guilt from the moment they met the woman, who required a great deal of surgery to repair her face. The settlement included a fund for reconstructive surgery and cosmetic repairs, too. Actually, the case has been making the rounds here, not because of what he did, but what she did after the case closed.”

  I appreciated that Garret treated me like a human, but I questioned why he told me so much that had little bearing on my employment. Well, it mattered none to me; I would rather work for someone who could hold a conversation rather than someone who viewed me as a nameless statistic. “What did she do?”

  “She built a relationship with an attorney, and she spent the money to give them a fresh start on a life together. She decided to wear her scars with pride. That takes one hell of a brave woman, especially in our society.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “It really is. There is a reason I’m telling you this, of course.”

  “What reason, sir?”

  “Garret, please. I hear enough sirs from everyone daily.”

  “Okay, Garret. What do I have to do with this woman?”

  “She works at one of the firms that we’re auditing, and one of our other departments is working on the audit for the firm that her fiancé works at. The auditing will require you to work with another department, as the firm you’d be auditing had a case involving her fiancé. If there are links between her current employer, his current employer, and the originating firm, we need to make certain all relationships are disclosed. It could create an unfortunate ripple.”

  “The IRS could investigate them all because of their romantic connections?”

  “The IRS would love to use any loophole possible to get a chance to do an investigative audit on most legal firms. If you find anything linking them to the originating firm, we need to be notified immediately. In fact, we’re essentially asking you to pretend you’re an IRS auditor who will be seeking to expand an embezzlement case to extend to multiple firms. It’s unusual, but that’s what they’ve requested. They want to drill their accountants on handling an IRS audit; apparently, they’ve kept their accounting so clean neither firm has been officially audited before.”

  My brows shot up at that. “The IRS loves to audit companies.”

  “We’re aware. So, both companies are freaking out. But they didn’t trigger any red flags with the IRS, so they were never selected for auditing.”

  “Their accountants could just be that good.” I grimaced at the doubt in my voice. “I’m not sure I’m qualified to pretend I’m an IRS auditor about to rampage through the entire company’s accounting. I’m willing to learn on the job and take supplementary courses if needed, but I’m not sure what the job requirements for an IRS auditor are, and I’ve never worked for the IRS.”

  “I’ve looked over your resumé; you’re qualified, and you have licensing in several states, so that benefits us. There is crossover at the firm you’ll be auditing with Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland.”

  That explained a lot. The accounting would require special work for handling employees in multiple states, and one accountant who was familiar with the rules of all states involved would make the audit a little easier rather than needing to coordinate extra bodies with the right qualifications. “Will we be required to audit employee taxes for this?”

  “Employees were offered a chance to have their taxes audited at the same time. Within the firm you will be working on, seven employees accepted.”

  “Let me guess: this woman was one of the ones who accepted?”

  “Yes, she is. She is, understandably, flustered about the settlement and the tax consequences. While she thinks she submitted the taxes correctly, she believes she’ll be audited if the IRS were to start poking around her new employer.”

  I understood that, although there were some protections in place for her unless any evidence she was involved directly with embezzlement came to light. “I can verify her taxes and help her file a correction if it’s required. That is absolutely no problem. I’ve worked with personal and small business accounting in addition to corporate accounting. I’ll have to review her specific situation, but unless there are circumstances I’m unaware of, it should be simple enough to handle.”<
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  “That is exactly what we would need from you. What would be your time frame for being hired?”

  “I am under an at-will contract with my current employer, but I was planning on giving two weeks of notice despite my at-will status. I am planning to hand in my resignation tomorrow morning. In the past, my employer has preferred to immediately terminate resigning employees.”

  “While that is beneficial for my company, may I inquire why you are handing in your resignation without having secured future employment?”

  I was planning on enjoying some time off, and while they may opt to immediately terminate my resignation, I would still be paid out my benefits as part of my contract. “In case of immediate termination, I’m paid out for the two weeks I would have worked as part of my resignation. Between that, my vacation benefits, and personal savings, I’ll be quite comfortable even with an extended job search.”

  “Then I’m looking forward to meeting you on Friday, and should the interview go as I expect, we would be ready for you to begin work on Monday. As I’m aware you do not live in New York, we would be prepared to help you with your move as part of your employment package, but you would be in corporate housing for a few weeks until we have sufficient time to plan for a mover, if one is not readily available.”

  That checked off a few of my boxes for my requirements for a new employer. “That sounds wonderful, Garret. Can you please email me any information and directions I’ll need for the interview?”

  “I’ll do that for you as soon as I get off the phone. I appreciate your flexibility on this matter.”

  While a risk, I figured I could make an offer. “Considering the situation and the extensive work required, if you ultimately need me in for an interview earlier, I can probably manage. I expect they’ll execute the immediate termination clause in my contract.”

  “Should they, please let me know. We do have earlier openings for an interview, and I would not say no to being able to start this sooner than later. Frankly spoken, I expect this to be a mess.”

  I did, too, but unlike him, I liked messes when I anticipated them. Messes earned me better pay, offered me negotiating grounds, and got me out of Washington that much faster.

  If working for Garret didn’t work out, my resumé floated through New York’s murky waters. No matter where it went, there’d be sharks, but even shark-infested waters beat staying in Washington. My brother might not like me no longer being available for his plans, but he had a life as a father in front of him, and I needed to do something for me for a change.

  And I would.

  It took five minutes of exchanging pleasantries with Garret to get off the phone, and I smiled when I disconnected the call.

  For a little while, life would be all about me, and I looked forward to every mistake I made along the way.

  Someone else could be Lady Perfection for a while. Maybe I’d even be the star of one of Rick’s prized headlines for doing something so crazy yet marvelous everyone wanted to know about it.

  In reality, I’d be just one of many women who’d lost her last fuck, and I was all right with that. A little freedom would do me a lot of good. I’d just stay away from Florida until I bothered to take control of my life, as some headlines were too extreme for even me.

  Six

  No longer would I be a scapegoat.

  As expected, when I called in to work to talk with my boss, he opted for immediate termination. Then, in a move that surprised me, he spent several hours doing his best to convince me to stay. When he learned the truth, that I wanted to head to New York for new waters, he tried to secure a transfer for me. His efforts impressed me, although I expected the answer he received. The New York office didn’t need yet another accountant, and I didn’t have the auditing experience they wanted despite my lengthy history with the company.

  He honored my hiring contract’s clauses upon resignation, authorized for all my pay to be sent to my bank account on Friday, and wished me well. As he’d spent the hours trying to convince me to stay, he’d drawn up the paperwork for my termination to be effective first thing in the morning.

  One day didn’t matter to many, but I appreciated the gesture.

  With the clock ticking and potential employment on the horizon, I’d have to make arrangements if Garret did want me in for an interview sooner than later. I contacted him, informed him my boss had opted for immediate termination, and waited.

  His reply came back within ten minutes, asking if I could be interviewed on Thursday late afternoon with a potential start on Friday, and he requested that I call him at my leisure.

  Thursday would work. I’d pick up my new used car on Wednesday, after a short delay due to the paint taking its time to dry, and I would drive up in time to check into my hotel and arrive at his office in time for the interview on Thursday. The few days would make it easy to arrange for my apartment to be packed and put into storage until a moving company could haul it to New York.

  Life would change, but change would help me more than anything else.

  I had a lot to do and a little time to do it. It reminded me of planning my brother’s wedding, although things might have gone smoother if not for Amy. Thinking of the pair fueled my need to get the hell out of town.

  Things would be different. I would make certain of it.

  No longer would I be a scapegoat or a creature of convenience meant to make the lives of those around me easier. For once in my adult life, I’d be the burden, and I’d refuse to accept any shame for doing something for me. I wouldn’t. I lifted my chin, wrote a list of things I needed to do before Thursday, and got to work.

  Change began with me.

  I started with my vital records, packing up the important papers I’d need to make a transition happen. Once I had everything I needed in hand, I booked a week at a long-stay hotel in Manhattan to serve as my base of operations. The weekly rate would murder me, but I expected the monthly rent wouldn’t be a walk in the park, either. I wrote it off as a necessity, triple-checked how long I would need to get from the hotel to where I’d interview, and thanked my lucky stars I could walk between my temporary residence and my potential new workplace.

  I rented a truck, braced for chaos, and called Ben.

  “How’s the concussion?” he answered.

  I really needed to start exclusively using my new phone and number. Actually, I’d keep my old phone number for a while and downgrade my plan. “It’s fine. The headache isn’t too bad. I need to ask for a favor.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m moving, and I need to put some stuff into storage. I won’t be able to get a moving company right away, so I need to get my apartment cleared out.”

  “When?”

  I loved that Ben could work with the crazy and unexpected without question. If more people were like Ben, I believed the world would be a much better place. “As soon as possible. I have a job interview on Thursday. Also, I am invoking the friendship clause in which my activities are not discussed with my cretin of a brother.”

  “Uh oh. I sense a familial dispute in progress. All right. I have time. How much are we moving?”

  “Everything. If it doesn’t fit into my car, it doesn’t go with me. I’m driving out early Thursday morning.”

  “Driving where?”

  “Somewhere not here.”

  “I don’t know what your brother did this time, but I’m concerned, Hope.”

  “My new car is silver with blue glitter. You can be as concerned as you want. It’s also a used Mercedes. It was in my budget, and I got a decent deal on it. It’s currently at the shop getting its new clothes.”

  “Did you just say silver with blue glitter?”

  “I did. And it’s that really metallic silver, not the pale gray most people call silver.”

  “You bought a Mercedes, and you had it painted. Custom painted.”

  “Go big or go home, and I decided I’m tired of going home, so I’m doing things I like rather than thi
ngs other people think I’d like. And I won’t be including the ‘if you please’ most expect from me. I have lost my last fuck, Ben. No, I killed it.”

  “I’ll recruit some help. What day would you like to do the move?”

  “Ideally, we’d do everything on Wednesday afternoon. Maybe after three. It depends on when my car is finished.”

  “I’ll talk to Wolfgang. I bet he knows some folks who could use the exercise.”

  I grinned at that. Gay men came in all shapes and sizes, and Wolfgang liked his men big, muscular, and capable of lifting hundreds of pounds over their heads. “I bet he does.”

  “And how is your work wardrobe?”

  “However much I’d like a makeover, that’s not in the cards right now.”

  “It’s in the cards. I know your sizes, and I’ll pick up what you need. You can pay me back later. I’ll return what doesn’t fit or work, and we’ll make a day of it. With your dinky apartment, we can get everything moved in a few hours. Are we getting budget boxes?”

  “I need boxes, and I need them now, and that’s not going to be budget friendly. I’ll deal with it. I won’t like spending the money, but it’s a necessity. At least I shouldn’t need a moving truck if the job hunt goes well; I’m only interviewing with places that’ll help handle the relocation.”

  “Good for you. I’ll see you tomorrow at three, then.”

  “Let yourself in and get to work if I’m not back from the body shop, okay? I’ll bring milkshakes. Just tell me how many.”

  “Oh, no. I’m bringing the milkshakes, and there will be plenty of cherries to go on top. It sounds like you need it, and I’d feel guilty if a milkshake spilled in your new car.”

  “It’s used.”

  “It’s new to you, so it’s new. I’ll see you tomorrow.”