by Tabatha Kiss
“I think it’s my third, actually.”
“You better tip, then,” he jokes.
I raise my drink to him. “Always do.”
Doc bobs his head at something behind me. “Hey, Mr. Botsford,” he greets.
“Good afternoon, Doc.”
Kingston slides onto the stool next to mine.
“Can I get you something?” Doc asks him.
“Oh, no,” Kingston says. “I’m here to talk to Oli. Thank you.”
“Flag me down if you change your mind.”
Doc wanders off; a man who knows when to make himself scarce.
I take a deep breath, waiting a moment before looking at Kingston. Still, after all these years, as a full-grown man, I dread a look of disappointment on Kingston’s face.
To my surprise, he smiles.
“You’re part of the picture now, aren’t you, kid?” he asks.
I snort. “I should have stayed in the back.”
He exhales. “I come bearing news from the board.”
“Great,” I say, not really caring. “Where’s Paige?”
“It was a near unanimous decision that you be fired. Effective immediately.”
“Where’s Paige?”
“Ira escorted her out an hour ago,” he says.
I take a sip from my beer, swallowing bile along with it. “I guess that’s that, then.”
“I’m not done yet,” he says, his tone more upbeat than expected. “Before we could formalize the decision, a cadre of very organized senior managers descended on the boardroom and demanded that we reinstate you or else they and their entire staffs back home would all walk. Today.”
I pause, genuinely surprised. “Why?” I ask.
His lips twitch. “I guess the prospects of Ian Botsford, Company Liaison offended them very deeply.” He smiles. “You’ve got a lot more friends in this company than you think you do, kid.”
“And they all just happened to organize and descend on the boardroom at just the right moment, huh?”
Kingston shrugs a shoulder. “Quite the coincidence,” he says.
“Quite.”
“The board re-voted and, under the new credible threat of over a half-dozen locations across the country shutting down in protest of their prior decision, they decided that they could overlook one minor workplace indiscretion, as long as you agreed to a period of probation. And you will, of course, attend an anger management seminar for your violent outburst.”
“So, then, I’m not fired?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, you are not.”
“What about Ian?”
“He’s... not happy,” he answers. “Especially after he, too, was reprimanded for his highly inappropriate presentation.”
“And Paige?” I ask. “What about her?”
Kingston takes a deep breath. “She’s still fired,” he says.
No.
No, fuck that.
“No,” I say.
“Oliver...”
“I don’t agree. Reinstate her instead.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Bullshit,” I say through my teeth. “She needs her job more than I need mine. You know about her mother, right?”
“Yes, I know about her mother.”
“Then, why aren’t you fighting for her?”
“I did, Oli,” he says. “They wouldn’t budge.”
“So, I get off with a slap on the wrist. How is that fair?” I ask.
“It’s not,” he says. “But it’s the deal they have given you. I suggest you take it. Paige will be fine.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. So does she.”
“No.” I glare at him beside me. “You told me to find a woman whose dreams mattered more to me than my own. Now, you’re telling me to ignore her dreams in favor of my own? What sense does that make?”
“Do you know what Paige said today when Graham told her she’d lost her job?” he asks.
My stomach clenches. “What?”
“He said the first words out of her mouth were about you.” Kingston stares me down. “Her immediate thoughts, in the face of her own personal downfall, were about you and your well-being.”
“Yeah? So?”
He exhales through his nose. The answer, obvious. “So, she loves you, Oli. Love like that doesn’t happen every day. It’s precious, but it requires compromise and personal sacrifice — something Paige obviously understands more than you do right now.”
“This wasn’t her fault. It was mine,” I say. “I should be the one sacrificed here. Not the other way around.”
Kingston rises off his stool with a smirk. “Trust me, Oli. You’ll get the chance. Someday. That’s what love is all about.” He pats me on the back. “Now, finish your drink. Then, go get cleaned up and get back to work. It’s what she wants you to do. Hell, it’s what most people in this company want you to do.”
He gives my shoulder a final squeeze before walking away and leaving me to my thoughts. I sit still for several minutes, drinking and staring at the wall as our conversation sinks in.
This isn’t fucking fair.
“Hey, Doc,” I say.
Doc sidles over from the other side of the bar. “Yeah, boss?” he asks.
“Can I get a bottle of wine?” I ask.
He squints. “A whole bottle?”
“Yeah, the whole thing. Red. And two empty wineglasses. Just throw it all on my tab.”
After a moment, he shrugs a shoulder. “All right.”
And that’s what I’ve always liked about Doc.
Not his business to ask questions.
Chapter 47
Oliver
I knock twice on her door and wait. After a few silent moments, I wonder if maybe she’s gone out. To visit her mother, perhaps. Or to restock her fridge. It was bare this weekend, but we made do with delivery and takeout.
As I roll my fist to knock again, I sense movement on the other side. The lock turns, and the door opens on Paige. She’s changed out of her work clothes and sports a pair of flannel pants and a black tank top. No make-up. A messy bun. Clearly, she’s already showered off the stink of this day.
“Hey,” I say.
She nods. “Hi.”
“Sorry I couldn’t get here earlier. As it turns out, punching a guy in the face in front of company shareholders isn’t enough to get you sent home early,” I joke. “Corporate, am I right?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t last. “So, you got to keep your job?” she asks.
My chest clenches.
Not fucking fair.
“Yes,” I answer. “I’m on probation, but... yeah, they’re keeping me on.”
“Better than Ian, I guess,” she says.
“They thought so, too, apparently.” I take a breath. “Are you okay?” I ask, though the answer is all over her tortured face.
“Still in shock, I think, but...” She pauses. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
I raise the bottle of wine in my hand. “Can I come in? I brought wine. And wineglasses,” I say, the stems pinched between my fingers.
Paige doesn’t move. “Actually, Oli, I think I need some time to myself for a little while,” she says slowly.
It hurts. It really does.
“Are you sure?” I ask, not wanting to leave.
But she nods. “I’m sure,” she says. “I have some things I need to take care of.”
“Anything I can help with?”
“I don’t think so. Just a little self-care while I... I don’t know, start updating my résumé?”
She breathes a laugh. Warm, but fake.
“I’m going to fix this, Paige,” I say. “I promise.”
“They made their decision, Oliver.”
“I don’t care. I’ll keep fighting it.”
“And risk your job, too?” She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to do that for me.”
“I don’t want to do this job without you,” I say.
She half-smiles. “You’ll find someone to choose your ties for you,” she quips, dry and humorless. “Trust me.”
I exhale hard. “You’re more than that, and you know it.”
Paige says nothing. She stands still, planted in the doorway. She’s made her decision, too, obviously.
And I’ve made mine.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say. “You know that, right?”
She looks down.
“You don’t have to go through this alone, Paige,” I say. “When you need me, I’ll be here.”
“I know,” she says, softly. “I just... I don’t need you... right now.”
Paige will be fine, Kingston said.
He believes it. She believes it.
Why can’t I?
Because we’ve been through this before. I could have been there for her worst moments, but I wasn’t. She didn’t let me in. I gave up long before I ever should have.
I won’t make that mistake again.
“Paige, please don’t shut me out,” I say.
She hesitates, but, ultimately...
“Goodnight, Oliver,” she says, looking me in the eye.
Willful and strong. Beautiful.
Stubborn, too.
I take a step back. “Goodnight, Paige.”
She smiles stiffly and closes the door.
Annoyingly stubborn.
But... so am I.
And I know exactly what to do.
Chapter 48
Paige
Something strange happens when you’re suddenly unemployed.
You wake up the next morning and you think, ‘There’s somewhere I’m supposed to be right now.’
But, no. You don’t have to be anywhere.
You’ve been canned.
Axed.
Terminated.
Your old job still needs doing, you’re just not the one doing it anymore. It’s freeing, in some ways. Bittersweet, too. If you enjoyed your job as much as I did, it can be downright depressing. The people you interacted with every day are suddenly... not there anymore.
Nevertheless, life goes on. The world turns. And I, being the strong, independent woman I am, will roll out of my bed, get dressed, and go out into the world in pursuit of the one thing that can make me feel better.
My mommy.
But there’s another thing that happens when you’re suddenly unemployed. Once you wade through the brain fog and come out the other end, you realize that being unemployed means you no longer have a steady income. For some, that’s fine. They’ll make do. For others, like myself...
They’re screwed.
I’ll be fine. Honestly, I don’t need much. On my own, the four months of severance pay I’ll receive would be enough to last me a long time.
But it’s not just me.
I arrive at Lowell Assisted Living with a speech prepared. I’ll do anything. I’ll ask. I’ll beg. I’ll volunteer twenty hours a day if it means letting my mother stay here while I find a new job. I’ll pay every penny... eventually. That’s reasonable, isn’t it?
With my luck lately, I doubt it.
I cross the lobby toward the front desk, passing between a few rows of tables and chairs. Some residents sit about, chatting and playing games over coffee. I scan the faces for my mother, but she’s never been much of a joiner. She prefers to relax in her room with a book, so I’ll make my way there next.
But first...
I pause at the desk, my nerves shaking like crazy. Maureen stands behind it in a pair of blue scrubs with her back to me, her black hair pinned to the top of her head in a simple bun.
“Hey, Maureen,” I greet.
She turns around from the file cabinet and smiles. “Paige, hello!”
I smile, my breath held tight. “Hi!”
“Good to see you.”
“You, too. Is she doing better today?” I ask, stalling.
“Oh, yes!” she answers. “The last few days have been really good, actually.”
I nod. “Good. Great.”
“She should be in her room, if you want to head on back.”
“I will, but, uh...” I press my lips together. “I actually needed to talk to you about something first. It’s a... billing issue, specifically...”
Maureen pivots in my direction, giving me her full attention. “All right.”
“So, the thing is...” I begin.
I fucked my boss and lost my job.
“This morning, I’ve found myself between jobs,” I say.
Her head tilts with sympathy. “Oh, no. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you. Unfortunately, what the means is that my mother’s payment for next quarter might be... a little late.”
“I see...”
“It’ll definitely happen, though!” I say. “But I wanted to give a head’s up and to let you all know that I will do whatever it takes to make sure she can stay here while I… find new employment.”
“Well...” Maureen turns and opens the file cabinet again. “Let’s look and see what we can do. She’s paid through the quarter, you said?”
“Yes, until April.”
She sifts through to the Ls and withdraws a file. I bite my lip as every horrible outcome blazes through my mind.
Nope. Sorry.
They ended your employment, therefore allowing your mother to stay here would be a liability.
You’re a horrible, rotten loser.
Your change of employment status is not our problem.
Pay up or she’s out on the street.
Kicked out.
Evicted.
Did we mention you’re a horrible, rotten loser?
“You’re all taken care of, Paige.”
I blink out of it. “What?”
Maureen skims the paper in her hands. “According to this, you’re paid through until the end of the year,” she says.
My jaw drops. “What? No, I didn’t pay...”
“Someone did.”
She sets the file down on the counter in front of me. There’s a page attached to my mother’s paperwork that wasn’t there before; a photocopy of a check made out to the facility for... a heck of a lot more money than I have to spend at the moment.
The memo line reads: for something special.
“Oliver,” I whisper.
Maureen leans forward on the counter. “Who’s Oliver?” she asks, ready for gossip.
“Oh, just...” I close the file and hand it back to her. “A guy who doesn’t know when to quit.”
She grins. “Sounds like a keeper to me.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” I step back. “Anyway, sorry about all that. I’m going to go see her now.”
“Have a good day.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
I walk down the hallway toward her room. With each step, a little more weight slides off my shoulders. My current batch of problems are far from over with, but being able to mark this off my morning checklist feels a little more satisfying than usual.
Stop Mom from becoming homeless? Check!
I pause outside of her open doorway and poke my head inside. She lies alone on her bed, snoozing away. She always does like to sleep in.
I step toward the armchair beside the bed, my shoes whispering softly across the floor. As I approach, I notice a book sitting on it. A copy of Soulmates in Sixty Seconds by Melanie Rose.
No, wait...
That’s my copy of Soulmates in Sixty Seconds by Melanie Rose.
I pick it up, instantly spotting a card sticking out the top.
A Botsford Plaza Hotel room key, to be specific.
I sigh.
“Hey, honey.”
I smile as I look up. “Hi, Mom.”
Pay back Oliver for his generosity? Impossible.
But I’ll try.
Chapter 49
Paige
I make my way across the golden lobby of the Botsford Plaza Hotel.
It’s a busy morning. The final day of the annual shareholders’ conventi
on. A crowd of business suits gathers near the restaurant entrance, waiting for the last breakfast to occur so they can pack up and fly home. Nostalgia tugs at my gut, but I let it pass. That era of my life is over now.
Time to move forward.
I call the elevator and wait.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite guest.”
I glare at the reflection of the man hovering behind my shoulder, but my glare doesn’t last long. After a moment, I smile at the menacing purple bruise taking over his left eye.
Ian Botsford.
Just the man I was hoping to see.
“Nice shiner, Ian,” I say as I turn around.
“Thanks,” he says. “My lawyer likes it, too.”
“Every person who saw you get knocked on your ass likes it.”
He frowns. “Well, I’ll get the last laugh. Don’t you worry.”
“Will you?”
“I still haven’t decided whether I’ll press charges,” he says. “I’ve got a room full of witnesses and...” He rubs the back of his neck, feigning a wince. “A real stiff pain in my neck...”
“Must hurt real bad.”
“It does.” He smirks as he looks down my body. “But I can think of something that would make all that pain… go away.”
Gross.
“You’re not pressing charges, Ian,” I say.
Ian chuckles. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I have to say, I am mildly impressed with the way you sold it. How you hid so well behind the mask of integrity. It was really top-notch.”
“It’s no mask.”
“No?”
“I truly believe this company deserves better.”
“I’m sure you do.” I smile as the elevator arrives and the doors slide open. “Then, you wouldn’t mind coming upstairs with me now and we can tell the board together all about your little parties back home in Chicago.”
I step into the elevator.
Ian doesn’t move. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says.
I tap 2 on the wall. “Tell me, do you provide the blindfolds yourself or do the girls have to bring their own?”
Ian juts his arm forward, forcefully stopping the doors from closing. “Who told you about that?” he asks, his eyes narrow.