Skylar
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.” I said with my head in my hands.
Edie rubbed my back. “It’s ok, Skylar. You didn’t know. How could you know?”
“I’m getting fired, aren’t I?” I looked up at Edie.
“No, you aren’t. It’s a forgivable mistake. You would never have known about Monaco or be able to stop her. I don’t even know I would have been able to stop her if I had been here. It will be okay.”
“I know but-“
“Ms. Albright! In here now.”
“Oh god.” I felt tears pooling in the back of my eyes. Crying wasn’t an option. I wasn’t going to be one of those girls who cried at work.
“Go on. It will be ok.”
Standing from the desk, I took a deep breath before opening the door.
“Come in and shut the door behind you.”
I closed the door behind me and approached his desk. He was staring at his laptop. I stood there awkwardly for a moment waiting for him to acknowledge my presence. He slammed his laptop shut making me jump. The cold look in his eyes froze me in my spot.
“Are you always like this, Ms. Albright?” He asked.
“Uhm…I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”
“Are you always a shitty employee?” He leaned back in his chair crossing his arms across his chest.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Pardon me?”
“Nevermind. What were you thinking letting all of them into my office without notifying me?”
“I’m truly sorry, Mr. Hill.” I gritted between clenched teeth. His previous comment still stung. This was the first time she’d ever had an employer talk to her like that.
“You didn’t answer my question. Why did you do it?”
“Uh…she said she-“
He cut me off. “I don’t give a flying fuck who she said she was. You do your job right or you can get your ass out of here.”
A copper taste filled my mouth. I was biting my tongue to keep from saying something I’d regret.
Mr. Hill continued. “Just because you’re fucking my cousin doesn’t mean you get a free fucking rid around here. You do your god damn job.”
I blinked at him. Fucking his cousin?
“I’m doing what?”
“I know you got this job on your back by fucking Dylan. I just can’t believe you’d cheat on him with me. I guess you’re just free with your love.”
That was the final straw. I didn’t give a fuck who this guy thought he was but he wasn’t going to call me a slut and get away with it. No one did that.
“Who do you think you are?” My voice barely above a whisper.
“What did you say?”
“I said who do you think you are?” I glared at him.
“I’m your fucking boss.” He stood from his desk.
“I don’t give a fuck if you were the president of the damn country. No one talks to me that way. I already apologized for my error. I will not grovel to you or any man. If that means you fire me then so be it.” I turned to leave but stopped with my hand on the doorknob. “Oh and by the way I’ve never fucked Dylan. We are friends. And if I had known what an epic piece of shit you are I would never have had my tongue in your mouth. It’s a mistake that I will never repeat.”
Exiting the office, I barely held it together. Tears gathered in my eyes. Turning to Edie I said, “I’m sorry, I need to leave.”
Her lips were thin and she nodded.
***
“Are you going back?” Beth asked as she pet Sherlock, a Maine Coon who’d just given birth to her first litter.
I cuddled one of Sherlock’s kittens and shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean I was only there for one day. I feel like I’d disappoint Dylan if I left after one hiccup.”
“No one would blame you. He was way out of line talking to you like that.”
“What’s going on in here? What are you doing here, Skylar?” My brother, Ian, found us sitting on the floor in one of the exam rooms at his veterinary clinic.
“I needed kitty cuddles.”
He furrowed his brow then looked over at Beth. “How is Sherlock doing? Is she taking to her babies?”
“She’s doing well, considering her owners didn’t know she was a pregnant female until a couple days ago.”
“Good. Let me know if you need anything else. I am going to need you to help me with Mrs. Stewart’s Batman and Joker.”
“I’ll be right there.” Beth placed Sherlock down with the rest of her kittens then looked at me. “Are you going to be ok?”
I rubbed my cheek against the kitten in my hands. “I’ll be fine. Give me a bit longer with kitten cuddles and then I should be able to solve all of the world’s problems.”
Beth stood from her seated position then gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I have no doubt.”I wished I had the same faith Beth had in me.