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“I can’t be the only one who tells you that.”
I resist rolling my eyes at his tone because I know when I’m being coddled.
“My mother has brought it up as well.”
He snorts. “That’s ironic. Wasn’t she the one who introduced you?”
“Yes.” And encouraged me to date her as well. There was a long lecture about grandchildren. “But apparently she changed her mind about her after the interview in Vanity Fair.”
“There you have it. The two people you trust most in the world agree she’s a bitch.”
While I trust their opinions, I also recognize that they both emotionally invested in me.
So, of course, they think Ava is a bitch. That doesn’t mean they’re right.
Martin leans back in his chair again, giving me a thoughtful look before he asks, “So if this isn’t about Ava, what is it about?”
“I don’t know.” And I guess that’s what bothers me. I’m not used to not knowing how I feel about something.
Truth is, I’m not used to having feelings about things.
It’s unsettling.
It’s distracting.
It’s unacceptable.
“I’m going to fire her,” I say, suddenly decided.
“Savannah?”
I nod, the uneasy tension in my stomach unraveling now that I’ve decided. “Yes. I’ll just let her go.”
“You can’t.”
“What?”
“You can’t fire her.” Martin grins. “Technically, you’re not her boss. I am.”
“That can’t be right.”
“Unfortunately for you, it is. A year ago, you decided you didn’t want to be burdened with inconsequential activities, like paying your property taxes and your electric bills. You asked me to draw up paperwork putting me in charge of managing your properties. Which I did. It’s part of why you keep me on retainer. It’s how I hired Savannah for you. Ergo, you are not her boss. I am. Ergo, you can’t fire her.”
“Fine. Then you fire her.”
“I’m not going to. Regardless of how you feel about her personally, she’s done nothing to justify letting her go. She’s an excellent chef. She’s doing her job. The job that she needs. And I’m not gonna fire someone without cause just because you think she’s pretty.” He leans forward, working an eyebrow. “And if you can’t see why it’s wrong that you’re even asking me to, then I might need to suggest some sexual-harassment training for you. As your friend. Not as your lawyer.” Then he shrugs and adds. “Both, actually.”
I frown and cross my arms over my chest. Because I know he’s right and that I’m being a total dick. Still, I push back half-heartedly. “If you wanted to, you could come up with some reason to fire her.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I don’t want to.” There’s a gleam of determination in Martin’s eyes that even I can see.
Annoyed, I stand. “Fine. I’ll just have to figure out how to tolerate it.”
I’m almost out the door when he says, “You know Ava was full of shit, right?”
I turn back to look at him. “We covered this already. She was a petty bitch, etc. etc.”
“Yes, but she was also lying. She was never with you out of pity. She was with you because she wanted to be. It just pissed her off you didn’t care.”
