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She didn’t know up from down or right from left. All she cared about was the little boy sleeping in his Spiderman pajamas in the other room.
“My priority is my son, and what Bruno and I had, well… that will have to be put on hold for now. To be honest, we’ll probably never move past what we have. I… enjoyed my time with him, but he was clear that he didn’t want to be involved with a woman who has kids already. He’s great with children, but everyone has their deal breakers, and that was one of his.” I no longer need to look for a wife. I have you. “I was a placeholder, and that will have to be okay. I enjoyed my time with him, but he and I were nothing more than a fling.”
John promised to do what he could to help her find work, and after she spent a few minutes talking to her nieces, Marissa hung up.
She went into the kitchen and pulled a bag of potato chips from the back of the cabinet. Sitting on the sofa again, she stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth.
She had really screwed up and lost everything. She’d lost her job, a potential promotion, and the chance of moving to a new place with her son.
Being spontaneous. Being fun.
Being stupid.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Marissa stood in line at the coffee shop, the aroma of freshly brewed beans mingling with the hum of lunchtime conversations. Customers worked on their laptops and talked on their phones, oblivious to her inner turmoil. She had lost her job only a few days ago, and uncertainty settled on her chest like a weighted blanket.
She had stopped in to meet with a resume writer about revamping her resume. He promised to present her skills in the best light, but would doing so be enough to find a new career that paid as well as what she had left behind at Executive Match? Without a recommendation from Arnie, she’d have a hard time finding a similar position at another firm. She might have to go back to working in a coffee shop again. She had experience as a barista, but the pay wasn’t great.
She picked up her order, and the tension eased from her shoulders as she closed her fingers around the cup, the warmth providing a comfort in the cold reality of her life.
“Hi, Marissa.”
The familiar feminine voice came from behind, and Marissa rotated her head to see Wanda standing nearby. Her former co-worker appeared hesitant.
“Hey.”
The last time she saw Wanda, the older woman had acted strange, so she wasn’t sure if this was a friendly greeting or not.
“How are you?” Marissa asked.
“Doing okay. How about you?” Concern filled the older woman’s dark eyes.
“I’ve been better but hanging in there.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to you.”
Marissa shrugged. “I knew the rules and broke them. It is what it is. There are consequences for our actions.”
She hadn’t heard from Arnie’s lawyer yet, but only a few days had passed since her dismissal. She fully expected to be contacted at some point, and the damages she would be required to pay were bound to drain her bank account.
She hoped he didn’t go so far as to sue her, but Arnie was a businessman who’d turned around his mother’s failing company. He had every right to take Marissa to court if he deemed such drastic steps necessary.
“Do you mind stepping outside to talk for a few minutes? I was passing by and saw you in here. I’m on my way to the office and can’t stay long, but I wanted to tell you something.”
“Sure.”
They wound their way through the tables and exited onto the sidewalk. Outside, Wanda moved to the side of the building.
“We do what we do because we believe in love, and you can’t help you fell for a client, and he fell for you. You’ve worked for the company for over eight years and nothing like this has ever happened before,” Wanda said.
“I appreciate what you’re saying, but that doesn’t matter. Once is enough,” Marissa said.
She was not going to make excuses for her behavior. She had violated the trust of the company and her own ethical code. She might very well be blackballed from the industry.
Wanda lowered her voice. “I know who ratted you out.”
“So do I. My ex and I had a big fight, and he denied telling Arnie,” Marissa said.
