Page 1 of Wicked Christmas Eve
1
“What is this?” I looked down at the nondescript white envelope the Human Resources Director had just handed me. Hopefully it was the Christmas bonus I had been counting on.
I only needed a small amount more to make the down payment on the townhouse I currently lived in. My landlord wanted to sell and he’d given me until the end of the year to get the money together or vacate.
“Your final paycheck.”
My body jerked. “What?” I tore my eyes off that envelope and met the other woman’s gaze.
“We’re letting you go.”
“What do you mean you’re letting me go? Why?”
She frowned, making her already pinched features more pronounced. “Office liaisons are always frowned upon, especially between a supervisor and subordinate. While it’s possible an exception could be made for two people dating outside the office while maintaining total professionalism in the office, that is not the case here.”
Oh shit.
Had someone seen us? I had known that acting on the chemistry between Rick and I wasn’t a good idea. In fact, I’d resisted for a very long time. Until one late night in the office, I’d let the loneliness of my life, his consistent kindness and a takeout container of my favorite Chinese food get the better of me.
“There must be something I can do.” I lowered my voice even though we were in a conference room with the door closed. “It was just one time. It’s not going to happen again.”
The disbelief stamped across her features said it all. There would be no second chances no matter what I said. I didn’t need to waste my breath.
“Security will meet you at your desk and give you some time to pack up your things. However, I think it’s best if you not linger. We don’t want to put a damper on the office Christmas party this afternoon.”
I stared down at the envelope again, willing the pressure behind my eyes to go away. I was not going to give this woman, or anyone else in this office the satisfaction of making me cry.
There was nothing left to do but get this over with as quickly as possible. I scooped up the envelope and left the conference room without another word.
As soon as I returned to my desk, I found security already waiting for me. He’d even brought me a box for all of my things. Humiliation burned hotly inside of me as I packed while my coworkers snuck glances in my direction.
They already knew.
I’d heard the whispers over the last few days. Now I knew why. I’d been an idiot. It didn’t take me long to finish and with my things boxed up, I stood and walked toward the elevator.
At the last doorway before my escape, Rick’s soon to be ex-wife Misty and daughter of the senior partner in the firm stood watching with a sneer on her face. Their marriage and subsequent filing for divorce had happened long before I came on the scene, but judging by the hate she lobbed in my direction, none of that mattered.
She hadn’t liked me from the beginning and wanted me gone. Now she’d gotten her wish.
As the elevator doors swished closed, I couldn’t miss her final parting shot said loud enough to hear by everyone on the floor.
“Merry Christmas, Slut.”
That pressure was back and I didn’t know whether I was going to break down in tears or explode. I ground my teeth against both and stared straight ahead at the stainless steel. It would be over soon and then I could start to put it behind me. First, I needed to make a call.
I wanted to know why my boss had not warned me something was up. I dialed Rick’s cell phone and it went straight to voice mail.
Next I dialed his office.
“Hey Cheryl, this is Megan. Is Rick in his office?”
For a moment there was nothing but silence. I even looked at my phone to see if the call had been dropped.
“You can’t call here anymore,” she whispered. “Besides, Rick is gone. He was sent out of town on business and I don’t know when he’s coming back.”
That sounded like bullshit if I’d ever heard it, but I wasn’t going to argue. He wasn’t answering his cell and he wasn’t calling mine. The writing was certainly on that wall.
Before I could put my phone away, it buzzed in my hand. I glanced down, almost dreading what I would find.
Make sure you get here by seven. We can’t hold dinner any longer than that.
Oh no.In the chaos of my firing, I’d completely forgotten for a minute that I was due home soon for our annual Christmas Eve eve dinner with the family.
Crap. Shit. Fuck. Damn.
I went through a string of obscenities in my head as I realized I would have to tell them about my job and my townhouse over the holiday. I could picture the hysteria now.
It was official. Christmas was going to suck.
