Page 13 of When Life Sucks!

“Why have you not been able to concentrate? It’s not like you at all. You have always been so proactive in your role here,” I ask.

“My wife is seriously ill. She’s going through a lot of treatment and with the insurance messing us around, it’s been draining mentally with the worry.”

“Why on earth did you not speak to us? You have health insurance through the company, and we would have been on the case quickly.” Jeffrey stands and walks out of the conference room. Ronald is giving Lester a look full of pity.

“What is wrong with your wife?” Ronald asks eventually when the room is quiet and starting to feel uncomfortable.

“She has cancer and is fighting it hard, but we had to miss her last treatment as we ran out of savings and I’m waiting for the house to be sold.” Lester has a tear trickle down his cheek, which cuts me to pieces.

“You take the house off the market, instantly. We will go to my office and speak to the insurance people and get her treatment underway again. Now you won’t be losing your job, but you will be on leave for two months while we get you all sorted out.” Ronald stands, grabs a hold of Lester’s arm dragging him toward the door, but turns at the last moment to speak to me. “Meeting dismissed. We’ll sort this all out so you can get back to managing, since you were promoted to manager.”

Ronald throws his head back, laughing as he pulls Lester out of the room, and I stand like a goldfish, mouth opening and closing. Manager! Since when was I made manager?

After lunch, which I persuaded Sadie to share with me, I pick up my phone and send a text message.

Alice: Do you want to go for a meal tonight? My boss's treat. Oh, bring Beast.

Jax: Yeah, we can pick you up. What time, and where are we going?

Alice: Wong’s restaurant and whenever you come pick me up, it’s a table booked for the whole evening.

Jax: Oh nice, I’m tasting it already.

Alice: C U later.

Jax: xxx

Jax sends me kisses. Geez, that is a shocker! He is cute though, and now that I have admitted to myself that Sacks and I would never have worked out, I’m happy to move on. It just took something to shake me out of the… ‘this is normal’ routine.

I leave work and get home early because I want to have a soak in the bath, find something to wear, and have a moment to myself. I’m looking forward to seeing Beast again. He may be huge, but his aura is just as large.

Two hours later I’ve had my bath, dressed in ankle boots, a black dress with a halter neck that reaches just above my knees. I have the purple leather jacket that I treated myself to when I saw it in a sale, and of course, I couldn’t resist. Last, my purple purse which matches the jacket. I’ll leave my jacket and purse near the door, ready to grab on my way out.

I’ve tied my hair into a messy bun and made sure my makeup was light. I’m more than happy with how I look, and I can be comfortable sitting during the evening. It’s rare I wear what I call my biker babe gear, but I love it and I think it suits me.

My phone ringing catches my attention and snatching it up I see it’s Aunt Mais…goddamn do I really want to speak to her?

“Hello.” I sound a little snippy, but I’m not bothered if it comes across that way.

“Have you seen Melody?”

Not stopping for niceties, I notice! Well, like breeds like. “No.” I give her nothing more than that.

“She is missing.”

I wait but she says nothing more, but I hold out. She can say something because I’m not. I look at my nails while I wait and notice a chip in one, now that has me frowning because I don’t have time to do nails now.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with me? I’ve not seen her, and I don’t want to see her. She is dead to me, and Aunt Mais, you keep this attitude toward me up and we’re done.” I close the call and drop the phone on my purse, ready for when we leave.

Hearing a tap on the front door, I quickly walk over and open it, thinking it is Jax or Beast, but to my dismay, it’s my mother. Rolling my eyes, I wait to see what she has to say, but I don’t make room for her to come into the house either.

“What is it you want?” I ask, with more than a little sass to my tone.

“Don’t you speak to me like that. You’re not too old to get a slap.”

“You slap me and I’ll slap you right back, because I am too old for you to think you can say and do whatever you like. Now, what do you want because I’m about ready to go out?”

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