Page 116 of Home With You

"I know but I'm not feeling well." I walk past her.

She grabs my arm. "Suck it up because we need you at this meeting."

I look at her. "You really don't want me here. I'm about to hurl."

She drops my arm and steps back. "How'd you get sick? You were fine this morning."

"I think it was something I ate at lunch." I try to walk around her but she blocks me.

"Speaking of lunch, I took a client to lunch at the Italian place next door and the hostess said you were there with some homeless girl. I told her that couldn't possibly be true but—"

"It's true," I say, sick of trying to hide who I am at this job. I've tried to fit in. Tried to keep quiet when I disagree, but I'm done doing that.

25

Miles

Lisa cocks her head. "What's true?"

"That I went to the restaurant with Raine, who at the time happened to be homeless."

"You took a homeless girl out for dinner?" She laughs. "Why? Because she made you feel sorry for her? Miles, you can't be that stupid. You're in the big city now. Those vagrants are only using you to get handouts."

I fold my arms over my chest. "I'm really sick of you talking about the homeless that way. You have no idea why those people are on the streets and it makes me sick to watch you treat them the way you do. They're people, just like anyone else and—"

"Stop right there!" She points her finger in my face. "You will NOT speak to me that way. I could get you fired and I WILL if you keep it up."

"Go ahead and try. Last I checked, the employee manual didn't ban employees from expressing their opinion. What it DID ban was talking about sex, or anything related to it, and I recall several instances in which you did just that."

"We weren't at the office at the time."

"It doesn't matter. We were still working. We left to talk about a case. And the HR manual directly states that you are not to talk about things of a sexual nature with a co-worker."

She narrows her eyes at me. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm just pointing out what's in the manual." I glance at her boss walking by. "Good afternoon, Gerald."

"Miles," he nods at me as he continues to his office.

"Don't you dare say anything," Lisa snaps.

I look back at her. "I'll tell you what. You stop making comments about homeless people, not just to me, but to them. No more dirty looks. No more telling them to get a job. Just leave them alone. Do that, and I'll keep quiet about all the inappropriate things you've said to me."

She huffs. "Fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow." I leave and go down to the street, my mind back on Levi and what he said. I need to find Raine. I don't want her walking around the city knowing Rob could show up at any time.

When I get to my apartment, she's not there. And I can't call her because she doesn't have a phone. Racing back down to the street, I go to the alley to check if she's there. She's not. She's not in the coffee shop either.

Shelly is working the register and sees me. "Hey, Miles. What can I get you?"

I go up to her. "Nothing. I was just seeing if Raine was here. Have you seen her today?"

"Yeah, she was here earlier." Shelly grins. "I've never seen her smile so much. I'm guessing that has to do with you?"

"I hope so," I say, smiling back. "We're dating now, if she didn't tell you."

"She did. In fact, she couldn't stop talking about you, which is not at all the Raine I used to know. She used to not even talk to me, but today it was all Miles this, Miles that. She really likes you."

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