Page 64 of Grump and Grumpier

“In case you forget, what we’ve been doing—” Shegestures between the three of us with her finger. “—is a secret. He was talking to me about mystery gifts I’ve been receiving—I thought they might have been from him—and then he asked me out.”

She shakes herself free of my grip, and turns back toward Jansen. “Go apologize to Owen and tell him you made a mistake.”

My partner stares back at her, unyielding. When she turns to me, I probably look much the same. Maybe Owen didn’t deserve to be fired, but I’m not going to undermine Jansen.

Ana lets out a harsh sigh and shakes her head. “Unreal. Truly. You know what? I never thought I’d be someone who would do this—I was fully planning to hire and train my replacement—but with the two of you acting like you are, telling me what to do, and undermining the work I’ve done for you—I’m done here.

“I’ve worked so hard to help you grow the staff and hang onto employees longer, and you march right out there today and fire a quality employee for no reason. How do you think that’s going to affect morale once everyone else hears about it?

“Nothing could have made it more clear that you don’t respect the work I’ve done for you. I never should’ve come to work here, because we all know why I was hired, and it wasn’t for my HR experience.”

“That’s not fair, Ana,” I interject.

“Fair? You’re really going to talk to me about what’s fair?” Her laugh is bitter as she heads for the door. “I’m done. I’m leaving.”

And she goes.

CHAPTER 51

ANA

Abruptly quitting your job in the morning makes for a long, miserable day.

Marissa’s at work, so I don’t want to bother her. Stella has her own problems, and doesn’t need to hear my nonsense. Callie’s probably working, but even if she isn’t, I don’t want to dampen her bliss with my tale of woe—or maybe I don’t want to compare her happy relationship to my ill-advised affair with two unreasonable, emotionally-stunted tyrants.

I’m so angry at them I can’t see straight.

If they had behaved this way with me months ago, it wouldn’t have surprised me, but I got to know them so much better—or at least, I thought I did. Maybe I’ve been wearing rose-colored glasses, or I’ve been in a sex haze.

Maybe they never stopped being the men theywere when all those other employees were quitting left and right.

I’m angry at myself for ever expecting anything different from them.

After I clean everything in the townhouse until it’s gleaming, I try to read, even though I know I won’t be able to focus. You know it’s a bad day when I can’t get lost in a reverse harem with ten men. Right now, that feels like ten men too many, and I’m kind of mad at romance books in general for making me think grumpy men were desirable.

By mid-afternoon, I’m desperate for a diversion and decide to call Stella anyway, just to find out how she’s doing. I won’t talk about myself, and I’m sure hearing cute stories about Jessie at dance class will cheer me up.

I purposely left my phone in my bag, and when I retrieve it, I find two missed calls each from Derek and Jansen. There are text messages too, but I ignore them and click Stella’s picture.

As soon as she answers my call, I know something’s wrong.

“Stella? Are you crying?”

“Ana? Now isn’t a good time to talk.” Her voice is shaky, and I go into panic mode.

“I won’t keep you long, but please tell me what’s wrong.”

She sniffles a couple of times before speakingagain. “Things have kind of fallen apart here. Mom’s kicked me out.”

“What? When did this happen?”

“Just today. I’m right in the middle of it. That’s why I need to go.”

“Wait! What are you going to do? Where are you and Jessie going to go?”

The tears she’d been holding back overtake her, and through them, she cries, “I don’t know.”

Even though nothing today has felt like it in the least, once again, the universe is working in my favor. I doubt Stella had any intention of calling Marissa and me for help, so I’m very grateful that I happened to call her. And thanks to the fact that I no longer have a job, my schedule is clear.

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