Page 13 of If You Need Me

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

I sincerely hope things didn’t happen last night that will make my job harder. Flip hasn’t been as bad lately, but he still falls off the be-a-good-boy-and-don’t-broadcast-your-extracurriculars-to-the-whole-world wagon on occasion.

Shilps

Call me now.

I dial her immediately.

“What the fuck is going on?” Shilpa demands.

“I don’t know. I just woke up. Did one of the boys do something stupid?”

Silence follows.

“Shilps?”

“Look at Dallas’ssocials.”

“What? Why?”

“Just look, and then we will discuss this,” she replies.

I quickly pull him up, expecting that he was out with Flip or something after we parted ways last night. He wasn’t sober when I left him with an entire bottle of prosecco.

My heart stops when I see his most recent post. Because it’s so much worse than him making out with some random woman.

His arms are wrapped around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder, the widest, prettiest smile lighting up his face. His freaking boner was nudging me in the back. He’d said something ridiculous, and for a second, I’d smiled. For one freaking second. We both look deliriously happy.

But the caption he’s paired it with is the worst part. In all caps. WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.

“Oh my God. What was he thinking?” My phone dings with a new email.

“Is this real, Hemi?” Shilpa asks.

“What do you think?” I open the message, and my already-roiling stomach sinks. “Head office wants to see me this morning.”

“What time?”

“In two hours.”

“I’m coming over. I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Should I respond to the email?” My entire body has gone numb. I have no idea what’s going on. Is this some kind of sick joke?

“Keep it simple and say you’ll be there. If anyone else messages, ignore them. If it were me, I would put nothing in writing.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Shilps, am I going to lose my job?” This makes it look like Dallas and I willfully went against the team’s no-fraternization policy. And in a very in-your-face kind of way. While it’s not impossible for relationships between people in-house to be sanctioned, there’s a very clear process to follow, which includespaperwork and meetings with the head officepriorto great public pronouncements.

“Not if I can help it. Try not to panic. I’ll be there soon.”

Shilpa ends the call, and I get dressed in a rush.

My roommate’s door stays closed, which isn’t a surprise. She works the night shift at a call center, and we rarely see each other. It works for both of us.

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