Page 73 of Fit for Love

“You’ve got some nerve,” Tierre says instead of a hello.“First, you disappear off the face of the Earth, and now you call me like nothing is the matter.”

What was I supposed to do?He hasn’t even given me a chance to speak yet.

“I had a good reason for my absence,” I say as politely as I can.“I went on a tour and?—”

“Spare me,” Tierre says.“I meant it.You no longer work here.”

My stomach feels like it’s hit an iceberg.I’ve heard Tierre say “you’re fired” to other people in the heat of the moment, but he usually changes his mind and lets the person keep their job.

“I was stuck on a deserted island.”I glare at Bubba.“Barely survived.I can bring you proof.”Like maybe that waiver I signed before the tour?Or?—

“I’ve already given your job to someone else,” Tierre says with zero remorse.

“You what?”

“I’m going to hang up now,” he says.“You’re sending me too much negative juju.”

With that, he disconnects.

I fight the overwhelming urge to toss my phone into the swamp.Instead, I force myself to check on flights.Naturally, there aren’t any available because that would mean that something has gone my way.I call the airline directly, and the so-called customer service agent informs me that the money for my earlier ticket is forfeit, and that, just like it states online, there aren’t any flights available for tonight.

Damn it.This means I’ll need somewhere to stay, and I have no idea if Marcus booked that mansion beyond yesterday.

Speaking of which, what about my stuff at the mansion?

I stress over all of these questions until we reach the shore, where Dottie and Ashton are already waiting.

Ashton must notice my gloomy expression when we get off the boat because he grabs Bubba by his collar, lifts him in the air again, and after a shake, demands, “What did you do?”

“It wasn’t him,” I say quickly.

“Oh.”Ashton sets Bubba back on his feet.“What happened?”

“Not now,” I say.“We have bigger problems.”

Ashton frowns.“Like?”

“Like our stuff.”

He waves my words away.“I called Marcus.The staff at the mansion packed our suitcases.They’re waiting for us in the garage.”

“Oh.Great.Can we sleep there one more night?”And if so, would we share a room, as per our new tradition?It’s probably a bad idea, but I could?—

“Why sleep there?”he asks.“We have a private plane waiting.”

Oh.“Must be nice to be so rich.”

“I wouldn’t know,” he says with a grin.“It’s Marcus’s plane.”

“I obviously knew that,” I mutter.

He leads me to where a car is already waiting for us, and as we drive to the mansion, I tell him about losing my job.

“That fucker,” he says grimly.“But you know what?You’re better off.”

“Am I?”

He puts a reassuring arm around my shoulders.“If he can fire you like that after three years, and over basically nothing, then fuck him.”

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