Page 93 of Playing With Fire
With all due respect sir, my personal life is private. I can still do my job.
Bill
It’s no longer private when I get an email from a prominent attorney threatening to sue the company because one of my drivers was having an affair with his wife…on company time.
Fuck. I don’t know how Gregor can prove it, but the fact is…it’s true. I messed around with Shannon on the clock. Nonetheless, I have to try and salvage this.
Hudson
He’s throwing out accusations because he’s pissed his wife left him. Can’t you put me on probation or something until this dies down?
Bill
I won’t complete the termination yet, but I’ll have to look into it so this guy doesn’t come after us. Take the week off but you can forget about getting paid for it.
The other thing I love about my company is that they’re small and local. We all know each other. Bill has met Monica. He knows Cam and Ally. If I were just a number in a system, I have no doubt that my termination papers would already be in my in-box.
Hudson
Understood.
By the time I start my second cup of coffee, unsure what to do with my day now that I don’t have to go in for work, Shannon is up and bustling about.
“Good morning,” she says, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she makes her way to the holy grail on the counter. I intercept her with my bare chest pressed against her robe.
“Good morning.” With one more squeeze I let her finish her trek to the liquid gold. “So, how mad would your mom be if I kept Serafina today?” I ask.
“Don’t you have to work?” Shannon asks, pouringher first cup.
“About that…” I start, giving her a sly smile that basically tells her exactly what happened.
“Ohmygod, he actually did it. He got you fired? Jesus, Hud, I’m so sorry.” She sets her cup on the kitchen table and climbs in my lap.
“Sort of,” I correct. “He’s definitely trying, but my boss said he would conduct an investigation into my actions before letting me go. Although, I’m not so sure that’ll help me anyway since I broke about fifty rules since starting that route.” Shannon grimaces and I kiss her cheek. “Worth it, baby.”
“Well, even if you don’t lose your job, just know that I amabsolutelyhelping with the bills. Hopefully, a second income will help take some of the pressure off of you.”
“Shannon, that’s not?—”
“I know, Hud. But your sister was right when she said that you do everythingfor everyone. Let us do something for you. Letmedo something for you.”
“I love you,” I tell her.
She kisses my cheek in return and reaches for her coffee. “I love you too.”
Shannon feeds Serafina her breakfast, but I pay close attention so I can help with that in the mornings she has to be at the office before Serafina wakes up. Then she gives me a breakdown of Serafina’s routine and she’s off for work. Serafina and I have an errand of our own to run today, and I’m about to leave the house and head to the sheriff’s station when there’s a knock on my front door.
Which is odd, because my driveway is long, and mostly hidden. It’s pretty obviously not a place someone would turn just because they wondered what was down here.
A quick glance out the window reveals two police cruisers and I sigh.
Even knowing he was going to hit hard and fast, I’m still amazed at all the chaos Gregor has set in motion considering it’s only nine o’clock on a Monday morning.
Just wanting to get this over with, I open the door with Serafina on my hip.
“Officers, what I can I do for you?”
“Are you Hudson James Goddorah?”
