Page 8 of In Love and War
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn’t visit anymore because it ‘felt weird’ now that you’re an intern.”
“Yeah, well, that won’t really be a problem anymore,” I sniffed as I walked over to sit down in one of the brown leather chairs facing his desk. “Your star pupil just fired me.”
“He did?” His dark eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “Why?”
“Because I’m spoiled and lazy. His words, by the way.” I was getting riled up again. “I cannot believe you let him work for you. How ishe, of all people, your favorite associate? Dad, he issuch an asshole!”
“Language, Mills. Tell me what happened.”
The phone rang before I could say anything. He held a finger up at me as he put it on speaker.
“Yes, Jasmine?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Bloom, but Mr. Evans is here to see you. Shall I tell him to wait?”
Great.
He looked at me, and I shook my head vigorously, knowing what he was thinking.
“Tell him to come in.”
My aggressive hand signals and head shaking while mouthing the word “no” repeatedly did not work. A few moments later, the doors opened and I turned around to glare at the intruder.
He took one glance at me, and his face visibly hardened.
“Zac, come on in. Good timing. Milly was just about to start catching me up on what transpired this afternoon, and I’d love for you to fill in the blanks.”
By now I was expecting him to look uncomfortable and, to be honest, a little scared. But he didn’t waver as he walked over and sat in the chair to my right.
“Well?” My father was leaning back now, his hand resting on his salt-and-pepper beard, looking at the two of us.
“Mr. Bloom, I’d firstly like to apologize for the lack of notice. I was hoping for an improvement in the situation, leading to a more positive outcome. However, due to repeated and avoidable errors that have resulted in hours of extra work for the team, in addition to a general poor level of performance and lack of accountability on Miss Bloom’s part over the last two months, I made the decision to terminate Amelia’s employment with Bloom & Co. Advertising effective immediately. HR has the file with details, but I wanted to come in and let you know in person.”
Seriously, who talked like that in real life?
“Mr. Bloom, if I may.” I mimicked Zac’s stupid tone of voice, immediately aware of the exaggerated eye roll to my right. “If my performance was lacking as much as Mr. Evans claims, why was it not brought to my attention earlier? I received no official notice or written warnings prior to the termination of my employment. Is that even legal?”
“It is not a requirement for interns to receive written or verbal warnings in advance of a dismissal. In fact, we can fire them without cause if necessary. You would know that if you’d read your employment contract before signing.” He looked back at my father. “With all due respect, sir, and if I may be blunt since you had previously requested my honest opinion, I do not believe Amelia’s work ethic and performance are on par with the company’s standards. She is simply not a good fit, and I do not recommend she be rehired after graduation.”
What the actual fuck? The audacity of this man.
“Dad, this has got to be a joke. You cannot possibly take this lunatic seriously. Am I actually fired?” I started to laugh. This thing was getting more and more ridiculous by the minute. The whole point of me applying for a marketing degree was to come work here after graduation and be groomed to take over once he retired.
That was the plan. It had always been the plan.
There was a longer silence than I’d been expecting. The smile on my face slowly started to fade as my father and Zac exchanged looks without speaking.
“Dad?” There was a note of desperation and confusion in my voice now as I tried to piece together what was happening.
“Milly,” my father finally started as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his mahogany desk, “it has recently come to my attention that I may have overly… spoiled you.”
The gears began turning in my head as I tried to figure out where this was headed.
“Now, it isn’t your fault exactly,” he continued, “it’s mine. After we lost your mother, I wanted to make sure you didn’t feel as though you lacked anything else in your life, and I may have gone a little overboard. Your attitude in the recent years and the minimal effort you put into the things you pursue has become concerning to me. Your academic performance has suffered, you give up on anything you’re not good at on the first try, and I don’t remember the last time I saw you actually work hard at something.” He emphasized the last bit, using his hands to make the point.
My throat tightened at the mention of my mother’s passing and the memories it brought up, but I blinked back the tears. I was not going to cry for a second time that day, and I sure as hell was not going to do it in front of Zac.
