Page 6 of Moonlit Kisses

“Why wouldn’t she be? We gave her time off to deal with her situation.” She turns her body toward mine, addressing me directly. “You were supposed to deal with all this in your own time.” She waves her hand around my face. “I expect you to be more professional when you’re at work.”

I feel Peter bristling beside me and place my hand gently on his arm to prevent him from speaking on my behalf. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Dunsley. It won’t happen again.”

She looks between me and Peter and gives a sharp nod before strutting away. I mouth ‘thank you’ to Peter and make my way to the bathroom to wash my face. I can’t greet people at the front desk with snot running down my face and red, swollen eyes. It would be embarrassing, not to mention unprofessional.

I step into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As I’m filling my glass, someone walks in behind me. I’m about to turn around to say hello when I hear a huff. My shoulders tense and I mentally prepare for her venom.

“My God, Molly. How many times have I told you the handle on the coffeepot needs to be on the left? I’m left-handed,” she huffs as her eyes narrow at me. “Do you do it deliberately? Leave the handle on the right, knowing I have to twist the pot around?” I blink several times, unable to answer. “Well?” she snaps.

Shit. I never thought about it, but I guess if I wanted to annoy her, I could have purposely done that. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Dunsley. It won’t happen again.” I feel like it’s all I ever do around here; apologize for being unable to meet the exacting standards she sets.

“Oh, Iknowit won’t.” She smirks as she pours her coffee and heads out of the kitchen.What’s that supposed to mean?

I skip my lunch break with the hope I’ll catch up on some of the work I’ve missed over the past week. It’s difficult to focus with my thoughts scattered as I wait for Mr. Dunsley to arrive in the office so I can speak to him about an advance. If he doesn’t agree, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll be like the women I support on a weekly basis at the shelter. I’ll go back to living out of a car, like I did when I was a child.

He finally breezes in at four p.m. “Don’t disturb me. No phone calls,” he barks at me as he hurriedly strides past my desk to his office, slamming his door behind him.

My smile drops and my shoulders slump. How am I going to ask him about my advance?Shit!

I power through the rest of the afternoon, working past my usual finish time. At six-thirty, I gather enough courage to knock on my boss’s door.

“What?” Hmmm, he still sounds pissed. Maybe I should leave it for today and ask tomorrow? “You may as well come in now that you’ve disturbed me,” he snaps out through the paper-thin barrier between us.

My hand shakes as I turn the knob and perspiration forms beneath my armpits. I’m going to have sweat stains on my good shirt at this rate. I poke my head inside as the space between the door and the jamb widens. “Uhm, sorry to interrupt.”

He waves me in as he rolls his eyes. “Don’t be timid, girl. You’ve interrupted me now. Sit down.” He gestures to the chair opposite his large glass desk. “I need to speak with you, anyway.”

“Do I need my notebook?”

“No. I’ll be quick.” He folds his hands, one on top of the other, on the glass table, and I can’t help but notice his right leg twitching up and down. “The housing market has slowed considerably over the last two months and we’re going to have to let go of some staff.” I nod. I’ve noticed the drop in property numbers. I figured they would have to let a couple of agents go; I only hope it’s not Peter. He’s lovely and he has teenage boys that he’s putting through college. He presses forward, leaning heavily on the glass, which I fear is going to crack underneath his weight. “I’m going to have to ask you to clean out your desk today. We’re letting you go.” He awkwardly spreads his lips in what I guess is supposed to be a reassuring smile and my mind blanks.

Did he just fire me?

I came in here to ask for an advance. I didn’t even get the chance to open my mouth, and he’s firing me. On the freaking spot with no notice! Is this a joke?

I scan the office, looking for cameras and for someone to shout out that I’ve been ‘punked’. But there’s nothing hinting at a trick for a stupid television show.

How can this be happening? I’ve lost my family. Now I’ve lost my job and because of that, I’m going to lose my apartment!

Dropping my face into my hands, I shake my head, tears falling unbidden. Trying to suck in a full breath, I raise my head to the ceiling, attempting to stem my tears. “I can’t believe you’re firing me without notice.”

He shrugs carelessly. “Sorry. It’s nothing personal, you know. We can’t keep hemorrhaging money. It’s not like you bring in a commission. We’re in business to make money, not lose it.”

Mrs. Dunsley strolls into the office, taking up her position beside her husband, her head held up high as though she’s better than everyone else. The gleam in her eyes tells me how happy she is that they’ve fired me.

I stand on shaky legs. He doesn’t care that he’s hammered the final nail in my coffin. “When will I get my paycheck?”

“You’ll get paid as usual at the end of the month. I’m not in the business of changing procedures to suit individuals.”

I don’t remember leaving his office or packing my desk. I don’t even remember the walk to my car and the drive home, but I find myself sitting on my small couch in the dark in my tiny one-bedroom apartment that I’m about to lose.

Numb.

Nothing. I feel nothing.

* * *

I wake to gray skies and snow flurries, still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Wiping the sleep and dried up tears from my eyes, I jump up from my couch in alarm. Shit, have I slept in? I grab my phone to check the time, my heart beating double time. Seven-thirty!

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