Page 39 of The Reading

The problem with living in a semi-small town was that news traveled fast.

Zara:Heard u thwarted a bank heist

Me:Ha. Ha

Vivian:Did u get fired?

Me:Not yet

Kit:My house is still empty

Me:Thanks. I might need 2 take u up on that

Sloane:I’ll get ur job back 4 u. Just let me at them!

Me:I might need 2 take u up on that 2

Rachel:So, it’s true? U lost ur shit at work 2day?

Me:No! I just…misunderstood the situation

Chanel:Yeah, I heard the situation was a 74 yr old man…LOL!

Alessa:Do u need alcohol?

Gotta love Alessa, the girl always had the perfect bandage for when shit gotmessed up.

Me:Thanks, Al, but I have plenty. Or I did b4 I got home earlier

Alessa:Well, if you need more, I’m here 4 u

Me:Awe, thank u (kissing emoji)

Vivian:Seriously, r u ok?

Me:I am right now. I might call 1 or all of u guys later 2nite

Chanel:Day or night, babe (kissing emoji)

I set my phone down after they all assured me that they were there for me, but it wasn’t like I’d had any doubts. A lot of people couldn’t see how eight women could remain great friends without any cattiness coming into the picture, but that was because none of us were catty.

A knock at my door had me smiling to myself. My guess would be Rachel. She was a nurse and care provider for a very posh nursing home for little old grandmas and grandpas, so I could see her coming over here to check on me. Rachel was the chicken soup friend, and we loved her for it.

Getting up, I walked over to my door, and without peeking through the peephole, I opened it. However, it wasn’t Rachel standing on the other side.

Nope.

Standing before me was the one and only Ethan Turner.

I let out a heavy sigh because there was no getting out of this. As luck would have it, Ethan was not only my boss, but the man lived in my condominium complex, two stories above me.

Just freakin’ great.

*****

Ethan~

Hattie didn’t look happy to see me, but it wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t get over. If it weren’t enough that I had to work with the woman all week long, we also lived in the same condo complex. It had taken three months of her living here before we had run into each other off hours. My dick had been happy as fuck that she lived so close, but my brain not so much.

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