Chapter 5
Chapter five
July
I was deep into building a keyword search for a new product my client was launching soon, when Steve called me. “Joseph. Can you come to my office, please?”
“Uh, yes. Be right there.” He used my full name; this couldn’t be good.
Ben leaned around the cubby wall between our work areas. “What did you do this time?”
“I don’t know.” I hadn’t so much as peeked at my socials, even on my phone, during work hours. My work numbers were all up, keeping me at the top of the leader board. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, and the only way to find out was to go talk to him.
I knocked on the door. “Steve? You need me?”
“Come in. Have a seat.”
Shit. This was bad. I pulled out the chair and sat in front of his bland desk in his boring office. “Yes?” I clasped my hands together to keep from fidgeting.
“I’m upset. Disappointed and frustrated. Mostly frustrated because there isn’t anything I can do about this. You’re one of our best, if not the best. But we have to let you go.”
“What? Why?”
Steve sighed deeply, sat in his big office chair, and leaned forward, hands on his desk. “This is why I’m upset.” He flipped his phone around so I could see what was on the screen.
It was that video of my bare ass. How the hell did he get that? “I don’t understand.”
“Someone sent this to HR, claiming lewd and lascivious behavior. It looks bad on our brand, Joe. And if one person can find this and connect you to Digitax, so can someone else. So can a client or potential client. And why I’m upset?
I didn’t expect this kind of behavior from you.
” He shook his head. “It might take some time, but you’ll get over all this.
” He waved his hand over his desk. “I’m sure you’ll go on to better things.
It might be difficult at first, but you’re bright. ”
I slumped back in the chair. I was being fucking fired. “What now?” The question was actually hypothetical, and perhaps I was asking myself rather than him. Or maybe the universe. Just what was the next shit storm it was ready to crap down on me?
“We’ll pay you through the end of the month and all your vacation time. HR will get you CObrA information and all that.”
“F-Fine…” It was anything but fine. How had this happened?
“Please clear out any personal items from your cubby. Don’t worry about logging off. IT will take care of that.”
There was nothing left to say. I went straight to my cubby and pulled the picture of me and Tucker off the wall. Honestly, I didn’t give a shit about anything else. I turned to leave, but Ben was there with sad eyes. “What’s going on? Are you suspended again?”
I shook my head. I opened my mouth to tell him I was fired, or something, but nothing came out.
I couldn’t. I shook my head again and walked out to the parking lot.
I was going to lose my car, my apartment, everything.
I was going to have to go back to the farm with Mom.
I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.
Devastated did not even begin to describe how I felt. My chest was an aching hollow void. I was a failure, and I didn’t know what to do.
When I got home, I pulled off my clothes, dumping them on the floor, and crawled into my closet, settling down with my binky and blankie. I closed the door, leaving me in the dark to shut out the world for a while.
Hours later, my phone rang. Incessantly. I had to crawl out and search for it, planning on turning it off, but it was Tucker. “Tucker, hey. Not a good time.”
“You have to come out to the club,” he shouted over the loud music I heard in the background.
“You’re at Afterglow?”
“Yes. Duh. Come on. I know it’s only Thursday, but you have to get out here. It’s a summer party and clothes are coming off.” He sounded way too excited and had probably already had a few drinks.
“Slow down. I’ll be there in a few.” My answer surprised me. But what could it hurt to have someone buy me a few drinks and to dance with Tucker? Yeah. I needed that. I hung up and pushed back into my closet, but this time it was to grab a pair of tight jeans, a soft T-shirt, and my white Nikes.
I washed my face and ran some product through my hair. Fading purple bangs fell down a little over my eyes. It didn’t look fantastic, but I didn’t give a crap. “Fuck it.” I grabbed my keys off the counter on my way out the door.
The drive was short, and I was still hyped when I arrived, quickly moving to the dance floor without stopping at the bar.
I didn’t see Tucker anywhere, though. It had been less than fifteen minutes since he called.
Where the hell was he? There were a few choices to answer that.
First, he could have left already. Like an asshole.
Or second, he could have found someone to go down to No Limits with.
Which was less asshole but still annoying.
And probably hadn’t happened, if he’d been drinking at all.
I texted him, though if he were in No Limits, he wouldn’t see the text since phones were not allowed. Fuck it. I danced while I waited. Regardless of what happened to him, I was here and determined to cut loose.
Daddy Brian was on the dance floor. I’d never fooled around with him, though he wasn’t bad looking with his salt and pepper hair cut over his ears and his broad shoulders.
But he gave off bad vibes and made me feel uncomfortable.
Sometimes his hands went to inappropriate places when he was close, and on the dance floor, he was super close.
He moved toward me and circled behind. Then he pulled me against him, so my ass pushed against his crotch.
“Feel that baby boy?” he asked in my ear, voice gruff and just loud enough to hear.
“Got a hot rod for you. Let’s go down to No Limits. ”
“N-No. I don’t think so.”
“You’ve fucked every daddy in this club, and you won’t fuck me. What the fuck, dude?” He was a little too loud, even with the dance music, and he shook me a little.
“Stop.” I tried to pull away but he grabbed me, pulling me back against him.
That’s when Daddy Crow showed up. Crow with the new boyfriend, Crow. Really? But he helped by grabbing Brian’s shoulder and moving him back a pace. “Hey. Seems like Joey is not interested.” Crow was as tall and as wide, if not wider, than Brian and completely capable of handling the man.
“What the fuck do you know?” He got right up in Crow’s face, which meant I got out of reach of his big paws, but I didn’t move too far away, wanting to see how this played out. I honestly didn’t want Crow in trouble, but I sure as hell did not want to do anything with Brian.
“Dang…” Crow waved his hand in front of his face like he smelled something horrid.
“You’ve been drinking, man. Come on, let’s go help you sober up some.
” He put his arm around Brian like they were best buds.
Well, I had no clue what their relationship was, but as he walked him away, Crow’s boyfriend tugged my arm and nodded toward the front. “Come on.”
I followed him. What else was I supposed to do? Stand there looking like a dumbass while the beat of the music pulsed around me? And people turned to stare. Nope. Outside the front door, I could hear a lot better, and I was curious what he had to say.
“We haven’t officially been introduced. I’m Skyler.” He turned and held out his hand.
It was humid, despite the late hour, but that was Florida year-round. “Yeah. Joey.”
He pulled his hand back without me shaking it. “I know. You weren’t interested in that guy, were you?” He squinted at me. The orangish streetlight gave him a blurry halo. “It didn’t look like it.”
“No. I was in trouble there.”
“Thought so. I sent Crow over to break things up. I mean, he’s good at that and bigger than us.”
“Uh, thanks, but you know they do have bouncers and security. They would have broken it up.” Wow. I sounded anything but grateful.
“Come on. Can we talk?”
I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. Could we talk? What the fuck else was there to say to Mr. Perfect? “Whatever. Let’s sit in my car. It’s more comfortable than this.” We probably looked like hookers with his booty shorts and my tight jeans, hanging around on the street.
“Sure.” He followed me and I unlocked the vehicle so we could get in. Skyler slid into my black seats, with the orange race stripe running down the center. “Wow, uh, this is sporty.”
“It’s a sports car, duh…”
“Damn, you really are a snarky shit. How about backing off the attitude and simply having a conversation, man?”
I rested my head on the seat and looked up at the ceiling. “You’re the one who wanted to talk.”
“I’m trying to figure out why Crow speaks nicely of you when you don’t seem nice at all.”
“I’m nice. I’ve just been having a hard time lately.”
“Hard time with what?”
“Damn. That is none of your business, dude. I don’t know you.”
“You know Crow.”
“So? I don’t tell him shit about my life either.
” I tapped my thumbs against the steering wheel.
“Look, Skyler. I’m not fucking your boyfriend.
I’m not making moves on him. I’m keeping my distance.
Am I disappointed? Sure. But there wasn’t ever anything between us.
Nothing. Just a good fuck and that was a long time ago. Is that what you want to hear?”
“No. I want to know why it seems like you’re still so fucking jealous after having said all that.”
“What?” He was a bold fucker. And if I didn’t have so much respect for Crow, I might have told him off. “I’m not jealous. Not really. Like I said, I’m having a hard time, and it has nothing to do with you and Crow.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Well, fuck him. “You think you saved me and now I owe you my life story? Fuck that.”
“Joey—”
“No. Get the fuck out of my car.” I was going home, even though I wanted to go back inside the club, but I was too embarrassed right now to do it. Had to have Skyler send Crow to clean up my mess. Just one more thing to add to the fuck me pile.