Page 114 of Stay With Me

If they didn’t end up firing her right then, she’d be hard pressed not to quit on the spot.

“We’re evaluating the future, Samantha,” Frank added. “And our concern is that this new pattern will continue and we won’t be able to address it in a manner timely enough to prevent it from causing issues.”

Her mouth gaped.

They were firing her for something thatactually hadn’t happened yet.

“It’s not a pattern,” she asserted, not trying to sound too much like she was pleading. “And it won’t cause any issues.”

“We just feel that your personal life is starting to creep into your professional life a bit too much,” Martin said. “And that’s a terrible example for the HR manager to set.”

“And,” Frank interjected. “You were forty-five minutes late today. For management, there is a zero tolerance policy for tardiness greater than thirty minutes without calling in.”

“Sincewhen?”That was news to her.

“Since Monday,” Frank replied. “It was included in the weekly memo that morning.”

Her jaw fell open again. She vaguely remembered reading that, but dismissed it, having never been late for work once in her entire life.

Frank handed her a document. “We’re sorry to lose you, Samantha.”

No, you’re not, you jerk.

“Take all the time you need to clear out the office,” he added.

She hastily scribbled her signature at the bottom of the document, not saying a word or looking at either of them, for fear that she may burst into anger fueled tears.

Frank and Martin made their way out of the office, and she aggressively began shoving her personal items into an empty file box.

She slipped out of the office as unnoticed as she slipped in, too angry to tell any of the staff goodbye. Not that they’d care much more than the two men who’d given her the boot. Maybe this was actually a blessing in disguise.

Blessing or not when she slammed her car door shut, she bent over the steering wheel and cried for a good solid minute. The whole situation was pretty humiliating. Getting fired on a technicality and having her personal life brought up in such an embarrassing manner.

And maybe it was because she was still completely preoccupied with the issue, but she couldn’t help wondering if she’d been able to say, “Myboyfriendand I were involved in a terrible accident and he needs me to take him to these appointments,” it wouldn’t have been a problem. Her mind hung on Martin’s repeated use of the phrasemale friend,a seemingly pointed insinuation that whatever relationship she had with Nick was insignificant. She, herself, had approved countless days off for employees who had to do things for or with their significant others. Many of which were nowhere near as serious as Nick’s situation.

Whatever.

It didn’t matter now.

And speaking of significant others, she sure could’ve used one right then. And since Nick was the closest thing she had to that, she picked up her phone and typed out a message.

Are you busy?

Not at all,came his immediate reply, followed by her phone ringing mere seconds later.

“Hey,” she answered.

“You okay?” he asked as if he’d read her mind along with her text message.

With that, her throat constricted again.

“No,” she squeaked. “Can I come over?”

“Of course. What’s wrong?”

“I … I got.” She hiccupped and sniffled, then huffed. “They fired me.”

“Oh no! Why?”