Page 77 of The Deviation
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CALUM
My fingers hover over the keys of my crappy old laptop as I reread my newly updated resume for the tenth time. The machine is so old it won’t even turn on unless it’s plugged into the charger. But the laptop I’ve been using the last couple of years belonged to Rush. I had to turn it in before I left. Then I was escorted from the building, to ensure I didn’t try to steal any privileged client information on my way out the door. That wasn’t humiliating at all.
Lifting my glass, I take a deep swallow of rum and Coke. Heavy on the rum. Light on the Coke. It’s my third. I barely managed to wait for the sun to set before indulging. After mainlining coffee all afternoon while working at my cramped dining table, I needed the alcohol to settle my jitters.
Thankfully, Hannah worked today and then she went to university for a lecture tonight. I don’t want her to see me like this. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. When my phone started to ring and ping with messages a half an hour ago, I turned it off. If hiding away to lick my wounds is cowardly of me, I’ll cop to it tomorrow. Tonight, I want to be alone.
I pick up my empty coffee mug and run my thumb back and forth over the words printed on the side. World’s Best Manager. I’m pretty sure my chance of earning such a lofty title evaporated the moment I had sex with my client. Genevieve was right to fire me, even if she did try to use my job as a means to manipulate me. The knowledge my professional misconduct would have been overlooked if I’d agreed to further misconduct makes angerburn low in my gut. What I did was bad, but at least the feelings behind my actions were genuine. What she offered to do today? That was pure self-interest.
The chances of me landing another management job after being fired within a year of my promotion are slim. That’s if Genevieve and Arthur don’t decide to leak news of my indiscretion to their business contacts. If they do, getting a new job will require someone to look the other way on what I’ve done, which would make them no better than Rush. Either way, the death knell on my career is clanging and I have no idea how to make it stop.
There’s a sudden pounding on the front door and I jump. Rising from the table, I look through the peep hole. My eyes slide closed on a sigh, and I rest my forehead against the door for a moment, before stepping back to open it.
“Thank god, you’re here.” Johnny barrels through the doorway to wrap his arms around me. “What’s happened?”
My own arms remain at my side, even as I turn my face into the curve of his neck, breathing the scent of him deep into my lungs. I hate that everything is going to change. That we won’t get to work together anymore.
Slowly, I pull away to look at him. “I assume you’ve heard from Rush?”
Nodding, he tells me about the conversation he had with Ned on his way here. I’m not surprised Arthur has already been in touch. He’ll want to make his control of Fifth Circle official as soon as possible. “Did you really get fired?” he asks.
When I nod, he swears under his breath. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? They found out about us.”
Another nod and then I’m turning away. I drop back into my seat at the table and pick up my glass. “Arthur saw us at the festival. He followed us to the bus stop.” I toast him before draining what’s left of my drink.
With a groan, he sits in the chair opposite me. “Damn it, you warned me this would happen. I should have been more careful. Ishouldhave stayed the hell away from you. Except I don’t know how anymore.” He looks at me, his brown eyes stricken. “I’m so sorry, Cal.”
I manage a shrug. “We were kidding ourselves, thinking we could hide it.” A snort escapes me. “I guess now we don’t have to.”
A hint of a smile curves Johnny’s mouth. “I suppose that’s true.” With a sigh, he leans forwards, resting his elbows on the table. “What do we do now? There must be some way to fix this.”
I close my laptop and push it aside before grabbing a pen and opening my notebook to a fresh page. Writing down a short list of names, I tear the page out and hand it to Johnny. “When you go to the meeting on Friday, insist on working with one of these people. They’ll try to push Arthur on you. Don’t let them. Yes, he’s the most experienced and he has the best connections, but he’s not a good fit for Fifth Circle.” I lift my gaze to meet his. “Do not let Arthur get his hands on Ned.”
Johnny scowls at the list in his hands. “What are you even talking about? The only person who’s going to have their hands on Ned is you.”
A laugh bubbles up my throat, part hysterical, but mostly tipsy. “Toni might object.”
“I’m serious, Cal. It’s in our contract. You’re our manager. It’s you or no one.”
“Unless you all agree to a switch,” I say, wagging a finger at him. “Which you will.”
“Like hell we will.” He jolts upright out of the chair. Crushing the piece of paper into a ball, he tosses it on the table. “I’m not going to sit back and watch you get fired because of me.”
“It’s already done, Johnny. Besides,” I continue when he tries to argue, “you’ve got bigger problems to deal with.”
That gets his attention. “What problems?”
“They’re going to try to convince you to out yourself to the world. As bisexual. Because it will solidify your brand asthequeer rock band of Australia. If they can’t convince you, there was talk of leaking it to the media.”
His eyebrows launch upwards as he moves away from the table. “They would do that?”
“Arthur would,” I say with a nod. “I didn’t think my boss would ever agree to it, but she didn’t shut him down. Not entirely.”
“What a bunch of devious wankers.”
A snort of laughter falls out of me. I couldn’t agree more.