I groaned in annoyance, even though I wasn't surprised by her answer. Fucking typical. I generously gave Lissa a job whenshe’d been let go from her receptionist position at Dr. Gerard's office. Not even a week into the job, she'd started calling in sick—especially on Saturdays. She didn't seem to care that I knew she was out late on Friday nights getting wasted. I’d even moved her to part-time to make things easier, but apparently, working three days was also too much for Lissa.
Within a couple of months of hiring her, I regretted it. But since she had been my best friend, I continued to dish out chances and turned a blind eye to how my whole team's atmosphere seemed strained when she graced us with her presence. Now that I had cut her toxicity out of my life, my eyes were wide open to her behavior, and I was taking none of her shit.
I didn't have the time or energy to deal with Lissa, so I left her on read and immediately called up Rachel, our other receptionist. She was infinitely more reliable.
Thirty minutes later, Rachel breezed in with a big smile and a tray of coffees.
"Thank you, Rach. Sorry to call you in on your day off."
She set the tray down before handing me my coffee. "It's honestly no problem! I need the extra money, anyway, so feel free to call me in if you're ever stuck."
With Lissa under my employment, I seemed to be more "stuck" than not. Rachel was kind enough not to mention how often she'd had to fill in on short notice. The one time I’d begged Lissa to come in when Rachel was genuinely sick, she’d kicked up such a stink that it hadn't been worth the effort. Whenever I needed a fill-in, I handled it myself rather than put up with Lissa's dark cloud.
"How many clients do you have today?" Rachel asked as she started shaking the computer mouse.
"I only have two. A half Balayage, and then I have a bride coming in for a hair and make-up trial." I also had a ton ofpaperwork to get through and updating and answering messages on our socials. "But everyone else is booked up all day. You know how Saturdays are."
"Hey, bitch." Linda, one of my senior stylists, ambled over to greet Rachel with a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Lissa's sick."Again.Rachel didn't have to say it, but the implication was heavy.
Linda lifted a blonde brow at me. "Sick, eh? She looked pretty healthy last night when I bumped into her at Malley's."
I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw as I breathed through my anger. I wasn't surprised, of course, but her blatant disrespect for my generosity had me at a breaking point. Why had I put up with her shit for so long?
"Wow." Rachel shook her head as she started logging into our reservation system. "And she saw you?"
Linda bent in front of one of the workstation mirrors to fluff her bleached blonde locks. "Mmm hmm. I met hubby for a drink after work, and Lissa was with some dude, knocking back drinks. She even waved at me."
Linda turned to regard me, taking in my red face and tightly held fists. Her eyes softened in sympathy. "I know she's your friend, Maria, but she takes advantage of you."
"She's not my friend," I gritted out. I turned away to place my drink on one of our high-backed reception chairs. I was a little embarrassed that everyone around me noticed that Lissa played on my friendship. And I let her. "We fell out over a year ago," I quietly explained.
Linda's eyes widened in surprise. "Then why the hell do you still employ her? She's dead weight, and you're basically paying her to play on her phone and take two-hour lunch breaks."
I had no idea why I still kept her on, especially after she betrayed me with Simon. After discovering that they had slept together, I reamed her out over text. Even though I was pissed atSimon, it was the betrayal by my so-called best friend that hurt the most. I stupidly thought she would show up on my doorstep, apologizing profusely, eager to fix the divide her actions had caused our friendship.
When she failed to reach out, I knew we were done. Years of friendship and loyalty washed down the drain.
I had expected her to resign or, better yet, not turn up to work. But no—she showed up the next day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with a huge smile and a latte for me. As if a drink would fix what she’d done.
Even when I asked for her resignation, she had simply rolled her eyes at me. "C'mon, you're not still pissed about that? You guys weren't even serious."
No, Simon and I hadn't been exclusive, but Lissa knew how much I liked him. She knew that I was falling for him.Hadfallen for him. We’d spent countless nights discussing my possible future with him and dissecting every message and conversation. She'd encouraged me to keep pursuing him, telling me that the fact he was visiting me more than usual was a sign he was falling for me too.
But then, as soon as my back was turned, she set out to seduce him. If that was her only slight, I may have overlooked it. But it was a culmination of many things. Simon had been the final straw.
"I thought you two seemed a little off with each other lately," Rachel piped in. "Is it too soon to put my hat in the ring for more hours?"
I rubbed my temples and glanced at the time. We were opening in ten minutes and had bookings pretty much from the moment I flipped the"Closed"sign around.
I gave Rachel a weak smile. "Let's talk next week, okay?"
I grabbed my phone and texted Lissa.
Maria:Come in for a meeting tomorrow at nine, please.
Linda was right. It was time to let her go.
