“Then you should go for it.I’m loving my job and doubt that I’ll ever get bored with it.I love it when a column of numbers adds up the way they’re supposed to and celebrate when they do.I don’t go out or anything like that, but I do have myself a little dance around my office.”He laughed.“If you tell anyone that, I’ll deny it with my last breath.I don’t dance all that well, and I would be hard-pressed not to fight you if you were to say anything.”
“I promise I won’t say a word, but I would like to see you dancing around.I bet it’s a sight to be held.”The two of them laughed, and he felt better for it.“I’m going to be running on empty soon.I’m glad that you called.
After going to get himself something to eat, he was ready to tackle the books in his office.There were a lot of them, and he knew that he’d get them started before resting a while.There seemed to be an endless supply of books about his line of work, and he was going to love going back to school and learning something new.As soon as he emptied the first of several boxes that were on the floor, he felt better about getting the job done.He only hoped that he’d last until he got all the boxes emptied before he needed a nap.
Chapter 9
Yanick didn’t have any luck finding out who Margaret was.He supposed he might have put them off when he demanded information, but he was worried for the kid and wondered if there was anything more he could have done for her.He did leave money for her at the restaurant and his business card with his home number, as well as his personal cell phone number on the back.Now here he was back at work again, and no closer to finding out anything than he had before.
“I’m going to need you to cover for me in the morning.I have something I have to do, and you’re the only one who isn’t working.”He told his boss that he already had plans, knowing that if he came in for the man, he’d have to work two doubles in a row before he came back to work.It was just like him to wait until the last minute before saying anything about it.“I don’t care what you have plans.My plans are more important simply because you work for me.”
“Well then, how about if I don’t?”He asked him what he meant.“I mean, what if I decided that I’ve had enough working for you and want to branch out on my own.Or do nothing for a while.Whatever I want.”
“You’re joking.”He said nothing but stared at the man.“All right, you can have tomorrow night off.I’ll find someone to cover for you if I can.”
“No.I told you that I had plans, and I’m not breaking them at this late date.”He didn’t have anything planned other than to have lunch with his brothers tomorrow afternoon, but he wasn’t going to do it.This might just be the push that he needed to get out of this dead-end job.“You’ll have to either work yourself or find someone else to do your shift.I don’t care.”
“Now see here.I’m your boss, and if you don’t show up in the morning, I might just fire you.”He took off his apron and said that he was finished.“What do you mean you’re finished?You get back here before I have to do something drastic.And I’m not kidding you when I tell you you’re not going to like it.”
“Do what you wish.I’m finished working for you and this place.”He was nearly to the door when he was jerked back by his shoulder.“Remove your hand, or I will.And trust me when I say you’re going to regret it if I have to remove it.”
He removed his hand, and Yanick headed toward the door again.Just as he was getting out into the sunshine, hating that things had come to this but glad for it as well, he got in his car and headed home.The closer he got to his house, the better he felt about things.He was unemployed but feeling like the world was in alignment for him.
Stopping at the restaurant where he’d found the kid, he had himself a big meal and downed it with several glasses of iced tea.He didn’t even mind that it was sweet tea; everything tasted so much better now that he wasn’t working.Getting someone to tell him about the kid didn’t even bother him because he knew that he’d done everything he could to help her out.He left more money for her in the way of the cook and was on his way again.
Getting to his house, he changed out of his work things and put on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.He was ready to get some work done and was ignoring his phone.It had rang several times since leaving work, and he figured that if anyone important wanted to get in touch with him, then they’d reach out.
He had just finished cleaning out his pantry when he decided to check his phone.There were fifty-one messages and several phone messages.He listened to them all because it gave him something to laugh about.The voice mails were getting angrier and angrier as time went on.It wasn’t until he got to the last of them that he realized that he really did feel good about quitting.It wasn’t his fault, not that he would not take the blame later for it happening the way that it had, but he really did feel betterabout what he’d done.
Making himself something to eat, he was happy that he’d gone to the store the day before.He’d thought about ordering something in, but he wanted to cook for himself.After dinner, he cleaned up his mess and went to the living room.There he sat and watched a movie that he’d not seen in ages and took a nap.He was just getting up when Conri reached out to him.
“I just heard from your boss.He said that there had been a misunderstanding and that you’d left work early.He wants you to call him.I take it that you finally quit.”He said that he had, and he felt good about it.“Good for you.I’m glad for you.I hope that you take some time off before you get back into things.You’re not going to go back to that toxic place, are you?I think if you bitched about your job much more, I was going to quit for you.”
“I’m not going back.I’ve burnt that bridge.And even if I didn’t, I’m done with it.He really was toxic.”He told him what had happened to make him quit today.“I would have had to cover for him for several days, as his time planned never included just one shift.I’ve done that before and didn’t care for it.”
“What do you want me to tell him when he calls again?I’m assuming that he’s reaching out to your brothers, too.I can well imagine what they might say to him.We’ve been worried about you for some time now.”Yanick said he was sorry.“I’m not.I’m glad for you.So is Cass.She said that you’ll feel better about life again now that you don’t have to go there to work.And that you might find your mate with you not working so hard.I had no idea that you were working that hard until she pointed out that you were forever canceling dinner engagements in order to cover a shift or two.Like I said, I’m happy that you’ve done this.”
“I’ll probably feel guilty tomorrow for leaving them short-staffed, but I find that I don’t care today.So long as I can find me another job in about a month, and I see no problem with that, then I’ll be all right.I just got my quarterly reports back from Yuri, and I’m doing much better than I thought that I was.”He said that he’d had a good quarter as well.“We should celebrate sometime soon.My treat.I’m unemployed, so perhaps we can make it cheap.”
They both laughed, and it felt good to be laughing about something that should have been really serious.He’d pick up the tab no matter where they went and be happy about it.His family was all that he had, and he was happy that they all got along so well.
He knew that he’d have to call his mom later and let her know.For all he knew, she might have been as upset with him about the job as the others were.He’d not realized that they were rooting for him to quit, or he might have done something sooner.But he did like the way things had worked out.He didn’t even care that he was going to be painted as a bad employee from all this.It was done and over with, and he was glad for it.
Getting his cabinets cleaned out was next on his list of things that he’d been wanting to get done.Tossing out things that were expired, he realized that he rarely cooked at home anymore.Or anywhere for that matter.Just at his job, and he’d had enough of that.As he was putting things back away, he made a list of things he was going to need to pick up.He might as well get fully stocked up if he was going to be doing things around his house for a change.
By midnight, he was ready to call it quits.He’d gotten done more than he thought he would and felt proud of the fact that he’d been able to get a good list of things that he was going to need too.Not only had he gotten his kitchen organized and ready for groceries, but he’d finished up his laundry and changed the sheets on his bed.Laughing to himself, he thought that he’d make a good mate to someone soon with all the domestic stuff he was getting done.
Going to bed around one, he was exhausted but in a good way.Like he wasn’t mentally knocked out, but physically.He’d gotten a lot of work done and was proud of himself, but he’d also gotten his mind off quitting his job.He didn’t feel the least bit sad for it either.Just good that he’d finally gotten his life together.
Waking in the middle of the night when his cell phone went off, he answered it on the second ring.Surely it wouldn’t be work calling him, and he was surprised when no one answered his hello.Waiting for just a few seconds, he was ready to hang up when he heard a whispered voice at the other end.
“It’s Margo.I’m the kid you shared your pancakes with.”He whispered back to her if she needed him.“I do.I’m in trouble here, and I don’t think my stellar personality is going to get me out of this one.”
“I’m on my way.I’m assuming that you’re still at the restaurant.”She said that she was, but for him to hurry.“I’m getting my keys now and am on my way.I’ll be there in less than an hour.”
“I’m out back by the dumpsters.Hopefully, I’ll still be there when you get here.I’m hiding from a drunk.”He was pulling out of his driveway when she spoke to him again.“I’m moving again.When you get here, I’ll come to you.I don’t want you to get your fancy clothing all messed up because you had to save me.”
“I’ll beat your ass if you get caught.”She laughed, but it was cut off when he heard a crash.“What’s going on?Where are you hiding?”
