“That issototally untrue. We’ve been secretly calling Ben the panty smuggler behind your back!” JJ said and the two then roared with even more laughter.
I shook my head with an amused smile and waited for the hyenas to taper off. When they finally did, “Now that you’ve stopped laughing at my expense, can we get serious again about work.” They both nodded and tried to wipe the smiles off their faces. “I just don’t think I can go back to work.”
“Well, don’t then,” Bruce offered.
“Great idea. I’ll just have to substitute my income by standing on the corner of Oxford Street with all those other girls. JJ, I’ll have to borrow some of your whore heels though.” I threw the wine back. It was a joke. Sort of. Because if I didn’t have that job anymore, then how the hell was I going to make enough money every month? There were only so many burgers and drinks you could serve.
“The guy next door finally sold his shop. And we bought it.” Bruce sounded triumphant.
“What?” I gasped. “That’s great.”
“We were going to tell you tonight and have a bit of a cele,” JJ said.
“I can’t believe it. That’s amazing.”
“And there’s going to be a shitload to do. We want to set up a coffee shop asap, capitalize on lunch and breakfast,” Bruce said excitedly.
“Morroccan inspired. Cushions on the floor, those low tables, intricate mosaic walls, those big brass chandelier lights and crazy strong coffee that will have everyone addicted,” JJ continued as if he already had the whole thing planned in his head.
“Sounds amazing,” I said.
“We’ll even hire one of those hot barristers with a big sexy beard who’ll draw all those coffee-loving hipsters in,” JJ added with a naughty smile.
I laughed. “Aren’t you guys cool.”
“And you’ll run it and get it all set up,” Bruce added.
“What?”
“You know this business inside out and we trust you. Besides, you’ll have the world’s best bosses who you don’t even have to sleep with to get the job.”
“Ha ha,” I said sarcastically.
“It’ll be so much fun,” JJ chorused.
I smiled. “It does sound nice.” But anything other than going into work on Monday sounded nice. Anything to avoid Ben and all those prying eyes.
I nodded. “When do we get started?” I asked.
47. Bad Can Be Very Good . . .
It was three in the morning and I was still staring at the ceiling. JJ’s words had been playing over and over in my head like a stuck record, and I’d been tossing and turning and getting in and out of bed all night. I even got up and started cleaning my room in a desperate attempt to clear my mind. WhatwouldI have done had the roles been reversed?
I hadn’t told Ben everything about myself either, for the exact same reason he hadn’t told me. We were the same in that way—so how could I be angry at him for something I was doing too? But that still didn’t stop all the intense emotions I was having right now. It was a mixture of a million different feelings that were hard to piece together and understand. I was confused. About him, about the way I felt about him, about everything . . . that is, except for one thing. I was crystal clear about one thing alone.
I opened my laptop and started writing a formal resignation letter. Once done, I hovered over the send key for a moment, hesitating. But just for a second. I quickly pressed send and watched as the mail disappeared with a whoosh. I was just about to shut my computer when I heard a ping.
It was from Ben. I opened the mail and there were only five words.
“I don’t accept your resignation.” My blood boiled and my fingers returned to the keys.
“I’ve already got a new job. I won’t be coming in on Monday.”
A message flew back almost instantly. “You signed an employment contract that said you would give three months’ written notice.”
The mail made me furious and I started typing again. “Sue me,” I wrote and sent the mail back.
“Maybe I will.” Ben’s response shot into my inbox.
