“I wish you would. By all means, go ahead and sue me. I’d love the chance to tell the world what a piece of shit you are. As for your nephew, tell him I’m going to make sure he pays for what he did.”
“I don’t have a nephew…”
“Pull the other one. By the way, don’t use me as a reference and it goes without saying that you’re not allowed anywhere near me or any of my establishments in the future.”
She opened her mouth to lie some more but I was already over it. I was barely holding myself back as it is. Not because she’s a female. After the shit she’d pulled that shit didn’t matter.
But because I couldn’t do time right now. Plus I needed to get back and deal with the hellcat I’d left at my place. I wasn’t sure how long her poor brother could hang in there without caving.
She was still prattling on, stating her case as if she had one, but I had gone deaf. I didn’t want to hear shit from her lying ass mouth. I also didn’t want to spend any more time than was necessary in her presence.
As she spoke I was opening drawers until I found what I was looking for.
“Save it Arlene, it’s not gonna work. Is this yours?” Since she was the only female manager on staff this shift, I correctly guessed that the purse in the desk drawer was hers.
I took it out and passed it to her. “Grab your coat, I’ll walk you out.” She snatched it off the back of one of the chairs and pushed her bag on her shoulder before storming out of the room ahead of me.
She wasn’t too quiet as I followed behind her and her threats got more inventive as she went. Not to mention the things she had to say about Annabelle. All eyes were on us as I escorted her to the door. It won’t be long before the whispers and speculation start I’m sure.
From some of the looks most of them weren’t too sad to see her go. Celeste the bartender was the only one who reacted outwardly with a round of applause and a big ass grin on her face. I wonder what the hell Tony had told her.
I watched her leave and head down the sidewalk towards the parking garage around the corner before heading back inside. I’d like to think the shit was over but I got the feeling that it wasn’t. At least she was no longer close enough to do shit.
I waited around just long enough to have a few words with her replacement who arrived not long after she left, before heading back to the car with Tony hot on my heels.
I’ll have a talk with the dancers another day, make sure they were okay. Who knows what else that witch had done behind my back?
Right now I had more pressing matters to deal with though. I’m sure they’ll line up to tell me their grievances the next time I come in.
“You think she’ll leave it there?” Tony asked as he started the car.
“No, not for a fucking second. I’ll just have to keep an eye on Annabelle, make sure she stays safe.”
I looked out the window, mad at myself for being so blind. What I’d thought was an innocent flirtation that was just slightly out of hand was obviously something much worst. What I’d seen in her eyes in that office just now left me cold.
The threats against me were laughable, but the things she had to say about Annabelle were a different matter. She hated her guts and I’m sure the girl never did shit to her.
She’d obviously guessed correctly that I was more than a little fond of Anna and felt threatened. Since the shit was all in her mind, this thing between her and I, how the fuck was I supposed to deal with it?
I’m not that green that I don’t know what goes on in the world. Now that she’d been fired I don’t expect her to take that shit lying down. If she comes for me that’s fine, but somehow I get the feeling that I’m not the one she’s going to target.
“I want everything we can find on her by Monday the latest.” That’s when I planned on dropping in on Ray Morrison’s place of employment. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to destroy him.
“You’ve got it. I’ll put someone on her as well just to be safe. She looked all kinds a mad when she left. Personally I don’t think she’s all there. Never did.”
“So why the fuck did you let me hire her?”
“Hah! I tried to tell you but you kept going on and on about how good she was, so I left it alone.”