“What is this job opportunity? Do I even want to know?” I ask.
“Of course you’ll want to know,” he says. “You’re the one taking the job.”
I’m not sure what emotion I feel. It’s a mixture of numb, shock, and something like disappointment. “What do you mean, I’m taking the job?” I ask, unable to move. “I’m fine here. I’m good in Detroit. I don’t want to go to Boulder.”
“Look, I’m going to lay it on you straight,” he says, throwing his arm around my waist.
I tense, heart racing.
He says, “The board doesn’t like that you’re spending so much time with Rocco. If it were up to me, I would let it go. But, you know, it’s up to a lot of people. I have bosses too, you know.”
“What the fuck, Byron?”
I barely get the words out. I don’t know what to say. The entire situation is just so fucked up, it’s actually blowing my mind.
I want to call Rocco. I want to tell him everything, but how?
“Are you serious? You can’t make me go to Boulder. I’m not leaving Michigan,” I say.
“Madison, it’s beyond my control. You don’t have to listen to the board. You could always go against them,” he says. “I don’t think they’d be too happy. You never really go to the meetings, and I think they’re beginning to resent that.”
I scoff, ready to argue, but he cuts me off.
“It’s just a fundraiser. You’ll be there for a few days, tops. I’ll be there, right beside you.”
I clench my teeth and angrily spit out my words. “You told me not to work for a while. You practically made me stay home.”
My world starts to spin.
“I told you to mourn,” he says. “And, believe me, I understand your situation fully. It’s like I said. I have no problem with your choices. But this is one job they want you to do, and if you don’t do it, I think they might vote to kick you off the payroll.”
“This can’t be happening,” I whisper. “How is this real?”
“Look on the bright side,” he says. “You’ll be in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. You’ll be surrounded by trees. Wonderful nature. Clean air. Who knows, you could meet the man of your dreams.”
“I don’t need to meet the man of my dreams,” I say. “I love this city. We’ve got enough trees here. If I wanted to take a vacation, I would have. I just want to live my life.”
He shrugs and lets me go. He lights a long cigar.
I wish my father had never started a business with this prick.
“Look, sometimes you’re called upon to co
mmit to an act of service. I’m sorry about that. I really am. You have a week to decide, anyway. Make the most of it, baby-doll,” he says.
I’m speechless…
He winks, takes a few puffs, and steps inside a black car.
It speeds away.
When he’s gone, I feel a huge relief wash over my body. It’s bitter-sweet. Sure, he’s gone. But he’s made his mark. He wants me out of the way, so he can take on Rocco without interruption.
Business as usual.
I can’t tell Rocco about this. As much as I want to, I can’t let him know. I need to figure out what decision to make.
The worst part is I need that money to survive. I have nothing else. No real job history. No great resume to fall back on. It’s just me and what my father told me what would be mine.