Oh, hell.
Tony looked up. "Hi, Rune, how you doin'? Oh, by the way, you're fired. Pack up your stuff and leave."
He was more cheerful than he'd been in months.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The woman, an attractive redhead in her twenties, looked uncertainly at Rune. Then at Tony.
Rune said, "Look, Tony, I'm really, really sorry. I got ..."
You only lie to people who can control you.
But I don't want to get fired. I don't, I don't, I don't.
"...I got stuck on the subway. Power failure. Or somebody on the tracks. It was disgusting. No lights, it was smelly, it was hot. And I--"
"Rune, I've had it. Frankie Greek's sister went into labor just after you left and he had to take her to the hospital. And I know she did, 'cause I called her ob-gyn to check."
"You did what?" Rune asked.
Tony shrugged. "He coulda been faking. What'd I know? But whatta you want me to do when you give me some half-assed excuse about the subway? Call the head of the MTA? Ask him if the E train got stuck at Thirty-fourth Street?"
"Please don't fire me."
"I had to work by myself for two fucking hours, Rune."
"Jesus, Tony, it's not like a hot dog stand at Giants Stadium at halftime. How many customers did you have?"
"That's not the point. I missed lunch."
"I'll be better. I really--"
"Time out," the redhead said, shutting them both up. She added, "I'm not taking the job."
"What?" Tony was looking at her.
"I can't take somebody else's job."
"You're not. I fired her before I hired you. It's just that she didn't know."
"Tony," Rune said. Hated that she was pleading but she couldn't help it. What would Richard think if he heard she got canned? He already thought she was totally irresponsible.
"I'd feel too guilty," the redhead explained.
Tony: "You said you needed a job."
"I do. But I'll find something else."
"No, no, doll," Tony said, "don't worry."
But then she said in a stony voice, "You fire her, I'm leaving too."
Tony closed his eyes momentarily. "Jesus Christ." He then leaned forward and glared at Rune. "Okay. Frankie's only going to be working half-days until his sister's back home. You can fill out his schedule. But if you miss any more shifts, without a real excuse, that'll be it."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Tony then smiled at the woman, probably thinking he'd scored some points with her for his