Her sandwiches. Bloody hell, I loved her sandwiches.
The music changed, and I held back a snicker as one of Survivor’s over-the-top ballads came on and Shelby started singing along with it. “The Search Is Over” it was called. She loved all this shit.
Then I did chuckle. She listened to them so often, I now knew the names of this crap as well.
But if that music was playing, it meant she was here, in my house.
And listening to her in my kitchen, I knew I loved having her around.
My head fell back against the cushion as I remembered how she came to be a part of my life.LiamSix Months AgoI walked through the doorway and stopped short. “Marie, what the bloody hell are you doing?”
She stood, looking guilty. “Nothing. Just…laundry.”
I snorted. “You don’t do laundry. You send it all out to be done. You told me it wasn’t part of your job.” I was quite grateful about that. I didn’t want her touching the clothes I wore.
“I made an exception.”
I spied the camera in her hands, and I widened my eyes.
“Why the hell are you taking a picture of my shorts?” My gaze flew to the computer sitting beside her on the desk and the website open on the screen. “Bloody hell! Are you selling my stuff on the internet?” I gaped at her, pulling my hands through my hair. “Are you daft?”
Her guilt vanished immediately. “You have plenty. I needed some extra cash.”
“I have plenty? Extra cash? Jesus Christ! I pay you a bloody fortune to do literally nothing! And those… Those are my underwear—they’re personal!” I roared.
“Fine. I’ll put them back.”
“Bloody right, you will.” I shuddered, knowing I would never wear them again. I needed to buy all new ones now. I drew in a deep breath, finding the courage I needed. “You’re fired.”
“What?” she screeched at me.
I straightened my shoulders. This was my house. My stuff she was selling. Her employment with me was going to end soon anyway, but I didn’t want to wait anymore. “I said, you’re fired. Pack your stuff, and leave anything of mine behind. You’re not selling any more of my things. Get out—now.”
“You bastard!”
“Me? You’re the one selling my stuff—that’s stealing. You’re lucky I don’t press charges.”
Suddenly, the laptop, which had been sitting on the desk beside my shorts, came flying toward me. I yelped and ducked, watching as it struck the wall behind me, shattering into pieces when it hit the floor. “Blimey, you bitch! That was my laptop!” I yelled.
The camera followed suit, as well as anything else she could get her hands on. Bobbing and weaving, I ran for the bathroom, locking myself in. Objects hit the door behind me as the whacko I had just fired screamed obscenities at me. Apparently, she didn’t like being sacked. I heard her storm out of the den, and I breathed a sigh of relief before scrambling for my phone in a hurry when I heard the sounds of breaking glass and more yelling coming from down the hall.
Holy shit, she was going to destroy my house. She might be angry enough to break down the bathroom door. I hadn’t thought this through very well.
I dialed my manager, Everett, who answered impatiently. “What, Liam? This isn’t a good time.”
“Fuck, Everett, neither is this. Marie has gone barmy and is destroying my house. I need you here!”
“Why?”
“Why?” I echoed. “Because I think she may kill me!”
“No, you idiot, why has she gone barmy?”
“I, ah…sacked her.”
“Crap, Liam, you dipshit. You did what? We agreed I’d handle that while you were away! Five more days—you only had to last five more days. What the hell happened that you couldn’t wait five more days?”
“She nicked my shorts!” I screamed into the phone. “My boxers, Everett! She was selling them on the internet! I couldn’t let that slide. I sacked her, and now she’s breaking everything in the place!”
“You never fire someone alone, Liam. You, especially, should never fire anyone. No doubt you cocked it up. What did you say?”
“Um, you’re fired? Oh, and get out. I think that was about it.”
“Yep. You cocked it up.”
“Bugger that—get over here before she burns the place down!”
“On my way already. Where are you?”
“Locked in the bathroom.”
He snorted. “Of course you are.”“Oh God. Shit.”
I looked around in disbelief. How could one woman, especially one fairly small woman, do so much damage in such a short time? Everett had arrived, subdued her, called the cops, and let me know it was safe to come out of my hiding spot. I had opened the bathroom door and exited with as much pride as I could muster, considering I had been hiding from someone half my size. In my defense, I had a movie that started filming soon and I couldn’t have my face mucked up, and the cow had good aim.