Now I really had lost everything.
I didn’t think about how this came to pass. Maybe Valerie decided to rat me out anyway. Maybe Jake found out I was seeing Deacon and tattled on me to be petty. Maybe Deacon got so pissed off that he threw me under the bus.
Did it really matter?
It didn’t change anything.
My ass was fired.
Matt got out of his chair and came to my side. “Cleo?”
My hands shook as I gripped at the box and looked at my stuff. I didn’t have a husband or kids waiting for me at home. I didn’t have a lot of friends. All I had was my job, my passion, and now that was gone. I had some in savings, but that would only get me by for a couple months because I’d run out of cash since my rent was so high. With my experience, I could get hired immediately, but since I couldn’t ask for a recommendation…I was screwed. I had no other professional experience, so I had no idea how I was going to survive in the most expensive city in the world.
I’d have to move.
“Cleo?”
‘I turned to Matt, forgetting that he’d just spoken. “Yes?”
“I want you to know that we weren’t the ones who ratted you out to Mr. Kline.”
I gave him a smile, appreciating their loyalty. “Thanks.”
“They went over us,” he said. “Otherwise, we would have buried it.”
It was sweet…so sweet.
“Let’s get a drink after work.” He placed his hand on my back, knowing I was on the verge of having a breakdown.
“Maybe in a few days,” I whispered. “I just…need some time.”
“Of course.” He dropped his hand. “You’re the reason this place is the best, and it’s not going to be the same without you. This is a mistake…a big mistake.”
I grabbed the box and held it to my chest. “I’ll see you later, Matt. Bye, Anna.” I turned to leave, so I could cry on the walk home in peace. New Yorkers would pass me but pretend they didn’t notice. It was one of the nice things about this city…no one cared.
“Cleo?” Matt said.
I turned back to him.
“Mr. Kline is in his car outside, wants you to join him.”
I sighed loudly, already emotionally exhausted. Now I had to sit there and listen to my boss fire me. I didn’t see why we needed to have a conversation at all. My job was gone. Why did we need to talk about it? But I couldn’t just walk away. He’d taken a chance on me when I started. I was so young at the time, but he’d hired me anyway. “Alright.” I made my way out of the lobby, grateful none of my former clients were there to watch me walk out of that building with a box of my belongings in my hands.
I recognized Mr. Kline’s blacked-out Mercedes.
I walked to the door, took a deep breath, and then joined him in the back seat, the box on my lap.
The driver stared straight ahead, his earbuds masking our conversation.
I stared at my box, unable to look at him. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity, Mr. Kline. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.” I was being fired for a legitimate reason. I did break the rules by sleeping with not one but two residents. I wouldn’t argue my case when I was totally guilty. I regretted the first transgression, but not the second…even if he left me.
Mr. Kline was quiet, as if he didn’t know how to respond to that.
I kept looking at the box so I wouldn’t have to see his face.
“Cleo, I didn’t want to do this…if that makes a difference. You’re the best concierge I’ve ever had. I’ll have to replace you, but they’ll never be as good as you. But…I don’t have a choice.”
“I know.” My time was over, and instead of sobbing my way through it, I chose to have some dignity, to be graceful instead of a blubbering mess. The puffy eyes and red cheeks could wait until I got home.
“I just don’t understand why you did it. Why would you be so stupid?”
I would never have a legitimate excuse to justify the first one. But for the second, the answer was easy. I was in love.
“You’re better than that, Cleo.”
I continued to stare at my box because it was too hard to meet his gaze.
“You have no idea how much of a headache this has been for me.” He sighed loudly. “And now it’s going to be a bigger headache finding someone to replace you, because if I can’t find the right person, it’s going to affect the desirability of the building. And with you gone, the rest of the staff has to sprint around trying to keep up. It’s just…a fucking nightmare.”
My life was a nightmare, too.
“You can’t take any of my residents because of the contract, and make no mistake, I will sue you. And if you tell anyone about the residents who live in my building, I’ll sue you for that too.”