I have? This is all news to me. “Why didn’t you bring me in? Talk to me?”
He chuckles and the sound grates on my nerves. “Well, I’m telling you now.”
“It won’t happen again. I’ll get you that file.”
“No, why don’t you just go home for the rest of the afternoon. Actually why don’t you go home until I talk to the board and figure out what we’re going to do with you.”
“You’re firing me?”
“No one’s saying anything about firing anyone. I’m sure your father would have a field day with that one.” He lowers his head. “I should have never hired Banning’s daughter. Spoiled girl pretending to work when she knows she has Daddy’s money.”
“Excuse me?”
He snaps his head up, his eyes meeting mine. “Uh, nothing. You can go now.”
My face flames red, and my veins turn to molten lava. I’m so upset. I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry in my life. “Does this have anything to do with me knowing Ben Jamison?”
He doesn’t speak right away, but I can already see the truth in his eyes. It has everything to do with him. “Clara, we’ll call you soon. Now please, go home. And I seriously suggest finding better company to keep. Being with someone who doesn't understand the importance of marriage vows isn't a good person to be around."
I look over to where Mr. Carnet used to have a picture of him and his wife only to see it gone. There are rumors floating around that his wife cheated on him, and they were now separated. Being in HR gives you all the good gossip.
My heart drops in my stomach thinking Ben slept with Mr . Carnet's wife. I thought he was a good guy under his whorish behavior. With what Mr. Carnet is implying shows I was way off.
Who sleeps with a married woman?
I think of Maureen getting married, and wonder if Ben will sleep with her on her wedding day. I shake my head, needing to think.
"Thank you, sir.” I don’t know why I’m thanking him at all, but the respectable side of me comes out. A small part of me almost asked if he wanted the Morrison file before I left, and then I remembered this whole thing is Ben’s fault, and I want nothing more than to confront him.
I wave to Sarah on my way out the door, after collecting my things. I know the only reason I wasn’t fired was because he doesn’t want my father to sue him. And maybe I should call my father and figure out why this happened to me.
But first, I need to see if Ben knows Mr. Carnet. It’s the only explanation.
I hop in my car, rushing over to the Trifecta’s house.
“Hey, Clara what are you doing here?” Axel or Damien asks when they answer the door. I still can’t tell them apart.
“I’m here to see Ben.”
“Ben’s in his room getting his stuff. We’re getting ready to go to work.”
“Clara, what’s up?” Ben drops his bag with a thud.
“I got fired because of you today.”
“Wait, what?”
“Well, not technically fired, but I’m sure it’s coming once they waft through the legal red tape of it all.”
“Ok, you need to back up a few pages. What?”
I move into the house, crossing into the living room. I park a hand on my hip. “My boss saw us together, and then called me into his office.”
“And he fired you?” Axel or Damien asks. Definitely Axel. Definitely.
I face him. “Well, he let me go until he can talk to the ‘board.’” I put my fingers up, signaling air quotes.
Damien laughs. “See Ben, you really are bad news.”
“Shut up,” Ben warns, crossing the room to stand closer to me. “I don’t understand.”
“You and me both. Do you know Mr. Carnet? Jack Carnet. He runs Carnet Properties.”
I want to cross my fingers and make a wish on a wishing well that Ben doesn't know him and Mr. Carnet is wrong thinking Ben slept with his wife.
Ben thinks for a moment, his gorgeous green eyes glancing up at the ceiling as he searches his memories. “Um, I don’t think so.”
Axel thrusts a phone in Ben’s face. “I Googled him, this is what he looks like.”
Ben studies the picture. “No, I have no clue.” He scrolls through the pictures on his social media page. He stops, his eyes stuck to a picture of Mr. Carnet and his wife. I stop myself from gagging.
“Well, what does he have against you? Did you sleep with his daughter, or worse, wife?” Axel asks him.
"I didn't sleep with his wife." I search his face and see he's being sincere.
"Then why are you looking at his picture like you want to puke?" Damien asks.
"Because she tried to sleep with me."
"What?" I screech.
He looks at me peeling his attention away from the picture. "You honestly think I'd sleep with a married woman?" His voice sounds sad and I feel awful.