flustered about the settlement and the tax consequences. While she thinks she submitted the taxes correctly, she believes she’ll be audited if the IRS were to start poking around her new employer.”
I understood that, although there were some protections in place for her unless any evidence she was involved directly with embezzlement came to light. “I can verify her taxes and help her file a correction if it’s required. That is absolutely no problem. I’ve worked with personal and small business accounting in addition to corporate accounting. I’ll have to review her specific situation, but unless there are circumstances I’m unaware of, it should be simple enough to handle.”
“That is exactly what we would need from you. What would be your time frame for being hired?”
“I am under an at-will contract with my current employer, but I was planning on giving two weeks of notice despite my at-will status. I am planning to hand in my resignation tomorrow morning. In the past, my employer has preferred to immediately terminate resigning employees.”
“While that is beneficial for my company, may I inquire why you are handing in your resignation without having secured future employment?”
I was planning on enjoying some time off, and while they may opt to immediately terminate my resignation, I would still be paid out my benefits as part of my contract. “In case of immediate termination, I’m paid out for the two weeks I would have worked as part of my resignation. Between that, my vacation benefits, and personal savings, I’ll be quite comfortable even with an extended job search.”
“Then I’m looking forward to meeting you on Friday, and should the interview go as I expect, we would be ready for you to begin work on Monday. As I’m aware you do not live in New York, we would be prepared to help you with your move as part of your employment package, but you would be in corporate housing for a few weeks until we have sufficient time to plan for a mover, if one is not readily available.”
That checked off a few of my boxes for my requirements for a new employer. “That sounds wonderful, Garret. Can you please email me any information and directions I’ll need for the interview?”
“I’ll do that for you as soon as I get off the phone. I appreciate your flexibility on this matter.”
While a risk, I figured I could make an offer. “Considering the situation and the extensive work required, if you ultimately need me in for an interview earlier, I can probably manage. I expect they’ll execute the immediate termination clause in my contract.”
“Should they, please let me know. We do have earlier openings for an interview, and I would not say no to being able to start this sooner than later. Frankly spoken, I expect this to be a mess.”
I did, too, but unlike him, I liked messes when I anticipated them. Messes earned me better pay, offered me negotiating grounds, and got me out of Washington that much faster.
If working for Garret didn’t work out, my resumé floated through New York’s murky waters. No matter where it went, there’d be sharks, but even shark-infested waters beat staying in Washington. My brother might not like me no longer being available for his plans, but he had a life as a father in front of him, and I needed to do something for me for a change.
And I would.
It took five minutes of exchanging pleasantries with Garret to get off the phone, and I smiled when I disconnected the call.
For a little while, life would be all about me, and I looked forward to every mistake I made along the way.
Someone else could be Lady Perfection for a while. Maybe I’d even be the star of one of Rick’s prized headlines for doing something so crazy yet marvelous everyone wanted to know about it.
In reality, I’d be just one of many women who’d lost her last fuck, and I was all right with that. A little freedom would do me a lot of good. I’d just stay away from Florida until I bothered to take control of my life, as some headlines were too extreme for even me.
Six
No longer would I be a scapegoat.
As expected, when I called in to work to talk with my boss, he opted for immediate termination. Then, in a move that surprised me, he spent several hours doing his best to convince me to stay. When he learned the truth, that I wanted to head