After All by Kristen Proby Page 0,43
to Mary’s cubicle in the HR office.
“Come with me, please,” Mary says primly, leading us to a small conference room, and shuts the door behind her with a sharp click. “Have a seat.”
She sets a folder at the head of the table and sits with her hands folded over it, watching us with cool blue eyes. The air of authority she’s trying to present is almost laughable.
She’s truly trying to make us feel like we’re in trouble.
“I need to talk to both of you ladies,” Mary begins. “It’s come to my attention, both here at work and away from the office, that you’re engaging in behavior that goes against our ethics code.”
She pulls two sets of stapled papers out of her folder and gives us each one.
“If you turn to page sixteen, as I’ve flagged it for you, you’ll see the passage I’m referring to. You both received the handbook when you first started your employment here.”
Sienna and I both scan the document and then look at each other with looks of what in the actual fuck?
“Let me see if I have this right,” Sienna says. “You’re slapping us on the wrist for having relationships with Quinn and Carter?”
“That’s right, as you ca—”
“Hold up,” Sienna says, holding her hand up. “You have a problem with my relationship with my husband.”
“Well, when you’re in the office, you are colleagues and should behave in a professional manner.”
I close the booklet and toss it on the table, then sit back in my chair and level my gaze at Mary, who’s suddenly looking a little nervous.
As she damn well should be.
“You know what, Mary? I’m done with you bullying me.”
“I beg your pardon,” Mary demands just as Sienna snickers beside me.
“You can beg for it, but I’m not going to give it,” I reply, leaning in. “First of all, Sienna is married to Quinn. They’ll behave as they choose, at the office or elsewhere. And as for me? Well, I’m with Carter, and I don’t care if that makes you angry, or uncomfortable. Nor do I care if you have a crush on him, and this is your way of throwing a little temper tantrum.
“We’re in relationships with the owners of this firm. If you want to pursue this, I suggest you take it up with them. No, I dare you to take it up with them.”
“What she said,” Sienna says. “Nora’s right, you’re a bully, and a pain in my butt. If you think you can drag us in here and look down your nose at us that way, well, you have another think coming.”
“The policy is clear,” Mary says, her voice wavering now. “I respect that you’re married to Quinn, Sienna, but there’s a time and place for public displays of affection, and here in the workplace is not that time or place.”
“Let’s be honest,” I cut in. “We’re here because you’re pissed at me, plain and simple. Like it or not, Carter and I are in a relationship, and I will not apologize for it to you or anyone else. I left my position as his assistant because of the policy. I won’t stop seeing him.”
“I see.” Mary nods once. “Then I see no other choice but to recommend you’re fired.”
I laugh, not intimidated by Mary in the least. Why was I ever truly concerned about this? Behaving in a professional manner is one thing, but being worried about what Mary of all people thinks is another matter altogether.
“Okay,” I say and stand. “Go ahead. Is that all?”
Without waiting for a reply, Sienna and I march out of the conference room, out of HR, and return to our floor. Once we’re in Sienna’s office and I’ve shut the door, we stare at each other and then dissolve into giggles.
It’s either laugh or cry, and I’ve shed all the tears over this particular subject that I’m willing to.
“She has nerve,” Sienna says, wiping a tear from under her eye. “What’s her problem?”
“She has a crush on Carter,” I reply with a deep sigh. “At least, that’s the office gossip, which I hate.”
“She can have a crush all day long. The man only has eyes for you,” Sienna says. “You’d have to be blind not to see it.”
“Yeah, well, she’ll get over it. And if she doesn’t, I’ll recommend she’s the one to be fired. I don’t ever want to have to do that, but I won’t be bullied here. I’ve been at this job for a decade, and I plan to be