all of them.
“Excuse me?” Saeed’s voice gave away the fact that he was not used to being talked to this way. Too bad. He’d crossed a line. After the last twenty-four hours, and after the way she worked her fingers to the bone for his ungrateful little tail every day, he was not going to talk to her this way and get away with it.
“Nobody likes you,” she said. “Not your employees, not the artists, not their managers. Nobody. You’re alienating the acts we already have faster than I can bring new ones in. None of the acts you’ve insisted we bring in have made us any money. The board brought you in to save us? Well, it seems to me that all you’re doing is running us into the ground quicker.”
The line went dead silent for so long, she thought at first that he’d hung up. Finally, he said, “Enjoy your vacation in the middle of nowhere wherever you are.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Consider yourself fired.”
“Fired?” In that moment, she could barely comprehend what the word meant. “Wait, no, no. I’m sorr—”
“Yes, fired. Done. That’s it. I’ll have someone pack your things. You can pick up the boxes when you get back or have someone pick them up for you.”
Melody crushed the phone to her ear, wanting to say so many things to him, but not able to get the words out. The word “fired” had paralyzed her tongue.
“We can discuss wrapping up loose ends, paperwork, and all the minor details when you get back to Atlanta.”
Still no words would come.
“Have a good vacation, Melody. I wish you well.” It didn’t sound like he wished her well. And then there was silence on the other end. She was holding the phone in her hand, staring at it, when Austin walked into the room.
Chapter Eight
Austin was filthy, but he’d seen Melody in the office and he wanted to say hi to her before going upstairs to wash up. As soon as he entered the doorway, he could tell something was off.
“Melody, what’s wrong?” he asked, walking into the center of the room. He’d left his work boots near the back door so he now wore only socks on his feet.
Melody jumped a little at the sound of his voice. Setting her phone on the desk next to her, she looked up at him with large brown eyes. She looked stunned. That was the best way to describe it. Like somebody had clubbed her over the head with something and she was trying to pull herself together after the blow.
“Huh? Oh. Hi, Austin,” she said.
“Hi,” he said. He moved closer and rephrased his earlier question. “Is everything okay?”
She shook her head and burst into tears. He wasn’t entirely sure what he should do. Probably hug her, but he was covered in gunk and grease. He walked over to the desk chair and squatted down next to her. “Melody?”
“I won’t need you to take me to the bus station.” It took her a while to get the words out. She spoke a few words at a time around her sobs. “The group. I have to call…manager…gone!”
He didn’t understand what she was talking about, but her certainly understood that she was upset.
“I would hug you, but I don’t want to get you all dirty,” he admitted. She slid off the chair and into his arms. Taken off guard, he almost fell backward. He caught himself just in time, got back on balance and held her to him. She then sobbed out enough of her story into his shoulder for him to know she’d gotten fired and she hated her boss—well, former boss.
“And now I have no job, no car—nothing.” She said, pulling back a little and swiping at her tears. Her hair was a little mussed and fell over one of her cheeks. Even tear streaked and with a black smudge of dirt from his coveralls on it, her face was beautiful. The face of an angel. He reached up to wipe the smudge from her cheek. He always scrubbed his hands clean before leaving the shop.
She sniffled and put her hand over his as he started to pull it away from her cheek. She gave him a watery
“Excuse me?” Saeed’s voice gave away the fact that he was not used to being talked to this way. Too bad. He’d crossed a line. After the last twenty-four hours, and after the way she worked her fingers to the bone for his ungrateful little tail every day, he was not going to talk to her this way and get away with it.
“Nobody likes you,” she said. “Not your employees, not the artists, not their managers. Nobody. You’re alienating the acts we already have faster than I can bring new ones in. None of the acts you’ve insisted we bring in have made us any money. The board brought you in to save us? Well, it seems to me that all you’re doing is running us into the ground quicker.”
The line went dead silent for so long, she thought at first that he’d hung up. Finally, he said, “Enjoy your vacation in the middle of nowhere wherever you are.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Consider yourself fired.”
“Fired?” In that moment, she could barely comprehend what the word meant. “Wait, no, no. I’m sorr—”
“Yes, fired. Done. That’s it. I’ll have someone pack your things. You can pick up the boxes when you get back or have someone pick them up for you.”
Melody crushed the phone to her ear, wanting to say so many things to him, but not able to get the words out. The word “fired” had paralyzed her tongue.
“We can discuss wrapping up loose ends, paperwork, and all the minor details when you get back to Atlanta.”
Still no words would come.
“Have a good vacation, Melody. I wish you well.” It didn’t sound like he wished her well. And then there was silence on the other end. She was holding the phone in her hand, staring at it, when Austin walked into the room.
Chapter Eight
Austin was filthy, but he’d seen Melody in the office and he wanted to say hi to her before going upstairs to wash up. As soon as he entered the doorway, he could tell something was off.
“Melody, what’s wrong?” he asked, walking into the center of the room. He’d left his work boots near the back door so he now wore only socks on his feet.
Melody jumped a little at the sound of his voice. Setting her phone on the desk next to her, she looked up at him with large brown eyes. She looked stunned. That was the best way to describe it. Like somebody had clubbed her over the head with something and she was trying to pull herself together after the blow.
“Huh? Oh. Hi, Austin,” she said.
“Hi,” he said. He moved closer and rephrased his earlier question. “Is everything okay?”
She shook her head and burst into tears. He wasn’t entirely sure what he should do. Probably hug her, but he was covered in gunk and grease. He walked over to the desk chair and squatted down next to her. “Melody?”
“I won’t need you to take me to the bus station.” It took her a while to get the words out. She spoke a few words at a time around her sobs. “The group. I have to call…manager…gone!”
He didn’t understand what she was talking about, but her certainly understood that she was upset.
“I would hug you, but I don’t want to get you all dirty,” he admitted. She slid off the chair and into his arms. Taken off guard, he almost fell backward. He caught himself just in time, got back on balance and held her to him. She then sobbed out enough of her story into his shoulder for him to know she’d gotten fired and she hated her boss—well, former boss.
“And now I have no job, no car—nothing.” She said, pulling back a little and swiping at her tears. Her hair was a little mussed and fell over one of her cheeks. Even tear streaked and with a black smudge of dirt from his coveralls on it, her face was beautiful. The face of an angel. He reached up to wipe the smudge from her cheek. He always scrubbed his hands clean before leaving the shop.
She sniffled and put her hand over his as he started to pull it away from her cheek. She gave him a watery
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