Read Online Lovers and Takers by Katherine Cachitorie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katherine Cachitorie
Ads: Link
contract.”
Roni sat on her bed. It was another blow in a long string of blows lately. “But why?” she asked into the phone. “We’re beginning to see results.”
“That’s what’s so infuriating about this. They knew we were getting our footing. They knew we were beginning to turn things around.”
“Then why did they leave?” Roni wanted to know.
“The same reason many of the other sponsors left.”
“Statistics?”
“Yes,” Griff said. “Our success rate is just way too low for those people.”
“But they knew that going in. We aren’t defending boy scouts. We’re defending convicted criminals. It’s a tough business.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Roni. I know all of that. You don’t have to convince me.”
Roni rubbed her hand over her forehead. The idea of losing another sponsor was unbearable. And the LaBreek Foundation was one of their biggest.
“I know you hate to even think it,” Griff continued, “but we have got to consider more layoffs. And I’m talking at least a third more. And if things keep going the way they’ve been, we may have to close our doors altogether.”
Griff was right. Roni didn’t want to think about something that drastic, but she knew he spoke the truth. “Meet me in my office tomorrow morning, nine a.m. We’ll discuss it then.”
“Right,” Griff said. “And don’t worry yourself sick about it, either,” he added. “Get drunk, Roni. Relax. Nothing we can do about it tonight.”
“Good night, Griff,” Roni said, and hung up the phone.
Then she fell back on her bed. She didn’t drink so she wasn’t about to get drunk, and how could she not worry herself sick when her law center was her life’s work? The mere thought of it all going down, all because of finances, made her close her eyes in anguish.
It was times like these, agonizingly scary times, that she wish she wasn’t so alone.
And just as she thought it, her doorbell rang. Which gave her a start. She sat up and looked at the clock on her night stand. It was almost eleven. Then she realized it more than likely was Kara coming to get her beloved car and car keys.
She grabbed the keys from her purse, knotted the towel tighter just above her breasts, and headed for the front door of her small home. All she could think about was how so many people would be affected if she didn’t get it together. Wingate Law Center was the last chance for many of the wrongfully accused, and she couldn’t bear being unable to help even one of them due to lack of funding. And laying off any more investigators would be professional suicide. They couldn’t help anybody without boots on the ground knocking on doors and finding lost witnesses. It was all so disconcerting, she thought.
She opened her door to Kara gladly, hoping that Kara could stay and talk for a while. But that hope was quickly dashed when she realized it wasn’t her younger cousin standing at her front door, but the man her younger cousin so desperately wanted her to connect with.
Jake Varnadore.
She could hardly believe it.
For a few seconds they both just stood there, looking into each other’s eyes, as if they were connecting on a different level this time. Earlier, at his house, they felt good just to know that the other wasn’t as awful a companion as they had both assumed the other would be. But now, with him on her doorstep, with her standing before him half naked, and looking so flustered and in need of such serious TLC that it stunned him, a different feeling overtook them. And it was as real, as natural, as palpable as the prickly tingles that ran up both their spines.
Jake didn’t ask to enter her home, and for some odd reason she didn’t expect him to. It just seemed natural for him to walk in. Which he did. And close the door. Which he did. And as soon as his powerful presence
Roni sat on her bed. It was another blow in a long string of blows lately. “But why?” she asked into the phone. “We’re beginning to see results.”
“That’s what’s so infuriating about this. They knew we were getting our footing. They knew we were beginning to turn things around.”
“Then why did they leave?” Roni wanted to know.
“The same reason many of the other sponsors left.”
“Statistics?”
“Yes,” Griff said. “Our success rate is just way too low for those people.”
“But they knew that going in. We aren’t defending boy scouts. We’re defending convicted criminals. It’s a tough business.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Roni. I know all of that. You don’t have to convince me.”
Roni rubbed her hand over her forehead. The idea of losing another sponsor was unbearable. And the LaBreek Foundation was one of their biggest.
“I know you hate to even think it,” Griff continued, “but we have got to consider more layoffs. And I’m talking at least a third more. And if things keep going the way they’ve been, we may have to close our doors altogether.”
Griff was right. Roni didn’t want to think about something that drastic, but she knew he spoke the truth. “Meet me in my office tomorrow morning, nine a.m. We’ll discuss it then.”
“Right,” Griff said. “And don’t worry yourself sick about it, either,” he added. “Get drunk, Roni. Relax. Nothing we can do about it tonight.”
“Good night, Griff,” Roni said, and hung up the phone.
Then she fell back on her bed. She didn’t drink so she wasn’t about to get drunk, and how could she not worry herself sick when her law center was her life’s work? The mere thought of it all going down, all because of finances, made her close her eyes in anguish.
It was times like these, agonizingly scary times, that she wish she wasn’t so alone.
And just as she thought it, her doorbell rang. Which gave her a start. She sat up and looked at the clock on her night stand. It was almost eleven. Then she realized it more than likely was Kara coming to get her beloved car and car keys.
She grabbed the keys from her purse, knotted the towel tighter just above her breasts, and headed for the front door of her small home. All she could think about was how so many people would be affected if she didn’t get it together. Wingate Law Center was the last chance for many of the wrongfully accused, and she couldn’t bear being unable to help even one of them due to lack of funding. And laying off any more investigators would be professional suicide. They couldn’t help anybody without boots on the ground knocking on doors and finding lost witnesses. It was all so disconcerting, she thought.
She opened her door to Kara gladly, hoping that Kara could stay and talk for a while. But that hope was quickly dashed when she realized it wasn’t her younger cousin standing at her front door, but the man her younger cousin so desperately wanted her to connect with.
Jake Varnadore.
She could hardly believe it.
For a few seconds they both just stood there, looking into each other’s eyes, as if they were connecting on a different level this time. Earlier, at his house, they felt good just to know that the other wasn’t as awful a companion as they had both assumed the other would be. But now, with him on her doorstep, with her standing before him half naked, and looking so flustered and in need of such serious TLC that it stunned him, a different feeling overtook them. And it was as real, as natural, as palpable as the prickly tingles that ran up both their spines.
Jake didn’t ask to enter her home, and for some odd reason she didn’t expect him to. It just seemed natural for him to walk in. Which he did. And close the door. Which he did. And as soon as his powerful presence
Similar Books
