Read Online Temping Is Hell by Cathy Yardley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cathy Yardley
Ads: Link
“Come on, Prue. You know me.”
Prue nodded slowly. “So you’re pulling a work-around.”
“Just like at Uncle Felix’s—he always tried stupid stuff when it came to labor laws. I can fix this. Unfortunately, it means dealing with Tad.” Kate sighed. “Which I wouldn’t, but these guys really are in a bad situation. If I can help them get the work done faster, more efficiently, hopefully this asshole boss of theirs will get off their backs.”
“You can’t save everyone.”
“I’m not saving anybody,” Kate countered. “I’m just trying to help a little. A couple of Ho Hos and a text recognition program doesn’t make me Mother Theresa.”
“So how’s the program supposed to help?”
“They’re going through thousands of pages, looking for a symbol like this.” Kate pulled the page she’d let Tad copy out of her bag. “This guy, the Overseer, is going to punish them if they don’t find a match in a week. The computer will make it so much easier. I’m actually surprised Thomas didn’t think of it himself. I thought he wrote a video game when he was a kid, and that’s how he made his first million or something… He was a computer geek back in the day.”
Of course, no computer geek she’d ever met looked that smokin’ hot, so she figured she was probably wrong on that one.
Prue’s eyes narrowed, and she held the paper, staring at it. “This looks familiar.”
“Lot of that going around,” Kate said dryly, thinking of Tad’s response.
“No, I’m not kidding. This looks like something… Shit. Can’t remember.” Prue tilted her head. “Can I take this?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll send it to Nan Temper. I get the feeling it’s something mystic,” Prue said.
Kate glanced at her phone, winced. “Crap. I’ve gotta go.” She gave Prue a quick hug. “Thanks. I needed a night out.”
“Love you, chica ,” Prue said easily, but her dark eyes were worried. “Come by the shop this week, ’kay? I’ll give you a reading.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, and Kate?”
Kate turned. “Yeah?”
“What are you going to do if they still get punished?” Prue asked.
Kate’s stomach dropped, but she squared her shoulders.
“I’m going out with Tadpole, of all damned things,” she muttered. “Trust me. I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Chapter Five
True to his word, Tadpole had come through, or claimed to. She’d hoped to pick up the program and a scanner at his house and put off the date indefinitely. Instead, he’d arranged it like a prisoner exchange. He’d give her the stuff at the date.
Blocked, she’d had no choice but to agree. She met him at Jack London Square, thinking they’d go someplace casual, like Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles. Instead, he met her in the center of the square, then ushered her to Yoshi’s, the chic sushi bar/jazz club that had been an institution in Oakland.
“Here? Really?” Kate said, her voice weak.
Tad winked at her, guiding her with a hand at the small of her back. He was newly showered, his hair gelled into submission. He was also wearing a dress shirt that still held creases from being in the plastic package. He wore his usual sneakers, but otherwise he’d made a serious effort.
Oh, God. He really thinks this is a date.
She was wearing slacks, at least, and a definite, non-date sort of gray sweater. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. “Did you bring the stuff?” she asked.
He looked hurt for a second, and she winced. “Obviously,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You can get it after dinner, okay? Can you at least try to pretend like you’re having a good time?”
She sighed. Save me from nerds in love . She’d been one once herself—but let’s face it, it was different for girl nerds.
She let him open the door for her, tried to look suitably impressed when he gave their name and the waitress led them to their table. There wasn’t a concert, at least, although the buzz of
Prue nodded slowly. “So you’re pulling a work-around.”
“Just like at Uncle Felix’s—he always tried stupid stuff when it came to labor laws. I can fix this. Unfortunately, it means dealing with Tad.” Kate sighed. “Which I wouldn’t, but these guys really are in a bad situation. If I can help them get the work done faster, more efficiently, hopefully this asshole boss of theirs will get off their backs.”
“You can’t save everyone.”
“I’m not saving anybody,” Kate countered. “I’m just trying to help a little. A couple of Ho Hos and a text recognition program doesn’t make me Mother Theresa.”
“So how’s the program supposed to help?”
“They’re going through thousands of pages, looking for a symbol like this.” Kate pulled the page she’d let Tad copy out of her bag. “This guy, the Overseer, is going to punish them if they don’t find a match in a week. The computer will make it so much easier. I’m actually surprised Thomas didn’t think of it himself. I thought he wrote a video game when he was a kid, and that’s how he made his first million or something… He was a computer geek back in the day.”
Of course, no computer geek she’d ever met looked that smokin’ hot, so she figured she was probably wrong on that one.
Prue’s eyes narrowed, and she held the paper, staring at it. “This looks familiar.”
“Lot of that going around,” Kate said dryly, thinking of Tad’s response.
“No, I’m not kidding. This looks like something… Shit. Can’t remember.” Prue tilted her head. “Can I take this?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll send it to Nan Temper. I get the feeling it’s something mystic,” Prue said.
Kate glanced at her phone, winced. “Crap. I’ve gotta go.” She gave Prue a quick hug. “Thanks. I needed a night out.”
“Love you, chica ,” Prue said easily, but her dark eyes were worried. “Come by the shop this week, ’kay? I’ll give you a reading.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, and Kate?”
Kate turned. “Yeah?”
“What are you going to do if they still get punished?” Prue asked.
Kate’s stomach dropped, but she squared her shoulders.
“I’m going out with Tadpole, of all damned things,” she muttered. “Trust me. I’ll do whatever I have to, to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Chapter Five
True to his word, Tadpole had come through, or claimed to. She’d hoped to pick up the program and a scanner at his house and put off the date indefinitely. Instead, he’d arranged it like a prisoner exchange. He’d give her the stuff at the date.
Blocked, she’d had no choice but to agree. She met him at Jack London Square, thinking they’d go someplace casual, like Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles. Instead, he met her in the center of the square, then ushered her to Yoshi’s, the chic sushi bar/jazz club that had been an institution in Oakland.
“Here? Really?” Kate said, her voice weak.
Tad winked at her, guiding her with a hand at the small of her back. He was newly showered, his hair gelled into submission. He was also wearing a dress shirt that still held creases from being in the plastic package. He wore his usual sneakers, but otherwise he’d made a serious effort.
Oh, God. He really thinks this is a date.
She was wearing slacks, at least, and a definite, non-date sort of gray sweater. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. “Did you bring the stuff?” she asked.
He looked hurt for a second, and she winced. “Obviously,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You can get it after dinner, okay? Can you at least try to pretend like you’re having a good time?”
She sighed. Save me from nerds in love . She’d been one once herself—but let’s face it, it was different for girl nerds.
She let him open the door for her, tried to look suitably impressed when he gave their name and the waitress led them to their table. There wasn’t a concert, at least, although the buzz of
Similar Books
