Page 32 of Corporate Escapades

“Well,” she said, sticking out her chin. “Now that I have no money, I may not have a choice.”

Vic shook his head. He was floored at how ridiculous Paris acted. She’d been handed everything in life, yet she chose to steal things simply because she could. It was maddening to think about. “You’ll be fine. We’ll get our jobs and money back, you’ll see.”

“No, you don’t understand,” she said, tears threatening to fall.Pull it together, Paris,she thought to herself. The last person she needed to see her cry was Vic. “I’ve spent all my current money,” she added sheepishly.

“What?” demanded Vic. “How?”

“I was upset, and Jack suggested I buy myself something.”

“You listened to him? He’s a baby, Paris. He barely knows his left hand from his right. Whatever would possess you to take his advice?”

“It sounded like a good idea at the time.”

“You need to cancel that order,” he said.

“I can’t.” Her bottom lip began to quiver.

“Yes, you can,” he replied. “It’s simple. You go to your account and hit cancel.”

“No, I can’t,” she said shakily. “It was an auction. Your little brother has run off to tell Mya and Chase about my epic failure, as we speak.”

“Lord, have mercy,” said Vic as he stared up at the ceiling. He didn’t know what to say. The woman was maddening and seemed to be hell-bent on making his life miserable. He had to admit, though, aside from her clumsiness, she really had put forth some effort into their current situation. At least until now. He would make a mental note to give Jack a sound tongue lashing when he saw him next. That boy always thought he knew what was best, but rarely did he have a good idea outside of his writing. He lived in a fantasy world most of the time. It was all roses and damsels in distress.

Breaking into Vic’s thoughts, Paris asked, “What am I going to do?”

“Woman, this better not push us further down the rabbit hole,” replied Vic. “I can’t even imagine what worse job could be waiting for us if this doesn’t pan out.”

“You know what,” replied Paris, “you’re the reason we ended up janitors. I was doing just fine in the mailroom. You’re the one who can’t keep it in your pants. Slacking off to chase tail is not okay, especially at your age. I would have moved up from there if I hadn’t been tethered to your ungrateful butt.”

“Ungrateful? Don’t make me laugh. You’re the queen of ungratefulness, Paris. I don’t know what you’re going to do about your money problem. It’s not my issue. Good luck,” he said, slamming the door as he left.

Saturday morning, Vic set out to meet his family for a game of tennis. Normally, he and his brother would team up against their parents. The game had become a fun family ritual that took place at least twice per month. Whenever his cousin Breanna was in town, she and Cristo would form a team and play as well.Today his brother and Cristo had some business to attend to, so Breanna had swapped in as his partner.

“You ready for this?” asked Breanna. She was bouncing from one foot to the other, her blonde ponytail whipping back and forth. Her energy was off the charts. He’d be lying if he said he’d never wondered if the girl was on speed, but she’d exhibited such behavior as far back as childhood.

“Give me some of what you’re having,” he said, “and I think I’ll manage.”

“Nah, you can’t bottle this,” she laughed. “We have thirty minutes until game time. You still have a couple of miles in you?”

“You want to run before the match?” asked Vic.

“Come on, Vic, for old time’s sake? I miss those high school days when we ran cross country together.”

“I usually take Saturday off and play tennis instead. It’s easier on the knees.”

“Seriously? You must be getting old,” she said with a snort. “Do it for me. Please?”

“Fine,” he conceded. They stopped to drop their bags in lockers and then were on their way after a brief stretch.

Without wasting any time, Breanna said, “I heard about your situation.”

“What situation?” asked Vic. He’d play dumb and see how much she truly knew.

“For starters, it sounds like you lost your job and were asked to move out of your condo because of something that happened the night of the festival. Did you find another job yet?”

Vic stopped running, and Breanna faltered only briefly as she came to a halt in front of him. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Who told you that?”

“Word gets around,” she replied, “but I actually heard it from Jack. He said things are a bit of a mess right now because you’re no longer a Senior Planner. It’s true then?”

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