Page 36 of Every Broken Piece
“I can’t divulge that information.”
I’m not surprised by her answer. Our company would have said the same. Basically, it’s none of my damn business.
But it is my business. It’s very much my business.
“When did this happen?”
“Mr. Strong, the new VA assigned to you is extremely competent and I feel a better fit—”
“When?”
“That’s confiden—”
“When, Ms. Vaughn?”
There’s silence on the other end. I check my phone to make sure she hasn’t hung up. She’s still there so I wait her out.
“Certain information came to light yesterday,” she finally says. “We had to make the tough decision to let her go.”
I squeeze my phone and close my eyes. Tess was fired. They fucking fired her.
“Why?”
She clears her throat. “Fraternizing with our clients is against corporate policy. I’m certain your company has the same rules.”
My head drops because I know where this is going. They found our texts on her damn phone. Her company phone.
I know better.
Ifuckingknow better.
“I need her personal phone number.”
“You know I can’t give you that.”
“You can.”
“I won’t. This is inappropriate, Mr. Strong. Ms. James is gone, and Mr. Davis is now your assistant. He will seamlessly step in to Ms. James’ shoes.”
I hang up and drop my phone to my desk to bury my head in my hands.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.Fuck.
I did this. I caused Tess to lose her job because I started texting her. I tried to stop but I couldn’t. I couldn’t walk away from those nightly connections that meant everything to me. I couldn’t walk away fromher.
It’s so stupid. Stupid and careless. I need to find Tess and make this right.
“Jack!”
A few seconds later Jack appears, leaning against the doorframe, hands in the pockets of worn jeans, hair sticking up in all directions like he hasn’t brushed it in a week. “You know you can text me. Or even message me on the company messenger app. Bellowing is unnecessary in this day and age.”
“Tess was fired.”
His eyes widen. “Why’d you fire Tess? I thought things were better.”
“I didn’t fire her, you idiot. She was fired from the company she worked for.”
He pulls his hands out of his pockets and steps in to close the door. “What’d you do to get her fired?”
