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Others are less optimistic about the predicament and uncertainty they now find themselves in.
“I’m supposed to be retiring soon,” Stanley Bass, 61, tells NCT. “I’ve been working for Edison-Hill for almost 20 years. Now I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
Online forums and social media across the country is in an uproar over the new layoffs, even garnering the attention of Pennsylvania’s governor.
“I’m immensely disappointed in the leadership at Edison-Hill, one of the biggest employers in New Carnegie,” Jacqueline Rivera writes in an official statement. “Prioritizing profits over people is never the answer.”
Trending hashtags across several platforms, including #StepDownCEO and #BlacklistBioNex, call for both Lee and Schroeder to resign.
BioNex representatives could not be reached at this time.
7
Denise
When I wake up the next morning, I have no idea what time it is. Groggy and disoriented, I lift my head off my pillow and blink past blurry vision, reaching out to the other side of the bed only to find it vacant. I glance at the clock on my nightstand with a soft groan. It’s nearing ten a.m. Lucas should’ve woken up hours ago.
I lie on my back and stretch, drawing in a deep breath and a yawn, brushing my fingers along my body and realizing I’m still naked from the night before. My thighs are strained and sore, and after I pull myself out of bed, I giggle softly as I wobble to my own dresser to pull out fresh underwear, a pair of lounge shorts, and a tank top.
Goddamn. Codi did a number on me last night. Part of me wonders if I dreamed it, but the aching of my body doesn’t lie. He had me in every way a man could hope to have a woman, and I had him right back. Not only that, but I loved every minute of it.
Delightful smells and the sound of a pan sizzling waft through the air to greet me, and I already know what Codi’s up to. What a man. He can fuck me into the early morning until I’m senseless, still wake up, take care of Lucas, and cook me breakfast on top of that? I know it’s impossible, and I’m not usually one to playwhat ifandI wish, but I do anyway and wish I’d found him a long time ago.
I flop back down on my bed. My mind wanders to Becca, Oliver, and their son Aaron. I’m not worried about the social repercussions about being with Codi—seriously, who the fuck cares? Aside from my bestie and some of the girls I work with, I’m practically a hermit. My parents are gone, I barely talk to my extended family; they couldn’t care less about making time for me or my son. Sure, those Humanity First freaks might blow a gasket, but I don’t answer to them.
Wow, I’m actually thinking about being with Codi. Not just for sex, not roommates with benefits, but actually being with him. The possibility both exhilarates me and makes me nervous. I don’t do well in relationships; I never have. That’s why I always say goodbye first. Breaking hearts is so much easier than getting your own heart broken.
I don’t think Codi technically has a heart. I think it’s more like a generator type thing.Welp, that’s one problem solved.
A soft knock on my door brings me back into the present. It slowly cracks open, and Codi speaks to me through the opening, his voice low and affectionate. “Denise, are you decent?”
I slowly sit up and smile, ruffling my messy hair. “Yeah, I am.”
“All right. She’s ready, Lucas. Go ahead.” The door swings open, and my eyes widen as my little man carefully carries a tray of breakfast toward me. Codi stays a step back, watching him carefully. When Lucas’s grip gets a little shaky, Codi leans down to steady him.
“Good job. You’re almost there. Tell her what you did this morning.”
Lucas looks up at me with his bright blue eyes, beaming. “I made you breakfast, Mommy.”
“You did?” I grin so wide my cheeks hurt. With Codi’s help, the tray of strawberry French toast powdered with sugar, eggs, bacon, and a tall glass of orange juice is set down on my lap. “And you made my favorite? That’s so sweet!”
Lucas climbs up on my bed and looks at me expectantly. “Taste it, Mommy!”
I cut into the French toast and make a big show of how delicious it is, saying “mmm” loudly, rubbing my tummy, the whole works. Lucas eats up my praise. I have to taste everything before he’s convinced I actually enjoy my meal, even the orange juice. Then he quickly loses interest.
“Can I go play?”
He’s out the door before I’ve barely said yes. Codi remains sitting on the bed near my feet, gazing at me with a smile. Just the way he looks at me threatens to make me blush. That’s a strange feeling. I hardly ever blush.
“Good morning,” he says, lightly grasping my leg and giving my calf a soft squeeze. “Did you sleep well?”
“I slept like a rock.” He’s already got me stupid-smiling and I’m barely half conscious, no coffee or anything. “Was this your idea?”
“Maybe,” Codi replies with a smile. “I figured you worked up an appetite, and it gave me an excuse to keep Lucas busy while you slept in.”
“Where the hell have you been all my life?” I tease.
Codi’s gaze focuses on me, and he grins like a fox. “Well, technically I wasn’t invented or built yet for a greater portion of it. Hardly my fault.”
