Page 50 of Savage in the Sheets
I smile back at Augustus Shroeder, a headhunter for a tech firm that’s been pursuing me aggressively since my resume went up.
The question needles me, but still, I answer. “I’m single.”
His eyes light up. “Then how does traveling sound? To some, it’s rather unappealing, but to a bachelor, there are amazing perks. And…those positions pay twice what you’re currently making, Mr. Singer.”
Twice what I’m currently making and traveling should have me salivating. After all, I don’t have a wife and kids to tie me down, and I’d get to meet a bevy of beauties from around the world.
Unfortunately, those things don’t matter to me anymore.
Because they pale in comparison to coming home to Jenna, which is a heaven I’ll never get to experience.
Unable to handle a simple lunch interview, I try my best to compose myself as I get up from my seat. “I have a lot of offers coming my way. Send me your best proposal, and I’ll consider it as I will do the others.”
His brow lifts in surprise.
I pull my coat on and leave without saying goodbye. It’s not how I usually leave meetings, but I’m emotionally exhausted and can’t bring myself to care.
After Jenna sent the text revealing that she’s met someone, it got me thinking of all the missed opportunities I’ve had with her. Maybe if I had realized I wanted to settle down sooner, we’d be together now. Maybe even raising a kid.
Instead, I get to go home each night alone with sick feelings of loneliness brewing in my gut.
What made the situation infinitely worse is that Angela, of all people, actually gave me hope.
She came over, warning me that if I hurt her friend, she’d do everything in her power to ‘end’ me. Which, with her family connections, she could do in a heartbeat.
So I decided to tell her how I feel and what I intended to do about it. She was thrilled, and for the first time since I got that nagging feeling about Jenna, I felt like everything was going to be okay.
Then the text came, which honestly threw me through a loop. Angela had just left, and I was putting the finishing touches on the ambiance. Then—BAM!
I had totally misread Angela’s enthusiasm, thinking it meant that Jenna was into me. After all, she specifically said something along the lines of severing my balls and feeding them to some Indonesian monkey her father has if I hurt her.
I feel like such a fool. Looking on the bright side, I’m free. I have no earthly ties to this world now that my friendship with Jenna is severed. It’s not that out friendship ever stopped me from leaving, but now I have a reason I can’t stay.
Walking through the rows of cubicles to my office has become a chore. Usually, I like waving to the other employees, but today, I wish the place was empty.
After I reenter my office, I close the door to be alone, but my boss has other ideas.
“Weston,” Jim says, poking his head in, “ya got a minute?”
“For you, always. I could get fired otherwise,” I joke.
He comes in, closing the door behind him.
“So, I hear you’re in the market for a job.”
My fingers freeze over my keyboard as I try to think up a response.
“Look, it’s not a big deal,” he reassures me. “I’m not trying to confront you as much as I’m trying to figure out what went wrong. Are we not paying you enough?”
I run my fingers through my hair, exhaling a frustrated breath. I like Jim, and I love working for Alpha. I just can’t be here.
“Jim, I hate that you had to find out this way. I really love it here, but I’ve never really gotten the chance to explore other opportunities. I was just dipping my toes in the water to see what was out there.”
He exhales a sigh of relief. “That makes me feel a little better. I would hate to think that we were mistreating you in some way.”
“No, that’s not it at all.”
“Mind if I ask how bent you are on leaving?”
