Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I didn’t bother calling Paige back. I’d read my employee handbook cover to cover. She had no grounds to sue, and if she wanted to go that route, I’d see her in court. I was pretty sure they were empty threats, though. If she sued, discovery would bring all of Refordable’s shady business practices to light. That was the last thing any of them wanted.
I briefly considered going over her head and speaking to Paige’s boss but ultimately decided against it. I wasn’t interested in jumping back into that drama. If they didn’t realize what Paige had asked me to do—that was on them. If they did know, they were just as complicit, and calling them wouldn’t do shit but piss Paige off. I just wanted a clean break.
I blocked Paige’s number but kept the voicemails in case I needed them later.
The emails were easier to deal with, but they still took me a couple of hours to go through. My colleague had written because she was being sent to Refordable and was understandably nervous after I’d walked out on the project. I didn’t write her back. She’d have to deal with the situation on her own and decide for herself whether she wanted to be a part of it. I wasn’t responsible for that, and telling her why I’d left would open me up to all kinds of lawsuits after signing an NDA.
I’d spent the last two days reaching out to old friends and contacts to let them know that I was looking for a new place to work. I hadn’t gotten any leads yet, but I told myself to be patient.
Now I was going to hang out with a friend and get some dinner and try not to think about any of it for at least two hours.
I found Nova standing outside the cute little bookstore and waved as I crossed the street.
“Hey,” she said as I got closer. “How’s it going?”
“It’s a stormy day, and I’m on my way to get some books,” I replied with a smile. “Not so bad.”
“I was glad to see you turned your phone back on,” she teased as she led me inside the shop.
“It was time, and I needed a distraction.”
“Been there,” she said understandingly. “Sometimes, I play games on my phone and tune everything out. It drives Rum crazy.”
“That’s because he needs your attention at all times.”
“I’d laugh, but you’re not far off,” she replied. “Plus, he doesn’t like to see me overwhelmed, and that’s a sure sign of it.”
“Aw. He wuvs you.”
“Got him wrapped around my finger,” she confirmed with a grin.
We wandered through the store and ended up separating when she stopped in the mystery/thriller section and I made my way to romance. The books were a mix of new and consignment, and I practically squealed with glee as I noticed a whole line of bodice rippers older than I was along the bottom shelf.
I was still reading the backs and adding to my pile when Nova finished up and came to find me.
“Dang, girl,” she said, dropping to sit beside me. “Not planning on going back to work for a while, huh?”
“These’ll last me about a week,” I confessed, pointing to the stack that was a couple feet tall. “I’m a fast reader.”
“No shit. That would take me months.”
“Did you find anything good?”
“I got a couple. I love thriller books, but I can only read them when I know Rum’s going to be in town for a while because if I’m at the house alone, I’ll freak out at every little noise.”
“Doesn’t your grandma still live with you?”
“Yeah, but that just makes it worse.” Nova laughed. “Because then I have to protect her from the scary house settling, too.”
“You’re very brave,” I joked.
“Did it ever freak you out when you were living alone?” she asked as I carefully picked up my books and rose to my feet. “You didn’t even have anyone you could call if something happened. At least here I know I could call any of the Hawthornes if shit got rowdy.”
“No, it didn’t really bother me,” I replied as we walked toward the register. “I usually lived in corporate apartments, so there were always people coming and going. Everything was well lit. In Chicago I actually had a doorman who was pretty cool. His name was Max, and he would’ve fucked up anyone who messed with me.”
“I’ve never lived alone,” she said, widening her eyes. “I’ve always had Gran or Bird or Rumi with me.”
“How is Bird?” I asked. I hadn’t seen Nova’s little brother in ages.
“He’s good. I keep telling him to move home, but he’s working in Seattle, and he loves it.”
The line moved, and our conversation stalled as we paid for our books, then picked up again as we carried them outside.