Page 83 of When the Walls Come Down
I’d written my resignation letter.
Starting my own business was going to be a challenge, something I’d eventually be proud of and feel proprietary over, but as these changes evolved, I didn’t feel much about any of it at the moment. And what I did feel was this foggy sense of finality and loss.
I would miss my coworkers and their talents, and it would take months if not years to assemble a team like the one I’d created for my family’s business. I certainly had my work cut out for me.
As I walked down the hallway—about an hour later than I normally did on a Monday—I got a few odd looks from the staff.
Yeah. Yeah. I looked like shit.
“Shane, are you—” Vic began as I passed his desk, but I held a hand up to cut his question off at the pass.
Bay wasn’t the time or the place. Only the catalyst and the reason.
When I got to my office, I emailed my letter to Casey and copied my sister. After all, she was half owner. The team here worked for them both.
I probably shouldn’t have started it with I hope you two are fucking happy now… But I can’t really say I’d take it back if given the chance.
Fucking meddling meddlers.
Then, as if on cue, Casey sauntered into my office and shut my door.
“Well, that was a genuinely professional bitch fit,” he said as he took a seat across from me and stretched his legs out, crossing his arms behind his head. How was he always this comfortable?
“And I meant every word.”
He blinked a few times at the ceiling with a half grin. “I think my favorite part was, and forgive me I’m paraphrasing, You Goddamned know-it-all assholes, my last day will be Friday. I’ll take chocolate cake and free beer for life, as I’m sure you dickheads aren’t paying me severance now. Shove it up your ass, love your brother Shane.”
“With chocolate icing. Chocolate on chocolate, Casey. That is unless you know more about what I need with regard to cake too. Then just get what the fuck ever.”
He rested his chin on his fist he had perched on the arm of the club chair. “So, how’s Maggie?”
“Get out,” I deadpanned and pointed at the door.
“Seriously, how is she? I got an email on Saturday from her explaining she needed to take a few personal days. Do you know anything about that?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Tough shit. You need to talk about it. What did you do?”
“What did I do? Why do you just assume I did something?”
He cackled. “Uh, because we’re men, and if this many years of marriage has taught me a damn thing, it’s that it’s probably our fault. So spit it out.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It doesn’t matter now. The job is hers and I’ll be out of everyone’s hair soon.”
“Oh, I’d say it matters. What happened? Last I talked to you Friday morning, everything went well. You were on cloud nine. Now, you look like one of those guys from a National Geographic show about Alaskan bushmen and my new hire is taking time off.”
I pecked at my keyboard when a notification sound chimed, trying to ignore him.
“Shane.” He sat forward and cocked his head to catch my eyes. “Dude, if anyone on the planet knows about how fucked up shit can get between a man and a woman, trust me, it’s me. For a while there, I had a master’s in professional fuckery. Let me help. What happened?”
I took a deep breath and pushed myself away from my desk. “Everything went great last week. And my first mistake was probably not letting Maggie in on what was going on, but I just wanted to be sure that it wasn’t all too good to be true. You know? Starting a new business usually isn’t that smooth.”
“You’re a hard worker and good with your money. It was only a matter of time before you would want something of your own.”
“Yeah, and just about the time I got the balls to go for it—go for all of it including her—that’s when the other shoe dropped.”
“She was pissed you didn’t tell her about it?”
“No, she was pissed when I told her everything about it. From how I was finally ready to make a move in my life and have all I’ve ever wanted. That meant her and maybe a house and some kids—”
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa,” Casey interrupted, and his hands flew up. “You did not lay all that on her—a twenty-four-year-old—all at once.”
“We both know she’s more mature than just a twenty-four-year-old. Fuck, she’s more mature than either of us most of the time.”
“True.” His eyebrow lifted. “Still, Shane, you felt that victory high and then just went way past too far with her.”
