Page 23 of Get to You
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry." she says, with both of her hands brace on his wide chest.
"It's fine," Beau says through clenched teeth. He grabs both of her wrists and pulls her hands from his chest. He moves to stand, so she has no choice but to scramble off his lap. Standing up, he adjusts his hat lower and says, "I need to get going anyway." He storms out the door before my shock wears off enough that I'm able to speak.
“Excuse us,” I mutter. “Anna can I see you in my office please?” My tone is clipped.
She follows me without argument.
“What was that?” I ask as I close the door behind her.
Anna shakes her head and shrugs, “I fell.”
I’m so shocked that I can’t even muster a quick response. A beat later I reply, “You do realize that our customers and a potential employee watched you ‘fall’ on him?” I make air quotes to signify how ridiculous I think she’s being. She doesn't look a bit sorry. In fact, she looks a bit smug. “Anna, that was completely inappropriate."
She has the nerve to roll her eyes, "Oh, lighten up Sam. By the feel of things, he enjoyed it." She smiles; I gape at her audacity.
“If the roles were reversed that would have been an easy case of sexual harassment.”
She looks completely bewildered.
“Anna, if you can’t treat our customers respectfully and act professionally, I don’t see you working here in the future.”
Her demeanor changes immediately, "Wait. Wait, Sam. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that." She looks crestfallen, "I'm so used to dealing with vultures that I was acting like one myself.” She looks up at me even though she is taller, “I don't know what came over me. Please don't fire me. You guys are my only real friends, and this is the only place I can be me." Her pleading softens me, but I'm still outraged by her conduct.
I cut my hand through the air to stop her, "Anna if I ever see anything close to the way you acted today again, friendship or not, you're gone.” She nods wide-eyed. “Just because you surround yourself with cruel people, doesn't mean you have licenses to be one." The comment is hurtful, but a harsh much needed truth.
With that, I walk out of the office. Anna follows me.
Jude walks up to me.
"What did I miss?" Jude asks, looking between me and Anna.
"Nothing I want to relive. Let's gets this interview done”.
