Free The Job by Claire Adams Page A

by
this supplier of hers.
    If
I do something to screw with one of her business partners, chances are that me
and my crew are immediately let go. If, however, I hold my tongue, Alec, a good
friend of mine, either stays out of a job because he did a good thing for José,
or I lose the best guy on my crew for making a mistake.
    Fuck
it.
    “It’s
going to have to be one or the other,” I say quietly and with a smile on my
face.
    “Now
really isn’t the time,” she says, mimicking my actions, trying even harder than
I am not to see the whole situation explode.
    “Now
is the only time,” I tell her. “Either make your choice or I walk now.”
    “I
don’t do business with people who hold a gun to my head,” she says. “Mr.
Burbank, it’s great to see you again. This is Eric. He and his men are doing
some renovations for us. Would you come into my office and we can talk about
our future together.”
    I
wait for the older man to walk past me and then I give her my best “I’d make a
choice unless you want me to really embarrass you” look.
    She
takes a step toward me and, still smiling, she whispers, “Call your guy and get
him back here. Don’t think that I’m going to forget this.”
    “Thank
you,” I tell her. “You made the right choice.”
    Although
Mr. Burbank is already in her office, we’re still too close for her to do
anything but mouth her final thoughts on the matter.
    “Screw
you.”
    I
smile and walk back over to the work area.
    “What’s
got you so happy?” Tripp, the newest new guy asks.
    “I’m
going to call Alec and tell him to get his ass down here. He’s late for work.”
    I
glance back toward Jessica’s office as the crew claps and offers their
congratulations, but I can’t see anything more than the door closing.
    “Great
job, boss,” Ian says.
    Even
José has a smile on his face.
    I
walk outside and make the call.
    “What’s
up, boss?” Alec answers.
    “Good
news,” I tell him, “José’s safe. The inquisition is over and you’re hired. When
do you think you can get here?”
    “Uh,
I’m kind of busy at the moment,” he says. “Any chance I can just come in
tomorrow?”
    Right
now, I’m glad I stepped outside for this.
    “I
don’t know what you’re doing, but you have no idea what I just risked to make
this happen and the shitstorm that’s going to be
waiting for me before the day is over because of it. So, do you want the job or
not?”
    “Of
course I want the job,” he says, “it’s just…”
    “It’s
just what?”
    “Well,”
he says, “I’m kind of out of state.”
    “How
can you be kind of out of state?” I
ask.
    “Okay,
so I’m in Delaware. There’s a pool tournament going on here and it’s fucking
wicked.”
    This
is one of the guys I just risked my livelihood for.
    “You’re
in Delaware for a pool tournament,” I echo. “Are you fucking serious?”
    “Well,
it’s not like I knew that I was going to be rehired today,” he says. “Besides,
I kind of, you know, already found another job.”
    “You
really could have told me that,” I scold. “I’m going to look like a fucking
idiot when you don’t show up here.”
    “I’m
really sorry about that,” he says. “I’ll totally quit this job and come back to
work for you, only…”
    I’m
waiting for the end of the phrase, but it looks like it’s not going to come of
its own freewill.
    “What?”
I ask, “Only what?”
    “Well,
I kind of promised these guys that I’d stay on at least until the job at that
store finished up,” he says. “I figured you’d hire me back eventually, but I
didn’t know you’d do it so soon.”
    “This
really sucks,” I tell him. “You know you’re putting me in one hell of a
position here.”
    “Sorry,
bro,” he says. “I need a job, and I didn’t think I was going to have one with
you for at least a little while longer. I can talk to my boss here and see if
we can—”
    “Don’t
worry about it,” I sigh. “We’ll figure it