Free Hard Man by Amarinda Jones Page A

pair of lime green spiked heels.
    Ida shook her head. “No. We discovered Louise stole all our sensitive company information off the laptop and sold it to Polly’s Perfect Pins.”
    “Bummer.” Not surprising. Only Ashbea and Louise knew where to find any company information. That it was gone meant absolutely nothing to Ashbea .
    “That means she probably stole the shoes as well,” Harry murmured against her ear.
    Ashbea thought back to when Louise first arrived, stumbling over her recollection of what day it was. It wasn’t just the alcohol that had Louise hazy. It was probably guilt as well. Harry was right. Flying into town and maniacally cutting all the heels of shoes in a fit of pique was something the irrational Louise would do. Ashbea shook her head. “These people are so weird.”
    “Yeah,” Harry murmured as he placed a light kiss on her cheek.
    The warmth of his breath made Ashbea cranky for what she was missing out on.
    Mitzi raised her hand to her forehead dramatically. “I’m going to faint.”
    “Oh snap out of it, Mitzi.” Ashbea had endured more than enough with these people.
    “How dare you, Aileen!” Her employer shrieked so loudly that people passing by stopped and looked inside the elevator, before moving on to wait for the next available car as if they were unsure what was unfolding in that one and not wanting to be a part of it.
    “My name is Ashbea and you heard me. For once in your spoiled life get some guts and face a situation, Mitzi. Falling to the ground and having people pandering to you is not going to cut it.” Ashbea turned to Ida. “Set up a meeting with Polly.”
    Ida looked from Ashbea to her boss. “Why?”
    “Because you, Mitzi, are going to sell her the business.”
    “What!” Mitzi staggered as if she had been hit.
    “Oh my goodness.”
    “There is never going to be goodness in any of this, Ida, so snap out of it.” Ashbea turned her attention back to Mitzi. “You suck at this business. Clear heels with cigarettes in them? Swizzle sticks? It’s tacky, dumb and completely classless.”
    Mitzi opened and shut her mouth several times in shock. “But I—”
    Ashbea held her hand up. “Let’s cut the crap, Mitzi. What do you really want to do?” Everyone had a dream. What was hers?
    Her employer hesitated for a moment. “I want to run an animal shelter.”
    Whoa. That came out of left field. The only animals Ashbea had seen with Mitzi were the furry, dead rodents she wore as stoles around her shoulders in winter. Had they been fake ? “Seriously?” Was it possible under all the yellow Mitzi cared about someone other than herself? Ashbea traded glances with Harry. He just winked in amusement.
    “Yes, but Mummy and Daddy say there is no money in it.”
    “Stuff ‘em. You’re thirty-seven years of age. You have your own money and you’ll get more on the sale if you screw Polly over.” And Ashbea would be more than happy to do that. Trust Polly to act so underhandedly. It was only fair she got equal treatment back. “Sell up and go live your own life.”
    Ida stood and looked agog. “What about me?”
    “Cultivate a little badness. Go find a man and have animal sex.” Ashbea smiled as Harry chuckled.
    “Well, I never!” Ida sounded appalled.
    “Exactly. Now excuse me. I plan to have sex with this gentleman, Oh, by the way, I quit.”
    * * * * *
    When they opened the door of Ashbea’s room, they saw Louise. “What is it with you people? Can’t you leave me alone?” Louise was sitting on the bed staring at her in that way drunken people do. How did she ever get in? But then how did the Barracuda do anything? She persisted until she got her way. “Great, she’s as pissed as a newt.” Harry moved to stand between the two women.
    “I know what you were trying to do, Abby—er, Ashnee .” Louise belched loudly.
    Ashbea almost staggered at the fumes coming from her. “What? Have sex?”
    “Y-you want my job.”
    “I always thought you were nuts