Free Bad For Me by J. B. Leigh Page A

confidential.”
    “Can you at least tell me if he has been rehoused somewhere, even if you can’t give me an address?”
    “No.”
    “Great! Thanks for nothing!”
    I stormed out of the office. If I hadn’t left when I did, I might have rehoused his head up his arse.
    “Megan!”
    I turned to see a young woman who had followed me outside.
    “Megan—I’m sorry about that.”
    I didn’t recognise her even though she obviously knew me.
    “Kathy. Kathy Lane. I was in the same year as your Billy at school. You probably don’t remember me.”
    I didn’t, but thought it best not to say so.
    “I’m sorry about Gerald—he’s a complete prat.”
    It took me a second to realise that she must be referring to the job's worth I'd just been talking to.
    “Billy hasn’t been rehoused,” Kathy said. “His last house was left in such a bad state that the council wouldn’t give him another property.”
    “What’s happened to him?”
    “I don’t know, but the last time I saw him come into the office, he was in a pretty bad way.”
    “Drunk?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Thanks, Kathy. I appreciate it.”
    I knew it. Why had I left him to cope alone? I should have seen this coming.

Chapter 18
     
    “What are you going to do about Billy?” Julie asked—she had a cornflake stuck to her chin.
    I touched my own chin, but she just looked at me gone out. Julie didn’t do mornings.
    “Cornflake.” I touched my chin again—this time she got the message.
    “He could be anywhere. I thought I might check out the homeless shelters at the weekend.” I checked my watch. “I’d better get going or I’ll miss my bus.”
    It was my first day at DraxSoft. I didn’t want to be late again.
    “I don’t know why you didn’t accept JJ’s offer of a lift.”
    “It’s miles out of his way. Anyway, it’s better we keep this on a strictly business basis.”
     
    I'd been so determined not to be late that I'd over compensated. I arrived at the offices of DraxSoft thirty minutes before my start time, so I took a seat in reception.
    “If it isn’t the early bird.”
    “Morning, JJ.”
    It was good to see him smile again. When we first met, he always seemed to have a smile on his face. Lately—not so much so.
    “How’s my kid sister?”
    “She was fighting a losing battle with a bowl of cornflakes when I left.”
    “Why don’t you come through to my office? You can make us a coffee.”
    I was just about to tell him to make his own coffee when I remembered: employer/employee. It wasn’t JJ asking; it was my boss.
    “White, three sugars,” he said.
    “Three?”
    “It’s good to have you back, Megs.”
    Death stare.
    “Sorry. Megan. I’ve missed you.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You're allowed to say you’ve missed me too.”
    “JJ—I thought this was going to be strictly business.”
    “It is. Of course it is. But, I did miss you.”
    It felt so good to hear those words. I wanted to throw my arms around him, and give him a kiss—that would have been a BIG mistake.
     
    “I'd better go to my office. Do I report to Caroline?”
    “Yes, please. I’ll give you a lift tonight.”
    “I’ll get the bus.”
     
    Any doubts I'd had that this was a real job were soon dispelled. The office was much busier than when I'd been there on my two week placement. I was so busy that I didn't get a chance to worry about Billy—not during the day at least.
    “How come it's so busy?” I asked.
    Caroline and I had stayed in the office over the lunch break.
    “DraxSoft launched a new app a few weeks ago. It's taken off faster than anyone could have predicted.”
    “So the company's doing well?”
    “Really well. There's even talk that some of the big boys have been sniffing around.”
    “Big boys?”
    “The major social networking companies. There's talk that they might make an offer”
    “For the app?”
    “For the whole company.”
    “That's a good thing isn't it?”
    “For JJ. He'll make millions. I'm not sure about the rest of