Free Aphrodite's Reject: You Can't Lay Off Love by Mairsile Leabhair

Okay. So if you know who I am, then you know, I know my stuff. Yes, I know I could add another ‘know’ in that sentence, but let’s move on. If you don’t know who I am, why not? Oh, all right, my name is Abderus, and before you ask, because my name means friend of Hercules, no, I do not know the man. I do know Aphrodite though, but I’m not her friend. In fact, I’ve been hiding from the goddess of love, for centuries now. I’m one of her rejects… sigh. But I still have a job to do, and I do it well. I pave the way for loves embrace. I’m a love guardian.
    Well enough about me…, for now. Let’s talk about my next match‒making rescue, to divert a disaster of epic proportions. Well, not really epic, but what the world needs now is love. Am I right? Of course I am. Don’t even bother answering that question. It’s never too late to fall in love, no matter your age. I’ve got two old geezers, uh, I mean in prime of their life women, who have loved and lost, and loved and lost…, and loved and lost, so many times that they’ve all but given up.
    All right, all right. I apologize. Yes that is a first for me, mark it down. The women are only in their fifties, it’s not like they have one foot in the grave, or anything. So let’s watch as our first contestant enters the room.
    There she is now. Sally, that’s her name, Sally Rogers, lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Arkansas is a quaint little southern state, that produces a number of fine movie stars. Why, did you know that Alan Ladd and Billy Bob Thornton, were both born in Hot Springs? Oh, and let’s not forget Roger Clinton. Yes, he’s the president’s brother, but he’s also an actor from Hot Springs. Must be something in the hot spring water there.
    So anyway, Sally is fifty‒five years old, and still a…, I mean, she is a real looker. The woman oozes sex out of every pore on her body, and she doesn’t even know it. Why, I may need a cold shower, after telling you that she has chestnut hair, large, hazel eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, a long tongue…, oh! Sorry about that, my mind wandered for a minute. To continue, Sally is small boned, with just a hint of secretary’s butt on her rear, though she is not a secretary. She is in fact the accounting department director, at the local hospital.  Well, let’s say she was the director, for twenty years. Apparently in today’s economy, loyal service of over twenty years, means squat to over paid, under worked executives. Now remember, I had nothing to do with this, but I promise you, Sally will come out the better for it. Let’s listen in.
     
    “Sally, come in. Here, take a seat.” Robert Taylor, vice president of finance, offered her a chair, “Can I get you a drink?”
    “Um, no thanks. What’s this about, Mr. Taylor?”
    “I’ll let Rita tell you.”
     
    Hey, it’s me again. For those of you who have been laid off, I’m sure you’ve guessed that Rita is from HR, and has to do Taylor’s dirty work for him, the bastard.
     
    “Sally, I’m so sorry. Your position is being eliminated. They are contracting out most of the jobs in your department, including yours, and will leave only a few people here to handle the walk‒ins.” Rita waited for Sally to inhale again, before she continued, “They’d like to, um, I mean we’re offering you a choice between two options. You can leave today, and come back over the weekend to pack up your things. Or, if you’re willing, you can stay for two weeks, and train Paula, your assistant, to pick up some of your duties, and we’ll give you six months’ severance based on your years of employment.”
    Sally looked at Taylor disbelievingly, “So you’re saying that if I don’t train my replacement, I don’t get my severance? That’s just cruel.”
    “We’re not saying that at all, Sally.” Taylor leaned his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together, as if he were going to pray. “But if you decide to take the high road, this