Free Romance: Claimed By The Ape: BBW Shapeshifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 4) by Ashley Hunter Page B

absolutely sure Jack was going to set something on fire or cause some big scandal here, and yet, it’s been smooth sailing.”
    “Then… then why are you firing me?”
    Dawn bit her lip, “I’m not sure. I asked, but…. Radio silence on that front. However, due to your exemplary work, and the fact that we’re terminating your contract early, I was able to get you the rest of this month’s pay, and I’d happily be a reference for you.”
    “Dawn… thank you, I really appreciate it, I do. I just… don’t understand. I mean, has your boss talked to Jack? Maybe there was some kind of misunderstanding.”
    “Erin-”
    “I think he’d be more than willing to tell them-”
    “Erin,” Dawn interrupted, firmly, but not unkindly. Erin went silent, her hands twisting together in her lap.
    There was nothing she could do but hear the words she’d already been expecting come out of Dawn’s mouth.
    “Erin…. Jack is the one who requested that we let you go.”
----

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Erin forced herself to feel proud of her restraint. For a week and a half, she hadn’t cried. She hadn’t thrown anything, or left a rambling, drunken message on his voicemail. She hadn’t even called him. He’d never responded to her email, and she’d never deigned to send him another.
    After thanking Dawn for her kindness, she’d simply stood up, taken the bus home, and sat on her living room couch, unmoving, until Amanda got back from dinner with her brother.
    Since she technically had another full month’s salary coming, Erin did indulge a little; she went to bed late, gorging on sci-fi novels, horror stories, and historic biographies; anything that didn’t dare have a whiff of romance.
    She got up late, and cleaned the house thoroughly every day. She went through life quietly, forcing herself not to feel anything at all. She mostly managed it; the only emotion she really ever felt was miserable.
    Amanda tried everything to snap her out of it. She sat on the edge of Erin’s bed late into the evening, railing on about Jack “Jackass” Silver. She flipped between coaxing and scolding at Erin’s even, almost monotone insistences that she was fine, it wasn’t a big deal, everything was fine. She even tried slipping a rom-com movie in when Erin was watching television; that was where Erin had put her foot down.
    At last, spent and exasperated, Amanda tried the very last weapon in her arsenal.
    “You’re not seriously going to miss the cast party!” She exclaimed as she watched Erin patiently reorganizing the silverware drawer.
    Erin shrugged, “I’m not even sure I’m invited.”
    “Of course you are! You worked with everyone for two months. You worked hard-you should celebrate with everyone. I can’t believe you’re not even considering going.”
    “Eh I just don’t see what would be the point.”
    “The point would be to have fun! Remember fun? That thing you used to have?”
    Erin smiled indulgently at her roommate, “I don’t have anything to wear that would be acceptable to you.”  
    “Funny you should say that! I actually took your nun-cocktail dress to the tailor, and… spruced it up a bit.”
    “You’re lucky I’m not feeling very emotional right now,” Erin scowled a little.
    “Trust me, it’s an improvement. You’d look gorgeous.”
    “And why exactly would I want to look gorgeous?”
    “Easy, so you wouldn’t look out of place accompanying my brother!”
    This finally caught Erin’s attention. She glanced up in surprise, “Tom’s going?”
    “Well, he is if you agree to let him go as your date,” Amanda said coyly.
    “What? That isn’t at all his scene,” Erin said in bewilderment. While Tom was a nice guy, she’d always pegged him as a bit of a sports fiend. He’d played on his university’s football team, and played amateur hockey and soccer in his off time. Erin thought he’d feel as home at a theater event as a bull would in a china shop.
    “Maybe he’s just wanting