Free Beale Street Blues by Angela Kay Austin Page A

adjusted compensation and benefits, including increases in paid time off."
    "Darling, that's fantastic!" Kathy said as she entered the room.
    "Human resources will be contacting everyone regarding the changes," Darling continued. "And they will be immediate."
    "That's not possible," Barbara said with a nasty edge to her voice.
    Why? Because I got something done that you couldn't? "What do you mean?" Darling asked.
    "Rodney told me that there wasn't enough money in the budget when I went to him for my team last year."
    That's because Rodney didn't listen to you; he screwed you. "I know, but there have been some changes since then. Because of the added responsibilities that we'll all be taking on, it's the only thing that made sense to me, Rodney and Mr. Slater."
    Barbara sat up in her seat and for once, paid attention to the numbers displayed on the presentation in front of her. "But how can you—I wasn't able to—"
    "We've been working on the changes since the announcement was first made. It's the only way," Darling continued as she scanned the room. "We feel comfortable asking you guys to take on the additional obligations."
    Various voices around the room, including the few huddled around Barbara spoke, "Thanks, Darling."
    Darling knew the additional money would win over a few of Barbara's loyal team members, but she still had to figure out what to do about the woman herself. She wasn't going to make anything easy.
    Darling was determined not to lie down and let Barbara take this away from her. The politics between Rodney and Barbara and the humdrum of the call center didn't excite her. But, with the role changes, it was worth the fight. She could get her life back on track. Move out of her parents' house with or without money from Steve.
     
     
    "Steve, I don't care what you do." Darling paused. "I just want my share of everything. How I get it doesn't matter."
    She did not need this on top of everything at work. She didn't want to have another annoying unproductive conversation with her soon-to-be ex. He never had anything positive to say and she always felt like crap when she hung up the phone.
    "All I'm saying," he said, "is that instead of us selling the house, my future wife wants it."
    "Your future wife!" Why would she give a damn about what his future wife wanted? "You didn't care about anything when we were together. I begged you for everything you're asking me to help you give to her." She thought about the struggle she had dragging him out to look at houses. She and the realtor viewed half of them without him. He'd flown out of town minutes after closing, and she'd spent the first night in their new home alone.
    "I—I—"
    "Never mind, I don't care. I get it." She gave the bastard everything, but he gave her nothing, and now, he wanted what was left. But, this time, he wanted her to give it to him, so that he could give it to his future wife. It made her want to scream!
    "We like the schools in the area. And when the baby is older—"
    Baby? What the hell! She'd wanted children. His children.
    She didn't want to hear any more about anything. "I don't care. I don't need to know the details." She already had her answers. He liked magazine covers, and she'd been traded in for the latest one. She'd made the mistake of falling in love. He didn't. She wanted to slam her cell against the wall. "Just have your lawyer contact mine. I've got to go."
    No matter how many long deep breaths she took, nothing worked to take the edge off her anger. Like a caged animal in a zoo, Darling circled her room over and over replaying Steve's words in her head. All the things she'd wanted with him, he was willingly giving to someone else. All the years they'd been together hadn't meant a damn thing to him! She walked to the bathroom to run a bath. The closed door signaled that one of her parents was in it, and she didn't want to wait. Doubling back to her room, she grabbed her purse and headed out the front door.
    The longer she