Talk of the Town by Sherrill Bodine

Author:Sherrill Bodine [BODINE, SHERRILL]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9780446543293
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2008-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

Rebecca finally arrived at the Daily Mail office an hour late due to the fact she had to redo her thirty minutes of natural beauty because of crying over David, or for David, or for herself. Her emotions were all over the map. How could this be perimenopause when she felt like an overripe, lustful teenager panting for the school’s hottest hottie? At least here in her daily haunt she retained enough self-control to try to figure out how to get her life back on track.

Or so she thought, before she saw Pauline’s chalk-white face, each freckle standing out in relief.

“Sweetheart, please don’t tell me you’re still worried about me!” She gave Pauline a quick, tight hug. “Look, I’m happy! No need to worry.”

“Mr. Sumner came back early.”

“Yes. I know.” Rebecca smiled, still feeling incredibly warm and tingling all over.

Pauline’s green eyes widened. “You’ve seen him already this morning? Is that why you’re glowing?”

Rebecca tried to come up with a plausible, as-close-to-the-truth-as-possible explanation, like her skin looked dewy because she was wearing a new moisturizer.

Pauline gasped and sat down hard in her chair. “Oh, I can tell from your face that you and Mr. Sumner . . .” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Then I can’t ask you to help me.”

“Of course I’ll help you. With anything.” Totally confused now, Rebecca started fanning Pauline’s flushed face with her purse. “But you must tell me what’s wrong.”

“Shannon came back early today, and she and Maybella had breakfast together at Starbucks. When they came in an hour ago . . .” Pauline stopped and shut her eyes. “They told me they’d been reliably informed Mr. Sumner is replacing me with an automated phone system.” She opened her eyes and two tears squeezed out.

Heavy, painful dread took root in Rebecca’s chest. “I don’t believe it.”

“If they can . . . fire you,” she dropped her voice, like she always did when discussing Rebecca’s predicament, “then they can sure do the same to me.” Pauline’s tears flowed in earnest now, and Rebecca let her cry it out, handing her pink Kleenex from the box on the desk. “I love this job. Plus the benefits are . . . great. I even have dental insurance for the girls. They’re going . . . to need braces.”

Patting her back, Rebecca made soothing noises. “Please don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“How? I can’t go through my usual channels.” Pauline glanced meaningfully at the switchboard. “It might add fuel to the fire. I thought you could find out for me . . . but . . . it might be too awkward now . . . if . . . you know.”

The truth struck Rebecca like a bone-breaking blow to her already fractured emotions. She heard herself declaring she’d do anything to get her job back and cringed with remorse. It would be awkward now. Before last night she would have marched into David’s office and demanded the truth. Now it would appear too calculated, like she expected more than he was willing to give.

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