Cold Shoulders
Ah, here we are. Again, sorry ‘bout the missed update yesterday. Back on track now though!
They sat together in his kitchen. Probably longer than he should have, Deb thought, but then again it’s not like she really cared. Her best friend was scared. Rob hid it well, sure, but he was. Even shortly after they met, it was hard to hide things from each other. Why they didn’t just hop into each other’s arms was still a mystery to her.
She shook that thought off right away. No time for that, she told herself.
They didn’t really talk about anything in particular. This and that. Deb told him a couple of stories from work, how many people were bugging her about him. He laughed, which cheered her up a lot. Finally, she figured she should get back to the office. Their boss was understanding, but even she had her limits. She stood up, and suddenly felt very cold.
“Deb? You okay?” The look on his face told her he saw the shivering.
“Y-yeah,” she replied, though she figured it was silly to say, as it came out through chattering teeth. Rob put a hand on her forehead.
“You don’t feel like you have a fever.” He went over to his closet and grabbed a coat and put it around her shoulders, “No arguments.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Such a gentleman. Don’t worry, I’m too cold to argue.” He teeth had stopped chattering, but the shivers were still there.
“You sure you still want to go to work?”
Deb waved him off, “Of course. People would talk at this point if I called in sick.” He laughed, though she half hoped he’d take it a bit seriously.
“Okay. Just be careful, okay?”
“Says the puppet master.”
“Cute. Get out of here.”
“Ha.” She left letting him struggle with the door behind her.
Luckily, by the time she got to work, the shivers had left, but she still felt cold. Still, she left the coat in her car. Even though Robbie said she didn’t feel warm, she still took some ibuprofen when she got back to her desk. She really did not need to get sick right now. After an hour or so, she had warmed up a lot. She didn’t really get sick often, which just made actually getting sick less pleasant.
The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, which was fine with her. As she was getting herself together to head home, and check on Robbie, their boss stopped by her desk.
“Debbie?”
“Oh, hey Ms. Ramey. You need something before I go?”
“Ah, no Debbie.” She looked a little uncomfortable.
Deb didn’t like how this was shaping up already, “What’s going on?”
Even though most of the other staff was gone for the night, she kept her voice down. “Look, I don’t want to do this, but there’s not much I can do about it.” she paused and looked directly at Deb, “I’m afraid I have to let you and Robert go.”
Deb felt her stomach drop, “What?”
Ms. Ramey indicated Deb should follow her to her office. “Look, you know the economy is, well, ‘down’ is the polite way to say it I suppose. The CEO ordered me to cut a few people. From the grapevine he knew Robert was going to be out for a while, so he told me to cut him.” Deb nodded numbly. “To be quite delicate, your affection for Robert is well known,” Deb blushed, “and the CEO felt the best way to avoid awkwardness was to let you go as well.”
“I, I see.” Deb stared forward.
Ms. Ramey cleared her throat, and Deb knew she was telling the truth about not liking this, “I convinced the board to give both of you a very generous severance package as well as the standard last check and vacation pay. I am so very sorry, Debbie. I tried to lobby to keep you both, but the CEO is fond of his position.” That last was tinged with bitterness. She shook her head and reached into her desk and pulled out two manilla envelopes and handed them across to Deb.
“What are these?”
“Your packages. And glowing letters of recommendation. Only from me, I’m afraid, but I felt it was the least I could do.
Deb nodded. ”Thank you. I appreciate that. Really, I do.“
Ms. Ramey nodded, hesitated then went on, ”I know this is going to be kicking you both while you’re down, but I was also ordered to tell you that any personal effects from your desks will be hand delivered sometime in the next few days.“ She closed her eyes and shook her head. ”I am so, so sorry about this Deb. Please tell Robert that.“
Deb smiled, a little sadly, and nodded. ”I will. I know you fought for us. And that means more than I can say.“ She offered her hand to her now-former boss, who gladly clasped it. With a last muted goodbye, she left what was probably the best job she’d ever had, and went home to tell Rob.
# # #
They sat together in his kitchen. Probably longer than he should have, Deb thought, but then again it’s not like she really cared. Her best friend was scared. Rob hid it well, sure, but he was. Even shortly after they met, it was hard to hide things from each other. Why they didn’t just hop into each other’s arms was still a mystery to her.
She shook that thought off right away. No time for that, she told herself.
They didn’t really talk about anything in particular. This and that. Deb told him a couple of stories from work, how many people were bugging her about him. He laughed, which cheered her up a lot. Finally, she figured she should get back to the office. Their boss was understanding, but even she had her limits. She stood up, and suddenly felt very cold.
“Deb? You okay?” The look on his face told her he saw the shivering.
“Y-yeah,” she replied, though she figured it was silly to say, as it came out through chattering teeth. Rob put a hand on her forehead.
“You don’t feel like you have a fever.” He went over to his closet and grabbed a coat and put it around her shoulders, “No arguments.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Such a gentleman. Don’t worry, I’m too cold to argue.” He teeth had stopped chattering, but the shivers were still there.
“You sure you still want to go to work?”
Deb waved him off, “Of course. People would talk at this point if I called in sick.” He laughed, though she half hoped he’d take it a bit seriously.
“Okay. Just be careful, okay?”
“Says the puppet master.”
“Cute. Get out of here.”
“Ha.” She left letting him struggle with the door behind her.
Luckily, by the time she got to work, the shivers had left, but she still felt cold. Still, she left the coat in her car. Even though Robbie said she didn’t feel warm, she still took some ibuprofen when she got back to her desk. She really did not need to get sick right now. After an hour or so, she had warmed up a lot. She didn’t really get sick often, which just made actually getting sick less pleasant.
The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, which was fine with her. As she was getting herself together to head home, and check on Robbie, their boss stopped by her desk.
“Debbie?”
“Oh, hey Ms. Ramey. You need something before I go?”
“Ah, no Debbie.” She looked a little uncomfortable.
Deb didn’t like how this was shaping up already, “What’s going on?”
Even though most of the other staff was gone for the night, she kept her voice down. “Look, I don’t want to do this, but there’s not much I can do about it.” she paused and looked directly at Deb, “I’m afraid I have to let you and Robert go.”
Deb felt her stomach drop, “What?”
Ms. Ramey indicated Deb should follow her to her office. “Look, you know the economy is, well, ‘down’ is the polite way to say it I suppose. The CEO ordered me to cut a few people. From the grapevine he knew Robert was going to be out for a while, so he told me to cut him.” Deb nodded numbly. “To be quite delicate, your affection for Robert is well known,” Deb blushed, “and the CEO felt the best way to avoid awkwardness was to let you go as well.”
“I, I see.” Deb stared forward.
Ms. Ramey cleared her throat, and Deb knew she was telling the truth about not liking this, “I convinced the board to give both of you a very generous severance package as well as the standard last check and vacation pay. I am so very sorry, Debbie. I tried to lobby to keep you both, but the CEO is fond of his position.” That last was tinged with bitterness. She shook her head and reached into her desk and pulled out two manilla envelopes and handed them across to Deb.
“What are these?”
“Your packages. And glowing letters of recommendation. Only from me, I’m afraid, but I felt it was the least I could do.
Deb nodded. ”Thank you. I appreciate that. Really, I do.“
Ms. Ramey nodded, hesitated then went on, ”I know this is going to be kicking you both while you’re down, but I was also ordered to tell you that any personal effects from your desks will be hand delivered sometime in the next few days.“ She closed her eyes and shook her head. ”I am so, so sorry about this Deb. Please tell Robert that.“
Deb smiled, a little sadly, and nodded. ”I will. I know you fought for us. And that means more than I can say.“ She offered her hand to her now-former boss, who gladly clasped it. With a last muted goodbye, she left what was probably the best job she’d ever had, and went home to tell Rob.
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