Laid and Leveraged (12 page)

A
new
thought
crossed
her
mind.
She
could
call
Roger.
But
if
she
did
that,
she'd
have
to
swallow
her
pride
first.
Michelle
jammed
her
spoon
back
into
the
pint
and
dug
out
a
thick
piece
of
cookie
dough
from
its
melting
prison.

Could
she
really
do
that?
Could
she
really
call
Roger
up
and
beg
for
her
job
back?
Beg
for
him
back?
She
still
didn't
think
he
was
right,
at
least
not
about
everything.
Okay,
she
could
see
how
outsourcing
the
solar
panels
to
the
Germans
might
be
a
good
idea
–
for
now,
anyway
–
at
least
until
Today's
Energy
was
big
enough
to
churn
out
enough
demand
to
justify
the
expenditure.
But
she
still
didn't
want
to
cut
back
on
her
staff
and
the
benefits
packages
she
so
proudly
offered.

She
set
the
ice
cream
down
and
picked
up
the
phone.
She
scrolled
down
until
she
located
Roger's
number
and
hesitated.
The
thought
of
sleeping
with
Roger
again
made
her
heart
rate
go
through
the
roof.
Did
he
miss
her?
Did
he
have
any
regrets
about
firing
her?
Finally
she
couldn't
take
it
anymore
and
pressed
'send'.

It
rang
and
rang
and
just
when
Michelle
thought
she'd
get
his
voicemail,
Roger
picked
up.

“
What?
”
he
snapped.

She
felt
a
pang
of
disappointment
by
the
lack
of
welcoming
fanfare.
But
she
trudged
forward,
anyway.

“
Roger,
”
she
choked,
her
mouth
sore
from
the
excess
sugar.
“
I
want
my
job
back.
”

“
I
guess
you
should
have
thought
of
that
when
you
had
the
chance.
”
He
told
her
firmly.
“
Now
if
you
don't
mind,
I
have
important
things
to
take
care
of.
”

“
Wait!
”
she
cried
out.
“
Please.
”

She
felt,
rather
than
heard,
him
hesitate.
Of
course
that
was
what
he
wanted!
He
wanted
her
to
grovel.
Once
she
said
please,
she'd
gotten
his
attention.
She
paused.
Could
she
really
go
so
low
as
to
beg
him?

“
Well,
”
he
snapped
again,
reminding
her
that
he
waited
and
had
other
things
to
attend
to.
Alright,
alright.
If
she
wanted
her
job
back,
she
was
going
to
need
to
play
by
his
rules.
She
got
that
now.

“
I...I'm
sorry,
Roger,
”
she
murmured,
her
face
flushing
with
embarrassment.

“
For?
”

Really?
Was
he
really
going
to
make
her
say
what
for?

“
Goodbye,
Michelle.
”

“
I'm
sorry
for
not
listening
to
you,
”
she
gushed,
catching
him
just
before
he
hung
up.

“
And?
”

She
gritted
her
teeth.
“
For
not
following
orders.
”

“
Thank
you.
”
She
could
see
Roger's
arrogant
smile
even
over
the
line.
“
I
appreciate
that.
Take
care,
Michelle.
”

“
No!
Roger,
”
she
bolted
off
the
couch,
ignoring
Brisket's
mewls
of
protests.
“
You've
got
to
let
me
have
my
job
back!
”

“
Do
I?
”

There!
There
was
that
insufferable
arrogance
again.
Michelle
found
herself
beginning
to
panic.
It
was
one
thing
that
she
would
never
get
her
company
back
and
another
thing,
perhaps
even
more
devastating
–
although
she
refused
to
admit
it
–
never
getting
Roger
back.

“
All
right,
Roger,
”
she
acquiesced.
“
If
I
can't
have
my
job
back,
can
I
at
least
see
you
again?
”

The
silence
that
met
her
on
the
other
end
was
long
and
drawn
out
and
Michelle
found
herself
chewing
on
her
thumbnail,
anxiously
waiting
his
reply.

“
Michelle,
”
his
voice
came
out
low
and
controlled.
“
I
will
give
you
one
more
chance
to
make
things
right.
But
this
is
it,
do
you
hear
me?
”

She
nodded,
not
thinking
about
how
he
couldn't
see
her.

“
You
may
come
in
tomorrow.
Do
your
job.
Do
what
I
asked
you
to
do.
Got
it?
”

“
Okay,
”
she
agreed.
“
Can
I
see
you
tonight?
”

“
Do
your
job,
Michelle,
”
he
sighed,
before
hanging
up.

Michelle
exhaled
in
relief.
Okay.
So
all
she
had
to
do
was
go
to
work
tomorrow
and
make
the
changes
he
wanted.
That
would
get
her
job
back
at
least.
But
would
that
get
her
Roger
Hollins
back?