Chapter 29 Gina
I GOT CALLED INTO THE supervisor’s office. There’d been some complaints about my work. No prizes for guessing where that came from. I walked down the hallway, determined that I’d not crumple this time.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve had to talk to you about this.”
“But I’d caught up on all my work. You can check the records and you’ll see, I had everything up to date.” I folded my hands in my lap and didn’t look up from them.
I hated dealing with Mr. Cross. He might be a nice guy but he had the power to sack me and that scared me.
“You know the procedure is to pick up the slack in the team.”
Normally, I’d say nothing to defend myself, promise to do better and go back to my desk. Then I’d fume and feel like I’d died a little bit inside. This time, I had to say something. My mouth was so dry, I was afraid the words would get stuck. Why hadn’t I picked up my water bottle off my desk?
“The thing is,” I started, but my words came out as a squeak. I gulped then kept going. If I didn’t say this now, I’d never say it. “I’m always picking up the slack. Maybe those who create the slack should be picking it up themselves. This system is unfair.”
I looked up at his face. It’d gone a little red. He was going to explode. I should keep quiet now but, I’d started talking and I’d finish what I had to say.
“The system doesn’t reward those who work hard. It rewards the staff who are lazy and unproductive. They don’t do their work and other people have to do it for them.”
He nodded his head. “I’ll take that on board, Gina. But, in the meantime, I think we’ll stick to the current system. The main thing is to have the work done in a timely manner. I’m sure that it all levels out.”
I got up. I’d tried. I never expected to be listened to. I could feel myself sweating and my face flushing. When I got to the door, I turned around. I had more to say.
“If it all evens out, then why am I the only one chastised about it? I have one or two slack days a year and you call me into your office. Other staff members do it constantly and nothing is said. I’d almost say you are too scared to confront certain staff members. Oh, and I’m quite upset now so I’m taking the afternoon off.”
My hands shook when I left his office. I’d said it and there was no taking it back. I walked to my desk, turned my computer off and picked up my bag. I couldn’t believe I’d said I was leaving. It was too late to go back on that now, though. I could hardly stay at my desk after I’d threatened to leave.
I wasn’t sure what to do with my day, so I headed for Trouble. I was still angry with Jackson for missing that appointment, well more so for lying to me but maybe there was a good reason. I hadn’t given him a chance to explain. He was obviously committed to getting his hand fixed. He’d had the surgery. Surely, he wouldn’t want to risk it by screwing around now. The doctor wouldn’t make him go back to the hospital if it wasn’t important.
I caught the bus across town. Maybe I wouldn’t have a job to go back to, but I’d worry about that tomorrow. I just needed to be out of there. Maybe I’d tell Jackson about it and he’d have some ideas. Every morning, I woke up dreading going into that place. The work bored me and I hated the environment. The only thing keeping me there was the money.
When I got to the bar, something was going on. Everyone was staring at something.
Jackson had someone up against the wall. I had no idea who it was but Jackson punched into him with a hell-bent fury
“Shit, Drew, get Alex,” Carlie said.
Drew ran upstairs while I ran to Jackson.
“Jackson, stop it,” I yelled.
He didn’t stop though, the guy struggled and Jackson reached for him, knocking him into the wall.
“Don’t come near me ever again,” he said to the guy. I’d never heard him so angry before. Sure, he was grumpy at times but this was cold, hard anger. It scared me.
Before I could say anything more, Alex rushed from upstairs. He and Carlie grabbed hold of Jackson and pulled him off the guy.
Alex told the other guy to get out of the bar. Blood gushed from that guy’s mouth. I wasn’t sure if it was right for him to go off without medical treatment. I didn’t want to get involved in that, though. I reached for Jackson’s hand. His left hand. The splint was broken. He’d been told to treat it with care.
“Can you call a cab?” I asked Carlie. We had to get to the hospital to get it looked at.
When the cab arrived, I went with Jackson. He didn’t say anything the whole time we’d waited. He didn’t say anything in the cab either. I didn’t talk either and I didn’t look at him. He’d put his recovery at risk. Maybe the surgery would be screwed up now.
I wanted to shake him and ask him why but I wasn’t ready to listen to his explanation.
We had to sit in the emergency room, in a little cubicle with a curtain around us. The anger in me boiled deep in my belly.
Next to us, a girl moaned in pain.