“I can’t believe this, Tara. What the fuck! First this jerk tells me that you lost the damn cell phone, that’s coming out of your pay by the way, and then he starts making all these demands. No working late nights unless I pay for a taxi and he wants you escorted to the taxi, like you’re the freaking First Lady or something. Time off to recover from the robbery last night. What do you need to recover from? I’m the one that lost a phone. What else can I get for you? Would you like a pay raise? Maybe a foot massage?”
She glanced up at Tim, wincing at his mottled complexion. He was going to give himself a heart attack.
“Tim, I’m fine, I don’t need…”
“I tell you what, I’ll make this easy on all of us. You’re fired. Now both of you get out!”
***
“I can’t believe you got me fired.” Tara looked over at Alex in shock as they were escorted out of the building. He’d stayed with her through the whole humiliating ordeal. Her begging Tim for her job back, him refusing and calling security. Hurriedly packing up her few personal belongings.
“He was an asshole,” Alex replied.
“But he was the asshole who paid me.” What the hell was she going to do? She had bills to pay and her brother was relying on her to help him.
“I’m completely fucked.”
“Don’t use that language,” Alex said with a frown as he opened the door for her, nodding at the security guard who’d escorted them out. He placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked down the sidewalk.
She looked around her in a daze. “I’ll never find a job that pays that well.” She turned around and headed back. “I need to convince Tim to take me back.”
Alex grabbed her arm, turning her around and pulling her along. “You don’t need to work for that asshole.”
“I do if I want to eat.”
They reached his car and he opened the passenger door, helping her in and buckling her seatbelt as though he was worried she’d bolt back inside to beg Tim for her job back. She probably would have if she could have gotten away with it.
“Tim will calm down. He’ll take me back.” Probably on less pay and worse conditions. Could her conditions get any worse?
“You are not going back to work for that jerk.”
She was silent for a long moment, thinking furiously. Finally she realized that they were moving.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To my work. I’m sure I can find you a job there.”
“Oh no. No way. I am not working with you.”
“Why not? You’ll be treated a hell of a lot better.”
Tara crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not some charity. Working together would be a disaster. I’ll just wait a few days. Tim needs me.” She hoped.
“If you go near him again then you won’t be sitting comfortably for a week.”
She gasped. “You did not just say that.”
“Oh yes I did. Go near Tim again and your butt is toast.”
“You’re not in charge of me, Alex Knight.”
“I’m your Dom.”
“We haven’t signed a contract yet.”
“We’ll be taking care of that oversight tonight. That asshole was taking advantage of you. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I also don’t want you taking public transport anymore.”
She gaped at him. “I don’t drive, how am I supposed to get around?”