" Gerald, " Richard said almost haltingly over the phone as he entered his office, nodding at his new temporary secretary who was sitting at her desk polishing her nails. He refrained the urge to sigh. " I wanted you to hear this from me. Not from that fool Arnold Saunders."
Gerald replied," Hear what? What has Arnold done now? I've heard he is on his sixth wife. This one is twenty I heard. I don't know how he gets them really. "
Richard wished he hadn't called. He should have let anyone else do this. Let Arnold be the bearer of bad news. But he just couldn't. This man was as close to a friend as he had outside of Nigel. " Gerald. I'm sorry. I just got back from an emergency board meeting. "
He sat behind his desk and heard the man say in bemusement," Board meeting about what? What type of scheme, I mean plan , is Arnold cooking up now? "
" A meeting about you. They took a vote to fire you. I'm sorry. I fought for you. As did a couple others. But.... They're removing you as headmaster. Your last day is Wednesday. Look. If you want to sue for wrongful termination you can retain a lawyer here. I don't think this is just. "
There was a long silence on the line.
" Gerald? Gerald? Are you there? "
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Gerald sat behind his desk, holding the phone in his hand but not truly hearing Richard's voice speaking. His hand began to tremble. A tear slid down his face.
His secretary Edna came into the office with a stack of attendance slips in her hands. " Gerald, the staff is talking about meeting at Richard and Nigel's this Friday for our Christmas lunch. You are coming right ? I hear it is very good food there. " She looked at him and her brow furrowed. " Gerald? Are you ok ? You look sick. Should I get Dr. Lane? "
YOU ARE READING
ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON TEN
Ficțiune generalăThe ongoing soap opera about disabled math genius and professor Dr. Spencer Norland - Lane , his doctor husband DuBuis Lane and their family and friends in the Washington DC area.
