Luckless Lover

Chapter 1

Steff's p.o.v.

"I think we should write it in a way that catches the reader's eye." I looked nervously at my boss, Mr. Greenberg.

"You know what I think?" He asked.

Knowing it was a rhetorical question, I still answered. "That I should keep quiet."

He laughed. "No, no, no." He says still laughing. He stops laughing and glares at me. "I think I should fire you." He says fast and breathless.

"But Sir, I-"

"Ah , yes. You , Ms. Heart, are fired!"

I nodded and left his office. When I came to my office Addy was sitting in my chair. Not saying anything I grabbed the box from the cupboard and started putting my things in it.

"What are you doing?" Addy asked looking at the box.

"What does it look like?" I said as I grabbed the frame with the picture of us on our trip to Cancun. "I got fired."

"Oh." She gave a sad look. "Sorry?" She raised an eyebrow.

I chuckled. "Oh, no. Its fine I didn't like the job. Loved the pay, hate the job." She said and left the cube.

_________

Zake's p.o.v

Zake shook each hand of his guests as they left. His mind miles away. He nodded respectively when they said things like:

"I'm sorry." And "My condolences."

Mrs. Jones sat in the family room with Zake's three year old daughter, Alyssa, on her lap.

She stood as he Zake entered the room. "How ya doin' son?" She asked

"As good as can be expected. And you?"

"It's hard loosing a daughter." She mumbled, handing Aly to him. "As it is loosing a spouse."

He nodded. "Thank you, for helping me with everything. Especially for helping with Aly."

"Anytime." Mrs. Jones patted her back. "Please do stay in touch and let me take her for a week each summer. To give you a time for yourself."

He chuckled. "I most definitely will."

"Well, I'm off. Bill hates to wait." She walked past him to the entrance. "And don't you fuss over Rian for to long."

He nodded as she left.

"Daddy?" Aly wiggled in his arms. "Where is mommy?"

"She's gone baby." He hugged her. "She's watching you from heaven."

"Okay." That's it?

___________

Zake blinked awake and noticed the dampness of his cheeks. He was crying.

He'd fallen asleep with the memory of the funeral day for his wife Rian. Remembering hurts, he thought. He got up and went into his bathroom. He washed his face and went out to check on Aly.

He reached for the nob when the door opened. Her nanny stomped past him yelling, "I quit!"

He went in the room to see Aly coloring on the wall with a permanent marker. He held in a laugh shutting the door so she heard him.

Aly whipped around hiding the marker. "I'm sowwy daddy." She pouted her lip. She wouldn't gimme a paper."

"Its okay, baby."

"Do you has work this year?" She asked

"Today?" She nodded at Zake's correction. "Yeah. But today is going to be a slow day."