I had my doubts after Dana got fired, but now I know there is something going on at Dunkirk Accounting that I can’t ignore.
I drowned my sorrows in two glasses of wine while I looked around for available jobs at other firms. The wine was making me feel a little relaxed, and my eyelids started to get heavy, but a knock at my door caused me to perk up. I quickly walked over and looked through the peephole to see Jett and Rand. I didn’t expect them to stop by, especially when they didn’t answer the door, and I wasn’t very presentable. I ran over to the mirror and checked my hair, which was an absolute mess. They knocked again, and I scurried back towards the door. I didn’t have time to put myself back together, so my only choice was to let them in and hope they didn’t run screaming when they saw me in my natural habitat. It was one thing to be a little disheveled after a night of passion, but quite different to answer the door that way.
“Hi.” I opened the door and smiled. “I wasn’t expecting anyone—please excuse the mess.”
And my hair—and this ugly bathrobe.
“Sorry to stop by so late, but we just got home.” Jett was the first to enter. “We brought you some dinner if you haven’t eaten anything yet.”
“No.” I shook my head back and forth. “I skipped dinner and went straight for the wine.”
“Bad day at work?” Rand raised his eyebrows and pulled me into his arms for a hug.
&n
bsp; “Yeah, something like that.” I nodded and sank into his embrace.
“The same issue you told us about before?” Jett tilted his head and hugged me once Rand took a step back.
“It’s similar.” I sighed and motioned for them to follow me to the living room. “Make yourselves at home. Do you want something to drink?”
“Sure.” Rand nodded and looked at my glass of wine. “Just some water for me.”
“I’ll get it. I need to heat this up for you anyway.” Jett pulled the top off the container he was holding and headed towards the kitchen.
I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to eat anything, but once I smelled the roast, my stomach started rumbling. Jett brought me a plate and I practically devoured it without bothering to breathe between bites. It was absolutely delicious—so much so that I decided to have a second plate. Their mom was an amazing cook and I was blown away by how good it was. After I finished my second plate, I told them about my discussion with Paul. I had previously told them about Dana, so they understood why I was stressed out once I filled them in on the issue with the shipping account. Their faces reflected the same concern that had been etched on mine since I arrived at work that morning.
“What are you going to do? You have to report this, right?” Jett leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
“Yeah, I don’t have a choice.” I sighed and sipped my wine. “Hopefully Paul will do it before I have to, but if he doesn’t—I don’t even want to think about that.”
“I’ve heard that whistleblowers sometimes struggle to find work after they report something like this.” Jett exhaled sharply and shook his head. “Other companies are afraid to touch them.”
“I’ve heard that too.” I grimaced and nodded. “If I report it, I’ll have to do so anonymously, but they’ll interview everyone at Dunkirk Accounting while they conduct their investigation. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold it together if they start grilling me.”
“I’m sure they’ll think it’s Paul who reported them, right? Since it’s his account.” Jett reached for his water and took a sip.
“Probably.” I sighed and sipped my wine again. “I have no idea what really happened with Dana. People at the office say she got fired, but now that I know what she found wasn’t an isolated incident…”
“Maybe the company paid her off.” Rand narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to contemplate something. “That would make this situation a lot worse though.”
“Yeah.” I nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe they wouldn’t do a better job of hiding it though—especially if Dana figured out what they were doing and it was intentional.”
“These corporate types always think they’re invincible.” Jett shrugged. “The people at Enron barely bothered to hide what they were doing and it was years before anyone caught on.”
“That’s true.” I sipped my wine and sighed. “I always thought that kind of stuff just happened to other people—I never imagined I would end up in the middle of a scandal.”
“Just be careful.” Jett leaned forward and pursed his lips. “Money makes people do stupid shit.”
We talked for a little longer and eventually ended up in the bedroom, but we didn’t have sex. I would have done my best to enjoy it if they wanted to, but they seemed content just holding me. I felt a lot better sleeping between them, than crawling into bed alone. I had no idea what I was going to do about the situation at work, but I hoped the responsibility didn’t land on me to report it. I would tell the truth if I was questioned, and that would lead them to Dana. I wouldn’t be anything more than a witness to the mistakes they uncovered—if Dana even responded to them. If Rand was right and she was paid off, then she might not be very forthcoming. No matter how the situation unfolded, even if it ended badly, I had to find another job. That would be a lot easier if my face wasn’t attached to the scandal. Just being associated with Dunkirk Accounting after the scandal broke would make it difficult.
Chapter Nineteen
Jett
I hated to see Brylee so troubled, but I understood why it was hard for her to deal with her situation at work. There was a part of me that wished I could shoulder all of that worry and handle it for her, but it wasn’t my place. She had to make the best decision for her career and be able to sleep at night once she did. She was a good person, and I knew she wouldn’t be able to just ignore the situation. If her co-worker didn’t do the right thing, she would be compelled to take action. It was eating her up, to the point that I could see the pain in her eyes. We would just have to be there for her, and support her if things didn’t work out for the best. It was all we could really do under the circumstances.
“Good morning, beautiful.” I leaned over and kissed Brylee’s forehead when she woke up.