“Why have you been acting out lately?”
I furrowed my brow at his question.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.
“You do, so save the act because you’re late from lunch and you have work to do. I’ll ask you again. Why have you been acting out?”
He turned his chair around to me as his eyes connected with mine.
“Do you need examples?”
“To define what you mean by ‘acting out,’ yes,” I said.
“Getting drunk in public with Jane. Needing your brother to pry men off you in a bar. Coming back late from lunch. I know you know how all of this reflects on me and my business. So why are you doing it?”
I clenched my jaw as I clasped my hands behind my back.
“I’m a responsible adult,” I said.
“You’re not acting like one.”
“Because I’m not following your rules? I don’t live with you, Dad. You’re my boss. And a boss wouldn't have a say in what his employees were doing on their off-time.”
“Unless it reflected badly on his company. And your actions reflect badly on my business.”
“Because I’m your daughter. But if I were an employee who was unrelated to you, this wouldn’t be an issue. You wouldn’t even care.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t. But I do care because you are my daughter, so I demand an answer. What the hell has gotten into you?”
“I pay my bills, and I never miss work. This is the first time I have ever been late in the four years I’ve worked for you. I don’t take an ounce of vacation unless it’s for the family vacation, and I don’t live with you. Haven’t for years. I’m not tethered to you financially other than an employee would be with a boss.”
“But you’re not just my employee, you’re my daughter.”
“I am your daughter, yes. But I’m a grown woman who doesn’t need Daddy to tell her how to live her life,” I said.
“Your mother would’ve been ashamed of your actions. Her little girl getting drunk in a bar around a bunch of men who wanted nothing more than to grope you.”
“Wow, Dad. That’s pretty low to bring Mom into this. And I see you and Hollis have been talking, so I’ll save you the rest of this fight. Do I need to find a new job?”
“It depends. Are your actions going to change?”
“No,” I said.
My eyes hooked onto my father’s as he leaned back in his chair. He looked tired. Worn. Haggard. But I wasn’t going to go easy on him any longer. I hadn’t stood up to him and Hollis soon enough, and now I was having to fight for the little bit of freedom I still had in my life. And if that meant finding another job, then that was what I would have to do.
I already negotiated a lower rent with my landlord, so I wouldn’t have to move. Finding another job would be easy as pie compared to that conversation.
I watched my father shake his head before he turned back to his computer. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay. Working with my father came with job security, but at what cost? Were we going to have these fights every time Hollis decided my actions were worthy of my father’s knowledge? Was I going to have to walk on eggshells in my place of work because of things that bore no relationship to the business?
Maybe it was time I found another job.
I worked through the rest of the day and stayed an extra half hour to make up for the time I lost at lunch. I clocked out at five thirty and made my way to my father’s office, but his door was closed and locked. The light was on underneath so I knew he was there, but I figured he didn’t want to be disturbed.
I’d wait until the end of the week before putting in my two-week notice. I made my way home and found a manila envelope taped to my front door. I plucked it off and found a note from my landlord telling me that Ike’s name had officially been taken off the rental agreement. I pulled out the new agreement and smiled when I saw nothing but my name and a place to sign. I double-checked to make sure the lower monthly rent was incorporated into the deal, then I pushed myself inside and signed the papers. I felt a massive boulder being lifted off my shoulders. This apartment was now solely mine. All I needed to do was get the spare keys from Ike, and that part of my life would all be over.
I stuck the agreement back in the envelope and carried it to the kitchen. I’d be dropping it off with my landlord the second I could in the morning. I was one step closer to reclaiming my life and as I stripped myself of my clothes and climbed into bed, my mind raced back to Grant.
He promised me he would call tonight when he was done with a meeting.