Engrossed in her paperwork, she didn't notice the two men from administration leaning against the entrance to her cubical. Signing the last form, she proceeded to place the papers in order and that's when she noticed them, their mirrored images on her black computer screen. Continuing her work, she didn't know what their game was. They just stood there, unmoving, staring at the back of her head. Her eyes filled with tears, and she felt herself begin to tremble. They were frightening her as they continued to leer her way. Sliding each other glances, they both took steps closer to her. The one of the right reached out and toyed with her hair. If she hadn't known they were there, she'd had thought the air conditioning kicked on.
This happened too often. Why did people think it was all right to do these obnoxious things to her? Why did they feel they could get away with it? And where the hell was everyone? Were they all sitting and watching this, laughing behind her back as well?
Guy number two reached out and softly brushed her hair. Did he really think that was funny? What the hell was this, high school? Their mouths were moving, but of course because she couldn't hear a thing and wasn't able to read their lips while watching the black screen. She wanted to cry, but that would only add fuel to their fire. She wanted to curl up in a ball and let the world wash her away. She just wanted to be normal again. She'd give anything to have her hearing return and go back to life the way it had been before that damn day.
Something in her switched. She couldn't allow someone other than Sean to touch her. He'd be furious if she didn't stick up for herself and put an end to the harassment. Not only that, they crossed a personal space boundary they had no right to. How dare they?
As if she separated herself from her own body and became an onlooker, Beth whipped around in her chair and lunged for guy number one who had the audacity to look shocked. Fists flying, she knew she was screaming while tears flowed down her cheeks, but she couldn't stop. She was moved by an involuntary response.
Rabid with anger, kicking, biting, flailing arms and legs, she didn't let up and had no idea how long the entire episode lasted until security pulled her off the guy. She felt herself hiccup and knew her eyeliner and mascara ran down her face.
Security dragged her off to the floor lobby. Waiting with his hands shoved into his suit pockets was the president of the hospital.
"Let me talk to her," he said to the two men. A firm grasp of her bicep, he led her into an empty office to their right and shut the door. Humiliated, she couldn't make eye contact. He lifted her chin to look him in the eyes. "What happened?"
"I...I..." She lost control and sobbed into her hands. "You don't understand what happens behind my back. I've seen it when they don't know. They mock me and sexually harass me."
Beneath her hands she saw his shoes appear in front of her. She looked up into his dirty brown sympathetic eyes. "Why didn't you come to me?"
"No one would believe me," she whispered. "I can't hear anything they say."
"Beth," he said, his eyes scanning hers. "How long as this been going on?"
"Since I returned."
"Who has done such things to you?" His jaw clenched.
"Just about every man in administration, male and female nurses," she answered.
His eyes searched hers like he was looking for an answer. "I'll take care of this. Take the rest of the day off."
He’d always been so kind to her, even before she lost her hearing. How many days had they taken off to walk around Oakland and shop or hang around the University of Pittsburgh’s campus on those warm, spring days? They’d always been easily compatible. She knew his wife and kids well and had been constantly invited over for dinner. There had been many rumors that she'd slept with him before she had to take time off, but that could have been far from the truth. She never saw him as anything more than her extraordinarily considerate boss.
"No, I need to finish getting a file ready for a Medicare review to have in tomorrow's mailbox," she insisted.
Sighing, he said. "All right, but you go home afterwards. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Thank you, Mr. Peterson," she said grateful.
"You should have come to me sooner, Beth. I could have nipped this before it got out of control." He flung open the door and held it open for her to leave.
After security told her all was clear, the two men had been removed, Beth went back to her cubical, entirely aware all eyes were on her.
***
It took Beth longer than she realized to finalize the file. But once she was finished, she placed the oversized manila folder into the out going mailbox then packed up her uneaten lunch. As she pulled her purse onto her shoulder, one of the front desk women appeared before her with a white envelope in hand.
"HR sent this down to you, Miss Connors," she said then scurried away.
The enveloped read Elizabeth Connors in bold type.
Heart sinking, she ripped open the letter to find a pink slip inside. The hospital was letting her go because of an assault on another employee. It was signed by the head of the HR department and by Mr. Peterson himself. So much for his solicitous help. She should have never spoken a word about what had been happening. There were too many employees that would have to be disciplined, but there was only one of her to get rid of.
Tears fell from her eyes. She wanted to run to Sean and ask for help, but what could he possibly do? Nothing. After all the crap she went through and tolerated without saying a single word, this was how she was repaid. Eight years she worked for the hospital and now had zip to show for it. Would she even be able to find another job without using this one as a reference?
There wasn't much in personal items to pack, it took her only a couple of minutes to get her things together, but security had clearly been given a heads-up to escort her out because they showed up when she tossed the last picture into her purse. She walked out of the hospital feeling like a criminal with two large security guys flanking her.
***
Sean pounded on Mike and Jill Connors' front door. His blood boiled. As soon as he heard the rumor about his Beth, he went berserk. Talk about having to be restrained. In his fit, he managed to knock out two security personnel, punched a fellow doctor, and tossed two male nurses over a station. At that point, everyone steered clear of him. He'd taken off his hospital ID, tossed it into the face of Frank Peterson, and told him to shove it up his philandering ass. Payback was a bitch. That man would reap what he sewed. Soon.
The front door swung open, and Mr. Connors stood menacingly before him.
"I need to see her," Sean demanded.
"She's not seeing anyone," Mike spat.
"Dad," Beth yelled from inside the house, out of sight.
Sean pushed past the former Marine and stalked into the living room. His Beth sat next to her mother on the sofa, her legs curled up beneath her, a large blanket draped over her tiny frame. Her features were red and puffy, but she was still the most beautiful creature he'd laid eyes on.
"Beth." He approached and knelt down in front of her. "Tell me what happened."
"This doesn't involve you, Sean," she said softly.
"The hell it doesn't," he barked. "Anything that affects you, involves me. Period. Now tell me what the hell happened."
Mr. Connors stood guard in the doorway, ready to toss him out on his ass.
Beth replayed the day's events. When she finished rehashing it all, Sean sat petrified over all that his girl had been victimized.
"I don't know what I'm going to do for a job, Sean," she cried. "I can't use them as a reference, they fired me."
"Yeah, well, I joined your club today, sweetheart, and got myself fired," he said.
"What?" she asked confused.
"I heard something happened, and I may have lost my cool." He snorted. "I may have hit a couple security guards and other staff. I may have tossed my badge at the prez and told him to stick it up his ass." He shrugged. "So I'm right here with you."
"Sean," she scolded. "You shouldn't have do
ne that."
Mike growled behind them. "My daughter needs to file a lawsuit."
Normally Sean would be in total agreement, but unfortunately, Pennsylvania was an At-Will state. The hospital didn't need a reason to fire her. They'd defend themselves by saying her dismissal was due to she wasn't performing her job up to par or they were downsizing. Which rumors had been amuck that employees were going to start losing their jobs due to cutbacks. Not only that, the VA Hospital was in a world of shit for hiding detrimental cases. Legionnaires deaths from hospital stays, conveniently kept on the down low. Patients dying while waiting to be seen, get rid of that evidence. Lists of patients that it takes more than two weeks to get an appointment, doesn't exist. All this splattered nightly on the national news. Yeah, the VA would handily sweep a sexual harassment case under a rug. Beth would have to prove sexual harassment, and he knew she didn't have a smoking gun. And those damn hospital workers wouldn't help another coworker, afraid they'd end up on the unemployment themselves.
"Do you want to file a lawsuit, Beth?" he asked. If she wanted to, without a doubt he'd have her back.
Shaking her head, she bit her lip and her eyes flooded with tears. "I'm glad I'm gone. They did me a favor. I would have never left, and I was miserable. I should have quit a long time ago," she practically whispered.
No, there wasn't much that could be done and he didn't want her to go through the potentially agonizing process of filing a suit. Was it the right thing to do to bring charges? Yes, but he wouldn't force her hand.
And his own circumstance? Well, he attacked a bunch of coworkers. That was a no-brainer.
"But you shouldn't have gotten that angry," she scolded.
"Do you really believe I would allow my girl to go through that kind of hell and not react the way I did. They're lucky I wasn't armed." He heard his own voice rise.
"But what will you do?" she asked.
That was a great question. He had some money saved that would last him a few months. But after that was drained? He sighed, resigned to the next, obvious step.
"I'll open my own place," Sean answered.
"What?" she whispered.
"I'll borrow the money off my cousin and open my own clinic." Then it occurred to him he'd need his own administrative help. "And you can be my office manager."
"Oh," Jill gasped, her eyes lighting up. "That sounds perfect, honey. You and Sean can work together and see much more of one another."
"I can't do that," Beth said.
"Why not?" her parents asked in unison.
Coming from her dad, that clearly shocked her. "Dad?"
"I think that's a great idea. You'll be safer there. I don't like your boyfriend, but damn it, he'll protect you better than any fucking hospital will, and you'll have a job that will give you your independence," Mike explained.
"See, it's perfect," Sean said encouragingly.
"Will your cousin give you that kind of money?" she asked, her voice wavering. She knew of Courtney's offer from a discussion he had with her when he bounced the idea around briefly.
"I'll ask her if the offer stands." And it damn well better or they were screwed.
***
"Hey, handsome. Long time no see," Courtney greeted him when he stepped into the kitchen.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Good, I'm recuperating well," she said. A week ago she had her D&C surgery.
Seated in their chairs eating their chicken fingers and fries, his two toddler cousins were covered in ketchup and honey mustard sauce. Russ and Jarrett, the two mannies and recently honorably discharged servicemen, chuckled at the mess before them.
"How's your girl? Beth, right?" she asked
"She's great," he said.
Courtney's large blue eyes, that matched his own, grew as round as saucers. "You're in love."
"I am." Why deny it?
"Oh my god, Sean," she gasped. "I had no idea when we scheduled this dinner for Saturday that you were in love with her." She smiled, her face lighting up. "I'm happy for you." Courtney tossed her arms around him and squeezed tight.
"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you," he said, but his anxiety over what he needed to ask drove him to push past her celebration. "I need to talk to you and Derrick."
"All right." She pulled away looking hurt. "He's outside with Jack and Carl." She turned to the two caregivers. "We'll be outside for a few minutes." They went out the back sliding glass doors and stepped onto the deck.
The evening sun started to set over the small grouping of trees that blanketed the backyard. Though the sun directly shone across the porch, the chocolate brown awning that covered the glass table and whicker chairs blocked it from blinding the men seated around the table. Sounds of children playing outside somewhere in the neighborhood, along with nighttime crickets waking from their daytime snooze, created a serene environment. Seated at the table was Derrick Murphy, mob boss of the Northeast, engrossed in conversation with his two closest henchmen.
When his wife stepped onto the porch, Derrick's sharp gaze immediately focused on her. Sean noticed the subtle, soft change in his demeanor, that of a man entirely devoted to the love of his existence. Most wouldn't catch it, but he did. For the first time in his life, he understood that look and obsession.
"Derrick, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Sean stopped by and wanted to talk to you," Courtney said.
All three men pushed their chairs out from the table, the screeching sound echoing off the outdoor surfaces.
"Sean," Derrick said, his tone, as always, purely serious.
"Derrick, sorry to interrupt." He approached his cousin's husband and held out his hand.
After polite greetings, Derrick motioned to a chair opposite him. "Please sit."
Courtney maneuvered beside her husband and took the chair next to him. Jack and Carl moved to the other side of the deck but still within earshot.
"Is everything all right?" Courtney asked concerned.
Sean supposed he should've considered his cousin might think something was wrong. She tended to be a bit paranoid, but that wasn't unreasonable with all she'd been through throughout the years.
"Everything is fine. Well...not really."
"What's going on?" Derrick demanded. He reached over and grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed. Sean could envision doing the same for his Beth if she was worried about someone she loved.
"I came to see if the offer still stood about the money to open up my own place," he said, straight to the point.
Courtney beamed. "Of course it is."
"Absolutely," Derrick agreed.
"I do have some conditions," Sean warned.
Derrick arched a brow. No one gave the infamous mobster conditions or orders. Not his wife, his employees, or his own family.
"I will pay you back. I'll make monthly payments like it's a loan," he insisted.
"That won't be necessary, Sean. What you do is important. My wife has past heart issues that she needs occasional check ups for," Derrick insisted.
He shook his head. "No, I can't do that."
"Sean, I know where this is coming from. You must realize I would never treat you like one of my associates. You're family. My family. I already owe you too much that I could never repay in value. The very least I could do is give you the money," Derrick said.
He appreciated the fact Derrick understood and recognized his concerns, but that wouldn't change his mind. "Absolutely not, I won't accept the money as a gift. I will repay every cent."
Silence gripped the conversation while his cousin's husband dubiously studied him. Courtney's eyes darted back and forth between them. Her body had gone stiff and her spine straightened.
Derrick sighed. "If that's the way you want it, fine. How much do you need?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know within the next couple of weeks. This is in the very early planning stages," he explained.
His cousin narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"
Sean snorted. Leave it to
her to pick up on the fact this wasn't a random acceptance of the offer presented to him. Over the past couple years, she'd become astutely aware, not by choice but by necessity.
"I got fired."
"What!" she squeaked.
"It was over Beth," he said.
She tilted her head in question. Derrick was the one who snarled, "What happened?"
Sean explained the entire situation with Beth and the hospital, then his reaction to the news. By the time he finished, Courtney had tears in her eyes, and Derrick's jaw clenched in violent anger.
"Who do you need me to go after?" Derrick asked darkly.
"No one," Sean insisted. Lord, he didn't need that form of vengeance on his hands. "I'm taking her with me to be my office manager. We'll move on, and I'll give her something better than working at that place."
His cousin smiled warmly. "That's so romantic."
Derrick rolled his eyes. "She started reading romance novels. I bought her one of those e-readers. As soon as she's finished with one, she'd downloading another."
She playfully smacked her husband's arm. "Oh, hush." She winked at Sean. "He doesn't complain about all the erotica I'm reading."
"All right," Sean stood quickly. He heard Jack and Carl snicker behind them. "Thank you. I'll get back to you as soon as I have all the information I need."
Derrick stood and held out his hand. "You're welcome, Sean. Anything you and Beth need, just let me know."
Bounding around the table, his cousin tossed her arms around him and squeezed. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered into his ear.
"I'm happy too, Court. Really, I am."
12
"What do you think?" Sean asked Beth.
They stood in the center of the empty medical office building. Three floors included twelve office spaces and sat in the busy suburbs of Pittsburgh. The location was ideal. Sean's only issue was the entire building was for sale, which was why it was vacant. He was going to have to approach Derrick with an altered deal. Not interested in purchasing the building, he hoped his cousin's spouse considered real estate another income venture. Though, as opposed to his normal profits, this line of business was completely legit.
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