Page 124 of Left on Read
The other guys came spilling into the room. I tuned everyone out and looked at Zane imploringly. All the tension in the room was closing in on me. I needed to get somewhere quiet so I could calm down.
He nodded and made a discreet shooing motion with his hand, telling me to go.
Silently, I slipped out of the room while everyone started talking at once, their angry voices following me until I was a dozen paces from the building.
Needing to see Hayden’s face, I started a video call. His handsome face filled my screen, but he wasn’t at home. He was at his desk at school and in his work clothes.
I was so mad and off kilter I couldn’t even appreciate the surprise suit porn.
“What happened? Are you okay?” he asked.
“Shit, are you still at school?”
“Don’t worry about that. What happened?” he repeated.
Briefly, I outlined what just happened, trying to keep my use of colorful language to a minimum. I didn’t have anything against swearing, and neither did Hayden, but it was easier to get the facts out when I wasn’t raging.
Plus, he was at school, and who knew if any kids were around who might overhear my tirade.
“That’s unacceptable.” His eyes flashed with indignation when I was done. “They can’t treat you like that.”
“You and I know that, but they’re doing it anyway.” Feeling calmer now that I was talking to him, I crossed the lot and leaned against a nearby tree. “I don’t know what to do. What we can do. It’s not like we can just go out and magically find new jobs. No one is hiring, and if they are, it’s the same bullshit Jerry pulled when he switched us to contractors. There’s no job security in our business right now. Even the companies that have steady work are doing everything they can to cut corners, and that means every crew is understaffed, even with a surplus of work out there.”
“I’m so sorry, babe. I wish I was there so I could give you a big hug.”
Sighing, I took off my hard hat and let it fall to the ground. I was done. Fuck Jerry, and fuck the job.
“I wish you were here too. Or actually, I wish I was there. I need Hayden cuddles.”
He made a sympathetic sound.
“And the saddest thing is that we build these houses, but there’s no way any of us could ever afford to live in one. We’re busting our asses, literally breaking our bodies, and for what? To barely scrape by while everyone else gets to enjoy what we built?”
“I’m sorry, babe. It’s not fair. None of this is fair.”
“I’m so mad I don’t even care at this point. I’m just done with it all.” I sighed heavily.
“I hate Jerry.” Hayden’s voice dripped with contempt. “He knew what he was doing. You’ve told me about all the shady shit he’s pulled. He’s so on my list.”
I smiled, some of the apathy that had descended on me lifting. Hayden was one of the most rational and calm people I’d ever known, but he had a petty side that came out when he was pushed too far.
He wasn’t the type to exact revenge, not unless it was something passive-aggressive he could do without confronting anyone. But he had a list of people and companies he vowed to destroy if he ever came into any sort of power. It was as adorable as it was awesome to see my sweet boyfriend have his supervillain moments.
Wait, no. Not boyfriend.
“Babe?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I shook off those thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on our lack of relationship status, not when my livelihood was crumbling in front of me. “I’m just processing everything. Even with what we make at the club, Zane and I can’t afford our place on essentially one salary. And we don’t have enough in savings to survive for more than a few weeks with no pay coming in.
“Noah and his sister barely make enough to cover their expenses. What are they going to do when Noah is out of work? How are they going to keep a roof over their heads and take care of the kids?” I slumped back against the tree. “Same with Gray. Did you know he’s been homeless three times in the past two years because there’s no steady work out there? He’s got Caleb, but he doesn’t make enough for them to live off of. And the rest of the guys would be just as fucked too. We all have bills to pay and shit going on at home. We’re all living paycheck to paycheck here.”
“I’m so sorry. I hate that this is happening to you guys. It’s so unfair.”
“The worst part is there’s nothing we can do. If we quit, we have no money coming in. If we finish the contract, we’ll only get half of our pay, and we’ll still be out of a job in three weeks. It’s a lose-lose.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Listening is helping.” I cracked a small smile. “I’d be in the house yelling with everyone else if I wasn’t talking to you. This is better for my sanity—and everyone’s safety.”