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It definitely wasn’t Big Frank’s

Jackie and I decided to meet at the farmers’ market for coffee before one of us possibly lost her livelihood We grabbed two cups of the best coffee we’d ever tasted and waved at Mykia as she attended to soether," Jackie explained as she sipped her coffee "All of his ideas centered around sex Or soet the boot I’m worried for Glynnis And for myself"

"I’d like to say I’m worried for all of us, but I’o, and I don’t want you to go either"

"Lukas was toughest on hts from my mind The ones that said I wished it would be Rhiannon and Byron, because they were young and would bounce back a lot quicker than I would I tried to bury my fear down even deeper--ould I do? Hoould I continue paying the e? But it kept bobbing to the surface, leaving an oil-spill residue of anxiety

Nervous, Jackie and I both checked the tiet it over with," she said

We cli I’d worked for Giacoetting the boot ruin arden, of Lukas’s insincere promise that opportunities would abound Maybe I’d make my own opportunities Maybe

When we stepped in the office, Byron, Rhiannon, and Glynnis were already at their workstations, saucer eyed They pointed to the chair where Seth usually sat An opened envelope, torn in half, rested on the keyboard

"He’s gone," Glynnis said, pink cheeked, likely eo out the back door"

"Good for him," I said, but then my coed into Jackie’s keyboard With Seth gone, it didn’t take ine what hers said My mouth opened "Oh, honey"

She ran to her desk and snatched the envelope, clutching it to her heart instead of opening it "No," she said "No way I’"

"I’m sorry, Jackie," Rhiannon said She stood up and aardly atte "I really, really am"

Jackie shook her off She pushed her shoulders back and lifted her chin "I said no I don’t accept this"

"I don’t know if you have a choice," Glynnis said "I’lanced at Lukas’s closed office door "Hell if I don’t have a choice"

She marched over to his office, and in a rare show of office solidarity, we all followed her Jackie didn’t hesitate before knocking

"I’m busy at the moment," Lukas called out Was that a Madonna-esque fake British accent I’d heard?

Jackie busted into his office anyway We were at her heels Adrenaline pulsed through ht-headed Jackie, red faced and detery You can

Jackie tossed the envelope on Lukas’s desk "Big Frank would never have done this Never"