Heart Song Anthology by Carolyn Faulkner (summer reads txt) 📗

“Well, aren’t you going to tell me what you were talking to that woman about?” I demanded.

“No. Right now I am going to suggest you get back to work, young lady. We will discuss this situation further this evening.”

“We’ll discuss it right now!” I pushed my luck.

“If you wish to have that particular discussion right now then don’t blame me if we are overheard. I would have thought, however, you would wish a bit more privacy for our talk.”

I suddenly knew what he meant and my eyes flew open in dismay. “Why would you want to do that?” I asked, my voice a whisper.

“It is called attitude, young lady. You were disrespectful.”

“My feelings were hurt,” I told him. “I thought I meant something to you.”

“You do, Jenny, but I won’t permit you to talk to me like that. Now, are you going to get your sweet butt back to work or are you going to get it spanked right here and right now?” He meant it, and I wasn’t brave enough to take a stand.

I went back to work, trying to hold the tears at bay.

When Reed came to work, I grabbed my things from my locker and hurried out the back door without a word to anyone. I’d messed up again, and I didn’t know how or why. Cody was the one who took a call from a former girlfriend while professing to love me. I had every right to be angry, and I had every right to an explanation. So why am I feeling so guilty? I asked myself.

I made sure the door was locked before I went to take a bath and wash the kitchen smells out of my hair. Once I was clean, I gathered a load of my chef whites and started the laundry. Then I went to see what I could fix for my dinner. The box of Golden Crisp cereal looked wonderful to me and I quickly fixed a bowlful and carried it into the living room. I flopped on the sofa, picked up the remote, turned on the television, and found a rerun of House Hunters. I tried to concentrate on which home the couple should choose to buy while trying not to think about Cody and work. I couldn’t think of one reason that Tabitha would have to lie to me or mislead me about the telephone call from Princess Alyssa. Cody just didn’t like being caught out and it hurt to know that he might have been playing me. He just didn’t seem the type, but there had to be some reason why he didn’t want anyone we work with to know about us. It wasn’t as if we were doing anything immoral or wrong. My musings were interrupted by my doorbell and since I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, I decided to ignore the summons, chomping on my cereal and determinately watching House Hunters.

“Jennifer, you open this door right now.” Cody was knocking loud enough to summon the entire building!

“No. You didn’t want to talk to me earlier; I don’t want to talk to you now. I don’t like the attitude you are showing me!” Yes, I know. I have a smart mouth at times. But my feelings were hurt that he’d failed to explain himself to me earlier and I wanted my pound of flesh before I would listen to him.

“Jenn, open the door immediately, or else!”

“That might work at the restaurant, but you are not my boss here, mister. Go home. I don’t want to discuss your affair.”

“Affair!” he repeated, and I heard something in his voice that I’d never heard before. Cody was beyond furious with me and I started crying. “Jenn, I don’t know what Tabitha told you, but nothing could be further from the truth. Please open this door, or I swear I am going to take my belt to your sweet butt.”

I could just picture my elderly neighbor’s shocked face if she heard Cody threaten to spank me. She was a pioneer in the women’s rights movement, and she would call the police if I didn’t quiet Cody. I jumped up and quickly unlocked the door. “Do you want Miss Grant to call the police, Cody? She would love to see you arrested for even threatening to spank a grown woman in this day and age.”

“Sounds to me like someone should have given your Miss Grant a damn good spanking once upon a time!” Cody growled. His dark eyes were flashing with temper as he stomped into my apartment and firmly shut the door behind him. “I am not happy with you, young lady!”

“I’m not happy with you, either.” I felt tears sting my eyes and I tried to blink them away. I did not want to cry in front of him and get accused of being all emotional. However, I felt like crying when I thought of Cody making plans with Princess Alyssa. She was everything I wasn’t: tall, thin, long blonde hair, and oodles of money. She was a model and she made good money posing for pictures. I hated her!

“You have no reason to be unhappy, Jenn. That is what I am trying to tell you. Yes, Alyssa did call this morning and she did insist on speaking to me, so Tabitha put the call through. Alyssa asked me to escort her to a Valentine’s party and I said I had other plans. She was angry and slammed the phone in my ear. Once that call was over, I made another call and that is what Tabitha overheard. I have a good mind to fire her for spreading gossip, especially when she didn’t get it right.”

“She didn’t know that what she said was going to upset me, Cody.” I felt as though I needed to defend Tabitha.

“No, she didn’t, but I don’t like gossip.” He was frowning and I wondered if I’d made him so angry he was going to fire me. “I want to know why