The phone call comes on Monday after my weekend with Juliette. I shouldn’t be surprised when the number flashes on my screen but I am. My heart rate quickens when I pick up the phone.

“Landon! How are you?” Jeff’s voice echoes through my ear, and I shiver.

“Good morning, Jeff.” I greet my old boss with a fake smile. I have to actually plant the fake smile on my face to make it believable myself. As if it wasn’t bad enough running into him at the mall, now he’s on the other end of my phone.

“I hope it’s a fabulous morning for you.”

Well, let’s see. The company I spent fifteen years with let me go, and I’ve yet to find something. Right now the only positive thing going on in my life is Juliette. He’s got some nerve asking me such an asinine question. “I can’t complain.” Though I can, and I probably should.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I’m sure you’re busy. Since I ran into you yesterday, though, I’ve been doing some thinking.”

“Okay.” I don’t know where he’s going with this. Jeff has never been one of my favorite people. Sure, I tolerated him. I had to—we worked together, and he was my boss. I don’t have to be nice now, but I know karma can be a bitch, and you don’t want to burn a bridge in case you need it to cross over the water in the future.

“This isn’t something I want to discuss on the phone. Is it possible for you to meet me for lunch?”

A meeting. A lunch meeting. The last time we had a lunch meeting he dismissed me, asking me not to return. The thought of sitting across from him and sharing another meal isn’t appealing. Seeing him yesterday was bad enough. Something could be wrong with my severance package, or maybe I left something in my office. I don’t want to go, but I’m curious what this is about, and he took the time to call me.

“Sure. I’m free for lunch today. Can you meet me at Cardinal Cafe at noon?” That’s thirty minutes from now which gives Jeff plenty of time to wrap up things around the office and meet me.

“Perfect. See you then.”

I hang up the phone, uncertain what this can all be about. I want to call Juliette but she’s on a conference call from now until one today. She told me about it last night, her nerves taking over. The last thing she needs is me bothering her.

I turn on my computer and shut it off right away. I can’t concentrate thinking about what Jeff wants with me. Cardinal Cafe is only about ten minutes from my house. Either I stew over our future conversation sitting at home, or I do it at the cafe with a drink in my hand. The latter seems a much better idea.

The hostess seats me near the window. I’m close to the door, and when people enter the breeze is cold, but I don’t mind. I browse through the menu as if I don’t already have it memorized. I’ve been here enough to know they feature lobster mac and cheese on Mondays, a kale salad with chicken on Wednesdays, and, like most places in Wisconsin, fish fry on Friday. The mac and cheese is tempting, but I can go for a third-pound burger with three different kinds of cheese melted on top. I’ll probably order that.

“Hey there, Landon.” My favorite waitress, Marnie, greets me, her voice rising with every word. “I haven’t seen you in here for the past few weeks. You’re usually here every day.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Can I start you off with a drink? Your usual?”

“No coffee today. Bloody Mary please.”

She presses her notepad against her stomach. “A Bloody Mary? Is everything okay?”

Marnie has been my waitress here for the better part of a year. She knows what I like to order, and when I veer off track, she knows something isn’t right. A coffee would be great, but I need some alcohol, and this place makes the best Bloody Mary. I don’t know how they do it, but they’re amazing. “I lost my job.” Saying it out loud to someone other than my sister or Juliette lifts a thousand pounds off my chest, like I’ve let go of a century long secret.

Marnie covers her mouth with her notepad. Lifting it off, she says, “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry. When?”

“A few weeks ago. It’s fine. I’m still trying to figure things out. I might go into business for myself.” I keep saying that but I have no clue what I’d even do.

“Good for you. I could never do something like that.”

Marnie is an intelligent woman. She’s kind, detail-oriented, and outgoing. If anyone can start a business and succeed, it’s her. “Sure you could.”

“I don’t know about that.” She clicks her pen and presses it to the paper. “What can I get for you today, besides the Bloody?”

“Actually, I’m meeting someone—my old boss—so I think I’ll wait until he arrives to order any food.”

“Don’t wait on account of me.” Jeff slides onto the seat across from me.

“Well, speak of the devil.” Not too far from the truth, either, considering.

“Nice to see you again.” He reaches over and shakes my hand. “Miss, that Bloody Mary sounds great. I’ll take one of those, too.”

“Excellent. I’ll be back with those in a few minutes, and I’ll take your order then.”

We wait for Marnie to move to the next table before either of us speaks. I figure I might as well start. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I’m being facetious, but he doesn’t know that.

“We’ll get there in time.” He flips through the menu, and then sets it back down. “Were you shopping very long the other day?”

“No. After we finished at the dress shop we met with a florist.”

“A florist? Are you getting married and didn’t tell me?”

“No.” Even if I were getting married I doubt my ex-boss would be on my invite list. “Juliette is in a friend’s wedding, and she was helping her out by dropping the deposit off.”

“That’s nice of her.” The ice clanks in the glass as he drinks his water. “I know we didn’t have an opportunity to go into much detail when we ran into each other, but how have you been doing these past few weeks? Any prospective jobs?”

“Nah.” I might as well be honest. “I haven’t been looking too seriously. The job market is flooded with retail right now. Unless I plan on working the holiday shifts at Target, there’s not much for me. I’m not about to be thrown out on my ass if that’s what you mean.” Granted, I can’t afford to not have a job for much longer either. I’m fairly frugal and that allows me to pad my savings. I don’t want to have to constantly be dipping into savings, though, either.

Jeff chuckles, and I cringe remembering now how much I hated when he did that. He never knew the appropriate time to laugh. He’s a tad socially awkward when business isn’t involved. Put him in an office in front of clients, and he owns the room.

“We miss your sense of humor in the office.”

“Is that so?” I don’t expect him to tell me they miss me at work. “Well, it’s too bad I don’t work there anymore.” Sarcastic, maybe. Regretful I said it? No.

Jeff sets his glass of water back on the table, taking his time as though the bottom of the glass has to roll out one vertebra at a time. “Do you want to be?”

“What?”

“Working there again?”

If I’d had anything in my mouth, I would have had to spit it out. “Are you offering me my job back?” I’ve been gone for three weeks, and they can’t handle it without me. I could have predicted this.

“Not quite.” He bursts my bubble faster than I can blow one. “We’ve eliminated your position since the company that purchased us kept their guy on. I spoke with my manager, though, and we can bring you back as an independent contractor. Do you think that is something you would be interested in?”

How do I answer him? I’m not sure if that’s something I want. Being fired after fifteen years sucked. The stability, the routine, the insurance is gone. I’m forced to find all of that again, and it’s not easy. Go back to work for Jeff though? As much as I liked my job, I couldn’t stand working with him. He’s good at his job, but he’s cocky and sexist, a combination I’m glad I don’t deal with anymore. I’m not having much luck securing a job, though, so I have to do something soon.

“I thought you were asking me to lunch to tell me I forgot a stapler or something in my office.”

“Not quite.”

“I gather that. Look, I need some time to think about this, Jeff. I’m not sure how I feel walking back into that building and seeing everyone’s faces.”

“Come on, Landon. It’s not like you to care what people think. Think of this as an early Christmas present from me.”

Giving back my job which I think I should never have lost in the first place is a Christmas present? Now Jeff is pissing me off.

“Are we ready to order?” Marnie sneaks up on us.

I’ve lost my appetite, but I haven’t lost my common decency. I’ll stay and talk to Jeff about anything not related to work, eat my lunch, and try not to throw up.

Because that’s what I feel like doing right now.