Janet is Back with Bad News for Nick

Nick and Janet talks employment change

11

　

Janet walked into Nick Barnum’s office bringing in required files. She stumbled twice, and he

knew she had something to tell him. Her work ethics was impulsive, and awkward. The sort of

performance expected from a teenager. Janet had been working for the private eye for almost

eight years. She wasn’t the best secretary in the world, but he loved her working style. She was a

tall, slender Puerto Rican with short hair and a light olive complexion. Her nose was tiny and it

supported a nose stud.

Nick PT Barnum was a formidable size man, Yale educated smart a*s blessed with overwhelming

wit and muscles. He had dark brown eyes, and a chiseled chin. He looked more like a wrestler

than a private investigator.

"What?"

"What do you mean?"

"You want something?"

"Did I ask you?"

"No, but your actions are telling me."

"Just because you’re Nick PT Barnum, the great private eye, you think you know everything."

"I don’t think I know everything."

"Well, you’re right now."

"So what is it?"

"I’m just going to say it."

Nick waited.

"I owe you that."

"Okay."

"You’ve been very fair to me."

"I agree."

"I can’t keep it inside me anymore. I’m just going to tell you."

"Janet…"

"I was offered another job!"

"What?"

"A lawyer’s office."

"A lawyer’s office?"

She nodded.

"I don’t understand you. Janet, you have it made here. You like your job."

"Look at this place! You sit behind a cheap fake mahogany desk that you bought at a thrift store.

Your office is in a condemned building here on Main Street. This is a death trap. A steel frame

death trap with poor ventilation, dysfunctional air-conditioning and heating system. There is so

much free-floating asbestos to even pad the devil’s apartment.

You eat expensive cheap pizza from Famous and you watch old crime shows on television."

"I have it made too."

"And you take nothing serious!"

"Janet, if you want to take that job, go right ahead."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Are you serious?"

Nick nodded.

"You son of a b***h!"

"What?"

"Without a fight?"

"You want me to stop you?"

"No, but show some concern. I worked for you for a long time!"

"Janet don’t go."

"Don’t toy with me."

Nick chuckled.

"If I leave you’ll be lost!"

"Janet, I don’t want you to quit, but if you have a better offer, then what can I say. I’m not going

to stop you from getting ahead."

"After all the hard work I’ve done for you. I can’t believe you won’t even fight for me."

"Janet, do you want to leave?"

"Yes."

"Then you have my blessings."

"I don’t want your damn blessings! Shove it up your a*s!"

Looking west out the office window, Nick watched the evening sky fade to dark blue as the

orange light of the falling sun slips behind the skyline.

"I’ll type out my resignation letter."

"Janet," Nick called as she slowly turned to face the door. "Listen, what can I do to keep you

here?"

"Really?"

He nodded but she didn’t see it.

"Yes."

"I want in on some of the exciting cases."

"You want to follow cheating spouses?"

"I want action!"

"You want to shoot someone?"

"Yes, no, but something like that."

"If something exciting comes up," he paused as if he was thinking it over. "I’ll ask for your help."

"You promise?"

Nick hesitated.

"Well?"

"Yes, I promise."

"And you’ll give me more money?"

"What? I can’t believe you’re asking me for more money. You’re already over paid for doing next

to nothing!"

"I run this damn office! Besides, I’ll be doing dangerous and exciting things too."

"Okay."

She left the office smiling.

"Remember Janet, if you get shot and killed don’t come complaining to me."

"Idiot," she shouted from her office.