The next day at work Ashley walked up to Janet’s cubical and said, “Hey Janet, do you have a moment, I want to speak to you.”

Janet walked quickly by Steve’s office’s open door trying not to look. She couldn’t help herself and looked. Steve was not in there.

They got into Ashley’s office and both Michael, Steve, and Tina were seated in there. Ashley shut the door.

“Dr. Stevens wanted me to talk to you about changing your mind and staying with the company.” Ashley began.

“It is our understanding that you have put in a two weeks notice, is there anything we can do to change your mind?” Tina said.

“I don’t think so, it has come to my attention that some of the people I work with have not been above board with me.” Janet said while looking straight at Michael attempting to not look at Steve, but the tension in the room told everyone that Steve was who she was talking about.

“Let’s cut the crap. You want to leave Steve’s team, OK, I need someone with your talents on my team.” Tina said.

“For that matter, I could use you and I am sure that Ashley could use you as well.” Michael said. Ashley shook her head in agreement.

“I don’t know why…” Steve began to talk.

“Michael raised his hand and said, “Steve, please, I didn’t even want you in here.” Michael said angrily.

“Come on, you know I didn’t do anything wrong…” Steve said.

“Didn’t do anything wrong? What the hell are you talking about Steve?” Janet said.

“Stop it. Stop it!” Ashley said.

“OK, here is the deal, I have a position on my team right now. I promise you won’t have to work with Steve, I’ll personally work with him if I have to to keep you from any interaction. You are too important to this company to just leave, and let’s be honest, with this job market, you probably ain’t got a job lined up anyway…” Tina said.

“What about Penny, I think I might have some difficulty working with her.”

“What the hell? If you can’t work with anybody on the team, then why stay on?” Michael said.

“Penny is working directly with Dr. Stevens now and is no longer a part of my team.” Tina said while ignoring Michael.

Janet looked over at Ashley.

“Well, I can give you a job, but I doubt you want to work in human resources.” Ashley said.

Janet looked at Michael.

“Yeah, well, I can give you a job, but I ain’t gonna pussyfoot around Steve, you will act like a professional and do your damn job like everybody else here. This ain’t high school!” Michael said.

Janet stood up and shook Tina’s hand. “It looks like you have a deal. I will start immediately.”

Tina smiled and said, “OK, let’s go to my office and talk about your new job. She walked out of Ashley’s office to go towards Tina’s office.

****

When Janet and Tina walked out of the Ashley’s office Michael walked up to the door and shut it. Micheal started yelling, “See this is the mess we have to deal with. You have been messing up as far as Tina is concerned from the beginning.”

“I ain’t done a damn thing man.”

“This is the second time I have had to clean this stuff up. I told you she didn’t want you, but you kept on pushing it, now we ain’t getting no work done because of your mess. Relationships at work are hard and…”

“Says the man who is screwing his co-worker every night.” Steve interrupts.

“Let me finish…”

“What you ain’t screwing your co-worker?” Steve said.

“You crossing the line dog…” Michael said.

“Come on this is getting out of hand.” Ashley interrupted.

“Said the woman who wanted to screw the man who is screwing his co-worker.” Steve said.

“I think you need to calm down before you say something that is gonna get you fired.”

“So you come at me but you don’t want to hear me telling any truth? I’m telling you, I ain’t done a damn thing to her. She kicking my ass and now you blaming me for my ass being kicked.” Steve said.

“No, I’m blaming you for messing up work.”

“Whatever…” Steve said.

Steve then looked at Ashley and said, “Janet had a lot of work on her plate, and I am going to need a replacement very soon.”

Ashley said, “Well Tina said she will take care of that work, so go ask her for that help.”

Steve opened the door walked out and slammed the door shut and walked over to his office.

***

That afternoon at 2pm, Tina was walking to the copy machine and ran into Steve. “Janet has a project that really has to get done this week. I need you to give me somebody to work late this week to help me finish it.” Steve said.

“Now you know I don’t have anybody to do that right now.”

“If I don’t get this project done, I will be looking for work.”

“OK, let me talk to Janet. What’s the name of the project?”

“It’s the Vanderholt project…And ask her what I did to make her so angry with me.”

“I’ll ask her about Vanderholt, you ask her about that other mess.” Tina said.

****

“So is this how it is gonna be? I ask you for what Steve wants and I ask Steve for what you want?” Tina asked Janet about five minutes later in her office.

“Well you wanted to go between us.”

“Well, give me the Vanderholt papers, he said that it needed to be finished this week.”

“Yes, this is an extension so it is very serious. We have to get this done.” Janet said.

“OK, I’m in the dark here, why are you so mad at him?”

“Cause he a lying two timing asshole.” Janet said.

“He cheated on you?” Tina asked.

“Yeah, well…kind of.” Janet answered.

“I can’t even keep up with it. I heard you were engaged and then you were kissing Steve and then…”

“Well you are out of the loop.”

“So he cheated on you. OK.” Tina said.

“Well, it isn’t really that, I was about to let him down, it was just the disrespect of screwing someone else when he was supposed to be going out with me.”

“So how did you find out he was screwing somebody else?”

“My ex gave me pictures?”

“Your ex? Pictures? What the hell is this lifetime movie mess yall got going on in this office?” Tina said with a chuckle.

“You can’t understand.”

“I understand that you wanted to break off the relationship you kinda had with Steve and then you got upset because he had sex with someone else before you had the chance to do it?” Tina said.

“No, it ain’t like that, it’s something else. It is different than that.”

“OK, well it ain’t none of my business. He does seem like a decent guy, you don’t have a problem if someone else wanted to date him would you?”

“Someone else like who? And how do you know he is a ‘great guy?’” Janet asked angrily.

Tina smiled. “Penny told me that he was a great guy and you know I ain’t had a chance to really get into the dating scene in Nashville since getting here.”

“Yes, I would have a problem with you dating him.”

“So you engaged to be married and you don’t want to let go of the one you turned down?”

“No, I kicked that fool Terryto the curb. I am through with that guy for good.”

“Sounds like you are trying to leave the door open to get back with Steve. Assuming you were ever with him.” Tina said.

“Give me the papers, I will work with Steve my own damn self. I will finish the Vanderholt project.”

Janet stepped out of the office and walked over towards Steve’s office.