And then there was what I was doing. I crossed my ankles one way and then the other. I pulled the hem of my skirt so much I could see stress lines in the fabric. I didn’t know how long Alice was going to make me wait in the conference room. The door opened and she walked in, only she wasn’t alone. Frannie from HR was with her. Shit. “Thanks for coming in, Sydney.” The two women sat across from me. “Of course.” I tried to smile, but my lips felt like they would start to tremble at any second. Alice cleared her throat. “I had Frannie join us so we can go over everything together.” She didn’t need to say another word. I knew exactly what decision she had made. My job at the News & Record was over. I sat in silence while they explained the company’s policies on fraternization with a source. Frannie read an excerpt from the employee handbook and presented a copy of the document I had signed when I was hired.
