*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.
NATALIE:
It has been about a week since Max threatened me about being sorry for rejecting him. I just can't bring myself to be with him right now. My heart just isn't with him. My heart is with John. My bruises have healed and my ribs still hurt but I am doing a lot better. John and I have spoken on the phone pretty much every day since he left to go back to his wife. He has to talk to me when she's not around because she gets jealous. I don't know what's going on with John and me but I know he's still married and hasn't asked for a divorce. I'm not even sure what's going on with Max and myself right now. I don't think I can be with him in fact I'm not sure I want to be with him. John is on his way back to Hershey right now so that he can take Angelina to her father daughter dance. Those two have talked every day as well. Angelina really enjoys when she gets to skype her father. That's her favorite part of the day. Angelina doesn't want me to be with Max anymore because she thinks he is a mean man and she doesn't like him. I think I owe her that much to leave Max. I can't keep letting him beat me up. I don't know.
I am snapped out of my thoughts by Max walking into my office and saying, "Natalie, we are having a meeting. We need you."
"A meeting? When was this scheduled?" I ask. I don't remember getting any memo about a meeting. I am usually the first to know about meetings considering the fact I am the manager of the hotel. This isn't making sense.
"It was a last minute. I need you in the conference room in 5 minutes," he says before walking out of my office.
I log out of my computer, get up and straighten out my dress and walk out of my office to the conference room. I get to the conference room and the only people in there are Max, his boss and Callie. This really doesn't make sense to me. I am wondering where everyone else is. "Where is everyone else?" I ask.
"Natalie," says Max's boss, "please take a seat. This is a private meeting," he says.
"Okay," I say taking a seat next to Callie. "What is going on?" I ask.
"Well, Natalie, I have been talking to Max this past week," says his boss, "and he has brought it to my attention that you have some personal issues going on in your life that might be distracting."
"Distracting?" I ask as I look at Max. "I assure you there is NOTHING distracting in my life."
"Come on, Natalie," says Max. "You were romantically involved with one of our guests."
"That is against the rules, Ms. Morgan," he says to me. I roll my eyes. This is an attack is what it is.
"I wasn't intimate with anyone," I say. "John Cena is a good friend of mine. We were not intimate." I know it is a lie but if I tell the truth I can lose my job for sleeping with John. It's not worth the risk. "And I'm not distracted."
"You came to work last week bruised and battered," says Max. "What kind of professional look is that? It looks bad to the guests and it makes us look bad."
"And I wonder how I became bruised and battered, Max," I say giving him a look of hatred.
"I have no idea," he says giving me a smirk.
"I'm sure I know someone that can refresh your memory," I say. I let it slip out before I think about what I said.
"The fact is, Natalie," says Max, "we can't have you coming to work looking like that."
"Okay," I say. "I am sure it won't happen again. In fact I am 100% sure it won't happen again," I say giving Max a smile.
"I should hope not, Ms. Morgan," says Max's boss, "but you're still distracted."
"I told you I am not distracted," I say.
"Natalie, you are distracted. I know all about Angelina's father coming back into the picture. I think you need time to get your family life in order and handle that the way it should be handled; not working in a hotel," says Max with a smirk. I could punch him in the face right now. I could knock him off the chair right now. How dare he bring that to the work place. I told him that in confidence between himself and I. He has no right to use that against me in his attack. He is mad because I don't want anything to do with him right now so he is trying to take away the one thing that I love.
"I can still do my job. In fact I have been doing my job," I say.
"I understand that when John Cena came to check into the hotel there was no room for him so he had to room with another superstar. I believe someone of Mr. Cena's stature should have been given his own room," says Max's boss. "You know that."
"Sir, Mr. Cena was okay with rooming with his friend. IT wasn't a big deal," I say.
"But he should have had his own room."
"And he was fine not having one," I say. "What is going on?"
"What is going on is you can't do your job," says Max. "You are distracted with whatever is going on in your personal life." He makes me sick. He is making everything personal. I hate it. I hate him.
"I think I am doing my job just fine," I say. "And I don't appreciate you telling me I'm not."
"Why are you getting so upset?" asks Max. "There is no reason to get upset," he says with a smirk. He is taunting me. He is doing this on purpose.
"I'm not getting upset," I say.
"Enough of this," says Max. "What we're trying to say is that you are incapable of doing your job right now. You have too much going on that is distracting you. So we feel that it would be better if you stepped down as manager and took a leave of absence until you get your head on straight."
"I don't need to take a leave of absence and I don't need to get my head on straight. I think my head is on perfectly straight." I have the urge to cry but I am not going to. I have worked so hard to get to this point and a man is the reason I am possibly losing it all. I can't believe it. I will not let Max bring me to tears. I will not allow him to make me cry not here.
"It will be best," says Max's boss. "You need some time off."
"And if I don't?" I ask.
"Then we will have no choice but to fire you," he says.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. I don't need time off."
"Natalie, you're a mess," says Max. "You do. Please. Just take this time off and get your head on straight."
I take a deep breath and realize I am not going to win. Max has gotten just what he wanted. I'm not even going to fight it anymore as much as I want to. I can get a lawyer to fight this. "Whatever, Max, you win. I will take a leave of absence. Who is going to take my place?"
"Callie is going to take over while you're getting your head straight," says Max. "She will be the manager of this hotel."
Callie looks at me and smirks. I could punch her too. That little bitch. Looks like I turned my back and she had the knife ready. I just shake my head. "Whatever." They both won. I get up and walk out of the door to head to my office to get my things. As I am outside the conference room door I hear them congratulate Callie. I guess that's what happens when you sleep with the boss. I didn't get where I am by sleeping with Max. I earned my job. The same can't be said for Callie.
I get to my office and start packing up my things. I think I'm going to take a vacation back to West Newbury to visit my family. I have plenty of time to do that now. Angelina is approaching her last week of school and after that I'm on the first plane back to West Newbury to visit my mom and dad. I have to make things right with them. I am packing up as Max walks into my office and shuts the door behind him. "Nat," he says.
"What, Max, what do you want?"
"I want to talk to you," he says.
"I think you've done enough talking today," I say. "What the hell was that, Max? You know I'm not distracted."
"I figured you might be," he says. "You know with everything that's going on with John and Angelina."
"Unlike you I can separate what's personal and what's business. Nothing with John and Angelina is interfering in my job and you know it. You're evil."
"Nat, I am not evil. I just feel like you need some time off. Okay. We can go on a vacation," he says. "Give you time to take your mind off of things. Time to think about us and our wedding."
"Do you think I'm going to marry you?" I ask throwing some stuff in a box, "because if you do you are wrong. I am never going to marry you."
"Nat, why?"
"I don't know," I say, "maybe because of the man you are. Angelina doesn't like you. She thinks you're mean."
"I'm not mean," he says.
"She thinks you are. It doesn't matter I have to do what's best for my daughter."
"Nat, please think about this."
"Max, I have nothing to think about. How could you do this to me?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Keep lying to yourself, Max. And Callie? I know you're sleeping with her."
"And you're sleeping with John," he says. There it is. He finally admitted to sleeping with Callie. I'm not shocked; disappointed but not shocked. I will not admit to sleeping with John.
"Whatever," I say, "So what am I supposed to do about a job? What am I supposed to do about my daughter?"
"I don't know, Natalie, you should have thought about that before you told me you were allowing John to be in Angelina's life and you should have thought about that before you told me to get some help. Maybe you'll make better decisions."
"No I should have thought about my job before I ever got involved with an asshole like you," I say. "Just get out."
"Nat, I'm not going to get out. We need to talk."
"I think we've talked enough," I say. "And I have nothing more to say to you. I want to pack my stuff and get the hell out of here."
"Nat, just listen to me."
"5 minutes, Max," I say.
"Okay," he says. "Natalie, you know I love you. If I could change everything that just happened I would. If I could change everything that's happened between us in the last week I would. I love you. I'm sorry I cheated on you with Callie. I don't know why I did it but I did. I promise I will never cheat on you again. I am sorry that I hit you. I will never hurt you again. I am sick over it, Natalie. I will never let it happen again. Please just don't leave me. I love you. I can help you if you stay with me," he says. I roll my eyes at him. "Please, Natalie, give me another chance. I want to be with you," he says as he moves forward and kisses my lips softly.
I pull away and say, "Max, I can't."
"Please, Natalie," he says kissing me once again.
I pull away once more and say, "Goodbye, Max. I'm taking my leave of absence now." I grab my box of things and walk out of the office. I walk out of the hotel with a dry eye so no one sees me cry. As soon as I am in my car I break down and start crying. I can't believe everything that just happened. My entire career is gone because of Max. Everything I worked for gone. I know I'm not coming back but now I don't know what I'm going to do. Max is an ass for what he did and maybe I wouldn't be too against John teaching him a lesson. I wouldn't mind giving Callie a sneak peak of what's to come for her if she stays with Max but what would all that accomplish? It would accomplish nothing. The more I think about it the more I realize I have taken the wrong road; I think.
*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.