Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson Page A

very well?
    As she went into the apartment, she remembered that it was her grandmother’s bunco night. Fortunately, it was at someone else’s house this week. Anna kicked off her shoes and, since the drapes were still shut, proceeded to strip off her work clothes. Although she wasn’t really some weird exhibitionist who liked to walk around her in her underwear, moments like this, when she had the apartment to herself,were rare. Since she was hot from walking home in the high temps, she just wanted to cool off.
    She placed her phone in the charger and went to the fridge, still in her underwear, to see what looked good for dinner. Then she stood in front of the kitchen sink, eating last night’s leftover salad right from the serving bowl. As she rinsed the bowl in the sink, she realized how pathetic her little life had truly become. Really, was this what she had come to?
    She went back to peer at her phone, wishing that Marley or someone in New York would call her with good news. After several minutes of just staring at her phone, she knew she was being silly. This simply wasn’t going to happen. She pulled on a T-shirt and shorts, picked up the paperback novel that Grandma had recommended to her last night, and settled herself on the sofa to read until she fell asleep.
    The next morning, Anna felt more than a little discouraged as she walked to work. She was seriously troubled by three things this morning: One, Marley had not called and was probably not going to call. Two, Anna’s life was probably not going to change, ever. Three, she would have to follow through on her probationary warnings or risk looking like a wimp. When she reached the motel parking lot, though, she got mad. It still had not been cleaned up! Honestly, that was the same cigarette package in the same place it had been two days ago. Mickey was clearly not taking her seriously.
    As she marched into the foyer, Jacob watched her with interest. “Hey, Anna. You look like you’re on a mission.”
    â€œI am.” She slammed her purse down on the counter. “I’m fed up.”
    â€œWith what?”
    â€œWith the way our staff are not doing their jobs.” She told him about the parking lot. “I’ve asked him again and again to clean it up, and it’s got the exact same trash in it as two days ago.”
    â€œOh.” He nodded. “So what’re you going to do?”
    â€œI’m going to fire Mickey.”
    Jacob’s brows arched. “Really?”
    She looked at the clock. “You don’t leave for ten minutes—that gives me just enough time.”
    â€œYou sure about this?”
    â€œAbsolutely.” She pointed to her purse. “Lock that up for me, please. I’m going to speak to Mickey right now.”
    â€œAnna, do you know what you’re do—”
    â€œI refuse to sweep this under the rug again,” she declared. “Even though that’s how Mickey likes to clean up a mess. I’m finished with him, Jacob.” Without another word, she turned away and marched off to hunt down Mickey.
    Swinging by the pool, partly because she was curious if he’d sprayed down the decks and arranged the chairs like she’d asked him to do the other day, she was almost relieved to find it undone. One more reason to give the lazy bum his walking papers. She was about to leave when she spotted a small cloud of smoke at the opposite end. Shading her eyes from the morning sunshine, she realized it was Mickey and Shawna, sitting on a table and smoking.
    Anna took a deep breath, striding purposefully toward them. She’d never actually fired anyone before and wasn’t even sure she knew how to do it properly. Perhaps it would be better to do it in writing. Except that if she worded something wrong, it wouldn’t surprise her to have Mickey use something she put in a letter against her.
    â€œExcuse me,” she said in a formal tone.