Chapter 14
800 Words
“You chose the wrong day to be late, you know. I hear that the new director is coming today.”
Steve whispered as Adrian walked through the door.
As usual, the other workers snubbed him, while some threw him dirty looks as they went about their duties.
Or at least pretended to do something.
“Here comes the strutting nobody. A Cross that is really a cross on the family.”
Snickers and mocking laughter followed.
“Hey,” Steve called out in Adrian's defence.
Adrian grabbed him before he got into trouble like last time.
“Not worth it,” Adrian shook his head at Steve as he went to his locker to pull on his coat and gloves.
He was almost halfway to the pen before he looked back at Steve, who had forgotten his momentary anger and was definitely itching to spill some tea.
“What happened to Silas? Why the sudden change?”
“Ah, you don't know. Silas offended Mr Cross.”
“Father?” Adrian said out loud, wondering when the mighty chairman started concerning himself with small fries like Silas.
“Not Chairman Cross. I mean Young Master Cross.”
As if remembering that title should belong to Adrian too, Steve quickly added, “Obviously, not you. I mean…”
“Daniel.”
“Ah,” Steve confirmed as he grabbed the kit box off the shelf before Adrian could and followed him to the area where excited yips and pants were already increasing as Adrian approached.
Even as an automatic smile creased Adrian's face at the sight of his furry friends, he wondered what Daniel was up to this time.
Furryheart Shelter was one of Cross Group’s plays at philanthropy.
A great spot for a photo op whenever Richard needed extra positive press for whatever he had going on.
Patricia had sent Adrian to the shelter when he was nine as punishment.
Adrian had never wanted to leave again.
To the variety of animals who were either rescued from abusive owners or homeless before they found a place in the shelter, Adrian was not a nobody.
They looked at him with love and trusted him to take care of them.
He had always come back, even after he returned from college.
The family hardly paid any attention to the shelter anyway, so they did not bother him.
And he got to do his best in taking care of the animals, making sure they found the best homes they possibly could after leaving the shelter.
“Why is Daniel suddenly interested in Furryheart?” he wondered as he sat on the ground while the dogs climbed all over him, trying to get their shares of face-licking and tail-wagging.
“Hey there,” he spoke in turn as he rubbed and patted them while automatically checking their teeth, eyes, ears and weights too.
He knew their measurements by heart. He knew which of them was skittish around others and which one would bite first and cower later.
Silas’ genius idea had always been to lock them up and throw them food through the gaps in their cages until they ‘calmed down’.
Adrian had changed that.
Though the balding man always grunted about soft handling, he had let Adrian do his thing.
Especially when he could easily take the credit for them in front of the press and the group.
Now he was leaving?
Adrian would not miss the man. He only wondered if the new director would be worse or better.
Too bad he would not be around to see what changes would happen.
He was only here today to say his goodbyes after all.
Once the event was over, he would no longer have anything to do with Cross Group and everything attached to it.
His heart ached as he looked around at the innocently frolicking animals who had no idea that a change was about to be forced on them.
Especially when it caught on the Labrador blinking out of his good eye from the corner.
“Hi there, Beagle,” Adrian called gently to the skittish dog.
“You are so good to him. So good to all of them. I don't know what this place would do without you. You of all people deserve to be the director and not someone who doesn't know them.”
Steve’s emotional tone pulled at Adrian even as he moved gently towards Beagle.
He had not even told Steve he was leaving yet.
He knew every other person would not give a damn that he was going, but not Steve.
Steve was the closest he could call to having a friend here.
Before he could speak, the sound of clanking footsteps reached them.
“Say that again,” came the commanding tone.
- Writer
