Hillary and Miles flushed similar shades of pink. "Uh, well—"
"I think you and I should discuss this later," said Miles, glaring at Maddie. He placed his hand on Hillary's back and steered her out of the lab. "Come by my office at five," he said over his shoulder.
"I think I'm in trouble," Maddie said when they were gone.
"Deep," said Beaker with a snort. "Miles doesn't like dissent amongst the troops, especially in front of the clients."
Great. Her life was sliding downhill fast.
At five minutes past five it was no longer sliding but hurtling, head over heels, completely unstoppable.
She went to sit in the chair opposite Miles when he said, "Don't bother. You're fired."
CHAPTER 17
"I'm a loser," Maddie wailed. She thunked her head lightly on Linda's kitchen table.
"You're not a loser," said Linda, pulling a face at Ronan sitting in his high chair to encourage a smile. "You're just occupationally challenged."
"You're not helping."
"Of course I am." Linda snapped off a square of chocolate from the large block in front of her and slid it across to her sister. "I’m offering chocolate aren’t I?"
Maddie dabbed at her eyes and ate the chocolate. "If you were helping, you'd have given me twice as much."
"Sorry. What was I thinking?" Linda broke off four more pieces, gave two to Maddie and kept the other two for herself.
"You were thinking your sister is such a loser," Maddie groaned and popped a block into her mouth.
"I was not. I was wondering how you were going to get your hands on the formula for Pheramour now."
"Linda! Pheramour's the reason I'm unemployed. This is such a mess. I'm such a screw up." She thunked her head again but this time it hurt so she ate another piece of chocolate for the pain.
"You're not a screw up." Linda squeezed her arm then turned her attention to Ronan when he fisted his hands and ground them into his eyes. "You'll get through this, Mad. Look at Sam. He changes jobs all the time."
"He doesn't get fired from them! And don't talk to me about Sam. This is all his fault."
"I thought it was Pheramour's."
"Sam's the one who first suggested Pheramour was unethical."
"Then I guess it's just as much my fault."
Maddie opened her mouth to agree, when Linda said, "Speaking of Sam, what did you do to him?"
"Nothing! I swear!"
"Then why did he take off to Sydney on the spur of the moment?"
Maddie's heart dove. He ran away? "Oh God, I drove him out of town."
"You didn't drive him out. He's only gone for a few days to finalize everything there. Pete said something about a dog."
"Chewy." Maddie eyed the last square of chocolate. "Do you have any more? Alcohol would be good too."
Linda stood. "We've only got beer, but I've got a stash of chocolate liqueurs. I have to hide them from Pete in the cupboard with the baking trays. He'll never look there unless for some miracle he gets the urge to bake." She rummaged through the trays and pulled out a box of brandy liqueurs. She handed the box to Maddie who tore the wrapping off and popped one in her mouth. Warm brandy poured onto her tongue and slid down her throat.
"Mmmm. I love these."
"Me too. Hand them over. Tell me more about what you did to Sam."
"I told him about Pheramour."
"You did what? Maddie, are you insane?"
"Very possibly. Miles definitely thinks I've lost the plot."
"I don't care what that little jerk thinks." Linda reached for another chocolate. "Why did you tell Sam? Everything was going so well."
"I had to. I couldn't use Pheramour forever. I didn't want to. I suppose I wanted what we had to be...real."
"But did you have to bring up the nerd thing too?"
Maddie met her sister's gaze. "He told you?"
"He told Pete. Sam asked Pete if he could remember ever calling you a nerd. Pete said he used to say it all the time but neither of them could remember Sam calling you that. Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"
"Years of teenage angst do not lie." Maddie buried her head in her hands and groaned but she had to lift it again when she grew dizzy. "I feel sick."
"You'll be fine."
"How will I be fine? I'm unemployed and my love life sucks. The last guy I went out with only dated me because I drugged him."
"You did not drug him, you," Linda searched for the right word, "coerced him."
"I tricked him." Maddie bit her wobbling bottom lip. "I'm a nerd, a bitch and a loser."
Linda came round the table and placed her arm around her sister's shoulder. "You'll be fine. You've got some savings in the bank."