Mrs. Harridge looked at her, deadpan. Her glasses still in one hand. It was like she couldn’t wait for Julie to leave so that she could carry on with her work. It didn’t matter to her how this news would affect Julie.

“Why?” Julie finally asked. She swallowed hard, pushing down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. If she lost this job, she wouldn’t make rent, again. If she didn’t square up with James, her landlord, by next Tuesday, she was out. So far she’d been on track to do just that. It had meant living on beans and toast, but hey. She was doing it. Now this. If she didn’t find a way to change Mrs. Harridge’s mind, she was going to end up homeless. In just a few days, she’d be out on the streets.

Panic churned her gut and turned her hands clammy. She fought not to squirm in her seat.

“Did you, or did you not, swear at a hotel guest?” She cocked her head to the side.

No.

God no.

It was the pervert from room 211. He’d actually gone and filed a complaint about her. “Um.. what?… no…” She shook her head. “That can’t be right. He didn’t…” Anger welled up in her. “I can’t believe he actually filed a complaint about me. The bastard.”

Mrs. Harridge looked taken aback. She leaned forward on her elbows and finally let her glasses go. “You just called a hotel guest a bastard. Well, at least this proves that you did swear at him. Don’t even try and deny it now.”

“He’s a pervert. He was naked when I opened the door,” she blurted. Oh great. Now she had made it sound like she’d walked in on him.

Her boss cocked her head and raised her brows. “All that tells me is that you didn’t follow correct procedure. It certainly doesn’t make him a pervert.”

Shit! “I knocked and announced myself, three times. He called moments earlier requesting a room clean. I entered. I most certainly followed procedure, to the letter.” She wasn’t going to just accept this. Forget it.

“You saw him naked and swore at him.” Her superior gave a small shake of the head, looking taken aback.