Chapter 12

“Good to see you, Tagronoth.”

“Good to see you also, Mankbako.”

“How is Saggun? When will we finally get a wedding invitation?”

“He is good. Today is his day off, so he is at home enjoying some much-needed relaxation.” He answered him, clearly avoiding the second question.

“That's good, that's good. Like you, he is good at what he does, so he deserves some days off.” He took a breath and continued as they made their way to the conference room, “I want you to sit in on both of the meetings. We would like your expertise in this matter. Also, afterward, I want an update on our favorite prisoners.”

“Of course, whatever you need.”

“While you retrieve Tara and Deegan, tell Meg to bring some drinks for everyone.” He informed him.

“I thought he would be joining the meeting?“ Sal stated as he walked to the door.

“Yeah he is, he just went to retrieve Tara and Deegan. As soon as they get here, we can start.”

“Good.”

“Did you get Emily situated?”

“Yeah, I made sure she was placed in a room with cameras. There are books and a TV in there, just like we agreed. I also made sure there were trusted guards outside her door and no one except us would be allowed inside.” He sat down and pulled on the camera footage for her room. I will keep an eye on her for the entire meeting.”

A few minutes passed before everyone was eventually gathered, finally taking their places.

“Thank you, Meg.” 

“You're welcome. Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

“Will do.” Manny said, then turned to everyone else and spoke. “Now that everyone is here, let’s get started. Sal, Deegan and I spoke earlier today about the issue and about proper punishment for those involved. However,” he turned to Tara and spoke directly to her, “before we make a final decision, we figured we would give you the chance to defend yourself and see what punishment you think you deserve.”

You could see the worry and fear on Tara’s face. Her hands kept clenching and unclenching in her lap. Deegan had told her that they were strict but fair, that they would fairly punish her. That they would listen to what she had to say and, when given the chance to speak, to speak the truth. He told her that he didn’t know how, but they always knew when they were being lied to, so there was no point, that it would only make things worse for her. 

“Can you explain the reason why you did what you did the other night?” Manny asked her.

Tara took a swallow of drink before she closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths before she finally spoke. “First let me say that I am sorry for my involvement, and it will NEVER happen again. As for the reason, I stupidly listened to a coworker and went along with her idiotic plan. She is a friend…well, she was a friend of mine…I was led to believe that a woman was disrespectful and had humiliated her in front of others. She knows I am one who will not just let someone treat others that way. So when she told me that, I believed her and wanted to humiliate the woman back. If I had known who she was, or who she was with, I never would have done the things I did.”

“It should not have mattered who she was or who she was with. What happened should not have happened to anyone, whether they were a normal average human, a demon, or a VIP guest who was with the owners. With the statement you just made, I am starting to wonder just how many people you both have done this to when we were not there.”

Tara audibly gulped when her mouth suddenly felt like the desert. She grabbed her drink and finished it, getting no relief. Everyone could see the fear that was shown in her eyes the moment he said that. 

Deegan also saw it and closed his eyes, realizing just how much Maisy had done this in the past. His eyes were finally open and he finally connected the dots. He just hoped he would not lose his job, or be punished, because he was too blind to see what was going on in front of his face.

Manny looked at Deegan and said “How many times have you received a complaint about a supposed accident caused by her or Maisy?”

“In all honesty, for Tara, hardly ever, maybe once every two months. For Maisy, at least every other week. I always thought that she was clumsy, or people had bumped into her, making her unbalanced. I am sorry for only seeing the pattern just now and not seeing it before. If you two want to fire me for my incompetence, then I am willing to accept it.”

“Please do not fire him.” Tara pleaded, not giving them a chance to respond. “He is the best manager there. I am not just saying that because I am sleeping with him either. He has a tendency to overlook people's faults and give them the benefit of the doubt. Because of this, I have realized just how petty and stupid she has been. I admit that I have listened to her in the past, only once or twice, and went along with it. If anybody should be fired, it should be me and her.”

“When you did these things, why did you think you would not eventually get caught? Or that these things would be acceptable to do?” Sal questioned.

“Truthfully, we work at a club, where people are drunk the majority of the time, so I figured that it would seem like an accident, and I would not be caught even if there was a complaint.”

“So you were expecting to get away with it?” Deegan asked her.

“Yes.”

“Just how much have you done and gotten away with? Did you think I would get you out of trouble? Is that why you started sleeping with me?” Deegan asked, raising his voice.

“I swear I only did it twice. Well, now it would be three times. I started sleeping with you because I like you. I was not trying to take advantage of you.”

“But you did.”

“I…I…I understand that now.” She acknowledged with tears in her eyes.

“You two can go to couples therapy later.” Manny announced, “We were going to suspend you for two weeks, but with the new information it should be longer.” He looked at the others and asked, “What would you recommend?”

“Three week suspension,” Deegan stated.

“Customer service class,” Tagronoth answered. "She should pay for it herself, if it is not free."

“Both,” Sal stated.

“Three week suspension and a customer service class. If any more complaints of this caliber are filed against you, then you will be fired.”

“Thank you. Again, I am extremely sorry for my actions and I swear never to do them again.”

“Tagronoth will walk you out.”