#that's you! You're apart of the layoffs! You are closer to a layoff than ever seeing 6 digits in your bank

[jaythelay]

Build an audience.

Raise prices.

There's enough that stay for the price increase to only result in profit.

Repeat for several decades

Now only rich people pay for the product and the company is making bank, while you are kept from art on the premise of being poor.

You. Should. Cancel. Every. Subscription.

Pirate. Because art is never for the rich. It is for all. As it stands, you're enabling yourself to never see any again. If not you, your children and their children.

Do not trust companies. Do not give them any BoD. Do not enable or defend companies. They have a team for that, that they substantially underpay.

[kayhi808]

Billy Mine - Act 2.4

The remainder of breakfast was comfortable. Penelope's on Lexington is one of my favorite brunch places. I love their Signature Blueberry pancakes. Bill was right, I still had a sweet tooth, while he had an egg white omelet. What's the point of eggwhites if you're still adding cheese & bacon in there? Just enjoy all of the egg! Billy made no sense. AND he finished off my pancakes when I tapped out. We fell directly into old habits like we haven't been apart for 20 years.

Bill told me about his time in the Marines & starting his business. He's such a good storyteller. I was sad to have our breakfast end, but he said we'll head to ANVIL. He wanted to give me a tour & then we can get down to working on the type of security I'll need. We step out onto the sidewalk & Bill texts his driver to pick us up. The wind has picked up quite a bit since we got there. My hair was blowing all over the place & in my face. It was hard to control it with just one hand, since my left arm was still in a brace. Bill grabbed the hair tie on my wrist & turns me away from him. He starts gathering my hair in his hands, "Billy, dont…no, its ok." I start to turn but he grabs my elbows to keep me in place. His strong fingers running through my hair and along my scalp made me want to purr.

He ties my hair into a ponytail. "I used to do this for you everyday after school. You were always a sweaty mess."

"HEY!" You hear Billy laugh as he turns me around to face him. He fixes my bangs to help me hide my stiches. He gently brushes his thumb over the bruise below my eye. He slowly draws me closer to him. If I wanted to pull away, he'd let me go, but I didn't want to. I sink into his embrace & I feel him rest his cheek on the top of my head. "I've missed you, Bunny."

"I've missed you, too, Billy Mine."

*****

I'm so impressed with the business Bill started for himself. ANVIL is so much more than I expected. He does all types of security. From military & government contracts, events, properties, consultant work, private secruity and body guard work. ANVIL is made up of a few warehouses along the Hudson River. We reach his office after my tour. It overlooks the huge training center he has set up for his agents. It's like the best state of the art gym ever! "This is amazing, Billy. You should be so proud of yourself. I'm speechless."

I notice the slight blush that stains his cheeks at my compliment. Bill guides me to a seat in front of his desk, "As I said earlier, if you aren't at home or at work, we'll have a guard with you, so I'll need your schedule. I imagine you'll be staying with your parents for a bit?"

"I'd like to be back at my apartment. I'm feeling a lot better."

Billy's frowning, "Will you allow us access to your home? We'll check for vulnerable breach spots. I can contact your employer as well. I'd like to look around there, too. Those men that came after you were pretty ballsy to come for you in broad daylight."

"Or idiots."

Bill smirks, "Will you allow us access to your apartment?"

Digging through my bag & finding my keys, I slide them across Bill's desk. "If there are breach spots, what will happen?"

"No changes will be made without notifying you and gaining your consent. It could be from cameras, sensors, alarms..." Bill shrugs. "What do you do for work?"

"I'm an HR Consultant. If there are mass hiring, training or layoffs, I fly out to facilitate them."

Frowning, "Do you have any trips coming up?"

Sitting up straighter in my chair, "I do actually."

I already know what he's going to say. "Is there any chance you can cancel it? Or can they send someone else?"

"These are my clients. I brokered these deals." My anger sets in. I'm not giving this up and handing it to someone else.

Bill sighs. "Maybe those men who attacked you will be caught by then." If Bill was looking for traits that Juliet retained from the Bunny he knew, well this is one of them. That stubborn frown.

"But you don't think they will."

"My concern is your safety." Billy steps around from behind his desk & crouches in front of me. "It's a miracle you got away from your abductors. There were 3 of them. Look what they've done to you, sweetheart."

"It's not a miracle. They underestimated me because I am a woman. I've taken 6 years of muay thai and 10 years of karate." Leaning in closer to Billy, "I could have killed them." I see his eyes drop to my mouth. He's going to kiss me runs through my mind. I sit back. "I promise you, they are in worse shape than I am."

Bill stands to lean back against his desk, laughing. "My Bunny. Always a force to be reckoned with. Seriously? 6 years of Muay Thai?" I nod. Now it's his turn to look impressed with me. I don't know why after all these years his approving grin lights me up inside. "Ok, how about this. Send me your itineraries for these trips you have coming up and I'll see if it's feasible to get you out there."

I give Billy a bright smile, "Ok, thank you."

Pointing a finger at me trying to sound stern, "No promises." My smile grows. Bill groans, "Shit." Sighing, "C'mon. Let's get you home."

@idaofinfinity @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend @russosafehaven @e-dubbc11 @terry2227 @snowkestrel @jvanilly @bustlingcrowdsxorxsilentsleepers @celestialams @ellooo0ooo