Pink Slip Prophet Read Online Free

ready?”
    “So, Ian,” Larry said in a projected voice from the kitchen, “what are your plans now that, you know, you lost your job?”
    Ian closed his eyes, mortified. Here comes the inevitable Candy overreaction.
    “What!” Candy screamed, her voice reverberating off the cement walls.
    Ian saw in his mind’s eye the familiar look of outraged shock on her face: the open mouth, the bulging eyes, the selfish attitude of entitlement.
    “What does he mean, you lost your job?”
    Jack trotted back into the living room, the virtual reality goggles and gaming controllers piled against his chest. A look of worry distorted his face. “Can we still play?” he whispered.
    “Of course,” Ian said with a certainty he didn’t feel. His stomach clenched up. I hate this. And I wish Jack didn’t have to see it. “Let’s play in your room. I’ll be along in a minute.” He stood up and faced Candy across the breakfast bar.
    “You lost,” Candy said with exaggerated facial movements, “your job?” She turned to Larry. “Really?” She stood too close to him and her arm was around his lower back.
    “Larry fired me,” Ian said.
    “Well, I’m sure he had a good reason,” Candy said, still looking at Larry.
    “I saved that baby girl today,” Ian said.
    Candy stared at him open-mouthed.
    “Larry fired me and apparently took the credit himself. Yeah, he’s a great guy, that Uncle Larry.”
    Ian stared at Larry. Larry stared back at him, his eyes narrow slits of hurt, envy and defiance.
    “Larry saved that baby,” Stacy said from Larry’s other side. “It was on the news.”
    Larry laughed. “You know good old Ian and his delusions of grandeur.” He stared straight at Ian. “Just like when we were back in college, Candy, you remember? He thought he could be a robotics scientist.” Larry guffawed. “Ian. A scientist! And then, of course, you got pregnant and he did the right thing. Reality bashed those delusions of grandeur.”
    He turned to Stacy and put his arm around her, his hand resting on the top of her exposed butt cheek. “I like your dad, darling. I hated to have to let him go. But between the damages and the automation—”
    “I just rerouted the train,” Ian said.
    “What are we going to do?” Candy asked.
    “Oh, I can lend you some money until you get on the basic income,” Larry said.
    “Oh, right, I heard about that at school,” Stacy said. “Great idea, Uncle Larry.” She patted his hand and smiled up at him.
    Ian raged. He stood up and faced Larry, eye to eye. “Get your hand off my daughter’s ass. Now.”
    Larry eyes seemed to recede deeper into his head but he didn’t break their eye contact.
    “Daddy, it’s no big deal, it’s just Uncle Larry. He doesn’t—”
    Ian turned to Stacy. “Get to your room! And put some clothes on already. You’re sixteen!”
    Larry pulled Stacy tighter into his side and she giggled.
    “What’s this basic income?” Candy asked Larry in a whisper.
    Jack came around the corner of the hallway and into the living room. He carried the gaming goggles and controllers. “Dad, can we play now?” The look of expectant hurt on the boy’s face crushed Ian’s heart.
    Ian closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn’t want to let the boy down again. The only one with any hope of turning out right. The one who most took after him. But the frustration, the betrayal, the sense of worthlessness overcame him. “I can’t right now. I have to get some air.” Ian stormed out of the apartment over the sounds of Candy and Stacy giggling.

Chapter 2
    Ian pushed through the door to his apartment and opened the fridge. It was short, with a small freezer on top so he had to bend way down in order to see into it. A cockroach popped out of a half-open Chinese food container. Ian jumped back and slammed the door.
    There are four of them. I work all day. She doesn’t even work. Why? Why can’t one of them keep decent house? If not for me then at least for