"Er, Ray, we have to lay you off until sometime next year. Early in Spring. Maybe April or May.....or June."

"Lay me off?"

"Yeah, you know the manager who hired you? He's gone. But that's not the real reason, Ray. We have some....problems. The state has told us we have to pave the road in front of the store....."

"But you asked them to pave the road in front of the store. You've always known they were going to pave the road."

"Yeah, but who knew they'd actually agree? We asked them for a letter, and they said, "Sure. We're going to need to pave that road someday...." Wow! You see the problem. So, you know, we'll call you back....when we're ready...."

"But what do I do in the meanwhile? You don't really want me anymore, do you?"

"Oh sure we do. We agreed to pay you a huge bonus if we ever fired you! So, you just trundle on home and we'll call you in some day... Of course, you can always QUIT. Not that we're hinting that you QUIT or anything." (QUIT!)

"So....my choice is to sit around for the rest of my career, or quit and lose my bonus?"

"Thing is Ray, all the other employees are threatening to QUIT. Not that we are suggesting that you QUIT! We don't really have the money for the bonus. (QUIT!). So as long as the state is playing hardball, what can we do? (QUIT!)

"I'll get you for this! I'll never quit!"

"QUIT?" Whoever asked you to QUIT, Ray? Why would we ask you to QUIT?"

"This isn't the end of this! I'm going to see my lawyer!"

"Fine, we wouldn't want you to QUIT or anything, Ray....."