Chapter 5 - Lucy Asked About Everyone Else
Julian returned to the hallway, where Tessa and Lucy were waiting.
He asked Tessa how much she owed her landlord.
She reluctantly told him.
The amount was less than Julian had spent two months earlier replacing outdoor furniture he had used exactly once.
The comparison made him feel ashamed.
He immediately arranged for the missing wages to be advanced that evening, along with additional compensation for the delay.
Tessa shook her head.
“Mr. Mercer, I don’t want charity.”
Julian stopped.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have described it that way.”
He sat across from her.
“This is money you already earned. You will receive everything in writing, and you may have an independent adviser review it before agreeing to anything.”
Tessa’s eyes filled with emotion.
Lucy, however, remained serious.
“What about the other people?”
Julian turned toward her.
“What other people?”
Lucy began counting on her fingers.
“Mr. Dawson who takes care of the grounds. Ms. Reed from the kitchen. And Ben who works near the garages. Mom said they’re waiting for money too.”
Tessa looked mortified.
“Lucy, people don’t usually talk about other employees’ finances.”
The girl looked confused.
“But if they worked, shouldn’t they get paid too?”
Julian had no answer complicated enough to improve on hers.
“Yes,” he said. “They should.”
Lucy looked him in the eye.
“Are you checking them tonight?”
Julian understood immediately what she was really asking.
May you like
Adults had already given her mother too many promises containing words like soon, later, next week, and we’re working on it.
“Tonight,” he said.
