PART TWO

"Operations," Mia said. "Entry level. Shipping schedules, vendor calls, whatever the team needs. You'll be at a desk on the open floor."

"Fine."

"You'll report to Daniel."

Alexander went still.

"Daniel Reyes?"

"He's a team lead now."

Alexander looked at the floor, then back up. "Page nine," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"The last time I spoke to him at Vale, I told him he had until noon. He had the wrong column on page nine."

"He remembers."

"He told you?"

"He told me before he said yes to this." She sat down again. "Daniel asked if he could work with you. I told him he didn't have to. He said he wanted to."

Alexander rubbed the side of his thumb against the edge of his wrist, where his watch used to be. It was a habit she had noticed years ago. Now there was nothing there, and his thumb kept moving anyway.

"Why would he?" he asked.

"You'd have to ask him."

"I'm asking you. Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing it for you."

"Then who?"

"Me."

He waited for more. She didn't give it.

"Here's how it works," she said. "Nobody on the floor will be told why you're here. Ethan and Daniel know. That's all. You do the work like everyone else. If you're late, you're late. If you mess up, someone tells you. No special treatment."

"I don't want any."

"You say that now."

"I say it because I mean it."

She studied him. For a moment she saw the man from the lounge, cold, certain, sure of himself. Then she saw the man in front of her, in a suit that no longer fit.

She didn't know which one scared her more.

"The pay is low," she said. "It covers rent if you share. It won't cover a hotel."

His eyes lifted. "How did you know about the hotel?"

"I didn't." She kept her face still. "I do now."

He looked away.

She took a sheet of paper from the drawer and slid it across the desk, along with a pen. "Read it before you sign."

He didn't read it. He looked at it for a second, then looked at her.

"Read it," she said again.

He read it. All of it. His eyes moved down the page slowly, and she watched him, and she thought of all the contracts he used to sign in two seconds while she waited with a coffee in her hand.

He signed.

"One more thing," she said.

"Yes?"

"I haven't forgiven you."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Good." She took the page and slid it into a folder. "Because this isn't that."

"I understand."

"Do you?"

He held her eyes. "No. But I'm going to try."

It wasn't the answer she expected. She looked down at the folder so he wouldn't see it land.

"That's all," she said.

He stood. At the door he stopped with his hand on the handle, and for a second she thought he would say something else. His mouth opened.

"When do I start?" he said instead.

Mia picked up her pen.

"Monday. Seven forty-five."

His hand went still on the door.

"And Alexander," she said, without looking up. "Don't be late."