Page 118 of The Glittering Edge

“The blueberry-balsamic muffins are my favorite,” Aidan says.

Mr. Barrion inclines his head in Aidan’s direction. “Mine too. That’s why I brought the chef here. She used to run a kitchen at a Montana resort, but her talent was being wasted in the mountains. I offered to pay her double to waste it in Indiana instead.”

A rich-person joke. Aidan laughs on cue. Penny tries, but it sounds like a cough.

“Come on, Miss Emberly,” Mr. Barrion says.

Penny throws a weak smile over her shoulder at Aidan. “See you later?”

“Good luck!” Aidan whispers, throwing her a finger heart.

Mr. Barrion guides Penny to the pastry counter, where he picks out a bunch of pastries that Penny won’t be able to eat. She’ll be lucky if she keeps down a single bite. Mr. Barrion insists on carrying thetray with his free hand, and he leads her to an empty table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, which look out on the green horizon.

“It’s been a long summer,” Mr. Barrion says once they’re sitting. “I think I’m ready for autumn. Change is good.”

“Sometimes,” Penny says, and then she presses her lips together. Is she allowed to disagree with him?

Mr. Barrion gives her a sad smile. “I heard about your mother’s accident. I’m very sorry, Miss Emberly.”

“Thank you, sir.”

A member of the staff wordlessly brings them a tray of water glasses with a plate of bright lemon slices. Penny thanks them, but Mr. Barrion doesn’t even glance their way. “My own mother lived a long life, so I’m afraid I can’t relate. But I did lose my wife, and quite a few other family members.”

“I’m so sorry,” she says, and she means it. She’s seen his wife’s face, heard her voice. Penny has seen the fire that killed her.

But that’s not all she’s seen. She sits a little taller, her guard going up. “I’m doing a piece on the resilience of your company. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you.” Penny opens the notes app on her phone. “So… you’ve worked at Barrion Heating and Cooling for a long time. What have been the greatest challenges to keeping the company profitable?”

Penny silently congratulates herself. She’ll keep her questions general for now.

“A good question,” Mr. Barrion says, his voice dripping with well-intentioned condescension. “When you work at a company of this size, flexibility is important. But not as important as creativity.”

“How so?”

“Challenging problems require complex solutions. If the department that manufactures condenser coils is low on staff, that will slow down the entire manufacturing process. But if we can’t find new employees right away, we’ll need to find a temporary solution thatdoesn’t slow down production, like increased hours. But increased hours mean there will be a higher likelihood of error, so what checks and balances do we put in place to ensure quality control?”

All of this makes sense. It’s also not what Penny wants to know. She clears her throat as she sits up a little taller. “Were there any times when… when the company was struggling?”

Mr. Barrion’s smile falls. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you the specifics.”

“Of course, I—I just thought that your experience could inspire people who are early in their careers.”

Mr. Barrion watches her with unblinking eyes. “Everything worth having requires sacrifice. Life won’t hand you what you want on a silver platter. Sometimes, you have to take it. That’s my advice.”

Sometimes, you have to take it.Just like he forced Giovanni De Luca to use his magic against his will.

“Do you ever regret it?” Penny says. “Has the sacrifice ever been… too big?”

Mr. Barrion interlaces his fingers. “Where will this piece run?”

“Oh, I—I’m working with theIndianapolis Daily—”

“You’re an intern?”

“Yes, sir.”

---