Page 39 of Free

“Teach me your ways,” Deb intones with awe, pretending to worship at Mrs. Jones’s alter. The old lady winks at her, as if Justin wasn’t still floundering like a fish on land, searching for an appropriate smart-ass remark.Mrs. Jones swiftly collects the crumb-filled plates and returns to her base in the kitchen.

“You know she’s going to outlive us all,” I assure Justin.

His eyes snap back to me, having followed his housekeeper( his third favorite person in the world) as she disappears through the doorway.

“She better,” he grumbles, picking up his fourth muffin and taking an obscenely large bite out of the top, dribbling brown sugar topping all down his front.

Anyway—

“I’m sorry, Deb,” I say, turning my attention to my closest friend outside of Justin and Julia. Maybe my only other true companion. “I didn’t mean to get you into this mess—”

Deborah waves my words away, shrugging her shoulders and sitting up straight.

“Are you kidding me? The only reason I was at Lancaster United to begin with was for you. There was no way I would have stayed working for the Dragon without you there. I just wish we could have flamed out after Christmas bonuses were delved out.”

Shit.

I didn’t even think about that.

It’s almost been a month, and even though we talk every few days, she hasn’t mentioned money or the fact that she might need some, not even once. Christmas bonuses should have been on her last check. But, obviously, that must not have happened. Leave it to my old man to make sure Deb’s was stripped from her final pay.

I still have my personal bank accounts, which, since my folks paid almost all my bills, hold a considerable amount of money. I also have my trust, though truth be told, I’m not positive how long I’ll be able to hang onto that. My lawyer informed me they’ve already gotten a cease and desist letter from the Lancaster Estate stating that I’m in violation of the conditions for its use.

I may very well be. I never read the fine print.

Still…

“Don’t worry about that. The least my Lancaster money can do is pay you through the end of the year, bonus included.”

Deb seems to vacillate for a moment, her face scrunching up like she’s smelled something foul. “That feels icky,” she mumbles.

“This year?” Julia asks, “or last? Because it’s already almost February.”

Justin meets my eye and grins. Ifhehad asked that question, it would have been dripping with sarcasm. But Jules, god bless her, sounds completely serious.

“Did I mention I recently got a raise?” Deb adds, deciding that taking advantage of her former boss’s bank account is the better choice than homelessness.

Justin and I both laugh, and Jules makes a note on the pad of paper she brought with us into the dining room. God, I love her.

“No less than you deserve,” I say with a smile. “Check’s in the mail. But what will you do next?”

“I hear McDonald’s is hiring,” she laughs. She seems to think she’s hilarious, but the joke falls rather flat to me. “Honestly, I’ve already started sending out resumes. But beyond the way my previous position ended, I’m in a precarious position. I don’t want to be an assistant, but I don’t have my degree yet. I’m applying for assistant positions anyway, because it’s what I’m qualified for, but who wants to hire and take the time to train someone when they know I’ll be wanting to run my own department within the year? You know what it’s like,” she adds with a sigh.

I do know that. I’ve been dreading the day I had to let her go.

“Speaking of which, I need to talk to the financial aid office.”

Justin’s foot finds mine under the table, and he tilts his head minisculely to the side. I’d completely forgotten about the tuition assistance. Shit.

I dip my chin in silent acknowledgment that we’ll call the school on Monday.

“This semester’s tuition was already paid for,” she continues, oblivious to our silent conversation to ensure her schooling is uninterrupted and she’s not left with the brunt of the expense. “But I’m positive I’ll get an email any day now either from the school stating that Lancaster United pulled their payment, or a big fat bill from Lancaster United directly. NYU business school isn’t cheap, which is why I got paid in pennies in exchange for tuition assistance.”

Deb’s shoulders sag, the weight of our actions sitting heavy on her shoulders. She claims that she would have quit anyway, but the truth is no, she wouldn’t have. Not until all of her bases were covered and she had a new job lined up that would ensure her future.

I feel like I’ve been kicked in my stomach.

I knew the consequences of my choices. I made my decision fully aware of what I was giving up and what I’d get in return. I ruined one life in exchange for starting another.

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