“Why are your numbers so upside-down like that?”
“Most companies think of settling cases as a cost of doing business. They’ve determined they’ll spend less money on a settlement than on protracted legal fees. Or, they’re risk averse and scared to death of losing, so they pay out.”
“But you don’t think that way?”
He shrugs. “I have a different philosophy. I can’t stand legalized extortion, so I only settle when I’m sure a case has merit. Or, at least, when I think ajurywill think a case has merit. Yes, I might pay a ton in attorneys’ fees to fight a case, but it’s worth it to me, so I can sleep at night.” He takes a sip of his cappuccino. “Plus, I firmly believe the long-term deterrence value is worth something, though I can’t prove that. You can’t prove the casesnotfiled against you because you’ve scared away unscrupulous plaintiffs’ attorneys with your big swinging dick.”
I laugh.
“If someone has a legitimate beef with me, fine. Let them bring it, and I’ll settle the case like a man. Otherwise, they’d better brace themselves for a long, hard fight, that will ultimately lead to their resounding disembowelment.”
I grimace. “Yikes.”
“But enough about all that. Tell me about you, Georgie.”
“What would you like to know?”
To my surprise, Reed launches into asking me a bunch of questions. He asks how I knew I wanted to pursue journalism. And then about my family and childhood. And, finally, about my mother and father. And to my surprise, he seems genuinely interested in my answers.
“You took it really hard when your dad remarried, huh?” he says.
I nod. “But when my father got cancer, I knew I had to let it go. Life is short, you know? I realized I love him with all my heart, unconditionally, and that’s that. All that matters to me now is making sure my fatherstays cancer-free and keeps a roof over his head.” I smile at Reed through my lashes. “Which is why I’m so grateful to you and CeeCee, for everything you’ve both done for my father and me.”
Reed stiffens. “I haven’t done anything. It was all CeeCee. She hired you. She’s your boss.”
I tilt my head. Shawn always made the exact same face Reed is making now, whenever I told him he was acting kind of weird and suspicious. “No, you’ve been amazing, Reed. You’re letting me stay here this whole week, expense-free, remember? And you’ve also said you’ll give me a hotel room after this week, too. Which means I’ll be able to give almost all my salary to my father this whole summer, to help him try to catch up on his mortgage payments. And on top of all that, you’re also throwing a party to end all parties on Saturday nightandletting Alessandra come with me. I’d say all of that is a whole lot more than nothing. I was just saying I’m grateful.”
Reed runs his finger down the handle of his fork. “Your father is behind on his mortgage payments?”
I blush. Why did I admit that? “I shouldn’t have mentioned that to you. It makes me sound ungrateful for everything you and CeeCee have?—”
“It’s fine, Georgie. Tell me what’s going on. He’s behind on his payments?”
I press my lips together. I can’t believe I let that slip.
He grabs my hand. “Did your father get behind when he got sick?”
I exhale and nod. “He hasn’t returned to work since he was sick. He’s a carpenter by trade, and chemo left him with some problems with his hands. But it’ll be okay. I’m going to give him as much of the grant money as I can. It won’t solve the problem completely, but it should buy him some time until we figure out what else we can do.”
Reed rubs his forehead. But before he says a word, an older woman walks into the kitchen—a woman I immediately recognize from the photo on Reed’s desk as Amalia. His housekeeperand second mother. Reed gets up and hugs Amalia in greeting, and then turns to me.
“Georgie, this is Amalia Vaccaro, my housekeeper. Amalia, this is Georgina Ricci. She’ll be staying here for the summer.”
My heart stops. Did Reed just say I’ll be staying here... for thesummer? When did I agree to that?
Reed continues, “I’ve put Georgie in the blue room upstairs. Make sure she’s got everything she needs to feel at home, please.”
“Of course. Hello, Georgina. Nice to meet you.”
“And you.” I stand and shake Amalia’s hand, my mind racing about Reed’s shocking comment.
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable this summer,” Amalia says.
“Oh. Uh. Thank you. But I’m good. Just getting to stay here at all is a dream come true. It’s a beautiful house.”
“Yes, it is.”
I look at Reed. “I’m so excited to stay for the summer. It’s so much nicer here than any hotel.”
