“They do?” he asked.
“They have different responsibilities, but both manage a part of the business. You will do the same. You’ll make the same as them.”
“You’re kidding me,” he said. “Why would you do that when they’ve been there for years?”
“Jayce, that’s not how you sell yourself,” his father said. “You have the same years of experience in your field as Jocelyn. Whether or not it’s for us doesn’t matter. Some might argue thatwhat you did is more experience than what we need. It’s only fair that all three of you get the same salary. Bonuses are done at the end of the year.”
He’d had no clue about any of this. He’d never asked. Never cared either.
His mother slid a piece of paper across the table to him. “That is your salary if you choose to stay and work for the company. The rest of the benefits are listed. You get the same as everyone else. Same time off, insurance and so on.”
“I didn’t expect differently,” he said. His parents were fair. They were reasonable on top of it.
The last thing he wanted was anyone to think he was coming in and getting away with whatever he wanted.
He picked up the piece of paper and coughed. “You’re joking, right?”
Jesus. His siblings were making more than him by ten thousand and they didn’t work nearly the hours he did. Probably didn’t have a fraction of the stress either.
“No,” his father said. “I know it’s not Charlotte money, but it costs more to live there.”
“Honestly. This is fine. It’s more than my base was. More than I might have gotten at another job right now for sure.”
“We did research to make sure it was fair, even though the plan was to keep you even with your siblings.”
“I’d be stupid to turn this down. But I don’t want to feel as if it’s a pity job.”
His parents looked at each other. “You know better than that, Jayce,” his father said sternly. “Your spot has been waiting for you to take it. If you don’t want it, but do ten years from now, the stipulations are going to be the same.”
“I don’t know what to say,” he said.
“Say yes at the end of next week if you really want it. We told you we were giving you three weeks to just chill, but to do thosethings, you need to know the information. Now you’ve got it, and we’ll leave you alone until the end of your babysitting duty,” his mother said.
10
STEADY PATIENCE
“Hi,” Farrah said, opening the door late morning on Saturday. “Sorry for the last minute call.”
“No worries,” he said. “It’s not as if I’ve got much going on. Where’s Archer? It’s too quiet here.”
She laughed. “Tell me about it. Sometimes when he’s wound up, which is often, I wish to have the house to myself. But then when he’s gone, I wish he were home.”
“He’s not here?”
“He spent last night with my parents. They are leaving in a few hours for their trip, which is why they can’t watch him next week. They are bringing him here on the way to the airport.”
“So it’s just the two of us?” he asked.
The grin he sent her said more than she was willing to admit to herself.
That he might be seeing her the way she was looking at him.
And she wasn’t sure how to handle it.
It wasn’t the reason she called him to stop over. This had more to do with going over a few things without her son around in regard to his care.
“It is,” she said. “Come in. Can I get you anything to eat or drink? Coffee, cookies?”
