“Actually, as appealing as that does sound, I have something to discuss with you.”
“Alright.” Matty pulled back. “You look serious.”
“It’s just practical.” She used her hand to wave back and forth between them. “Nothing changes between us. I just…I told you I was going to get a contract of employment drawn up, to make things official and well…I did, and it’s in my bag. I thought we could talk it through.”
Matty nodded. “Do we need to be official?”
“What do you mean?”
Pulling a chair out, Matty sat down at the small table. “It’s just… I really want to move out of that flat, and if I didn’t have to pay tax, then that process would be quicker.”
“I see.” Sloan frowned, biting down on her lip. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”
“It’s not like anyone would find out.”
“Maybe not, but that’s not a risk I can afford to take.” Sloan fished in her briefcase for the paperwork and handed it to Matty. “I need you to fill in the blanks. Surname, date of birth, etc.”
“Bradford.”
“Sorry?”
“My surname. It’s Bradford. Matilda Anne Bradford.”
“I did wonder if that was what Matty was short for.” Sloan smiled at finally learning her full name.
“You soon get bored of people calling you Waltzing,” Matty answered, as her eyes continued to scan the page.
“You’ll see that it’s all in order. Hours, pay scale, expected routine.”
“That’s a big drop.” Matty looked up. “£20 an hour to £13?”
“It’s above minimum wage,” Sloan said. “£20 was never—”
Matty frowned. “I know, I just… I guess I got carried away with what I could earn and then I’d be out of the flat and—” She scanned further. “Less hours too?”
“I thought with mum being a little more independent now, that you’d appreciate the extra hour in bed,” Sloan offered, but looking at Matty’s face, she wasn’t so sure.
“Sure.” Matty’s eyes dropped back to the page.
“It works out to around fifteen hundred after tax. That’s... It’s more than that café, isn’t it?”
Matty nodded. “It is, yes.”
“But not what you were hoping for?” Sloan asked. Before Matty could answer, she said, “I’ll pay you £20 per hour until the end of the month like we agreed but I can’t sustain that long term, and this arrangement was only supposed to have been an emergency fill-in until I sorted out a carer.”
“I know, and I get it...I just... Spending time here, it makes me realise how much I don’t want to go back to the flat. Brandon and his friends are noisy, music all night long, drugs and cigarettes… I guess I’d started to see a way out.”
“There’s still a way out,” Sloan said, reaching across the table. She placed her palm on Matty’s wrist. “It just might take a little longer.”
The sound of shuffling in the hallway stopped Matty from speaking as they both watched the doorway for Gloria to arrive.
When she appeared, she announced, “She can move into the spare room.”
***
Matty laughed at the suggestion. “I’m not moving in.”
“Why not? You’re here all the time.” Gloria pointed to Sloan. “She likes ya beinghere.”
