Chapter 5 - The Woman They Didn't See
Three weeks later, my sling came off.
My new office was on the third floor of Mercer House.
I hated it immediately.
Too large.
Too quiet.
Too expensive.
Jude found me trying to move the desk myself.
"What are you doing?"
"Moving this."
"Why?"
"I hate where it is."
He looked at my shoulder.
"Absolutely not."
"It's healed."
"Doctor Walsh said six weeks."
"Are you spying on my medical appointments?"
"She tells me when you're about to do something stupid."
"That's unethical."
"She doesn't tell me medical information."
"What does she tell you?"
"Mostly, 'Stop Audrey from lifting things.'"
I folded my arms.
"You two are annoying."
Jude called two employees.
They moved the desk.
That afternoon, my first official employee meeting began.
Twenty-three staff members attended.
Housekeepers.
Drivers.
Cooks.
Security.
Servers.
I stood at the front.
"For years, we've been trained to believe the guest comes first."
Everyone nodded.
"That changes today."
A young server named Mia raised her hand.
"What if the guest is important?"
"You're important."
The room became quiet.
"What if they're a politician?"
"Still you."
"Billionaire?"
"Still you."
Someone in the back asked, "What if it's Mr. Mercer?"
Jude was standing by the door.
Every head turned.
He answered himself.
"Especially me."
People laughed.
I looked at him.
"Glad we agree."
Afterward, Jude walked beside me through the gallery.
"You were good."
"Surprised?"
"No."
"That sounded suspiciously like a compliment."
"Don't get used to it."
Something had changed between us.
Maybe it had started in the coatroom.
Maybe earlier.
I began noticing that Jude brought coffee to meetings exactly the way I liked it.
He noticed when my shoulder hurt before I admitted it.
And I started understanding things about him too.
The terrifying Jude Mercer everyone whispered about existed.
But there was another Jude.
The man who knew every employee's name.
The man who anonymously paid medical bills.
The man who kept a photograph of his mother inside his desk.
One evening, I found him alone in the ballroom.
"Why are you sitting in the dark?"
"Thinking."
"Dangerous hobby."
He smiled.
I sat beside him.
After a moment, he asked, "Are you afraid of me?"
"Sometimes."
He looked at me.
I shrugged.
"You asked."
"Why?"
"Because you have enough power to ruin people's lives."
"And?"
"And I don't think you enjoy using it."
He looked toward the windows.
"My father did."
I waited.
"He believed fear was the same thing as respect."
"And you?"
"I spent twenty years trying to prove him wrong."
"Have you?"
"I don't know."
I considered that.
"Your employees don't fear you."
"Victor does."
"Victor fears your scheduling habits."
That earned a quiet laugh.
Then Jude became serious.
"Audrey."
"Yes?"
"I should tell you something."
My heartbeat changed.
He looked directly at me.
"I care about you."
I didn't answer immediately.
"That's complicated."
"I know."
"You're my employer."
"I know."
"You have a terrifying reputation."
"I've heard."
"And I currently manage policies designed to prevent powerful employers from behaving inappropriately toward employees."
Jude closed his eyes.
"I appreciate the irony."
I smiled.
"So what happens?"
"Nothing."
I blinked.
"Nothing?"
"Not while you work directly for me."
For some reason, that answer made me respect him even more.
He stood.
"Goodnight, Audrey."
"Goodnight, Jude."
He walked away.
I watched him go.
Then I whispered to the empty ballroom:
"That's incredibly inconvenient."
From the doorway came his voice.
"I heard that."
I covered my face.
May you like
For once, Jude Mercer laughed first.
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