of the hall, but then she started toward him. When she was close enough for him to touch her, he noticed she held a small cup of chocolate pudding.
She sat down without being invited and pushed the pudding across the table to him. That act of kindness took him completely by surprise and he responded by being more curt than he intended.
“What are you doing?”
“You like pudding, so I’m giving you mine.”
“How do you know I like pudding?”
“I’ve been watching you.”
“What?”
She just smiled at him in response.
“Don’t you like it?” he asked.
“It is the most delicious thing I ever tasted.”
That wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “So why don’t you eat it?”
“Because I thought if you had an extra, it would make you smile. I’ve been here two weeks and I have not seen you smile once.” She touched her finger to his hand. “Why are you so sad?”
He didn’t mean to yell, but what did she know? “What the hell is there to smile about?”
A sadness swept her face and Lucien wished he could take back his words. And then she spoke and what she said sliced through him.
“Sometimes it seems like there’s nothing, like when my mom hits me or when I used to have to hide in the basement of our apartment building so that my mom’s friends didn’t come for me when they were done with her. But then every once in a while I’ll see a butterfly soaring through the sky. The idea of that being me—to be free—makes me smile.”
He didn’t understand the feelings this girl evoked in him—a rage that was nearly palpable, but at the same time a tenderness that nearly brought him to his knees. His need to protect her, the caterpillar who was waiting to become a butterfly, was overwhelming.
“What happened to your mom?”
“Nothing. She has a new boyfriend that was paying me more attention than her, so she sent me here.”
Lucien had some choice words for her mom, but instead reached for his spoon.
“I won’t be able to eat all of this. Maybe we could share.”
Her smile took up her whole face. “You’re a terrible liar, but I’d like to share it with you.”
He handed her the spoon with an answering smile. “Thanks, Caterpillar.”
Darcy sat at her desk, but as hard as she tried to forget the scene at Peacock a few nights ago, it was right there. She had been right. She had half a mind to walk into his office and tell him to fuck off, but that wasn’t the professional way to handle a conflict. She was pondering drafting a harshly worded e-mail when he appeared in his doorway.
“Darcy, could you come in here, please?”
Shock rendered her mute for a minute. It was almost three weeks since she had started and the only time he’d asked her into his office was the day he spouted off instructions at her like she was a willful child. What pearls of wisdom would he impart today? It was curiosity that made her get to her feet and follow him into his office.
Lucien decided he needed to start acting his fucking age. Darcy was his employee, really way overqualified for the assistant position he’d offered her, and he owed her common courtesy. And while he could feed that bullshit to himself all he wanted, the real reason he wanted to reach out was because he missed her. She had sought him out and maybe she was fourteen years late, but she was here and she was trying.
He sat across from her and he took a minute to study her, knowing his scrutiny would serve two purposes: it would give him a minute to enjoy the view and, at the same time, his blatant staring would piss her off. Yes, he was going to try to make an effort, but he was only human after all, and the dig was a small one, but a very gratifying one when he saw her eyes narrow ever so slightly at him.
“I was a bit of prick the first time I called you in here. Hours are flexible as long as you’re putting in eight and that includes an hour for lunch.”
He didn’t miss her look of surprise, nor did he miss the skepticism burning in her gaze. He couldn’t blame her for it. How to lighten the mood? And then, remembering their banter as kids, he tried to think of the most absurd instructions to show her he’d been rude. “When you arrive,