"Please," she said. "I need this job."
Dean's expression did not soften. "Then smile and keep quiet."
He turned away before she could answer. Kayla took a breath, straightened the brochures, and looked toward the front door just as Frank stepped inside. She noticed the faded jacket, the worn but clean shoes, and the careful way he paused to orient himself in the unfamiliar building. What she did not notice was his last name, because he had not offered it. She saw a customer, and she stood up to welcome him.
"Good morning, sir," she said. "Can I get you a coffee while you look around?"
Frank smiled. "That would be very kind."
"It's free, of course."
"In my experience," he replied, "the best things in life usually are."
Kayla smiled without knowing why the remark touched her. She had heard expensive people talk all morning about commissions and promotions, and here was a man who seemed genuinely grateful for a paper cup of coffee. She directed him toward a comfortable chair near the red pickup, then asked what brought him in. Frank told her his grandson was coming home after military service and that he wanted to surprise him with the truck in the display window.
"That's a beautiful gift," Kayla said. "Would you like me to find someone who can tell you about the model and financing options?"
"I would," Frank answered. He pointed gently toward Chad, who was laughing with Dean beside the sales tower. "Perhaps that young man in the shiny suit. I'd like to hear what he has to say."
Kayla's smile faltered for just a moment. She knew Chad's talent for dismissing anyone who did not look prosperous. But the customer had asked for him, and it was not Kayla's place to refuse the request. She carried the coffee to Frank and started across the showroom, bracing herself for what came next.
Chad saw Kayla approaching and checked his watch as though every second she required was being deducted from his earnings. He had been practicing the speech he intended to give when Arthur Pruitt announced the promotion, and he was irritated by any interruption that did not involve a high-value sale. On his desk sat a framed photograph of himself accepting a quarterly performance award. Beside it lay the keys to the black company sedan he had been allowed to drive in anticipation of the manager's position.
"What is it now?" he asked as Kayla stopped in front of him.
"A gentleman is interested in the red pickup. He asked if you could explain the price and features."
Chad looked past her toward Frank. His eyes traveled over the old man's jacket, the trousers that had been mended near one pocket, and the cup of coffee held between his hands. Chad did not ask whether the customer had an appointment or had spoken with the finance department. He smiled as though Kayla had delivered the punch line to a joke.