The hostess, a recent hire named Priya Shah, kept her expression still. She had watched the elderly woman ask for dinner, watched Brad refuse her three different ways, and watched Lily risk her job over a chair. Priya had been hired partly because she spoke three languages and could greet international guests with confidence, but lately she had begun dreading anyone who arrived without visible proof of money. She knew which customers Brad expected her to smile at and which ones he preferred her to discourage.
"Table nine is waiting for their dessert order," Brad told Lily when he spotted her still near the host station. "Are you planning to finish your shift or conduct another philosophy seminar?"
Lily flushed, took the order pad from her apron, and started toward the dining room. She managed three steps before turning back toward the glass doors. The elderly woman was still outside, standing beneath the awning while the rain glimmered in the streetlights. No one had brought her an umbrella, a chair, or even a glass of water.
"I'm going to make sure she has a ride," Lily said.
Brad turned. "You're on the clock."
"I'll be back in a minute."
"Lily, if you walk out that door, don't come crying to me when we discuss your schedule tomorrow."
She heard the warning clearly. So did Priya, who opened her mouth as though to say something and then closed it. Lily thought about the electric bill and the jar of coins beside her kitchen sink, and for one terrible second her courage almost abandoned her. Then she remembered the woman's voice saying that dignity was not a luxury she had to earn.
"I'll be back in a minute," she repeated.
She stepped outside into the rain before Brad could respond. Margaret was standing near the curb under the awning, looking down at the face of her old wristwatch. Across the street, Samuel had seen her come out and was maneuvering the car toward an opening in the traffic. Lily hurried to her side and offered a folded paper napkin she had picked up from the host station.
"Margaret," she called, breathing a little hard. "Are you all right?"
The older woman looked up, genuinely surprised. "Lily. Why did you come outside?"
"I wanted to make sure you got home safely. It's late, and it's raining, and he was so rude to you." Lily unfolded the napkin, then gave an embarrassed smile at how little protection it could offer. "I know this isn't much. I just didn't want you standing here alone."
"You should be inside," Margaret said. "Your manager will be looking for you."
"I don't care," Lily answered too quickly.
Margaret took the napkin but did not use it. "You should care. A person with someone depending on her has to be careful, even when she's doing the right thing."