Lily saw his face.
“That’s her.”
Daniel pretended not to know.
Victoria stepped out.
Not in the black dress this time.
Dark jeans.
Cream sweater.
Flat boots.
Hair tied loosely behind her head.
Daniel stared longer than appropriate.
Lily whispered, “Definitely like her.”
“Office.”
“No.”
“Lily.”
“I want to meet her.”
Victoria entered the bay carrying two paper bags.
Daniel looked at them.
“What?”
“Breakfast.”
“It is two-thirty.”
“Then late breakfast.”
“You came across Chicago to bring food?”
“I had a meeting nearby.”
Lily looked at her father.
Daniel knew the look.
Do not lie to the child.
Victoria noticed the girl.
“Hi.”
Lily stood.
“You’re the fancy lady.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Victoria smiled.
“I’ve been called worse.”
“I’m Lily.”
“Victoria.”
“I know.”
Daniel opened one paper bag.
“What is this?”
“Food.”
“I see that.”
“Then we're making progress.”
Lily looked inside.
“Pancakes.”
Victoria looked at Daniel.
“I was told children enjoy them.”
“By who?”
“The internet.”
Lily immediately liked her.
Traitor.
They ate on folding chairs beside the workbench.
The absurdity of it struck Daniel.
One of the wealthiest women in America sitting in his garage eating pancakes from a takeout container while Lily explained second-grade social politics.
Victoria listened seriously.
Too seriously.
“And then Emma said Zoe copied her drawing, but Zoe drew the dog first.”
Victoria nodded.
“Documentation?”
Lily frowned.
“What?”
“Who has the earlier drawing?”
Daniel laughed.
Victoria shrugged.
“Evidence matters.”
Lily thought.
“Zoe.”
“Then Zoe has a strong case.”
Daniel pointed his fork.
“Do not teach my daughter litigation.”
“I’m teaching governance.”
“Worse.”
After Lily disappeared into the office to color, Victoria became quiet.
Daniel noticed.
“What?”
“The review.”
He stopped eating.
“Bad?”
“Yes.”
“How bad?”
“My executive responsible for the portfolio was suspended.”
Daniel stared.
“Because of my garage?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Your garage exposed something larger.”
She explained.
Not everything.
Enough.
The redevelopment strategy.
Modification standards.
The emails.
Daniel listened.
When she finished, he looked toward the neighboring businesses.
“How many people?”
“In this portfolio?”
“Yes.”
“Seven properties.”
“No. Overall.”
Victoria hesitated.
“Potentially dozens.”