Page 37 of Privilege

It was hard to ignore the fact her father was grinning, and looked like a kid in a candy store. It wasn’t often her father got excited about anything, really. Always cool, calm, and collected. That was Lucian Marcello in a nutshell.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

As soon as she was close enough for her father to reach out and grab her, he did just that. Pulling her into a tight hug, Lucia relaxed in her father’s embrace.

He felt like love, and home.

“Happy birthday, Lucia,” her father murmured, kissing her on the top of her head. “I just wanted to tell you happy birthday, that was all.”

“Eighteen, eighteen!”

It was only the sweet, sing-song voice of her mother that made her father step back from their embrace to let Jordyn in on it. Just like Lucian had done, Jordyn swept her daughter into a tight hug. Only this time, Lucia’s face was peppered with kisses from her ma.

“Makeup, Ma,” Lucia groaned, trying to pry herself away. It was pointless. She just ended up sighing, and letting her mother do her thing. All the while, her father stood a couple of feet back, chuckling. Soon, her mother stepped back, too. “Thanks.”

“Ready for your present?” her father asked.

Lucia gave him a look. “It’s a car, isn’t it?”

Lucian scowled. “John told you, didn’t he.”

It wasn’t even a question.

Lucia shrugged. “I have many informants, Daddy. Many.”

Lucian grumbled under his breath, and pulled a pair of keys with a familiar L symbol dangling from the attached fob. “Many, right. John. It’s John. Here—I know it’s not the Mercedes you might have wanted, but the Lexus is better. Coupe. Black with chrome. Better for you in California than the Mercedes will be since it’s a little smaller, and has better get up and go, so to speak.”

Lucia looked at the keys in her hand, silent for a moment. Was it sad that her father offered all that info to her about a car because he thought she might be disappointed he hadn’t gotten her a Mercedes instead? Like a Lexus wasn’t just as amazing … and expensive, too.

It was never more apparent to Lucia how much she was given in life while others had so little than it was right now.

“I love it, Daddy,” Lucia assured him.

Lucian smiled a bit, and passed a glance to her mother. “You haven’t even seen the car yet, Lucia.”

She shrugged. “It came from you—that means I’ll love it, anyway.”

“Mmhmm. Well, we were thinking dinner tonight to celebrate your birthday. How does that sound?”

“I’m at the shelter until nine.”

“Late dinner, then,” her mother put in.

Lucia nodded, still staring at the keys in her hand. “Yeah, okay. A late dinner.”

• • •

“How are we doing for potatoes and carrots down there?”

Lucia finished filling the plate of the waiting woman, and then replied to the kitchen’s manager. “A little low, actually. Maybe three more servings of each.”

“Okay, go grab more and then take your break, Lucia.”

They were nearing the middle of the lunch rush, and that was when it seemed like everyone decided to show up to be fed.

“I don’t mind staying on the line, if you need extra hands.”

The manager shook her head. “It’s fine. You’ve earned your break.”