Jake did not make an immediate move to take the card.
This is bad, thought Derrick.This is really bad. He’d thought the Rosses were nice, compassionate people. Derrick stared at Jake. He didn’t want to beg, but he’d have to.I can’t lose this job, I just can’t.The rent on his mum’s tiny two-bed flat, in which he shared one of the bedrooms with his brothers, was now extortionate. But they couldn’t afford to move somewhere else; they could barely afford where they were. If he lost his job …
Jake could tell by the look on his face that Derrick thought he was in trouble. He wasn’t. Jake had started showing Derrick around the apartment, and suddenly it had all become too much; an overpowering sense of grief, of loss, had engulfed Jake. He’d had to get out of there – fast. So, he had walked out of the apartment, leaving Derrick to have a look around for himself.
Derrick made another attempt to hand Jake the plastic key card, but Jake resolutely kept his arms folded. ‘I want you to keep it.’
Derrick looked at the card, not expecting to get to keep a souvenir of his tour. Maybe he wasn’t in as much trouble as he thought.
‘Did you like the apartment?’ said Jake, pressing the button to close the lift door because Derrick was too preoccupied with the card in his hand.
Derrick had never heard such a stupid question in his life, but of course he wasn’t going to say anything of the kind to Mr Campbell-Ross. ‘It was … it was …’ Derrick was having a problem putting it exactly into words.
Jake understood. He pressed theGbutton, and the lift started down. ‘Well, I’m glad you like it – it’s yours.’
Derrick looked down at the card in his hand. He had been right all along. By showing him the apartment, Mr Campbell-Ross had been showing him exactly what was possible for Derrick to achieve if he worked his socks off for the Ross Corporation.
‘Thank you, Mr Campbell-Ross. I’m going to work very hard and someday I just know I’m going to use this card for real.’
‘Not someday, Derrick,’ said Jake, watching the floors countdown. ‘Today – it’s yours today.’
It took a few seconds for Derrick to grasp what Mr Campbell-Ross had just said. When he did, he gaped at Jake and said, ‘You’re shitting me.’
‘I shit you not,’ said Jake, amused by Derrick’s choice of words.
Derrick shook his head.
‘You don’t want it?’ Jake said, surprised.
Derrick sighed heavily. ‘Look, I am so sorry about your wife, I really am. I get it, I do.’ His gaze drifted to Jake’s hands, wondering what had happened to them. Whatever had gone down, the only conclusion Derrick could draw was that Mr Campbell-Ross was having a breakdown.
Jake followed his gaze, and looked at his bandaged hands. ‘I’m not having some sort of crisis, or breakdown, if that’s what you’re thinking, Derrick.’
Derrick looked anywhere but at Jake.
‘The apartment is yours, Derrick. I spoke with a lawyer I know in the company. It’smyapartment.’
Derrick didn’t understand. ‘But I thought you have to rise through the ranks of the company, and that’s how you move up the floors until you get here, and then …’ he raised his eyes, thinking about Mr William Ross’s apartment on the very top floor. Rumour had it that he’d never lived there, might not have even stepped foot in the place. That didn’t surprise Derrick. He had a beautiful house in London.
‘That is very true, Derrick.’ Jake had been very pleased theprevious night to realise that because William had not accepted his resignation, and effectively he still had his position; he had the power to change just what he needed in order to give his future successor, and his family, a very big break right now. And why not? William had taken him in when he’d needed it. Jake was doing the same for this boy. Of course, he wouldn’t be treating him as family, but in effect the Ross Corporation was. This was his home now. This was exactly where he belonged.
‘I contacted the person responsible in the company and put the lease in your name. The only caveat for you to remain here is that you continue working for the company, and work your way up to take over my position someday.’ Jake put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I know you can do it. William knows too. That’s why I spoke with him last night, and he agreed to my unusual request.’ Jake could tell by the resignation in William’s voice that he had finally realised that Jake wasn’t coming back.
‘I know you don’t need this apartment to motivate you to work your way up. You have your family for that. But why can’t you have some of those future rewards right now, for you and your family?’ Jake continued, ‘I know this is most unusual. I apologise for springing it on you like this, but I’m going on holiday today, so I had to arrange it all while I was here.’ Jake smiled. ‘So, what do you say?’
Derrick didn’t say anything. He looked as though he was about to pass out. He didn’t. Instead, he began to cry.
It wasn’t quite the reaction Jake had expected. But on the other hand, maybe itwasto be expected. Jake had discovered, during his phone conversations with the lawyer the previous night, that Derrick had attended an interview for a junior position. Derrick didn’t know it yet – an official letter was winging its way by post to him, and he’d receive it any day now – but Jake had found out he’d floored the competition at interview. It meant that after just six months, Derrick would behanging up his porter’s uniform and putting on a suit to start as a junior at the city offices of the company.
It would mean a huge change for Derrick in many ways, not least because he would be stepping on to the first rung of the executive ladder. And it was going to have an impact on Derrick’s living arrangements.
In one month’s time, Derrick would be allocated one of the flats on the ground floor, consisting of a single room with fold-down bed, kitchenette and lounge area, all in one cramped space. They were designed for the juniors such as himself who were single.
It would take several years, and several promotions, for Derrick to work up to a higher floor with a reasonable-sized apartment that could accommodate Derrickandhis family. Jake had an idea that Derrick was acutely aware that if he was successful an interview, he would be offered starter accommodation in the building. But Derrick would not be looking forward to leaving his family behind.
Jake knew that it was more than likely that in one month’s time Derrick would not take up the allocated flat. It wouldn’t bother the company; it was his choice. But for Derrick, the work, the studying at night school, the commute from East London, even his safety – walking in and out of his estate wearing a suit – would not bode well for his future. He also guessed that, despite all that, Derrick was about to do the unthinkable.
‘I can’t accept this,’ Derrick said suddenly, thrusting the card back at Jake.
