Debts To Be Settled

36

Madeleine's office has changed over the years. Every few months, she'll get the sudden urge to rearrange the furniture, often without any particular rhyme or reason to where any given piece goes. At least once a year, Madeleine will switch out one of the furniture pieces, and this will inevitably set off a chain reaction of Madeleine wanting all the furniture to match, resulting in the entire office being taken apart and reassembled like a fashionista's ship of Theseus. Other than the paperwork on her desk and the flowers in the vases beside the highboy, the most frequently changed part of the office is the painting currently behind her desk. Madeleine will always change the painting to match the tastes of the upper class consumers that come to sit in her office for personal matters. This afternoon, the painting displays a naturalistic scene of two children running barefoot through a meadow, a dog leaping for a butterfly a few feet away from them. There is a natural whimsy embedded in the paint as if to highlight the simplistic beauty of childhood innocence and nature, even though Tommy doubts the painter has ever witnessed such a scene on this island.

Despite the changing nature of her office, Madeleine herself is surprisingly stagnant. She always wears dresses within the realm of business casual. When the days are cooler, she might pair this with some leggings or even a shawl on particularly harsh days. No matter the weather, she wears a pair of white gloves and black flats. Her hair falls to one side, nearly covering one of her brilliantly blue eyes. She has a variety of colors and the little details are different from outfit to outfit, but for as long as Tommy has known Madeleine, she has never changed her style, not even to fit in with the diverse fashion scene of her big-pocketed clients.

She refuses to compromise on her clothes, and Tommy suspects that is one of the main reasons people find her so trustworthy. No matter what happens in the world, Madeleine is always the same in their eyes. If she is unchanging, so are her loyalties. Therefore, she is worthy of being trusted.

Additionally, Madeleine is incredible at keeping a cool expression on her face. Even when she's brimming with anxiety or frustration, Madeleine looks as if she has long-since risen above everything, so high in the sky that these mortal emotions cannot touch her. When someone looks as if they are in control, people are naturally inclined to believe that they do, and what's better than someone who has everything in control? People don't like taking responsibility nor do they like difficult situations. They are more than happy to hand over their problems to the graceful Madeleine, who will, at the very least, handle their wardrobe issues easily.

Madeleine does not look particularly calm as she stares across her desk at Tommy. She looks more apathetic with a streak of analysis in her eyes. It is the expression of someone who is not currently in control of the situation but is close to being that way. They only need a few more seconds to reach an understanding, to put themselves in a favorable position. Tommy knows that if he waits too long, Madeleine will have all the answers she needs to prevent an outcome she deems unacceptable.

In the end, however, Madeleine only sighs. She sets the paper in her hands down. Her expression melts completely, revealing the patient and kind woman underneath who took a chance on a street kid with nothing to his name. She smiles at him, but she has the expression of a parent sending their child out into the world. Tommy seizes up, putting his hands on his knees. He almost feels bad. No, he does feel bad, but not to the extent that he's going to turn up an opportunity like the one that has presented itself to him. Madeleine has taken him as far as she can. It is time for Tommy to step into the light, to carry his weight and find his purpose. No matter what happens next, Tommy is ready to face it alone.

"I always knew that you were going to go beyond this boutique. Real talent is hard to come by in this business, and kids who grew up with nothing are always going to aim as high as they can," Madeleine admits somberly, signing her name at the bottom of Tommy's two weeks' notice to confirm that she has seen it and approved of it. Madeleine sits her pen down on the desk beside the papers. She lifts her forearms up, interlocking her fingers. She sets her chin down on top of her hands, staring at Tommy with a heavy look on her face. She is still smiling, and the simple gesture is enough to repaint her entire expression. She leans back in her chair suddenly, refolding her arms over her chest. "I only warn you to be careful. Don't overreach, Tommy... don't get greedy."