Commitment

Part 50

She blew out a breath and hoped her blood pressure stopped rising. "I see."

"Do you want to know what they are paying me? Just in case you want to employ another sucker." He glared at her. "The salary is ten times what you pay me." He could feel his temper rise. It had been simmering for several hours. "Ten bloody times more than what you pay me." When he'd heard about the disparity he'd thought he'd misunderstood. She took advantage of his family. Exploited. Again. "And you get my grandfather working for you for nothing. You want to ask me again if I think you are taking advantage?" The anger in his words roused her from the depression that was about to take hold.

"I see." She rubbed at her temples. "As I explained I also house you, and provide board."

"Yeah, house and board. Really? You pay me the minimum wage and his casuals get housing and board." He saw that she was aware of that. Furious he added. "At Mr Richard's place, even a casual labourer earns more than me working for you."

"I see."

"Mr Richards explained that there is a huge difference between managers and casual labourers."

"I see."

"Even the casuals get more than the minimum wage!" He watched her face, wanting to see whether she had deliberately avoided paying him for the job he was doing.

"I see."

"My next job includes a rent-free bungalow on the site."

Like a stuck record, she said, "I see."

"You didn't think I'd find out you paid me a fraction of what I am entitled to be paid for the job I am doing for you." He accused.

"I paid what I could afford." Regan stated quietly wishing she didn't sound so plaintive.

"Sure." He glanced at her clothes with clear derision. Obviously once she'd deducted what she needed for her wardrobe, then, and only then she think about what he was entitled to earn and what the farm needed to operate. "Four weeks notice."

And as the implications of his exit sunk in, her head begin to hurt. How the hell was she supposed to manage an animal stocked farm? She couldn't afford to pay a manager, and she now has a loan to service. "Four weeks." She mumbled to herself. She'd manage temporarily until she figured out what the best option was. But she'd need to learn to manage what to do here, now, quickly. "On one condition." She said quietly.

"What?" He sounded affronted. "A condition? You have a bloody nerve!" She had a nerve, he thought as he waited her out.

She gulped. "One condition." Though how she was going to fit this in, she didn't know.

He firmed his lips and grated, "I don't think you are in a position to stipulate any conditions."

"One condition. Just one. It's nothing major"

He threw his hands in the air, in utter bemusement. "After everything, you ripped off my family, I resurrected your farm with no resources, no help from you, and you have the bloody nerve to ask me. Fuck off! I do not owe you anything, and you have no right to..."

She interrupted softly, watching his eyes sparks with fury. "Just one condition" She rubbed her nose, but kept her eyes trained on him She rubbed her nose, but kept her eyes trained on him " I follow you." She said coolly, her eyes challenging him to take her on. "You show me what you do, on a daily basis over the next few weeks."

"You are joking? You finally want to see what goes on?" Her request astonished him. He'd been here for months and she'd barely taken an interest in the day to day running of the place, and now that he was going, she suddenly wanted to know about it all.