Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

October of 1922, Camden Town, London, 1:30 a.m.
"Mr. Solomons." A voice says softly, the young man slightly nudging his boss' left arm. 

The time is 1:30 in the morning and Ollie, the main guard of his gangster of a boss, has just found Mr. Solomons asleep at his desk. Again. This is the third time this week, and last week, this happened four times. 

"Mr. Solomons, wake up. You're still in your office, sir." Ollie tries again. 

He watches the heavily tattooed, brown haired and bearded, subtly muscular 5'9" figure begin to straighten up. A soft groan of incoherent mumbling flows from the Jewish gang leader's mouth, a deep sigh following once he's finished.

"Wha' time's it this time, Ollie?" 

The question is rasped out  as Alfie blindly reaches around for his cane which helps support his right leg that is dealing with a painful sciatic nerve. 

"Half an hour past 1 in the morning, sir." The guard answers, silently handing his boss the cane which Alfie takes, grunting as he stands up from his swiveling office chair. 

"Ya know, Mr. Solomons, I was thinking of a solution tha' could help ya with all this work." Ollie softly voices his idea, watching Alfie turn to look at him.

"An' wha' might that be?" The question sounds defensive.

"Wha' if ya make an ad for a secretary, sir?" Ollie asks, sounding hopeful that his idea might be considered.

Alfie stays standing still in the middle of his dimly lit, oakwood lined office, thinking about the question. He knows he shouldn't be even considering the suggestion, but deep down inside, the Jewish gangster also knows he really does need help with all of his paperwork, filing, and calculations if he wants to ever go home and get proper sleep.

'Who knows, maybe some company aside this kid might be good for me.' He thinks to himself, looking right at Ollie who is silently hoping he isn't about to get chewed out.

"Get to writing, boy." Alfie lowly says, the young man hurrying to begin jotting down everything his boss is rambling on about so the job opening can be posted in the daily paper in a few hours.

11 a.m.
The late morning breeze sweeps around the small one bedroom apartment through its singular kitchen window that is cracked open the slightest bit. The sky is full of dark gray clouds, and in the far distance, if one really strains their hearing, can hear thunder rolling through the sky, a clear indicator that much needed water is coming towards Camden.

"Grandma, look." Lilly tells her 97 year old grandmother, Diana, who is sitting with her at their two person dining table. The two are in the middle of having a late breakfast; two slices of toast each with some strawberry jam accompanied by a cup of tea each. The freshly bathed young woman hands her grandma a newspaper clip, pointing right to an ad that has caught her eye.

"50 pounds? This owner must have some good money to be paying that amount weekly. We would actually be able to eat meat for dinner a few nights in a row, imagine that!" Diana says in awe as she smiles at her granddaughter who is finishing up brushing her long, loosely curled brunette hair.

"And you don't need experience for the position." Diana adds with a hopeful smile.

"What if it isn't true, Grandma?" Lilly asks, her brain beginning to doubt the typed pay.

"It must be, it seems like an office job, love." Diana answers, slowly standing up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Lilly asks the elder who quietly makes her way to the two's shared bedroom.

"Since you're gonna go apply, you need to look presentable, darling! Now come on, get changed!" Diana encourages before her granddaughter's mind can shut the opportunity down.

"Gran, I don't-"

"Lilly Baron, you will go apply for that job today." Diana says softly, her tired eyes silently pleading with the 22 year old who sighs very softly before nodding a little.

"Alright, alright." She agrees, not missing the huge smile that graces her grandmother's lips as she takes out a dress from their closet.

"Grandma, no, I can't wear that. The boss might think I'm ridiculous." Lilly says, shaking her head at the pale pink dress her grandmother is holding out to her. 

"Wear it, love. I have a very good feeling about this job. Plus, this dress will show that you know how to dress up if need be." Diana insists with a warm smile.

She sets the article of clothing and a pair of simple, low white heels on her bed before leaving Lilly all alone in the dimly lit bedroom, the door closed for privacy. It doesn't take the young woman long to change out of her casual dress and into the more stylish one, soon being reunited with her grandma in their kitchen.

"Oh, you look absolutely adorable! And today is lovely whether so you won't need a coat. But here, I've pulled out the umbrella, just in case you need it on the way there or back home."

Lilly gratefully takes the umbrella before her grandma begins walking off to the restroom.

"Now put on some mascara and a little bit of lipstick and you'll be all set to go, my darling!" Diana calls out, making her granddaughter laugh to herself before following the familiar voice to their bathroom.

Moments later, the young Baron is making her way to the address on the ad, asking for some guidance along the way after walking a good block from her apartment. To the people in her block, Lilly is their modern day Belle from 'Beauty and The Beast'; smart, eccentric, spirited, kind, selfless, and always reading a good book.

"Mornin', Miss Baron! Out job huntin' again today?" Mr. Timothy Williams, the local doctor, happily asks as she approaches his small shop.

"Yes, sir. My grandmother's got a good feeling about this one." Lilly answers with a smile, slowing her pace of walking.

"I wish you luck then! I know you've been lookin' for two months now. What's the address?"

"570 Bonnie Street, but it doesn't mention the name or anything. Just that the boss is looking for a secretary, no prior experience needed."

"Oh, that's just two shops down from me, the last one on the very corner. It's called the Aerated Bread Company of Camden Town." Mr. Williams says.

His happiness suddenly turns into concern as he takes a good look at the young woman.

"Be careful with Mr. Solomons. He can be quite a...dangerous man." Williams softly warns before someone pulls his attention away from Lilly who bids him a quick farewell and continues her walk two shops down.

Her nostrils become infiltrated by the smell of freshly baked bread, her mind attempting to figure out all the different kinds. A man hurriedly walks out of the bakery, but slows down to hold the door open for the young woman while tipping his hat to her, his eyes roaming her voluptuous figure while she looks down at the ad once more, clutching her umbrella handle in her other hand.

"Thank you." She softly says, hurrying into the pleasant warmth instead of being out in the now nippy air that is consuming Camden.

"Next!" A tall, older man with white hair behind the counter calls out, looking down at a paper he's filling out.

With a small deep breath, Baron walks up to the counter as confidently as she can, making sure her posture is as good as it can be while wearing a small, kind smile.

"Good morning, sir. I'm here to apply for a position of secretary that is in this morning's paper." Lilly explains.

Her soft voice catches the man's attention very quickly, his head snapping up to look at her. His eyes look over her attire, her presence and clothes being the most modest out of all the women who have applied so far.

"Y-Yes, you're in the right place, miss. Let me see if the boss is available at the moment. I'll be right back."

Lilly watches the man smile at her before he is rushing off into the back of the bakery, his footsteps echoing away behind him.

"Tha' fuckin' whorish, good for nothin' girl was a definite no. God, they've all been so pathetic, I can't believe it. Can you believe it, lad? Because I can't fuckin' believe it." Alfie tiredly mumbles under his breath, rubbing his temples as Ollie watches in worry.

"Mr. Solomons, Mr. Solomons." The head baker of the legitimate business says loudly as he rushes to the doorway of the oakwood made office.

"Yeah, wha' is it, mate?" Alfie harshly snaps, seeming like he's lost all hope as he looks at his employee.

"We've got another woman applying, and I believe she's the one."

The head baker says, and Alfie makes a mental note of how happy the man's tone sounds. Ollie silently observes his boss who nods, motioning for the head baker and Ollie to go get the woman.

"Miss, the boss will see you now." The older man tells Lilly.

She gives him and Ollie a smile before the head baker opens the small door that allows her to walk into the other side of the counter, and Ollie motions for her to follow him.

"Thank you, sir, for your help." Lilly quickly thanks the head baker who nods once, giving her a small smile.

Her kitten heels clicking against the concrete hallway floor echoes around its brick walls, the 22 year old making sure to keep up with Alfie's guard. Despite her excitement at perhaps landing her first job, she can't help but feel a bit nervous as to who this Mr. Solomons is.

'He can be quite a...dangerous man.' Mr. Williams' words come to her mind.

"Sir." Ollie's voice announces to who Lilly imagines is the owner.

She can't see past the 6 foot tall guard who's standing right in front of her, not letting her see into what she also assumes is an office.

"Well, don't be fuckin' rude, lad, let our guest in!" Alfie snaps at the young man, his guard mumbling an apology while stepping aside to the left side of the doorway.

The young woman and Jewish gangster make immediate eye contact, both of their unspoken and well hidden nerves calming at the sight of each other.

He's leaning against the front of his desk while facing the doorway, one hand with gold rings on top of the similar other hand as they both rest on top of his cane's handle. He's dressed in a white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a dark colored waistcoat over the shirt, paired with dark pants and a pair of black shoes that have a bit of flour around the tips and soles. His overgrown brown hair is slicked back, but he must not care to keep it in check as some large chunks have fallen out of place, his beard scruffy and untamed yet they're well kept for the amount he has.

She quietly stands right at the doors' entrance, her posture exuding confidence even though that is far from what she is feeling. She tries not to fidget under his empty gaze as she stays put, not wanting to be rude and simply barge in uninvited.

"Come on in, miss, an' please 'ave a seat. Also, please forgive me for cursing." Alfie gently speaks to her, his accent a bit different than what Lilly is used to hearing out on the streets, but she very much likes the difference already.

It sounds like he has gotten drunk and has stuffed his mouth with marshmallows while trying to speak through them with a broken jaw.

"It's alright, sir." She says softly with a small smile.

Once she's a few feet inside, Ollie closes the office door, standing outside while his boss and the potential new employee look at each other again after both have taken their seats. His swiveling chair creaks loudly as he adjusts himself in it, taking in the very poised young woman's appearance with his blue eyes while wearing the best tiny smile he can muster in his current state of exhaustion.

'The best woman out of all the others today.' He thinks to himself as he sighs very softly, lightly scratching his forehead before looking at her again.

"Do ya like bread?" He asks, watching her soft brown eyes light up as she nods.

"Yes, sir." She answers softly with a genuine smile, something he makes mental note of for future reference.

"That's good, right, because this is a bakery, after all." He says reaching for a basket of freshly baked bread he's keeping by his chair, setting it on his desk between them.

She can't help but softly giggle at the joke, taking the ruthless gangster by surprise since she's the first woman of all the ones this morning to actually catch the subtle humor. He watches her eyes look at the five different types of bread in the basket before they look right at him again.

"Please, try one." He tells her, handing her a napkin.

"Thank you. They all look and smell so wonderful." She happily compliments the man.

"Do you recommend I try one over the others?" Lilly asks him.

Her curious question is so innocent because it's genuine, which is something Alfie isn't used to receiving.

"I recommend this one right 'ere." He says, pointing to the smallest one of the bunch.

Sure, he could have chosen the other ones, but ever since starting his bakery business a few years ago, he's especially proud of the smallest sized bread he sells because he came up with that recipe himself, which helped him succeed in keeping his business alive while figuring out more recipes.

He watches her dainty hands pick up the smallest bread from the basket, rip off a small piece of it, then put it up to her nose as she takes a whiff of its comforting aroma before putting the piece into her mouth.

"Mmm," The soft hum of appreciation makes his body grow warm as he watches her enjoy the delicate food, "this is absolutely wonderful, sir. Did you yourself come up with this recipe?" She asks after finishing her bite, Alfie fully smiling at the question.

"I did, yeah."

"You are a genius." Lilly says with a smile, setting the rest of the bread down on the napkin.

"I take much pride in what I do." He says, watching her smile a tad again.

"In case you do not already know, I'm Alfie Solomons." The gangster finally introduces himself.

The young woman feels silly at thinking that he would be dangerous right off the bat, if what Mr. Williams told her is even true. If he's honest, the 35 year old is surprised the woman sitting before him doesn't seem afraid about being in his presence. The 5th woman to apply today almost passed out when she saw he's the boss. He didn't blame her. He knows his reputation on the streets has him pictured as an evil gang leader who takes pleasure in murder and betraying others if it'll give Alfie Solomons a great advantage of some sort.

"I'm Lilly Baron. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Solomons." She introduces herself, beginning to feel a bit silly at getting lost in the bread tasting.

"That's a lovely name." He bluntly compliments her in all honesty.

"Thank you. I like yours." She says softly, feeling her cheeks grow slightly warm.

"Do you now?" He asks with slightly raised brows.

"Yes. It's different." She answers with a small smile, but he can see she's being honest.

"Have ya lived here all your life?" He asks, trying to see where she's coming from.

"I have. Born and raised here in Camden, recently moved to this side of town to better my grandmother's health. The factories on the other side produced too much smoke and would leave her in a coughing fit for most of the days."

"Is she doing better?" He asks in genuine concern. After all, it's his duty to make sure that the people of his neighborhood are taken care of, to a certain extent.

"She is, but...um, she is." Lilly says, not wanting to bore the man with her life's details.

Picking up on this, Alfie furrows his brows together just a bit, asking, "What is she ill from?"

"She's been having...well, the doctors don't actually have a name for it yet, but sometimes her body locks up on her and it freezes in place, so to say. It's hard to explain, but it's also very scary. One time, about 5 years ago, she was washing some dishes and her body locked up and she fell straight to the ground. I wasn't home since I was at school, but luckily our neighbors were kind enough to quickly check up on her and they called the coppers who got an ambulance, and well, the rest is history."

The man can't imagine how hard it must be for Baron to always have to be on alert in case that illness were to pop up.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to ramble." She apologizes, her eyes lowering to look at his messy desk instead of his emotionless eyes.

"Everyone rambles, lass." He makes the point with a wave from both of his hands and a shrug of his shoulders, not wanting her to feel bad.

"Do you like bein' 'ere in Camden?" He adds, changing the subject.

"Yes. Though I do wish I saw more flowers, if anything. They are like a rare sighting around here." She says with a very short chuckle.

"I'll fix that." He assures her, and before she has time to ask what he means, Alfie decides to begin questioning her for the job.

"Right, well, I see you 'ave today's paper with ya. You 'ere 'bout me ad?" He asks as he fiddles with his favorite pen of the three he has scattered on his desk.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Solomons, I am."

"Alright then, an' please, you don't 'ave to be so formal, you 'aven't even started the job yet. Call me Alfie for now, yeah? So, do you know how to read an' write, Lilly?" He asks, getting down to the second part of his interview.

She's already passed the first part which was crucial for him because of his business: her interest in bread.

"Yes." She quickly answers, not believing what she heard prior to that.

'Does this mean I have the job? Or am I reading too much into it?'

"Do you mind doing lots of writing and reading?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Are you good with numbers? You know, mathematics. 'Cause that boy standin' out there, his name's Ollie, he's me main man. That boy is no good at math whatsoever an' I always 'ave to do the calculations myself." Alfie rambles an explanation.

"Yes, sir. It was my best subject in school."

"Good, good. If I, at any point, invest in gettin' a typewriter, are you comfortable usin' one?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you comfortable receivin' 50 pounds a week? Or are you expectin' a higher pay?"

"I will be very thankful for the 50, but I do feel like that is a lot of money." She answers, still feeling like that amount of pay is too good to be true.

"Well, you'll be here workin' long days, an' most likely nights, so, that's why the pay is that amount." He explains, his words unknowingly calming the anxious thoughts of her head.

"Alright, now tell me about yourself." He says, leaning back in his chair, his eyes never straying from her.

"I am 22 years old, live in a one bedroom apartment with my grandmother. I don't mind staying late to work, and I am a quick learner." She gets straight to the point.

"Why would you want to stay late? I'm more than sure you've got lots of parties an' late night things to go to, don't you?" He asks, wondering why such a simple and true beauty such as herself would want to be cooped up in an office doing, what usually turns into, endless work.

"I don't have any friends, never been good at making them actually, so I don't have reasons to be out at night." She softly answers.

Looking at her lap for a moment, she mentally scolds herself for not coming up with a better answer, even if it were to be a lie. Alfie nods a little to himself, trying to choose his words carefully since he can see she's embarrassed.

"Well, that makes two of us, yeah, it does." He says with honesty, and his words are an immediate comfort to her as she looks up at him again.

Back when he was a Captain in the war, he would've thought that many men would have wanted to be friends with him, but back then, he was wrong. With the title of Captain, every soldier steered clear of Solomons, knowing they were in for a good beating if they even so looked at him funny.

"Are you comfortable with workin' in 'ere? Your desk would be right 'ere, next to mine, that way it's easy for me to give you papers without me havin' to stand up an' walk 'round. Pretty sure you've seen this thing, yeah?"

He uses his hands to gesture to the very office the two are sitting in before using one of them to pick up his cane, showing her the top half of it.

"I don't mind, sir, and if you don't mind me saying, your office is lovely. The color of the wood really brings out the red in the bricks. And I don't mind the desk being next to yours, it'd be rude of me to make you walk across the room if you're in pain." She answers before her eyes land on his canes' handle.

"I have noticed. If you don't mind, may I ask what happened?" Baron's question is soft, but Alfie picks up the concern lacing her words.

"Jus' my sciatica actin' up. Does this every winter an' every summer solstice." He answers, watching her nod slightly.

There's a small amount of silence between the two, but it's comfortable on both ends, that is until he breaks it.

"Right, well, yer gonna have to be in here for hours at a time, an' most, if not all days an' nights. I'll be in here as well, workin' with ya. Do you see that as a potential problem?" He asks as his right hand gently tugs on his beard.

It's a question that none of the other women today have gotten asked because none of them have gotten this far into the interview.

"No, sir, it'll be no problem at all. If anything, I'm going to be happy being in someone's company." Lilly answers with a small smile.

Her response is enough to make him know his final decision.

"Well, Lilly Baron, I'm pleased to inform you that you've got the job as my secretary. Welcome aboard." Alfie says with a small nod after clapping his hands together, watching her face beam with contained joy.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity. I won't let you down, I promise." Lilly gratefully thanks him, trying to not be overly giddy as she extends her right hand out to him.

He looks at it before gently giving her hand a shake, earning a firm one in return.

"I do not mean to rush anything, but when do I start?" She asks as he stands up from his chair.

She quickly does the same, smoothing out her dress a bit before she looks at her first ever boss.

"Come back in exactly one hour an' everythin' will be prepared." He answers while looking at the bread basket.

"Would you like to take this with you?" He asks, watching her eyes once again twinkle with happiness.

"Really, may I?"

"Of course, of course. From one bread lover to another." He answers, earning a big smile from her.

Even though his face remains neutral, he feels it grow warm at the thought of her going back to her apartment and sharing with her grandmother who will no doubt be excited at the news and at the treats.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Solomons." Lilly thanks him as he walks her to his office door, even going as far as opening it for her.

Thias causes Ollie to turn around to look at them. With the happiness radiating off of the young woman who's carefully holding the basket filled with bread and how gentle his boss is being in her presence, the guard figures she's gotten the job, and he himself couldn't be happier that his boss might actually start taking care of his own health, now that he'll have extra help.

"How far do ya live from 'ere, Lilly?" Alfie asks softly.

"I live a little over a block away."

"Ollie, give her a ride home, yeah, an' you also will pick her up 10 minutes before she has to come back so she can be 'ere right on time. Go bring the car 'round." Alfie orders, his guard more than happy to comply with his newly given instructions.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I don't mind walking home. I would hate to bother you and your employees. The bakery seems so busy this morning."

The gangster looks over at her, his calm expression enough to make her feel slightly nervous.

"Lilly, it is heavily raining outside. You've clearly dressed up very nicely for this occasion, an' I'd hate to see you an' your dress a mess because of the rain. I don't think your umbrella stands a chance." He tells her.

His unexpected bluntness makes her already naturally rosy cheeks grow more pink as she avoids looking at him for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts after she's just embarrassed herself another time this morning.

Thinking quickly since he notices, Alfie speaks again, "You can come back in more comfortable clothes. If you'd like, of course. Just know that as long as you work 'ere, you never have to come dressed in anythin' that makes you uncomfortable, yeah?"

He earns a small nod from her.

"Yes, Mr. Solomons. Thank you."

"It's Alfie right now, lass. No need to be so formal before you even actually start." He kindly reminds her in a soft voice.

"My apologies." She nervously apologizes, mentally making note to call him by his name if he says anything else.

"Miss Baron, the car is ready." Ollie's voice turns their attention to down the hallway where he's waiting, some of the other employees, including the older man from behind the counter, are standing with the guard.

"Thank you so much, again, for this opportunity." Lilly softly thanks Alfie once more, looking up at him.

"Make sure you share the bread with your grandmother, yeah?" He asks, earning a small laugh that is like music to his ears.

"I'll try, but I cannot guarantee anything, Alfie. Not when I'm sure they all taste so scrumptious." She answers with a small smile, giving him a small wave before turning around and walking to Ollie who's waiting for her at the beginning of the hallway.

"Did you get the job, miss?" The older man from earlier asks as Ollie leads her out through the bakery, he and the other employees seeming hopeful that they'll have a new face around the business.

"I did, sir. And thank you, again, for your help earlier."

"Congratulations, miss, and you're welcome. When do you start?"

"Today. I have to come back in one hour."

"We'll see you then. Finally, we'll have some sort of life around here!" He says with a smile, waving her and the guard off before turning around and instructing his men to get back to work.

Waiting outside is an all black Bentley, taking the young woman's breath away as she stares at the vehicle, never having ever ridden in a car before, much less one so high-end. All around, the rain is indeed heavily pouring, as if someone left a faucet running.

"I'll hold this while you get in, Miss Baron." Ollie tells her, holding one hand out to take the basket while she opens her umbrella.

She's hoping to give them both some coverage before they step into the water, trying to reach up high enough to cover the 6 foot guard. From inside the bakery, near the entrance of the main hallway, Solomons is silently watching everything happen. Ollie offers her his arm which Lilly takes, both making a careful dash towards the car, her umbrella holding up, much to Alfie's surprise. Soon his main man and his newly hired secretary are seated and his vehicle is taking off, and he realizes the bakery has gone mostly quiet. Turning around to face his employees, he finds them looking at him.

"What?" He loudly asks them, all hurriedly returning to their tasks before they feel his verbal wrath.

"What are you all lookin' at, hm? You wanna stare at me as I see our newest member out, fine! You four, with me. Now!" Alfie sternly orders.

The four men he has just pointed at, which includes the head baker, hurry to follow their boss as his words echo throughout the floor.

"Here you are, Miss Baron. I will be back for you in," Ollie pauses as he looks at his watch that's hanging from his vest buttons, "exactly 42 minutes." The guard tells her, having walked her to her door, knowing he won't hear the end of it from Solomons if he didn't.

"Thank you so much for the ride and for walking me, Ollie. And please, call me Lilly." The young woman says with a small smile, watching him nod once.

"I will be back soon." He says before bidding her a quick goodbye.

"Wait, Ollie, here." Lilly says before he walks off too far, watching the guard with black curly hair turn to look at her.

She hands him her umbrella, not wanting the rain to soak his clothes, ultimately getting him sick.

"No, miss, it's-"

"Please, take it." She softly urges, watching him take it from her hands.

"Thank you, Miss Baron. I'll be back shortly." He says once again before quickly turning and hurrying back to the Bentley, umbrella covering his head.

Taking a deep breath, the 22 year old turns and opens the door to her apartment, being met by an already started fire in the fireplace, her grandmother sitting near it as she knits yet another blanket.

"Lilly, you're home! And how did you get here so quickly? How did it go? Was the boss nice? What is their name? You're not wet, but I don't see your umbrella, so how did you do it, young lady?" Diana asks, watching her granddaughter walk over to join her beside the warm fire.

"I got the job." Lilly says in almost a whisper, the news actually barely sinking in.

"Y-You did? Oh, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you, sweetie!" Diana says as she hugs the young Baron as best as possible, giving her cheeks kisses, but she stops halfway when something else catches her eye.

"Where did all that bread come from, Lilly?" Diana questions, her granddaughter going on to explain how her place of work is a bakery and how the interview went.

Back at the bakery, Alfie is barking out orders as usual, but these orders have a sense of urgency to them, since he wants everything to be as perfect as possible for his new employee.

"You two, yeah, are gonna go pick up her desk. Make sure it isn't fuckin' wobbly or anythin' when you all are inspectin' it. Here's money for the purchase." He tells two of the four bakers who followed him.

"You," Solomons turns to look at a third baker, "go buy the prettiest bouquet of red roses yer eyes 'ave ever seen." He hands that baker some money as well.

"An' you...yeah, you've got the most important task, okay?" Alfie asks the head baker who nods once.

"You three, go! We ain't got all day! An' if any of those fuckin' businesses give you trouble, tell 'em I'll be headin' down there meself!" He calls out after the three bakers who are rushing through the slightly busy hallway.

"You, you's gonna help me bake some bread." Alfie tells Timmy Bishop, the head baker.

He quickly follows behind his boss who is mumbling things to himself as they both make their way to the kitchen. On their way there, Ollie appears, barely having returned.

"I asked you to take her home, yeah, not go for some fuckin' afternoon joyride, didn't I?" He raises his voice at his guard, noticing he has a familiar umbrella with him.

"Did she forget that in me car?" Alfie's question is asked in a slightly calmer tone, as if he's afraid the item belonging to Lilly will report back to her that he's a loud man who shouts all of the time even though the umbrella cannot speak.

"No, Mr. Solomons, she did not. She told me to use it as I walked back to your car from having walked her to her door." Ollie explains in a rush, knowing that if he speaks at a regular pace, he'll get chewed out, being his boss and one of the bakers were rushing towards the kitchen moments ago.

"Hm." Alfie softly hums as his left hand scratches at his beard.

How is he supposed to be mad at his best friend's daughter's thoughtfulness? He simply can't find it in himself to be mad.

"Well don't just stand there, boy, get back work!" The order is loudly barked out, Ollie quickly excusing himself from his boss's presence.

~42 minutes later, 11:56 a.m.~
"Thank you for bringing me back, Ollie." Lilly says with a small smile, smoothing out her long skirt as the two walk to their boss' office.

She decided to dress for the role, now in a white long sleeve blouse with a long light gray skirt that reaches just above her ankles, her feet encased in low black heels. Her left hand holds a small brown paper bag that contains her lunch, and her right hand holds a small purse and a book she's recently rented from the town's local library.

"Of course, Miss Baron. It's my pleasure." He says with a short nod before they stop right outside of Solomons' office door.

"He said ya could walk right in." Ollie tells her before quietly walking off deeper down into the hallway, disappearing into the dark where many other noises are coming from.

Not wanting to think much of the noise or what could be causing it, her right hand gently turns the doorknob. From the other side of the door, Alfie sits at his desk filling out some papers, but looks up as he hears the knob move, watching as the door opens slowly and his first ever secretary soon comes into his sight as she walks in. He has only just gotten back in his office, having had to go and personally pick out her desk and her flowers himself since his men, according to the businesses he sent them to, were bluffing that Alfie Solomons is their boss. Their eyes meet and he gives her a small nod.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Solomons." Lilly softly greets him with a warm smile as she steps into his office.

"It's a good afternoon, indeed, Miss Baron." He greets her, watching her stand by the door, waiting for further instruction.

"Please, come in, come in. And close the door behind you, yeah?"

"Yes, Mr. Solomons."

Once that's done, she turns to look at him again, and he points to the desk that is set up right next to his, both touching. The new addition of furniture is to the right of his and it's smaller, but not by much, the dark wood complimenting the office well. On the right upper corner sits a short vase filled with a small bouquet of simple red roses, something that makes Baron's eyes twinkle with amazement, being she's only ever seen them drawn in books and through a very small flower stand that's two streets down from the library. Beside the vase is a singular freshly baked bread sitting on a napkin, identical to the one she tasted at the beginning of her interview.

"How do you like it?" Alfie asks her, watching her smile at his question as she pulls her eyes away from the flowers to look at him again.

"It's all very lovely. Especially the flowers." She answers happily.

"Told you I'd fix it." He says with the slightest grin, watching her silently realize what he means.

"Thank you, Mr. Solomons. They're absolutely beautiful." She says with another smile before he motions for her to go ahead and sit.

She happily walks around her desk, setting her lunch bag and book down carefully as if their weight combined will cause it to collapse. The 35 year old watches as she carefully sits in her desk chair which happens to be a swiveling one, Alfie figuring she'd enjoy the easy movement of the chair like he does with his own.

"This is wonderful. You sure have an eye for style, Mr. Solomons." Lilly says with a small smile.

"Yes, well, I do believe in havin' the very best of everythin' available." He says with a very subtle smirk, watching her cautiously spin in her chair a bit, a very soft giggle leaving past her lips as she tests it out.

"Mr. Solomons, I think you've just created a monster. I never knew such chairs existed!" Lilly jokes, earning a genuine chuckle from her boss as she stops spinning in half circles.

"What ever shall I do now?" He returns the humor, both of them laughing just a bit, enough for them both to feel not so nervous about what to expect at this new change in their lives.

"Alright, Miss Baron, go 'head and grab a stack of papers and get to workin' on them. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me, yeah?" He asks, watching her nod with a small smile as she reaches for the stack of papers closest to her, lifting them off of his desk with care.

"Yes, Mr. Solomons."

"I believe tha' no question is a stupid question, right, so don't hesitate." He insists, watching her eyes look at him.

"I won't." She softly says with a small smile as she puts her lunch and book away in two separate drawers of her desk.

"A few things I didn't mention earlier, right, is that your lunch break will be at 1 every day and it's an hour long. Unless I say otherwise, an' you're more than welcome to eat 'ere in me office if you don't like goin' out for food. I also don't mind you havin' any snacks throughout the day. An' as secretary, you will also handle documentation of any appointments, meetings, or events I may have to host or attend, which means you have access to my diary. It's kept right 'ere in this second drawer. Now, bein' on the topic of meetings an' appointments, you are also to be a witness to them, which means you'll be present while they are in session. Again, unless I say otherwise. An' as for your paychecks, you'll be paid every Friday. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, Mr. Solomons." She answers with a nod.

"Good, good. Now I reckon these papers aren't gonna sort themselves, so, let's get to it."

"Yes, Mr. Solomons." She agrees, a professional persona quickly taking over the both of them as they get to reading the papers each have in front of themselves.

~1 p.m.~
The office door slowly creaks open, a 24 year old Ollie poking his head inside.

"Mr. Solomons, it's 1 o'clock." He informs his boss who doesn't look up from his current contract paper.

The 35 year old is well aware of what he needs to be doing at this particular hour, but his mind is far too preoccupied with contract in his hands. Besides, not eating until dinner won't kill him, right?

"Yeah, an' I'm busy, boy." Alfie mumbles, pushing his half-moon shaped glasses further up his nose.

Lilly, who already has her brown paper bag out and sitting on her desk, watches as the guard looks at Solomons in slight worry.

"But, sir, you need to eat. You haven't eaten anythin' since 5 this morning and-"

"And you need to leave. I said I'm busy." Alfie snaps at his guard, harshly removing his glasses from his nose as his eyes burn imaginary holes into Ollie's face.

'How dare he embarrass me!' He angrily thinks to himself, not being able to believe he was ratted out to his secretary by a stupid boy.

Not wanting to further upset his boss, Ollie turns and reluctantly leaves the office, closing the door behind him. Solomons looks down at his paper, picking up where he left off. Sensing that maybe he is going to work right through his lunch hour, Baron decides to also follow along, not wanting to begin having lunch right beside him while he eats nothing and works. She leaves her paper bag and new book alone, slightly pushing them off to one side before she finishes reading the contract she had left off on, and when she's done, she sets it in the pile of contracts that she's made. In total, there are three stacks; one stack for specifically reminders of contract renewals, one for papers that need her boss' signature, and one that is of letters for upcoming events that she makes a mental note to document in his diary so he's able to see his schedule. Through his peripheral, Alfie notices that she's not eating nor is she reading the book she brought with her today.

'She's working through her lunch hour? Is she not hungry?' He thinks to himself, his brows furrowing together a bit as he pretends to find what he's pretending to read amusing.

He sets down the paper, looking over at her after he's let his glasses hang around his neck. He finds her quietly fixing the stacks of papers she's separated for him.

"What did you bring for lunch, Lilly?" Alfie asks her after some more silence, watching her brown eyes look up at him as she sets her pen down.

"Oh, um, I brought a cheese and ham sandwich." She softly answers, trying to not seem confused by the random question.

"An' why aren't you eating?" He curiously asks her, leaning back in his chair as he turns it towards her, lacing his fingers together as he rests his hands on top of his stomach.

"I just wanted to finish up what I had been doing." The answer is softly given to him as she gathers the stacks separately.

"Um, I divided them for you. These all need your signature, these are just renewal reminders, and these are five invitations," She explains, looking at that certain stack, "three are for a community fundraiser that will be held three days in a row, and the last two are for parties being held by a Mr. Wang Stone and a Mr. Phillip McCoy."

Lilly watches as he slowly nods, letting the information sink in.

"You're organized, I like that. Go 'head an' fill out me diary." He tells her, opening the drawer where he keeps a small black hand-sized notebook.

He gives it to her, watching as she takes it then quickly finds the dates for next week then begins booking his schedule.

"Here you are." Baron says with a small smile, handing him his diary back, meeting his eyes.

"Now that that's over, you can go ahead an' eat." He tells her as he puts away his little book.

He can sense she's a little hesitant, but not wanting to make the man angry, she complies and takes out her sandwich, unwrapping it carefully.

"Mr. Solomons?" His last name is a soft question from her lips.

"Yes, Lilly?" He asks, looking over at her with curious eyes.

"Is it alright if I read?" She shyly asks him, feeling her cheeks warm a bit as he gives her a very small nod.

"Your lunch time, right, is your personal time. So, yes, you may read."

"Thank you." She says with a small smile before she takes a bite of one half of her sandwich.

"Before work, during our lunch hour, and after work, you call me Alfie. While we work, right, it's Mr. Solomons." He informs her, watching her nod a little.

"I understand." She says very softly.

Soon after, as she chews her bite, she's reaching for her book, Solomons catching a glimpse of the title. 'Where the Stars Meet the Sea' by Heidi Kimball.' He himself is always up for reading a good book, so he just closes his eyes and lets them rest for a few minutes, wondering what the book is about as he listens to the pages turn every so often. Finding a woman reading a very thick book these days is rare, and even then, it's bizarre to see women so deeply engaged in one. He also can't help but wonder what got her into reading. Lilly is very much enjoying eating while reading, but when she gets to her second half of the sandwich, she doesn't touch it. Having an idea, she looks up at Alfie to find him with his body slouched low enough on his chair with his eyes closed, his head tilted back just a bit.

'He looks at peace.' She thinks, but she's also concerned that he hasn't eaten in 8 hours.

"Wha's the book 'bout?" Alfie asks her softly after he hears the slightest bit of noise coming from beside him as she adjusts her seating position to a more comfortable one, but it's enough to startle the young woman in her seat, grateful that he didn't see her.

Making sure his eyes are still closed, she takes the moment to look at him, just taking his large frame in, noticing he makes everything around him look small.

"It's a romance novel. Thought I would give the genre a try." She answers shyly, watching his eyes open and look right at her.

"What do you usually read 'bout?" He asks, one eyebrow of his slightly raising.

"Books about the war. It really puts everything into perspective, and I do like giving credit where it's due."

"Hmm." He hums softly, staring off into nothing.

"You don't wanna know much about the war, Lilly. I lost good men to that hell hole." He adds softly, still staring off into nothing, his right hand slightly tugging on his beard as memories flood his mind.

"Y-You were in the war?" The question leaves her mouth before she can even stop it.

"I was. Yeah. I was a Captain." He answers, looking at her again.

"Thank you for your service." She says softly, meaning every word.

He nods slightly, never having been told such a thing before, not even from his own men.

"Did you know of a man named Henry Baron?" She asks as if she's almost afraid to, but Alfie straightens up once he hears the name he has not heard in over 10 years.

"He had brown hair, brown eyes, lots of freckles, an' a slanted scar on the tip of his nose from-"

"A rattlesnake's bite." Lilly and Alfie say in unison, both obviously talking about the same person.

Silence takes over the office, neither knowing if the other wants to keep talking about Henry Baron.

"He was my father." She says very softly, both simply staring at each other.

"He served with me, was my best friend. A damn good man he was." He softly says in all honesty, never having thought he would be talking with his best pal's daughter.

A smile takes over her lips as she looks at her lap for a moment.

"That's what my Gran tells me, too." She says with a soft chuckle.

The 22 year old never got to know her father, at least, not that she can remember anyway. Henry was drafted a week after Lilly had turned 2 years old, and by 6 years old, her grandmother had legal custody over her as a guardian, her father having passed while serving. She has so many questions that just want to spew out of her mouth, but not wanting to make Alfie uncomfortable with things that he more than likely may not want to remember, she looks at her hands in her lap.

"Aren't ya gonna finish your food?" He asks her, Lilly looking up to see him pointing at her sandwich half.

"No, I got full with the first half, combined with the tea and the fresh bread from earlier."

All she gets in return is silence.

"Would you like it, Alfie?" She offers, holding the wrapped up half out towards him.

His eyes look from the food to her then back to the food before ultimately settling on her again.

He decides to play it cool, answering, "Well, I would surely hate to see it go to waste, right, so I will take it."

His right hand engulfs the sandwich as he gratefully takes it from her.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me." She says with a warm smile before looking down at her book, easily finding where she left off and reading from there.

Silence wraps around the office again, Solomons quietly eating his food, trying to eat it slowly to make it last longer. He's been watching a very focused Lilly read, still not being able to believe she's the daughter of his best friend.

'She's the one he'd talk to me about. She's the one who he couldn't wait to come back home and see. I'm more than sure he'd be proud of her.'

He takes this time to study her, all of her that's available to him right now. Just like his best friend, the young Baron has freckles all across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, but they aren't as much as her father had. Her attitude, so far, has been a delight for the 35 year old who is used to gross and obscene banter from his men. Her posture is elegant, shoulders always relaxed, her head always held high aside when she's reading. Now, being a man who is very attracted to very beautiful women, Alfie can't help but notice that for being only 22, the young woman has lots of curves to her, and he is excited to see the day when she can dress up to show them off. His thoughts and observations are interrupted by a very small, almost inaudible, gasp that emits from her, and the sound has him curious since her eyes are still glued to the current page she's on.

"Everything alright?" He casually asks before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Oh, yes. It's just that the girl in this story revealed something about the male character she's taking interest in. It was something I didn't see coming."

"Why don't you read it to me?" Alfie suggests, taking another bite.

He notices she seems to light up at his interest in what she's reading, so without hesitation, she starts reading aloud to him. Her voice is like silk, better yet, like honey just dripping off of a spoon; so delicate, soft, and every word is perfectly articulated.

"'I remembered someone mentioning he was rarely seen in public. The very fact that he'd not attended tonight's dinner- even in his own home- said much.'"

The words catch Alfie's attention, noticing they somehow mostly represent him. The only way people ever get to see him is if he wants to make himself known, whether it be in daylight or in darkness. He'd rather be in his office or in his house if he really has to be somewhere.

"'The man was perplexing. Intriguing. I'd never met anyone quite like him...'"

Solomons almost stops chewing his last bite, the words speaking to him as he stares at Baron who is still reading away, not knowing he's so lost in his thoughts as she continues for a little while longer.

~5 p.m.~
"For your first day, you did really well, Lilly. You weren't kiddin' when ya told me you're a fast learner." Alfie says as he puts on his coat.

It's the end of the work day, and for once in a very long time, the 35 year old is actually getting to go home at a proper hour. All of his employees are already leaving the bakery.

"Thank you, Alfie. I'm happy I was able to help you today." She says with a small smile, grabbing her book and purse from her desk.

"As am I." He says wholeheartedly.

He puts on his black, velvet, wide brimmed top hat. Next is his coat, then his black leather gloves, and lastly, his scarf. He then holds the door open for her, hearing her softly thank him as she exits his office.

"Ollie should 'ave brought the car 'round already, so c'mon, I'll give ya a ride home." He tells her, waddling as he walks beside her up the hallway so the two can exit through the main bakery door.

Not wanting to upset him by refusing, Lilly smiles up at him while saying, "Thank you, Alfie."

During their short walk, he winds up in front of her, neither really sure how, but he's able to hold the bakery door open for her, earning her softly spoken thanks.

"Mr. Solomons, Miss Baron." Ollie greets the two as they walk over to the Bentley, the guard holding the back door open for them.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" A small voice calls out, earning all threes' attention.

They find a small child rushing up to them, his face dirty, as well as his clothes that are filled with small holes in various places. He looks at the three adults, eyes landing on Baron who the child feels is the most approachable, Alfie and Ollie not blaming him.

"Miss, um, I-I-" The little boy starts, but tears well in his eyes as he begins to very softly cry.

Becoming concerned, Lilly leans down and gently takes his hands in hers.

"What's going on, love? Are you hurt, do you need a doctor?" She asks gently, the kindness in her voice making the little boy cry even harder.

"Is someone after you?" Alfie softly asks him, his voice laced with protectiveness, watching the little boy quickly shake his head.

"N-no, sir. It's just that people...they have been m-mean to me all day."

A sob leaves the child's mouth, and Lilly doesn't hesitate to set her book and purse on the ground then gather the child in her arms, hugging him while soothingly rubbing his back.

"I-I was wondering if you could please help me an' me sister, miss. We don't have a-any food for today. Our mother didn't sell any of her hand-made goods, an'-an' me and me sister are really hungry." He cries even harder as he clings to Lilly who slightly frowns at hearing the unfortunate news.

"D-Do you have any food or spare change that you would be kind enough to give us?" The boy asks, sniffling and sobbing as he hugs her.

"I'd like to buy something for my grandma, if that would be alright with your mother." She answers, the boy pulling away from her, finding that the young woman is serious.

"Really? My mum will be so happy!" The boy says with a smile as more tears run down his cheeks.

Alfie can't believe how well she has handled this situation, and it makes him feel good knowing she clearly has a soft spot for children.

"C'mon, miss, I live right at that corner there! In that apartment!" The little boy tells her, giving her a huge smile.

"Is it alright if I walk with him?" She softly asks Alfie who nods once.

"We'll follow with the car." He answers, watching her smile as she thanks him before the excited little boy is picking up her book and purse for her, handing them to her.

"Lead the way, my darling." Lilly kindly tells the boy as she offers him her hand to hold, and he takes hold of it, happily leading her to where he lives.

"Keep up with them, as if you were walking side by side with 'em." Alfie softly tells Ollie who nods and does as told, once both of them are in the car, of course.

Deep down inside of himself, the gangster has to make sure this isn't some sort of sabotage or trap. After all, he has taken a huge risk by even hiring this young woman.

'If she were a bad person, I would've already sniffed it out.' He thinks to himself as he keeps a close eye on the child who is happily listing what his mother sells to Baron.

'The boy's telling the truth, too. He seemed so broken asking for help.'

"Mum, Mum!" The little boy shouts as he and Lilly get closer to the apartment door.

"Mum, this really nice girl would like to buy something!" The boy calls out into his apartment, the gate door remaining closed yet soft noise is heard.

"She might be busy with my sister. May I go check? I promise I'll send me mum out so she can show you the pretty shawls and blankets she makes." The little boy explains, his big, green eyes seeming to hold so much hope.

"Of course, love. I'll be right here." She tells him kindly with a smile, watching him let go of her hand before he's dashing inside, calling out for his mother again.

"So, what's his mother selling?" Ollie skeptically asks Lilly who turns to see him and Alfie making their way over to her by foot, the Bentley parked behind them near the sidewalk.

"Shawls, gloves, mainly clothes and accessories for women, but he told me she also takes custom orders." She answers softly.

"Miss Lilly, my mum is coming to you. I have to watch over my sister, but thank you for walking with me and for buying something from my mum." The little boy says happily, not hesitating to give Baron a hug, Alfie and Ollie watching as she returns the gesture.

"You're welcome, Barney. Make sure to make your sister smile so she can feel better faster, okay?"

"I will! But you'll have to tell me if you wind up liking your book when you're done with it." The two smile at each other before shaking hands.

"We've got a deal, mister." She says, waving him off just as his mother walks out; a stout woman with black, curly hair, seeming tired and worn out.

"Ah, you must be the kind girl my son was tellin' me 'bout. I'm Beatrice Hampton. I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble, miss." The mother apologizes, watching Baron shake her head a little.

"He made no trouble at all. He says you sew very pretty things so I just had to see them with my own eyes." Lilly happily explains, introducing herself to Beatrice afterwards.

Mrs. Hampton's eyes happen to look behind the 22 year old, finding Alfie and Ollie watching them closely, but her eyes wander back to Solomons who keeps the eye contact. The woman has heard stories about the man, good and bad, mainly the bad. Yet here he stands at her door, accompanied by a tall young man who she has seen with him for a few years and this lovely young woman who seems like she wouldn't even harm a fly.

"P-Please, why don't you three come in. It's much warmer inside than it is out here." Beatrice nervously offers the trio, not wanting to get on Alfie's bad side.

"I insist." The mother adds, Lilly thanking her and accepting, following Hampton into the small apartment.

Alfie is next, but only after he orders Ollie to stand guard outside with a singular stare.

"Please feel free to have a seat. I-I won't take too much of your time, miss. Also, please forgive the mess in here. Looking after children is never easy." Beatrice rambles as she lays out her items for Lilly on the small dining table.

Solomons is standing by the door as he watches Baron carefully examine each item, appreciating the beauty in every single item.

"These are all truly lovely, Mrs. Hampton. How much does the blanket go for? My grandmother will love it."

"Oh, thank you, dear. I'll let it go for 7 pounds."

"I'll take it, please. I'd also like to take a shawl for myself, if that's alright."

"Yes, dear, of course. I sell those at 10 pounds each since they take me longer to sew. Take as long as you'd like to look at-"

A loud, tiny-voiced cry interrupts Mrs. Hampton.

"Mum, Ruth is crying!" Barney calls out from the only room in the apartment.

"I'm so sorry, I'll be right back." Beatrice excuses herself before rushing down the small hallway.

Solomons quietly watches Baron look over two shawls in particular that have caught her eyes over the others, and he can tell she's having a difficult time choosing. One is a lovely navy blue color. The other is a lovely cream color.

"I apologize for the crying. Poor Ruth has been sick for three days now and nothing seems to calm her down for long enough." Mrs. Hampton says as she returns.

"Have you taken her to a doctor?" Alfie asks as he continues to watch the young woman.

"N-No, sir, I haven't. My husband and I don't have enough money saved up in order to get her seen by a doctor." The mother answers in embarrassment.

Wanting to change the subject, she returns her attention to Baron who still hasn't made a decision, but forces herself to do so in order to not keep Alfie waiting.

"I really love both of these, but since I'm already taking something for my grandmother, I'll have to come back for these another day." Lilly answers softly, knowing she only has enough money for the blanket.

"I'll save them for you, my darling. Anytime you'd like, just come back and I'll have them for you." Beatrice says in understanding, not about to pressure the girl.

"Thank you. Here is 10 pounds for the blanket." The 22 year old pays the mother, even going as far as giving her a few extra pounds to help their family.

This doesn't go unnoticed by Alfie who already has a plan of his own going on in his head. As the two ladies converse so the trio can leave, he walks over to the small table and swiftly picks up both shawls, managing to hide them behind his coat sleeve as he turns to face both women.

He hears his newly hired secretary softly say, "-if you do decide to visit him, tell him Lilly Baron has sent you. Dr. Williams is very kind and he'll work with you and your husband on payments."

"Thank you so much, dear. I'll make sure to take Ruth to him tomorrow. I hope your grandmother enjoys the blanket-"

Everything else gets tuned out by the 35 year old as he waits for the lady to finish which happens seconds later as Mrs. Hampton walks Lilly to the door, Alfie pretending to follow.

"Ollie's waitin' outside. He'll go ahead and help you into the car." He tells her, Ollie turning and obeying his order as he kindly leads Baron to the Bentley, Solomons hanging back with Mrs. Hampton who notices the behavior.

As soon as he sees both of them walk off, he turns to the mother and holds out both shawls to her.

"I'll be taking these. For her, of course, not myself." He says, Mrs. Hampton nodding quickly.

"They're on the house for you, Mr. Solomons." She says softly, not making eye contact with him out of nervousness.

He knows she has heard the evil.things about him that paint scary things in her head.

"Here. Go buy some food for you an' your family, yeah? An' make sure that baby sees Dr. Williams. No other doctor. Only him." He says.

Pulling out a very small wad of money from his coats' inside pocket, he hands her a few of the bills then puts the rest away. Before she can even thank him, Alfie is already on his way out, finding Ollie having trouble with the front door handle, being that it gets stuck from time to time. Shaking his head slightly at his guard's sudden stupidity to not open any of the other doors to get their guest inside the car, he swiftly takes matters into his own hands and opens the back door, his guard getting startled as the two turn to look at him.

"In ya go, Lilly. Watch your step." Alfie tells her with a very small smile, offering her his right hand to hold on to.

"Thank you." She tells him with a smile as she carefully holds his large gloved hand while getting into the backseat.

She lets go of his hand, mentally noting how gentleman-like Alfie is as Ollie closes the door for her once she's situated. The velvet seat feels soft to the touch as she runs her fingertips over the small armrest. What she doesn't realize is that Alfie is scolding Ollie in a different language near the front of the car. Her hand immediately joins the other in her lap when she hears the other back door open, watching Alfie get in and sit next to her, Ollie closing his door then getting into the driver seat. As the car starts up and the guard gets to driving, Lilly looks out of the window, noticing the evening sky has already begun darkening since it's winter. Alfie looks over, observing her looking out at the small town that is beginning to light up and become lively for the folks who live through the night. With a soft clear of his throat, he gets comfortable in his spot, wondering what to say, looking through her side of the window coming in handy to him moments later.

"Tha's a good place to eat." He speaks, pointing to a really fancy looking restaurant that has lots of people inside.

Lilly turns to look at him with a smile after having followed his gloved finger to where it was pointing.

"You ever been?" He asks, their eyes meeting.

"No, but it does look like it lives up to its expectations though." She answers softly, giving him another smile.

"It most certainly does." He says with a small nod, both getting into an easy going conversation about their favorite foods, including desserts.

The conversation lasts for another 10 minutes, enough to get them through the ride. Ollie is surprised his boss hasn't cursed yet in front of Lilly, but he figures that Alfie's trying to make a very good first impression on the young woman.

"Here you are, Miss Baron." The guard speaks up, causing Lilly to look at him as he parks a few feet away from the apartment building she lives in.

"Thank you, Ollie." She tells him, and while the two converse for a moment, Alfie sees himself out of the car, waddling around it and to the back passenger door, opening it for her.

He offers her his hand once more, hearing her wish his main man a good rest of his night. Solomons gives her a small smile as she takes his hand and carefully gets out of the car, thanking him afterwards.

"Which one is yours, Lilly?" He asks as the two start walking a bit.

"That one, apartment D12." She answers kindly, pointing to a door at the end of its floor.

The walk is quiet, Alfie trying to figure out what to say, which usually never happens to him, but being that this young woman is his best pal's daughter, he wants to make sure that she knows she can trust him. He'd also like her to be protected from everyone and everything that could harm her, even if she's only walking to her apartment at the moment. He knows that once people see him, they'll go running for the hills. He stays in the shadows as the two walk, only the street lights hitting Lilly as she walks on the small sidewalk.

"Good evening, Miss Baron!" A woman calls out from above the two, putting clothes to dry on a line on the second floor.

Alfie stops walking when Lilly stops, watching her look up, a smile gracing her lips as she waves one hand.

"Good evening, Mrs. Sema! How are you doing?"

"I'm well, young lady. How are you? How's your Gran?"

"She's good, and so am I."

"How'd your job hunting go this morning? You've been looking for a long time, that's what Diana told me last week."

"It went amazing. I got a job and started today, actually." Lilly happily answers, looking to Alfie for a moment as a smile appears again before looking back up at her neighbor.

"Oh, congratulations, dear! This calls for a celebration! I can be by tomorrow evening with some bread pudding and the kids, if that's alright? They ask about you a lot lately."

"Yes, Mrs. Sema, that would be lovely. I know my Gran would enjoy having company aside myself."

"Alright, darling. I'll let you get inside now. It's a bit nippy out tonight. Have a good night."

"Likewise, and thank you." Lilly says with a small wave before looking back to Alfie, noticing his blue eyes seem to shine brightly despite him being covered in the darkness of the apartments' shadows.

"I'm sorry. Everyone knows everyone here in this building." She softly apologizes as she steps into the shadows with him, being that they're walking towards her apartment again.

"Don't be sorry. Must be nice, right, to 'ave some people who know ya." He says with a small shrug.

"Eh, the women living here are gossipers. I guarantee you that by tomorrow morning, Mrs. Sema will have told her friends that I got a job." Lilly says with a giggle, knowing how the women are.

"Thank you for walking me. I really appreciate it." She says as she faces him once they stop outside her apartment door.

"Of course. I needed to stretch me legs, you know." He says with a hint of humor, watching her smile at him again.

"Ah, which reminds me, right, I've got somethin' for ya."

The young woman about to ask him what he means, but watches instead as he takes something out from his inside coat pocket. A soft gasp leaves her mouth as a huge smile appears, her eyes twinkling with amazement as she recognizes the two shawls from a while ago. He holds them out to her, giving her a nod to let her know it's alright to take them.

"Oh my goodness." Lilly whispers softly in disbelief mixed with excitement, using her left hand to gently take them since her right hand is holding the blanket she bought for her grandmother.

"How much do I owe you? Actually, can you please take the amount out of my first paycheck?" She asks, causing him to chuckle as his full, pink lips turn upwards just a tiny bit.

"Take 'em as a gift for doin' so well on your first day." He answers her, watching as she hugs the shawls to her chest as she beams with yet another smile.

"Thank you so much, Alfie." She says softly, her presence radiating pure happiness and excitement.

"It's my pleasure, Lilly. Now, I'm not leavin' this spot 'til you are safely inside with your grandmother."

He earns a soft laugh from her as she nods slightly. She turns around and opens the door, but before completely walking into the warmth, she turns to look at him again, their eyes meeting as he closely pays attention to her.

"Thank you so much for everything. I wish you a wonderful night." Lilly tells him softly with much gratitude, another smile on her lips.

"No need to thank me. See you tomorrow mornin'. I'll 'ave Ollie pick ya up at 7:45." He tells her, his thumb and index fingers on his left hand pinching the brim of his hat, tipping it to her just a smidge, watching her smile grow.

"Good night, Alfie. Be careful getting home, please."

"Good night, Lilly. I'll make sure Ollie gets me home safely, trust me." He says with a small grin, hearing her giggle a bit as he watches her wave at him slightly before stepping into the apartment.

"Lilly, my darling, is that you at the door?" A woman's voice asks in the background, Alfie figuring it belongs to her grandmother.

"It is, Gran, I'm home!" Lilly answers as she closes the door, leaving Solomons standing there on the porch.

He just looks at the door for a few seconds before he uses the darkness of the shadows to begin making his way back to his vehicle, but a door opening stops him in his tracks a few feet away from Baron's apartment.

"Mr. Solomons!" Her voice softly calls out into the street, watching as her boss turns around in a blink of an eye, walking the few steps back to her porch.

"My grandmother would like me to thank you for the bread. We will be enjoying it for dinner." Lilly says loud enough for her grandma to hear, being the older woman's hearing isn't so good.

That and the fact Diana is waiting to hear what her granddaughter's boss has to say.

"I'm sorry, she scolded me for not letting her thank you personally, so she made me call you back. She's standing behind the door." The 22 year old explains in a hushed voice, holding the door open a bit.

Alfie can't help but chuckle slightly.

"It was my pleasure, Miss Baron. I'm happy you both liked the selection I sent." He says loud enough for a happy Diana to pick up.

Lilly apologetically smiles at him, mouthing her thanks. After giving him a shy wave, she closes the door, leaving Alfie to turn around and begin walking again, chuckling to himself as he thinks over today's events, not being able to believe the small world he has found himself in.