I didn’t answer.
The guy, if nothing else, was no dummy.
He picked up his phone, started texting and forced me to sit and watch him. Trying not to squirm in my seat, I again reminded my brain to concentrate on the coffee. It was really good shit.
“Done.”
“Huh?”
“Saying ‘huh’ in a negotiation is generally frowned upon.”
“Is that what we’re doing?” I asked. “Negotiating?”
“What would you call it?”
He was giving me the money. Which made me just happy enough to let him hear the words, plain and simple, that I was certain he’d never thought to hear.
“A son asking his father for a favor.”
The fucker actually smiled. More surprising, it appeared almost genuine. But hell hadn’t frozen over, that I knew of, so maybe I just needed glasses.
“The money,” he said, “is being deposited into your bank account as we speak.”
Interesting. “How do you have access to my bank account?”
He sighed as if resigning himself to the fact that, despite my SAT scores, I really was stupider than I looked.
“It is the bank account your mother and I set up for you.”
“That’s still open?”
“Yes, Beck. It’s still open.”
“Hmm. Well, thanks. I’m heading there now to apply for a loan. You’ll have it back soon.”
Usually, my father was off to somewhere in a rush. And I had no doubt he would be before long. But for the moment, he didn’t move, so I stayed there too. We sipped our coffee. Watched the water fall from an elevated hot tub into the pool.
“Thank you,” I said finally.
His response was to lift his coffee mug, ever so slightly, before standing up and walking away, ending the conversation as abruptly as he’d begun it.
30
MAE
Life was good.
As I lay down in the bed, I congratulated myself on washing off my makeup and downing a bottle of water. After a long night of wine tasting, tomorrow morning I would be thankful. If only two minutes ago I’d thought to turn off the lamp before snuggling deep into the soft bed. Dammit.
I’d turn it off. In a minute.
In the meantime, I picked up my phone and looked at the time. Just after one. Sighing, I gave a silent thank you to the universe for such good friends. I felt better than ever about the glimmer of a life plan I’d concocted over the past few days. For the first time since I’d come home… actually, since the disastrous dinner date with Mathieu when my life came crashing down around me, I didn’t feel so lost.
With one (glaring) exception.
Don’t do it, Mae. You were the one who set the ground rules.
Screw the ground rules, the devil on my other shoulder told me. It was just a little text. He’d be at the bar still.
