Page 119 of All Tied Up

He quickly closed the folder. “No. Absolutely not. We’re not just going to take your money, Neil.”

“Yeah, I thought you’d say that. Would it be any different if I, maybe, reserved a room here so I could come out anytime? I was thinking about, like you two suggested, leaving my job to start something new. And, um, maybe I could do some of it out here? Like a pre-payment for a lifetime room reservation? This is just… I’ve never felt more like myself than I do out here.”

Sebastian scowled, trying to pull apart all of his conflicting thoughts. At first, it had sounded like charity, a sneaky way of saying that Sebastian and Jamie couldn’t do it on their own, even if it was true.

But then the idea of Neil wanting to be out here all the time caught up with him. Did Neil really want to do that? The idea filled him with elation. This was the first time Neil had hinted at wanting anything more, even if he’d posed it as having a place to work.

But there were so many practicalities. This was a new relationship. If things didn’t work out between the three of them, he didn’t want Neil to have a hold over them through his lifetime reservation. He said there were no strings, but this sounded like something that could hang over them forever. Exactly like Henri.

The very thought made his heart race. Both of these proposals were essentially saying the same thing: that Neil would be tangled in their finances just like Henri was. He still didn’t want to believe that Henri was fleecing them… but he couldn’t discount it now either. He hoped never to make a commitment like that to someone again. To consider doing it with someone he’d only known for a week?

And if they did work out… Well, he wanted Neil in his bed, not driving out here to work. Neil could have another room as his office or something, but he certainly wasn’t going to be in the lodge every day if he wasn’t their boyfriend, and he wasn’t going to be their boyfriend if he didn’t sleep in their bed.

He slid the folder back. “Still no. In fact, that sounds worse.” All of the downsides of a convoluted financial relationship and none of the benefits of something that grew up organically and naturally.

Neil took the folder without argument. “I didn’t think you would go for it. So, there are three banks that I would consider working with for a loan. I already checked their rates and First…”

“What about the other folder?” Jamie asked.

Sebastian looked around. Had there been another folder?

“I don’t think you’d be interested,” Neil said stiffly.

“Gimme, gimme, gimme.” Jamie made grabby fingers. When Neil didn’t hand it over, he pouted. “Listen, if we don’t like it, we don’t have to use it, OK?”

Neil handed it over reluctantly and Sebastian tried to read over Jamie’s shoulder. This one was more convoluted, with a few different dollar amounts in different places, liabilities and assets and loans all spelled out in what he was sure was clear language, but he just wanted to get to the punchline.

“Explain it to me,” Sebastian said.

“So…” Neil sucked in a long breath. “In this proposal I would make Henri an offer to buy him out. You wouldn’t have him as a threat hanging over your head, and you’d be in a financial position to take out a loan for anything else that you need for rebuilding and repairing the cabin and the lodge until the insurance comes through. This here,” he pointed to a paragraph, “shows the amount he invested, the amount you’ve repaid him so far, the amount that I calculate that you owe him, and an amount that I think he would settle for with the advantage of having liquid cash.”

“Here,” Neil pointed out the next section, “are the terms of partial ownership, the conditions for repayment if any of us wanted to dissolve the agreement, and an agreement to reinvest any net income beyond the operating reserve into the lodge.”

Jamie piped up. “So you want to buy Henri’s shares of the Meadowlark? You want to own it with us?”

“That’s the proposal,” Neil hedged.

Sebastian's mind was racing. This had all the markings of being just as bad as their current situation. Instead of imagining all of the beautiful ways they could build a life together, Sebastian’s first thoughts were about what would happen if it all went belly up.

Yes, he could see that all of the terms were clearly spelled out here, which was at least a little better than the muddy arrangement that was sucking him under.

But being beholden to any ex was going to be a weight hanging over his head.

Neil ran his finger down the sheet again. “Oh, I wanted to point out that I think the amount you still owe Henri is maybe half of what he says it is, and I think he’d settle for even less with a carefully worded letter from one of the top law firms in the country.” Neil smirked, and Sebastian’s heart kind of flipped. Neil was just as sexy when he was confident as when he was shy and submissive.

Jamie looked between them, wide-eyed and appalled. “He’s been screwing us over for that much?”

Neil nodded grimly, and Sebastian had to believe him.

“Financially, this is actually your best bet,” Neil continued. “With less money from me and a lower loan amount, you could get him out of your finances and be on stable ground again. My investment would be equity instead of a liability, which would flip your debt-to-income ratio.”

Alright, he could see that it was the best choice. Financially.

Emotionally it was terrifying.

Was he ready to take any of these steps with Neil?

In all of his vague plans, he’d imagined inviting Neil up for another weekend, and then maybe a third. If things went well, they could ask him about spending a few more nights there, maybe working remotely sometimes. He’d missed Neil these past few days, but wanted to let things evolve organically.