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"You can move in with me," Margo offered.
"You live in a studio."
"So? Beggars and choosers and all that. You can sleep on the couch. You've slept on it before."
Crashing on her friend's sofa occasionally wasn't the same as giving up on having her own place. "I could also move back in with my parents and sleep in my old room. I'm twenty-seven, Margo. I should be independent by now."
"You are, honey." Margo reached for her hand. "You moved out of your parents' house when you went to college and never moved back. Many people our age can't do that these days. People are renting by the room or staying home long past the age they should."
Frankie let out a long-suffering sigh. "My apartment is crappy, but it's mine, and it's affordable. If I give it up, I'll never find anything I can afford and will have to room with other people."
Her place was in an iffy part of town and an old apartment building that desperately needed renovations. She'd furnished it with second-hand stuff and decorated it with pillows, throws, and other bargains from discount stores. It wasn't much, but it was cozy, it was hers, and it pained her to give it up.
Mia shook her head. "When Tom comes back, I will ask him to find you a job in one of the Perfect Match studios. You could be an adventure coordinator or a receptionist until something better opens up."
"Don't. That's probably what happened to my job at Hoffesommer and Partners. His niece or lover needed a job, so I got the boot. I don't want anyone fired to make room for me."
"No, of course not." Mia slumped in her wheelchair. "But maybe they are hiring, you know? A position might open that's right up your alley."
"Yeah, and pigs might fly. Sorry, Mia, but even when I'm drunk, I can't think magically."
"That's a shame." Mia slurped her margarita through a straw while looking at Frankie from under lowered lashes. "Magic happens. Just look at Tom and me. I couldn't have dreamt him up. A fairy godmother must have sprinkled me with magic dust."
As the subject of their conversation suddenly appeared behind Mia, Frankie blinked a couple of times. One moment, there was no one there, and then he just appeared as if out of thin air. Was she really that inebriated?
"Hello, ladies. Anything interesting happen in my absence?"
Mia looked up at him with adoring eyes. "Frankie is freaking out about losing her apartment because she has no savings. Can't you find her a job in one of the studios? It could be something temporary until we return from the cruise, and she can start on her beta tester's job."
Would strangling Mia make Frankie a terrible person?
How could she embarrass her like that? It was one thing for her besties to know how desperate her situation was and another thing entirely for a rich dude like Tom to know, someone who had never known what struggling to pay rent felt like.
She didn't want him to pity her and look down his nose at her like he did with most people. For some reason, Tom liked her and Margo and treated them as if they were special. It was probably because they were Mia's friends, and the dude would do anything to make his fiancée happy.
It was so damn enviable.
Tom frowned at her. "Why do you want to keep your apartment? Once the machines are up and running, you and Margo will move into the compound and live rent-free."
It would be rude to tell him she didn't trust his promises because he and Mia had been dangling that elusive job in front of her for months, but there was no way around it.
"I don't know if I can rely on that. Until now, I had a job, so I could wait patiently for your offer to materialize. But I can't afford to do that now. I need a new job yesterday."
"I understand." Tom smiled. "Here is what I suggest you do. Give your landlord notice that you are vacating the premises in two weeks. Pack up your things, and I will arrange for them to be stored until your new place in the compound is ready. In the meantime, you will get to know your future coworkers while enjoying a luxury cruise courtesy of your future employers."
Uttering a small gasp, Mia put a hand over her heart. "Did you speak with Kian?"
Tom nodded. "It took some convincing, but he agreed to host both of your friends." He turned to Margo. "I need the exact dates of the bachelorette party, so we will know when to pick you up from Cabo."
Margo's eyes turned as wide as saucers. "Are you serious? You will really have the ship dock at Cabo just so I can come along?"
He smiled. "The ships dock outside of Cabo, and passengers use water taxis to get on and off them. The cruise itinerary is flexible to some extent, but not much. If the dates don't work, I'll fly you to one of our other shore excursions."
As Margo jumped out of her chair, wrapped her arms around Tom, and kissed his cheek, Mia's expression turned almost feral.
Frankie hadn't known that her best friend had such a possessive streak. Tom was a catch, and Mia was right to guard her turf, but she had nothing to fear from Margo, and she knew that.
"Thank you," Margo squealed. "You are the best."
