Page 60 of The Roommate Problem
She blinked up innocently at Lilly. “What?”
“Why is your name on this loan application?”
“What?” Pru exclaimed, grabbing the paper off the desk. “Mo, you’re co-signing for Agatha’s loan?”
Nosy friends. She grabbed the paper back, shoving it into a folder and stashing it in her desk drawer.
“Yes. Agatha couldn’t get the loan on her own.” And since the sweet older woman wouldn’t directly ask for help, Mo insisted on co-signing for her. “Agatha’s credit history isn’t as good as the bank wanted, and the shop’s profit margins aren’t quite as high as they would like, I guess, but that’s why this plan will work so well. Once August has his flower farm up and running, she’ll get her flowers at cost from him.”
“And he agreed to this?” Lilly arched a brow.
Mo shifted in her seat. “Technically, he doesn’t know about this plan, but—”
“Moira!” Pru gasped.
Great, and now both her friends were scolding her. They were only two years older than her, but sometimes they acted more like big sisters than peers. Annoying big sisters who thought they knew everything.
“Look.” She pointed to her friends. “August knows I’m trying to come up with a plan to convince him and Agatha to stay.”
Lilly shook her head, sighing heavily. “Convince, Mo. Not take over.”
She wasn’t taking over. Not entirely. It was Agatha’s plan to take out the loan; she just offered to help by co-signing. Besides, he promised to be open to her suggestions. She’d admit applying for a loan was a bit more than a suggestion, but it was what Agatha wanted. Mo was simply doing as her friend wished.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Pru asked. “If Agatha defaults on the loan, you’re responsible for paying it back.”
“I know.” She scowled at her so-called friend. “And of course I want to do this. I don’t believe Agatha would ever dump me with the bill.” The sweet woman didn’t even want Mo to risk her financial future by co-signing in the first place, but dammit, if she could help a friend, she would.
At least Pru had the decency to look ashamed.
“I’m sorry, Mo.” Pru came around the desk and grasped Mo’s hand in hers. “Simon is teething and kept me up all night. I’m not running on all cylinders right now.”
Aw, she couldn’t stay mad at her friend. She stood and wrapped Pru in a tight embrace. “It’s okay. I forgive you. Because I’m awesome like that.”
“Yes, you are.” Pru laughed. “So when do you hear back from the bank?”
She pulled away, glancing back and forth between her friends as she answered. “Once I finish filling this out, I’m going to give it back to Agatha for a final pass. Then she’ll turn it in to the loan office, and hopefully, the bank approves it. I know all loans are a risk, but I trust Agatha and her business sense.”
“Yeah, but do you trust August?” Lilly asked.
More than her friends knew. She was coming to trust August a whole lot more than she should, honestly. He’d mentioned time and again that this thing with them wouldn’t go any deeper than it currently was. But in her heart, she just knew there was a connection between them. Why else would he have shared his painful past with her so freely the other night?
He didn’t do that with people. She could tell by the look of surprise on his face after the words poured from his mouth. Her blood still boiled at the image of sweet little ten-year-old August being shuffled back and forth between homes. Had he even had a room, or had his parents just shoved him wherever was convenient for three days out of the week?
She shouldn’t judge. She had no idea what being in the middle of a divorce was like and, while her parents had never officially gotten married, they’d been together her entire life. What did she know about being a kid caught in between two homes? Maybe that was normal. Still, even if it was normal, that didn’t make it right. Not when it clearly had a lasting impact on August and his view of the world. Of relationships.
“You guys,” she addressed her friends, “I appreciate that you worry about me, but I’ve got this. I know what I’m doing, Agatha knows what she’s doing, and August will be…” She highly doubted he’d be fine with her proposed plan, but… “He’ll come to see the logic of a plan where everyone gets what they want.”
Mostly what they wanted, anyhow.
Pru and Lilly didn’t look convinced. Then again, her friends did tread on the overcautious side of life most days. Thank God they had her or they’d never have any fun.
“Are you sure you should be getting in the middle of this?” Pru asked, tugging on her ponytail. “Inserting yourself into big decisions between family members is usually a recipe for disaster.”
“I’ll be fine.”
It wasn’t like she hadn’t dealt with all kinds of different family dynamics over the years. They all had. Weddings tended to bring out the best and worst in family. From the overly controlling in-laws to the barely there groom to the last-minute screw-it-let’s-elope types. Mo and her friends had dealt with it all.
Lilly removed her glasses and cleaned them with the edge of her skirt. “If you say so, but I think getting involved in others’ family matters can lead to disaster. Especially if one of those people is your roommate.”
