Page 35 of The Reluctant Roommate

She turned and, with thundering heart and shaky legs, took the steps to the basement.

Chapter 18

Ways to Spend Money

“It’s my night off tomorrow, and the day after, I don’t start until three.” A couple of days later, Heidi bounced into the kitchen and over to the kettle. She filled it and turned on the burner. “I haven’t been out in the neighborhood since I’ve been living here. Want to come with me? Show me the local places to go for a beer, maybe some food?”

Morgan wrapped her hands around her own mug as she sat at the breakfast bar, staring out at the backyard. Snowflakes whirled out of the sky. Already the humped shape of the grill and the outside table were covered in white.

“I don’t mean a late night,” Heidi said. “Just a couple of beers, maybe some snacks. I’ll have you home and in bed by eleven.”

Her impish grin told Morgan she knew exactly what she’d just said.

She rolled her eyes. “Sure, we can do that. Not…the other. If you want to stay out later, you can. I’ll just come home early.”

“Friends don’t leave friends alone in bars. I’d be coming with you—unless I hook up with someone.” She sighed. “Just joking, obviously. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Probably Serena. My criminal ex. And look what happened there.”

“Did you contact a PI yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m looking. It’s hard to sift the legit ones from the wannabes and scammers.”

“I had—have a client who’s a legit PI. I don’t know what they charge, but they’ve been in the business for almost twenty years. Altitude Investigations, if you want to look them up.”

“I’ve seen that name about. I’ll contact them. Thanks. So, tomorrow. You and me. A bar somewhere. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too.” She was, Morgan realized. It had been a long time since she’d been to the Park Grille. One glass of wine and an appetizer wouldn’t destroy her finances.

“I don’t mind if you want to ask anyone else along.” Heidi swiped the kettle from the stove and poured water on top of her teabag. “I won’t be—I really only know Lula in Denver, and she’s working.”

“Probably not.” Morgan gripped her mug. Whom had sheeverasked to come along on a spontaneous thing like this? She made firm arrangements with her college friends—the ones still in Denver—days, even weeks, in advance. Indeed, that small group of friends had a standing three-month dinner date where they caught up. She jolted. That was coming up soon. If she didn’t find a job by then, she’d have to cancel. There was no way she could sit for a couple of hours around a table and listen to them talk about their careers when hers had tanked.

“So, what time do we have to go tomorrow to hit the best happy hours?” Heidi’s eyes sparkled.

She had amazing eyes. The realization slammed Morgan in the solar plexus. A rich dark brown, with thick lashes. Beautiful eyes. Her hair flopped onto her forehead, the streak of color prominent. Morgan frowned. It had been purple—she was sure of it—but now it was ruby red. She was staring.Happy hour. Right.“Is six too early?”

“Not if it gets me half-price beer or a cheap margarita.”

“Six, then.” She slid off the stool. “I’d better get moving.”

“Are you going into the office today?” Heidi blinked at her over the mug.

“Not today, I don’t think. Just Zoom meetings.” She went upstairs to change into the sort of blouse a professional would wear on a Zoom call.

Morgan returned to her workspace in the living area. This time, she opened her personal budget spreadsheet, not the usual meaningless ones designed to fool Heidi. She opened her banking app and her investment portfolio and stared at the figures.

If she were to fund Aunt Linda’s surgery—if Linda would agree to it—she’d need to sell shares to cover her own expenses once her savings ran out. Her financial future. But she couldn’t not do it for Linda. A life was worth more than a comfortable retirement.

She switched to her budget sheet. Despite her care, her savings had ticked down even more since she’d last looked. And she had big expenses looming: property taxes, insurance. She bit her lip. King Soopers was now her go-to grocery store, and she’d even bought a bag of the cheap coffee Heidi used. That hit hard. But she still wasn’t ready to look for jobs outside the finance world.

Not yet.

She picked up her cell, took a deep breath, and pressed Aunt Linda’s number.

It went to voicemail. She waited for the beep after Linda’s chirpy message. “Hi, Aunt Linda, it’s Morgan. I’m sorry I’m not going to see you at Thanksgiving.” She hesitated. What did she say next? That she was sorry about her cancer? That she had money for the surgery? No. Linda had pre-empted that offer with a refusal. “I love you. Please can you give me a call?”

Thanksgiving was the following week. There would be no celebration for her.

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