Page 45 of Forked (Frenched 2)
We sat in silence a moment. “I’ll give you the money, Coco.”
“What?” I snapped my head toward him so fast, something popped in my neck.
“I’ll give you the other twenty grand.”
“I don’t want your money!”
“You need it. That’s why you came to me, isn’t it? Because you need money?”
“No! You’re twisting the whole thing into something it isn’t! I came to you because a client requested you, not because I need your money, Nick. I told you—I want to do this on my own.”
He shrugged. “Think of it as a loan, then.”
“A loan?”
“Yes. That way you don’t have to ask your parents for anything. I’ll even charge you interest if you want.”
Could I? Could I, really? It was one of those moments in life where I wanted a pause button so I could powwow with Mia and Erin before giving an answer. I had that feeling in my gut, the dessert tray feeling, like what I wanted was right there in front of me, and all I had to do was take it. But the thing was, I knew what Erin and Mia would say.
Erin: This is a Very Bad Idea.
Mia: Five Reasons Why You Should Not Take His Money…
They’d never tell me not to order dessert, but taking money from an ex seemed like a clear-cut no.
“I don’t know, Nick. It doesn’t seem right.”
He put a hand on my leg. “I’m investing in a friend. And in a historic home. In a neighborhood and a city I love.”
Damn. He was hot and he knew how to spin things. I chewed on my lower lip.
Putting the car in park, he shifted on the seat to face me, checking behind us to make sure there wasn’t a car waiting for us to move forward. “Listen. You think I wanted to be on Lick My Plate? I didn’t. It’s a ridiculous show with very little to do with real cooking, and I knew my credibility would take a hit.
But I couldn’t get backing from investors to open a space in Detroit without putting my name out there a little. So I gritted my teeth and did it, and it paid off.”
“That’s different,” I argued.
“No, it isn’t. You don’t want to borrow money from me because of your pride. I get it. But unless you want your dream house to go to someone else, or you want to ask Mom and Dad for the money and deal with all their opinions, you should just grit your teeth and do it. Take it.”
“It’s a lot of money,” I said quietly. Was he doing this because he felt guilty about what he’d done to me seven years ago? Or did he really want to invest in me?
“I can afford it. Look, I’m not a millionaire or anything, but I won some prize money and have several endorsements. And you’ll pay it back—we’ll work out a payment schedule. We can even involve my lawyer if it makes you feel better. Then it’s totally official.”
I swallowed, gulping back the yes that was dying to escape my throat. For once in my life, I was not going to jump too soon and do the wrong thing. “No. Thank you, but no…I really want to do this on my own if I can.”
“OK. I won’t pressure you about it. The offer’s on the table.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He put the car in drive. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re crazy. The house does need some renovating, and I think they should come down in price, but it’s a beautiful old place. I totally see you in it.”
Smiling, I slipped my sunglasses on as we pulled onto Jefferson, wondering if he saw himself in it, too.
Fucking me in the butler’s pantry, perhaps.
But I thought it best not to ask.
We didn’t talk at all on the ride to the farm, mostly because once we got on the interstate, it was too noisy with the top down. But once we exited I-75 and got on smaller highways and then country roads, the ride was quieter.
