Page 61 of Real Forever
Madison: Good news. NorAsana approved Lauren’s refund request. I’m positive it was because of your friend’s letter.
Jake: Awesome news. Lauren must be so relieved.
Madison: Yeah.
Madison: The bad news is the refund doesn’t even cover half of what she owes.
Jake: What?
Madison: I guess more of the debt was racked up with all the advertising and conferences and shit. So I guess she’s still going to have to claim bankruptcy or something.
Jake: Wow. That’s horrible. I thought we saved the day there for a minute.
Madison: Yeah. So did I.
Jake: There’s no way she can make the payments on the rest of the debt?
Madison: Not without getting a job or taking the money from Dave’s account. And either way, then Dave would find out.
Jake: He doesn’t know?
Madison: Fuck no. He’d go ballistic. All that asshole cares about is money. God, I wish she would leave him.
Jake winced.If Lauren claimed bankruptcy or even filed a consumer proposal against the debt, and then tried to divorce Dave after, the courts would know. And Dave definitely seemed like the kind of guy to use it against her.
Jake:Do you think she will leave in the next few years? A bankruptcy could be a real problem for her in a divorce.
Madison: Fuck. Really?
Jake: Yes. Maybe we can still think of another way to help her out of this?
Madison: Yeah. Maybe.
Madison: My place tonight or yours?
His heart sankas he typed his response and pressed send.
Jake:I’m sorry but I have some work stuff I have to get done. I don’t think I’ll be able to get together tonight.
Madison: No worries. I hope you have a great day.
Jake fell backon to his bed, staring at the patch. If staying away from Madison and focusing on work was the right thing to do, why did it feel so wrong?
25
Madison
The red painton the large metal sign that read Avery Auto had chipped so much over the years it was now more metal than paint. Avery pulled up to the front of the shop and turned the ignition off. She sat staring up at the sign, hands clamped on the steering wheel for several minutes.
It seemed like another life. She and Lauren had been so happy here, once upon a time. Running around the shop, fetching tools for the guys, drawing smiley faces and rainbows on the customer’s invoices. How strange. A place that once symbolized so much happiness and love now filled her with dread.
She swallowed hard and went inside. As usual, no one was at the front desk, so she headed back into the shop.
“Hello?” she shouted to make herself heard over the roar of the impact wrench hammering away.
“Hello?” a deep voice shouted back.
“Nikki? It’s Mads!” The compressor noise cut out and Nikki popped up from behind a rusted pickup truck.
