“I can’t.” He leaned back in his chair. “Not without some kind of collateral.”
“But I have good credit.”
“And no car or any valuables to speak of.”
“I’ve never missed a payment on anything. You know that.”
“You’re making this personal, Pres. This isn’t about what I know or don’t know. It’s about the numbers, and yours are not great.”
Sitting across from him felt like I’d stepped back in time.
His office was exactly the way I remembered it. Same desk. Same artwork. Same Blackhawk’s hockey jersey on the wall.
I almost smiled as I thought back to my conversation with Luke. He’d been so sweet when he found out about my marriage to Gary. He didn’t judge or criticize. He was actually really great about it all, and it was nice. Surprisingly so.
In fact, there were several things about that night that got to me.
But this was not the time to be thinking about Luke and his adorable smile. I had business to settle, so I folded my hands in my lap and steadied my breath before insisting, “There has to be something you can do.”
“This is my job, Pres. You’re asking me to put everything I’ve worked for at risk, and you’re not even being honest about it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know there’s another reason why you need the money.” He leaned forward with his elbows on his large, cherry desk. “I’ve always been able to tell when you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Yes, you are.” No anger. No accusations. Just matter of fact. “You’ve always been such an incredibly bad liar.”
Unable to look at him, I immediately glanced down at the floor and tried to think of the right thing to say to him. Only, there wasn’t anything I could say. If I told him the truth, there was no way he would give me the money, and there was no way I could leave without it.
“Presley,” he said quietly. “You don’t come in here asking for thirty thousand dollars unless you’re desperate. And you don’t lie to me unless you think the truth would make me say no.”
Damn.
I hated that he still knew me so well. I hated it even more that a part of me was relieved that he did. I swallowed, then told him, “It’s for Lila Kate.”
“Well, that makes more sense.”
“Gary.”
“I would’ve thought she would’ve grown out of that by now.”
“No such luck. So, are you going to give me the money or not?”
“I can’t approve the full thirty through the bank.” He exhaled, tapping his pen against his desk. “But I can get fifteen, and I could float you the rest out of my savings.”
“Oh, Gary. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t.” He smiled. “I offered.”
I stared at the desk as I considered his offer. Borrowing from him meant strings. I would owe him. I would owe him a lot, and not just the money I would borrow. But it was Gary.
I trusted him.
I always had.
I knew he would never take advantage of me or Lila Kate, so I said, “Okay. I’ll do it. And thank you, Gary. Thank you so much.”
