Whatever We Are
Maisie
It felt like forever since I'd mentioned the loan at all. And from what I recalled of that whole stormy fiasco, I'd said nearly nothing – just that I'd had a meeting with a bank.
If I'd said more, I honestly couldn't recall. But I did recall downplaying it. I mean, it's not like I'd walked through the door sobbing – even if I had wanted to.
So why was Griff bringing it up now?
Going for casual, I said, "I'm not sure what you're getting at."
His gaze locked on mine. "It was the day of the storm. We started to talk about it, but we never finished."
Finished how? True, he'd asked some questions, but I'd figured that was the end of it. After all, there was nothing he could do.
Hell, there was nothing I could do.
Sure, I'd been trying like crazy to solve it, but every attempt led to just another dead end.
I was still lost in thought when Griff added, "You came back upset."
My stomach twisted at the memory. I'd been more than upset. I'd been devastated, even if I'd tried not to show it.
And the problem wasn't going away. During the past week, I'd spent most of my free time – early mornings mostly – looking for some sort of solution to my sorry financials.
I'd found none.
Now, under Griff's persistent gaze, I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time. Damn it. We didn't open for ten more minutes, which meant I had no easy excuse to escape.
As if to drive the point home, Griff pulled out a chair and sat down directly across from me, apparently waiting for some sort of reply. When I remained quiet, he asked with a decent show of sympathy, "You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," I admitted.
This was his cue to let it drop. But instead, he leaned forward to say, "Maybe I can help."
It was such a pretty thought, but unless he was offering money – which I wouldn’t take, anyway – I couldn’t imagine how he could help. "Help how?"
"It depends on what's going on." He smiled. "Maybe I'll get creative."
I tried to smile back. "I don't even know what that means."
"Neither do I," he said. "But I will when you tell me more."
With a nervous laugh, I asked, " When I tell you more?"
"Meaning?"
"It should be if I tell you more." I glanced away. "I mean…I just learned your last name."
"So?"
I felt awkward saying it, especially if he was trying to help, but I couldn't make myself ignore how lopsided this was. I let out a long breath, searching for phrasing that wouldn't come out rude. Finally, I said, "I just mean…financial stuff is personal, you know?"
Something in his eyes flickered, and he leaned slightly back.
My stomach sank. Maybe that had come out rude.
But if anyone was rude, it was him – even if his rudeness was wrapped in concern.
Suddenly, I felt an urgent need to explain.
"Don't get me wrong. I know we've done plenty of personal stuff.
It's just that, well…it seems kind of premature for me to lay out my finances when we haven't known each other all that long. "
His mouth tightened. "We're not exactly strangers."
"I know. I just said that." I swallowed. "Didn't I?"
"But…?"
But what? I was grasping for straws. "Well…for starters, I don't even know where you live."
"Chicago."
I blinked. I hadn't really expected an answer. And now that I had one, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. It suddenly struck me as really strange that I'd just learned this now. "And what about your place on the island?"
"A dump, just like I said."
I kept quiet as I tried to process this whole conversation. I had planned for some sort of discussion today, but this wasn't going according to script.
Into my silence, he added, "Trust me, you'd hate it."
Odd. He'd said the same thing about Sierra – that she'd hate the place, too. And call me crazy, but I wasn't liking the comparison at all. "Maybe I should see it for myself."
He frowned. "Why?"
"Because that's what people do when they're…" I broke off, unsure how to put it. Finally, I settled on, "…whatever we are."
As that phrase hung between us, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
Whatever we are. It sounded awful, but that didn't make it untrue. Regardless, I now felt stupid – like I'd accidentally asked for a commitment – or worse, hinted I didn't want one at all. Just great. Maybe I'd managed both, which made no sense considering they were polar opposites.
Griff stared at me for a long moment before saying, "Alright. I'll make you a deal."
Something in his eyes made me hesitate. "What sort of deal?"
"Tonight, I'll show you where I'm living."
I perked up. "Really?"
"And in return, you'll tell me what's going on with the bank." He held up a finger. "With one catch."
I braced myself. "Okay…what's the catch?"
"You go first."