Chapter 3
Chapter Three
The Principles of Tax Evasion
I ’m trying to think of where it might have fallen out of my pocket.
The idea that I lost the check Tina gave me has kept me up most of the night, and it’s still bugging me this morning.
If it happened at Tina’s house, it will be easy enough to get it back.
If Ryan found it, he might wonder why she gave me such a big check.
I chew on my lip. I hope my carelessness doesn’t cause too big of a rift. But maybe I didn’t even leave it there.
I probably dropped it outside while I was moving my body in all sorts of weird ways just to try to stay warm.
If that’s the case, then some stranger probably found it by now, but unless they have a fake ID with my name, it will be a little hard for them to cash it.
Still, I don’t like the idea of Tina’s home address and bank account number floating around out there for anyone to pick up and see.
Especially when the dollar figure on the check suggests she has a lot of money.
There’s also the possibility that it fell out in Oliver’s truck.
This is the least likely scenario, because all I did was sit down.
I think I would have noticed the check on his seat when he dropped me off last night.
If he does have it, I hope he’ll give it back to Tina, because I really don’t want to see him if I can avoid it.
There’s a rough knock on my front door. I frown. I’m expecting Tina, but she doesn’t normally knock. Tina always lets herself inside, or if she’s picking me up—like she is today—she’ll text me from her car.
I check the time on my phone. If it’s Tina, she’s early. This is how I know it isn’t her. Tina is never early.
I head to the door and look through the peephole.
Then I step back, take a deep breath, and brace myself.
I open the door. Before I can ask Oliver why he’s here, he holds up the missing check.
Of course he has it. I’m torn between being happy to see him and wishing the check had been lost forever.
I reach for it, but he raises it away from me.
“You’re not funny. Give me the check.”
“Aren’t you going to thank me for returning it?”
“You haven’t returned it. You’re just taunting me with it.”
He holds the check in front of his face. “This is a lot of money.”
The check is low enough now that I could reach it, but I know he’ll just pull it away again. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. “Are you jealous?”
“A little bit. This is more than I make in a year.”
I frown. I thought that Oliver was an app developer like Tina and Ryan. Maybe he’s not as good at his job as they are. I make a mental note to find a way to use this against him.
“Why is Tina giving you this much money?” he asks.
I want to tell him that it’s none of his business, but I also don’t want him to think I’m taking handouts. “She’s not giving me the money. She’s paying me for a service.”
He narrows his eyes. His gaze wanders over my body. “What kind of service?”
I roll my eyes, ignoring his implication. “Event planning. I told you last night that I started my own business.”
He looks at the check again, then back at me. “What kind of event is she doing that’s costing her six figures?”
“None of your business.” I snatch the check from him before he can react. “Thanks for bringing this back. You can go now.”
I’m starting to close the door in front of him when he says, “Fine, I’ll ask Ryan.”
My eyes go wide. I pull the door open again. “Wait. No. Don’t.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because it’s none of your business. Don’t bug them about it.”
His eyes wander to the check in my hand, then back up to my face. I hate the way my heart rate picks up when he meets my eyes.
“Seems a little weird that you don’t want me to know what kind of event they’re planning. Unless it’s a surprise party. For me.”
I roll my eyes. “You really think they would spend that much on a party for you ?”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. “You’re right. The only thing I can think of that people spend that much money on is a wedding.”
My breath hitches. He’s so close to the truth that I’m not sure what to say. When I take too long to answer, his eyes narrow. He lets out an agitated sigh. “Jesus, Priscilla. Is that what this is for? I told you not to tell Tina. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“I didn’t say anything. Besides, Tina gave me this check before I even saw the ring. How else would I have had this with me in your truck?” I wave the check at him as a reminder. “When is Ryan planning on proposing, anyway?”
“I really shouldn’t say any more than I already have.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets. Just tell me.”
“Okay. Tell me what the check is for, and I’ll tell you when Ryan is proposing.”
I’m about to argue when my phone buzzes. I look at it. Tina is outside, waiting for me. “I have to go,” I say to Oliver.
I put the check away, then step through the doorway, nudging my way past him.
He waits behind me while I lock the door, then follows me down the hall and out of the building.
Tina’s white car is stopped in the parking lot, engine running.
She turns her head, her gaze following Oliver as he heads to his truck parked a few spaces down.
She looks at me with wide eyes when I get into her car.
“Are you going to tell me what Oliver was doing at your place? I thought you hated him.”
I slide my seatbelt on. “He saw me walking home last night. He gave me a ride.”
When she doesn’t move the car, I turn to look at her. Her mouth is hanging open.
“And then he stayed the night? Why are you acting so nonchalant about this, Priss? Tell me everything.”
Realizing what I just implied, I begin to stammer. “Oh, no. God, no.” My face feels hot. “That’s not what I meant. I dropped something in his truck and he was just returning it.”
She looks disappointed but I can tell she’s not ready to drop the subject.
She starts to drive, taking us out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
My phone dings with an incoming text. It’s my dad.
I haven’t told him that I lost my job yet—or that I’m starting my own business.
I’m not sure which news will be harder to explain.
“Funny how you both ditched dinner at my place just to end up together anyway,” Tina points out, distracting me from my phone. “It was nice of him to stop and pick you up. Do you still think he’s a douchebag?”
I put my phone away. The conversation with my parents will have to wait.
I think about Tina’s question. Oliver gave me a ride home and then went out of his way to return the check I left in his truck.
He also didn’t bring up my drunk confession, which is better than I can say for most of our interactions.
A few minutes of being able to tolerate him doesn’t mean he’s not a douchebag anymore, though.
I don’t really care to spend more time with him, but avoiding him isn’t exactly an option right now.
I need him to tell me when Ryan plans to propose so that I can make sure Tina does it first.
“He was a little rude,” I mumble.
“You think everyone is rude.”
“I’m not wrong.”
She looks at me, pouting. “I’m not rude.”
“You’re one of the few.”
We arrive at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves the best Thai food in Saratoga.
Neither of us has to look at the menu to know what we want.
This has been our go-to place for lunch since we first discovered it a few years ago.
We wait until the waitress has taken our orders before we get down to business.
“Let’s talk about what you want to happen. You mentioned horses and fireworks and a flash mob. Do you really want all those things, or?—”
“Yes, I want all of them,” she interrupts. “I don’t know in what order, but that’s your job to figure it out, right?”
I think about that for a moment. “The fireworks might scare the horses. We’d have to time it right so that the horses are gone by the time the fireworks start.”
“I didn’t even think about that,” Tina says, twisting her lips thoughtfully. “See? This is why I need you. What else have you thought of?”
“Maybe the horses can start off the flash mob. You could go for a romantic carriage ride, and when you get to your destination, that’s when the music starts.
We’d have to figure out what song you want playing, and at what point you’ll pop the question to Ryan.
Then when he says yes, the firework show will start.
We can use daytime fireworks if you plan on popping the question when it’s still light out. ”
Tina watches me, eyes wide. “That sounds amazing. I love it.”
The waitress returns to our table with our food. As Tina digs in, I ask, “When do you want this to happen? Do you have a date in mind?”
She nods and finishes chewing before speaking. “I was thinking sometime this summer. Maybe July? Is two months enough time to plan all of this?”
“I’m sure that’s enough time. Did you want to do it at Disney World like your mom, or are you thinking of staying local?”
She chews on her lip, looking torn. “As much as I would love to do it in the exact same spot as my parents, I also want all of my friends and Ryan’s family to be there for this. Flying everyone out to Florida might be a little unrealistic.”
I think about all of the local events I know are coming up. “How about the Saratoga County Fair? It’s public, the location is big enough for a flash mob, and I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to get the permits to do everything you want to do.”
Her eyes light up. “That would be amazing.”