Page 24 of Just a Number (Magnolia Row #2)

MICAH

H ow have I gone from feeling like no man ever wants me to having two to choose from? It seems like a good problem to have, but it definitely is not.

On the one hand, Garrett has been super-sweet with everything going on at his work.

I’ve been as supportive as possible, checking on him and making sure he’s okay.

We’ve only seen each other once since the night he told me about the lawsuits.

He asked me for a loan to help with his legal expenses, so I took a few thousand out of savings to help him.

I didn’t tell anyone about it. Nana and my girlfriends would all have tried to talk me out of it, but it felt like the right thing to do.

I’d like to think he’d do the same for me if I needed money.

Then there’s Rhodes. Perfect, sweet, doesn’t-need-me Rhodes, who is so far out of my league he may as well be on the moon.

He’s been nothing but upfront with me about how much he likes me, which is so overt it almost feels fake.

Is it normal for guys to be so transparent, or is this a manipulation?

There has to be a catch, because there always is. If only I could figure it out.

When Rhodes and I talk on Friday night about his plans to come to Magnolia Row the following week, I agree to see him despite my head spinning.

I cannot juggle two guys. I’m not that girl.

Granted, neither of them are my boyfriend, but it still doesn’t feel right.

It’s not fair to them, and it’s way too confusing for me.

I text my girlfriends, and Sistine agrees to meet me for a girl’s night at Cattywampus the following evening. Patsy has too much going on with her five boys, and Kendall is in Florida visiting her parents.

I walk in, and our usual table is taken by a group of guys who look like they’re twelve, but who in reality are probably well out of high school, so we sit at the bar.

Calista, the barkeep, knows us and brings our drinks without us having to tell her what we want. Since it’s October, they finally have Dracula’s Blood Orange on draft, so we each order one. Last year I raved about it so much that Calista suggested they rename it after me.

“How is Nana?” asks Sistine as we settle into our chairs.

“Slow,” I say. “She’s sleeping a lot and missing days at the store. And she doesn’t talk much. I know she doesn’t feel well.”

“Sometimes it takes old people a long time to bounce back,” she says. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s a tough old broad.”

I smile. “She is.”

“Have you talked to Rhodes?” she asks.

“Almost every day,” I say. “He’s coming next weekend, which is why I wanted to talk to you. I need advice.”

She raises her eyebrows, intrigued. “Please tell me you’re going to sleep with him.”

“What? No, that’s not what I was going to ask.”

She rolls her eyes. “From what you said about his kissing skills, I imagine he’ll cure you of your attachment to the douchebag in Montgomery.”

“Yeah. About Garrett?—"

“Oh, here we go again. Micah, that guy is using you.”

“He’s not. He’s sweet. And he needs me. Rhodes doesn’t.”

“Exactly. Rhodes chooses you with no ulterior motive. Better to be with someone who chooses you than someone who needs you for their own selfish gratification.”

I sigh. She has a point. “Rhodes way too hot for me, Sissy. It makes me insecure.” I surprise myself with the candor.

“First off, Rhodes is not too hot for you. From what I can tell, he’s exactly what you need.

But regardless of whether Rhodes is even in the picture, Garrett is bad for you.

He’s been that guy since you met, and he will always be that guy.

You accept it because you don’t think you deserve better, but you do.

You always have. You’re gorgeous, you’re smart, and you have the biggest heart of anyone I know, which is what allows people to take advantage of you. It’s beyond frustrating to watch.”

I guess now would not be a good time to tell her about the money.

“Are you seriously still sleeping with Garrett?”

I bite my lip and hesitate. “Yes.”

“How often?”

“Twice since Nana was in the hospital, but I didn’t stay the night either time.”

“Twice in one month? That’s a record for him. He usually doesn’t make much time for you.”

“He’s been struggling a lot, and it’s made him open up more. I think we’re getting closer.”

Her interest piqued. “What is he struggling with?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I tell her about the lawsuits and personnel issues his company is having, and she stares at me like she doesn’t believe me. I do not mention the money. She would wring my neck, and I’m not ready to die.

“What is his last name again?”

“Bullingbrook. Why?”

“Just curious.” She drinks her beer, never taking her eyes off me. “Look, Micah. He’s not even here. He’s never been here to see you. He’s married to his work, as you’ve always said. You deserve someone who puts you first.”

“You realize Rhodes is also not here and married to his work, right?”

“Rhodes is making a trip to see you, and he has further to go. Garrett has never been here. Ever.”

“Well, it’s hard for him to visit when I share a house with Nana. And Rhodes is mainly coming to see the hotel, not me.”

“If Garrett really is some great successful businessman, he can afford a hotel room in Magnolia Row. There’s no excuse.” She’s right again. “Give Rhodes a chance when he’s here next weekend. That’s all I’m saying.”

We have a few more drinks and listen to a teenage girl with a guitar play an acoustic set of Taylor Swift covers. As we’re leaving, Sistine stops me on the way to my car.

“Micah, if Rhodes and Garrett were here right now and you had to choose which one to go home with, who would it be?”

I pause.

“Don’t think,” she says. “Answer.”

I stare into her eyes, and she knows my answer before I even have to say it.

“Rhodes.”

* * *

T he following Wednesday, I’m at work when Sistine texts me.

She asks me if I can spare a few minutes to come meet her at her coffee shop.

I check on Nana, who is in her office drinking unsweet—yes, I checked it—iced tea.

It’s her first day working this week and I can tell she’s tired, but she needs to get out of the house.

She gets depressed when she’s cooped up.

“Go on,” Nana says when I ask if she’ll be okay for me to leave for a few minutes. “Tell the girls I said hello.”

I drive to Bonny Beans, which is already closed for the day. Patsy and Kendall are there too, and Patsy unlocks it and lets me in. Sistine and Kendall are at a table covered in papers.

“Is this an intervention?” I ask.

“Kind of,” says Kendall.

“Yes,” says Sistine, shifting her weight in her chair. “It absolutely is. Sit down.”

She pulls out a chair, then grabs a bottle of water for me.

“What is all of this?” I ask.

“Turns out no one can keep a secret from Patsy,” says Kendall. “Even if you don’t live in Magnolia Row.”

“I did some digging on Garrett,” Patsy says. “Which I should’ve done a long time ago.”

I thumb through the piles of papers, which look like lawsuits. On the bottom are pictures printed from social media.

“I realize it’s a lot,” says Patsy. “But you really should know what’s going on, which I doubt you do.”

“Okay,” I say, looking at them with apprehension.

“Garrett’s company is in bankruptcy, and he’s being charged with defrauding investors criminally and civilly.

A ton of his female employees are suing him for sexual harassment.

He also has a few restraining orders against him for stalking.

The pictures in the back are from Vegas trips he’s taken.

It took me a lot of digging, but I managed to find them on other peoples’ profiles. ”

My brain completely shuts down. I close my eyes and shake my head. “What?”

“Do us a favor and read through it,” says Kendall.

“Your boy has a gambling problem,” says Sistine, “not to mention a women problem, and I imagine an IRS problem at the rate he’s going.”

“Where did you even get these lawsuits?” I ask.

“My friend at church is a paralegal,” says Patsy. “It’s all on the state’s website if you have access, which I now do.”

“By the way,” says Sistine, “the only thing she found on Rhodes is his divorce.”

“Not even a speeding ticket,” says Patsy.

I put my hands on the table, palms down, and stare at the mound of papers.

How was I so stupid to think Garrett’s kindness was genuine?

Was he buttering me up because he needed money and attention?

I can never tell them I gave him money. Never.

This is humiliating. All I want to do is crawl under the table and cry.

“Thank you,” I say, fighting back tears. “I mean it. I needed to see this.”

“Take everything,” says Sistine, handing me the papers. “We’ve already read it all.”

I tuck the pile of evidence under my arm and stand up. “I have to get back to Nana,” I say. “She’s struggling a bit today.”

“Send her our love,” says Kendall. “And tell her my mama asked after her.”

“I will.”

I walk out, leaving my friends behind, and go back to the store.

When I get there, Nana is leaning back in her chair, completely still.

I freeze and stare at her for a moment, waiting for her to breathe.

My ears pound in the overwhelming silence of the shop.

After what feels like a full minute, but was probably only a few seconds, she lets out a huge snore, and it takes me a moment to catch my breath.

While she’s sleeping, I rummage through the supply cabinet to find a big envelope and a blank piece of paper.

I write Don’t call me again. -Micah on the blank page and put it on top of the stack of lawsuits and pictures.

I then write Garrett’s address on the envelope, weigh it to calculate postage, and print the USPS label. It’ll be in the mail tomorrow.