Page 75 of Zen's Crash

Evan’s ears turn pink with embarrassment. I think it’s cute how he babies her when she’s hurt. Kayla perks up at my suggestion, because she’s not embarrassed at all. Those two are a hoot. It takes the doctor about twenty minutes to sort Kayla out. When he leaves, Evan takes Kayla to his room. Rigs follows them, chatting gregariously. Now that the drama is over, Cindy and I grab a table.

I motion for two drinks, and the prospect behind the bar runs them right over. When he walks off, I comment, “Gee, that was fast.”

Cindy rolls her eyes. “Girl, you are an old lady now. Even though you’re not wearing your vest, they all know.”

Wrinkling my nose, I tell her, “I completely forgot about that in all the excitement about getting engaged.”

Her eyes dart down to my ring. She saw it earlier in the day, and we talked about it. “Is that what the fancy dinner was all about? Did he pop the question?”

“Yeah,” I tell her excitedly. “We’re probably going to have a long engagement.” Shifting the conversation, I ask, “Are you okay with Kayla getting surgery in the morning?”

“Sure, but I’m worried that our insurance won’t pay for it. Seeing as it’s a cosmetic procedure.” She pauses, and then looks at me, “Were you serious about picking up the tab?”

Taking a sip of my beer, I tell her, “Of course. Come to find out I’m apparently wealthy.”

Cindy’s face lights up. “Wow! Tell me all about it.”

I tell her everything, except what Zen’s worth, because that’s his personal financial information. “So, now I have a little cash coming in from both trust funds.”

“God, I’m so happy for you. You deserve to finally catch a break. This has been a horrible year for you.”

“Well, I’ve decided to spread the joy around.”

“How do you plan on doing that? Are you giving some to a charity?”

I momentarily feel like a bad person, because that hadn’t been my first thought. Though in my defense, it’s not like I was going to be a multi-millionaire. Maybe once I get my finances fully in order then it’s something I could look into. “I’m selling my house and moving in with Zen.” Before she can respond, I add, “I’ve decided to use the money from selling the house to buy you and Kayla a place and a new car for each of you.”

Cindy pulls back. “No, no, no! I can’t let you do that, Lexi. Your dad left you that house. If you sell it, you should put the money in your trust. You never know when you might need it.”

“No. I have enough in my trust, and I’m gonna have a husband who owns his own business. Plus, I’ll still have a monthly income from my own work. The bottom line is I didn’t earn any of the money in those trusts, and I didn’t chip in any money on the house my parents bought. From my perspective, it was all free money.”

Cindy grabs my arm and gives it a little shake. “You’re thinking about it all wrong.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve given this a lot of thought. There is no greater financial advantage a person can have in life than having their house and vehicle paid for. Think about it, Cindy. Not having to pay rent and a car payment would enable you to get through college without a huge financial burden.”

She just shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Lexi. It would be nice, but I can’t let you waste so much money on us.”

My eyes narrow on her, because I’m not letting this go.

“You expect me to have everything and sit by and watch you struggle? You and Kayla are like sisters to me. You’re the only real friends I have.”

“Don’t guilt-trip me, Lexi. The answer is still no.”

I expected her to say all that. Now the real negotiation starts. “How about you let me buy you each a new car? That rust bucket you drive is a liability. Don’t make me worry every time you’re on the road.”

She sighs. “Fine, but economy cars only, or maybe a used vehicle. No expensive name brands.”

I grin, thrilled that she’s finally seeing things my way. “Now, about the house.”

“I said no, Lexi. That’s where I draw the line.”

Leaning over the table, I ask, “What if I keep the house in my name, or as part of the trust, and you and Kayla can live there for however long you need? I don’t actuallyneedto sell the house, it was just an idea—and before you say it, I don’t need to rent it out for income.”

Cindy takes another drink of her beer, draining the glass. “You’ve really given this some thought, haven’t you?”

“I just want to see you and Kayla settled and not having to worry. Please let me do this, Cindy. I need it to be happy.”

“All right. Economy cars only, and the house stays in your trust. I don’t want to take from you, Lexi. Why can’t you understand that?”

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