Page 5 of Just for Tonight

"Oh, okay," Astrid said, nodding as she found the coffee. "Thank you." She retrieved the coffee from the desk and instantly put the cup to her lips to take a sip of it.

"I tried to call, but I couldn’t reach you. You were on my way, so I came by to see if you need anything from the store."

"What store?"

"Whole Foods. I'm going to get AJ some soup and saltines. I know you're out of milk."

"Oh, no, don't worry about milk. Dad and I don't drink that when you're not at home. You can get a little one for yourself if you want. I do need a phone charger, though. I think my wire went bad. Do you think they'll have that there?"

"I'm sure. I'll get you one. What happened with Sophia?"

Astrid took a deep, exasperated breath, and she gestured for Beau to follow her into her office. "Poor thing. I feel bad for her, but at the same time, I could not believe she had the nerve."

"The nerve to what?" Beau asked.

She took another sip of her coffee, looking like she was deep in thought, remembering the conversation. "The nerve to come here and ask me that. Her parents would not be happy if they knew she came over here."

"Well, don't tell them," Beau said, feeling bad for Sophia, who was a friend of his by now.

"I'm not planning on it," his mom said.

"What did she ask you?"

"She talked my ear off for like fifteen minutes. It was a whole big, long story about her ex-boyfriend. Apparently, she was with this guy, and he had some gambling debt and was in trouble, so she borrowed money from a friend of hers. The short of it is that she owes a girl five thousand dollars, and she was asking if that girl could stay in our family's lake house for two months. Can you imagine?"

Astrid stared at Beau in disbelief.

"In Arkansas?"

"Yes."

"So, the girl owes her money?"

"Sophia is the one who owes the girl money. The friend let her borrow money to get Sophia's boyfriend out of trouble. I guess he took off with it, spent it, gambled it, whatever. She said she was in debt to this girl and to some other people, too. Apparently, she paid all she could of it back, but still owes this woman five thousand dollars." Astrid huffed again. "She told me this whole story about a business this girl has—some personalized dog collars. I'm sure it's a nice idea and her friend is a good girl and everything. I wish I could help, but I can't. That's ridiculous to think I could ask Uncle Max if someone could stay in his lake house for two months, rent-free. All this for someone I don't know, someone I've never met. She could go destroy the place for all I know. I don't know where she got off. You don't do that. That's her right there. Both of them. She told me that other woman was here. She wanted me to meet her. Can you imagine? She was trying to sell me on those dog collars."

Astrid had gone to the window and was looking out of it as she spoke. Beau walked over there to see what she was looking at. He could see Sophia, walking with the girl from the stairwell.

Holland.

"Sophia wanted that girl to stay in the lake house?" Beau asked, pointing.

"Yes. I guess she loaned Sophia money for her boyfriend, and they've since broken up. It's a big mess. She told me all about that girl. They're graduating together in May. Sophia's parents would be livid if they knew she came here. She dreamed up this whole scenario where her friend could take over the lake house and work on her business all summer. She came in here all smiling and hopeful, like she really thought it would happen. She went on and on about how nice this girl was and how she wouldn't be in anyone's way. Can you imagine?"

"First you said she wanted to take it over, then you said she wouldn't be in anyone's way."

"Regardless, it's not happening."

"You just said no, flat-out?"

"Yes, I said no, flat-out. What else would I say? I've never even met the girl. I'm not about to call up my brother and ask if she can use hislake house all summer. I honestly can't even believe she got up the nerve to come up here and ask me that. Thank goodness she didn't bring that girl into my office. Imagine how awkward that would've been."

It did not surprise Beau that his mother had an emotionless, matter-of-fact reaction to Sophia. As a ballet teacher, Astrid was known for not hiding her true thoughts and feelings. He honestly couldn't believe Sophia had worked up the nerve to come ask her that, either.

"You've known Sophia since we were kids, and she's never asked anything like this."

Even as Beau spoke, he watched the two females walk down the sidewalk. He could see them from above and the side, and they appeared to be talking and wearing serious expressions. He felt bad for both of them.

"Don't go making me feel bad," Astrid said. "It was an out-of-line thing for her to ask."

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