“Mrs Rake,” Ivy said holding the door open “were my parents expecting you?”
“No,” Aubrey glanced over the young woman’s shoulder “I actually came by to talk to you.”
“Why? You have more raffle tickets to sell me,” Ivy asked as the door closed a few inches, Good manners keeping her from closing the door in the face of one of her parents oldest friends.
“Yeah about that,” Aubrey sighed “look I’m sorry. I know it was a rotten thing for me to do.”
“Can we talk? Inside,” Aubrey said, stepping forward.
Short of pushing the older woman out Ivy had no other option but to step aside and let her in. “Alright but I want you to know that I’m not going on a date with him.”
Aubrey nodded as she walked past the girl towards the living room.
Following her into the living room Ivy crossed her arms “I mean it. I’m not dating him.”
“I heard you,” Aubrey said, crossing her legs “and it’s just one date.”
“Whatever,” Ivy mumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Sit,” Aubrey invited, waving a hand towards an empty seat.
“Look I don’t want to be rude,” Ivy said “but I have things to do.”
“I’m just asking for ten minutes,” Aubrey said unfazed by the girl.
“Fine,” Ivy moved towards a chair and sat down.
“I’m sorry for manipulating you into buying those raffle tickets,” Aubrey said.
“I knew it,” Ivy sat up. “I knew it was rigged.”
“I hope you can forgive me,” Aubrey said, picking at nonexistent lint.
“Why’d you do it,” Ivy asked “Basil doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who needs help dating.”
“It’s not the dating part I was hoping to help him with,” Aubrey said, meeting the girl’s eyes. “I was hoping if he dated someone like you who had their life together then…”
“Then what? I’d rub off on him,” Ivy couldn’t help but laugh “sorry but I don’t think that’s how it works. If it was, Atlas would be a lot more like me than he is and my parents would be ecstatic.”
“I know dear,” Aubrey said “and that’s not exactly what I meant. I just hoped that it’d give my son a reason to change. A kind of nudge in the right direction.”
Ivy raised an eyebrow “just how much trouble is he in?”
“I didn’t say he was,” but her frustration was obvious.
“Uh huh,” Ivy had heard some of her parents’ conversations and she’d heard enough to know part of their concern for her brother was their fear he’d become like Basil.
Getting up “never mind dear, I can see now that it was a bad idea.”
Following Aubrey to the door Ivy surprised herself by saying “I’ll do it.”
“Do what,” Aubrey asked, pausing by the door.
“Go on a date with Basil,” Ivy said “I won’t promise more than one though.” She didn’t add that she was curious.
“If you’re sure,” Aubrey said, trying not to show her excitement.
“As long as he asks me,” she amended.
“I’ll have to see what he wants,” Aubrey said “he wasn’t very happy about the whole raffle thing.”
“No, I don’t imagine he was,” Ivy agreed, recalling the murderous look he was giving everyone when the raffle winner was announced.
Aubrey was humming softly to herself when she entered her house. Not even the sullen face of her son could bring her spirits down.
“I want to talk to you,” Aubrey said, coming to sit down close to her son.
“Didn’t you say enough this morning?”
Basil’s face softened; he hated it when Aubrey gave him that look. The look that said she loved him even though he disappointed her. It was easier to defy Kaia; especially when she had her mayor’s face on. Which she usually did whenever he was in her presence. “I can’t just date some girl I don’t even know,” he grumbled.
“When did that ever stop you?” she asked her eyes saying she knew more about his exploits then she cared to admit.
He looked away, “she’s not my type.”
The room filled with her soft laughter. “That never stopped you either. So why don’t you tell me the real reason you don’t want to go on this date.”
He squirmed in his chair, shrugging “I can’t afford to.”
“That’s easily remedied,” she reached for her purse.
“No Mom,” he gently touched her hand. “That won’t be enough.”
“How expensive do you think a first date should be,” she asked. She saw a glint of what she could only describe as a flash of fear in his eyes. Clasping her purse close to her “why don’t you tell me what’s really going on.”
Basil shook his head “you’ll tell mother and I don’t need her yelling at me right now.”
Staring at his hands in his lap “what makes you think I owe anything?”
“Basil I’m not stupid,” she rubbed the ache beginning to throb behind her temples. “You stole money from the town treasury. It must be a lot.”
“I thought it would be enough,” he said “but with interest…”
“Interest,” she repeated, “don’t tell me you owe money to loan sharks.”
“Baso;, how much do you owe,” she demanded, fear creeping into her voice as images of large men with baseball bats battering down her front door in the middle of the night to beat her son up came to mind.
“Enough,” he mumbled, “enough that I don’t want to be seen around town on a date.”
“You told us you stopped gambling,” her voice quivered with emotion.
“I did but,” he leaned forward resting his head in his hands “but I still owe a lot of money.”
“Which is why you moved back home,” she said.
“I sold everything I had,” he said “it bought me some time but they sent some guys.”
Nodding “which is why you stole the money.”
“I was desperate,” he said, lifting his eyes “I’m sorry.”
“Save the sorry for later,” Aubrey said “What you need to do now is tell me everything you owe before you wake up in the hospital.”
“What about Mother,” he said, “she said she was done.”
“That was before she knew a bunch of loan sharks were after her son,” Aubrey said. “Do you really think she’s going to let anything bad happen to you?”
