Chapter Two

Katie Lloyd poured Reena another glass of white wine and shook her dark head. “I know getting drunk won’t help, but it’s all I got right now.”

Reena smiled a little. “Yeah. I don’t really know what to do, either.”

“God, Reena.” Katie sighed. “I just can’t believe it. I mean, I never got any kind of bad vibe from Wendy.”

“Me neither.” Mia Ferris held out her own glass to accept some more wine. “But Nick did.”

“He did?” Maggie Branson asked. “Why?”

“He never really said, but Nick tended bar for years, remember, and he’s pretty good at sizing people up fast. He met Wendy at Katie’s photo exhibition two months ago, and after he told me that he didn’t really trust her, and he wasn’t at all sure that Reena should move in with her.”

“Well, now you tell me,” Reena said jokingly.

“Yeah, I wish I’d said something,” Mia said, her golden eyes serious. “But I know you, sweetie. You always see the good in everyone, and you’d never think badly of Wendy without some kind of proof.”

“Well, she’s got plenty of proof now,” Maggie said wryly. “So, Reena. Let’s hear you curse her out, huh? Maybe throw around a bit of bad language? Pretty please? Just this once and just for me?”

Reena took a sip of wine. “Actually, guys. I’m wondering if Wendy is OK.”

Her friends looked at her with a familiar combination of affection mingled with exasperation. At twenty-six, Reena was the youngest of the group of friends – a good six years younger than the others – and they often found themselves feeling like protective older sisters to her wide-eyed faith in others. They hated when she got taken advantage of, just because she had a shining, good heart, despite it all.

“Hon,” Katie said. “Wendy has wandered off with several thousand of your hard-earned dollars and stuck you with a possible lawsuit. Wendy is just fine, trust me.”

“But that’s exactly the point.” Reena’s face was so sweetly earnest that the other women wanted to simultaneously hug her and deck her. “I mean, why did she do this? Maybe she’s in trouble and she needed that money to – I don’t know. Maybe get away.”

“Oh, Reena.” Mia sighed. “I’m sorry to say this, sweetie, but I really, really think that the woman was just a con-artist and you got taken advantage of. I think she’s fine – no danger, no getting away from anything. She’s just a not-very-nice person.”

“Well,” Reena said. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I don’t really want to waste my energy thinking about that. What I need to focus on right now is what I’m going to do.”

“I told Adam about it,” Katie said. “He says that he and Nick can cover all your costs to move in and until you find a new roommate, and you can pay them back whenever you have the cash.”

Reena, Mia and Maggie all stared at her.

“Really?” Maggie said, her green eyes wide. “Wow, Reena… problem solved. I mean, if I had the cash, I’d do it.” She grinned. “But unlike some of you successful writers and photographers, I am actually a starving artist, and can barely cover my own rent.”

“Oh, no.” Reena looked distressed. “No, Katie, please. Tell Adam thank you, but I can’t accept that.”

“Why not?” Mia asked, baffled. “Why not let them help? Their gym is doing great, so they can certainly help you out financially.”

Reena was silent. Nick Spencer was Mia’s boyfriend, Adam Pierce was Katie’s, and in her experience, it was always a mistake to borrow money from friends. She extended that rule to friends’ boyfriends, too.

Besides, I got myself into this mess. I’ll get myself out.

“I just think that it would change things,” Reena said. “It would change my relationship with the guys, and with you too, in some ways. I’d feel – I don’t know. Indebted, maybe? And worried and guilty about the money. I just – I think it’s a bad idea.”

Mia nodded reluctantly. “Yeah. I can understand that. I mean, I wish you’d let them help because it would solve the problem, but it may create a whole bunch of new ones.”

“So what are you going to do?” Maggie asked. “How are you going to swing the money?”

Reena shook her head. “Well, it’ll hurt, but I can come up with my share of everything. No way I’ll be able to come up with the full amount in five days, though.”

“So…” Katie said.

“So. I’m going to have to find a new roommate.”

“Where?” Maggie said.

Reena shrugged. “No idea. Anybody you know need a place to stay?”