He was going to say no. I knew it. I was going to be fucked and living out of a hotel. Again.
But the boy joined in and said, talking just a little louder, genuinely sounding excited by the prospect, “Three times the price! Do you know how much money that would be?”
The man, maybe Tobias Rhodes, maybe not, glared at his son as he stood there, tense and still pissed. He really was furious.
And I braced myself for the worst. For the no. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but… it would still suck. A lot.
Instead though, the next words out of his mouth were aimed at the teenager. “I can’t believe you’d lie to me.”
The boy’s entire body seemed to soften and fall, and his voice turned smaller than ever. “I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot of money.” He paused and managed to say even more quietly, “I’m sorry.”
The man ran a hand through his hair and seemed to deflate too. “I said no. I told you we’d figure it out.”
The kid didn’t say anything but nodded after a second, looking like he felt about an inch tall.
“And this isn’t over. We’ll talk about it later.” I didn’t miss the boy’s wince, but I was too busy watching the man turn to me and stare. He lifted a hand and scratched at the top of his head with long, blunt fingers. The man I was pretty sure might be a game warden at this point based on the patches I’d zeroed in on when they had hit the light perfectly, watched me.
I thought about waving but didn’t. Instead, I just said, “Pretty please can I stay for triple the rate?”
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t purposely make sure to turn both my arms out so he could see that there weren’t track marks on them. I didn’t want him to think I was hiding anything. Well, the only thing I was hiding were details, but they really weren’t any of his business or anyone else’s. They wouldn’t hurt him, his son, or anyone else other than me. So I tipped my chin up and didn’t try to hide my desperation. It was the only thing possibly working in my favor.
I wasn’t too proud for that.
“You’re here on vacation?” the man asked slowly, still basically growling but testing the weight of every word out of his mouth as it came out.
“Not really. I’m thinking about living here permanently. I just want to make sure, but there are other things I want to do while I’m here.” A lot of them but one day at a time.
“What?”
I shrugged and told him the truth. “Hikes.”
A thick eyebrow went up, but his pissed-off face went nowhere. I was on thin ice. “Hikes?” he asked like I’d said orgies.
“Yes. I can give you a list of the ones I want to do.” I’d memorized the names of the trails based off my mom’s journal, but I could write out the names of them if he wanted. “I don’t have a job yet, but I’m going to get one, and I have money. It was my… divorce settlement.” I might as well give him details so he didn’t have to ask or think I was lying about being able to pay.
The man just kept looking at me coolly. The fingers of his free hand flexed open and closed. Even the nostrils of his strong nose flared. He didn’t say anything for so long that even his son glanced at me over his shoulder again, eyes wide.
The boy just wanted my money, and that was fine. I actually thought it was pretty funny and smart of him. I remembered what it was like to be a kid without a job and want things.
Finally, the man tipped his chin up a little higher, and his nostrils flared again. “You’ll pay triple?” he asked in a voice that told me he still wasn’t totally convinced about this.
“Check, card, PayPal, or money transfer right now.” I swallowed and, before I could stop myself, added with a smile I’d used plenty of times to try and diffuse difficult situations, “Do you offer cash discounts, because I can get you cash if that’s the case.” I stopped right before I winked, only just barely stopping myself. This man was probably married after all, and he was still pissed. Rightfully so to be fair.
“A money transfer is faster,” the teenage boy volunteered in his quiet, whispering voice.
I couldn’t hold back; I snorted and slapped my hand over my mouth when I snorted again.
The man glanced at his son with an expression on his face confirming he was still upset with him and didn’t think his suggestion was funny, but to give him credit, he focused back on me and might have even rolled his eyes like he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “Cash. Tomorrow or you’re out.”