I flushed.
“It’s two thousand dollars month. I know it’s a lot,” I stammered, “and not for very much either. I live in a tiny walk-up in Hell’s Kitchen, but I really wanted to live alone and –”
The brothers merely nodded.
“It’s okay,” said Tom gently. “We’ll take care of it. Do you have the name of your management agency? I’ll send the request to our accountants.”
I gaped at them.
“What do you mean, you’ll take care of it?” I asked hesitantly. “I couldn’t possibly ask you to pay my rent for me.”
But the brothers just cut me off.
“No, it’s fine Michelle,” growled Gabe. “Your presence here is worth far more than two thousand a month, and we’re happy to help out. If you don’t have the management agency’s information, that’s okay. I’ll ask our accountant to find it.”
I stared at them, my heart beating.
“Really?” I asked, my voice not more than a whisper. “This isn’t too much of a burden?”
Tom took my small hand between his big ones.
“It’s not a burden at all. What we want, sweetheart, is for you to be happy with us. We don’t want you pulling out your hair over something as insignificant as rent. It’s not worth it,” the handsome man says. “You mean more to us than that.”
I took a deep breath.
“I appreciate your generosity,” I begin. “Very much so. But that’s the thing – it’s not just about my rent. I have a lot of bills, and I’m almost embarrassed to even be talking about this.”
The two brothers take each of my hands in their big ones, their handsome faces compassionate.
“What is it, honey? You should never be embarrassed to talk to us about your needs.
I take another deep breath and try to compose myself.
“I also need money for my student loan bills, and it’s not just a little bit either. But since you want me to stay here, and I can’t really work right now, I don’t want to fall behind on my payments. I also didn’t really bring enough clothes or toiletries for an indefinite stay, so I need a bit of cash to help me buy those things.
I felt so ashamed. I looked down at my lap, and to my surprise, there were even tears prickling at my eyes. I’ve always been an independent woman, but this was taking things to new lows.
But Tom and Gabriel weren’t perturbed at all. They merely squeezed my hands comfortingly, before speaking in a soothing tone.
“Michelle, you can have anything and everything you want. Give us the details about the loans, rent, bills, whatever else you need covered, and our office will handle it,” Gabe said simply. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Really?” I ask, incredulous but grateful.
“Really, sweetheart,” Tom confirms with a smile. “Now as for the rest, Gabriel and I’ve already discussed it. We’ve set up a bank account in your name, and provided you an initial allowance, to be adjusted as needed. Is $25,000 enough for this month?”
My jaw dropped upon hearing the figure. Now it was my turn to take several moments before I could speak again.
Finally, I found the words, but I could barely get them out.
“That’s too much. I’ve never had that kind of money in my life. I – I can’t accept that.”
“Nonsense,” each brother had insisted. “You need new clothes, and we’d like to see you in some stylish items. We love our women to be beautifully adorned in every way.”
“And that includes jewelry,” Gabe added with a wink. “Your current pieces are sweet, but you need some glamour. Diamonds and rubies would look gorgeous on you, Michelle, especially with your chestnut hair.”
I flushed again, my heart hammering.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything, just enjoy some online shopping. We know some jewelers who are masters at their craft, and we can put you in touch with them if you like.”
I demurred, still flushing. But now, several days after that strange conversation, I’m sitting by the gorgeous pool in my cute, two-piece bikini with a diamond tennis bracelet on my wrist, and I’m no longer worried about the brothers’ generosity. They give and give and give, all the while spoiling me rotten.
I smile and take a long pull of the daiquiri.
But Tom and Gabe aren’t just about showering me with gifts. They’re also interested in helping me become a better person. They’ve taken a keen interest in teaching me about finances, especially after I finally sat down to show them my records. There had been some consternation in their voices that particular night, but each promised to teach me the ins and outs with respect to fiscal responsibility.
“Fiscal responsibility,” I say out loud from my poolside seat, making my voice deep like a man’s. “You manage money, so that it doesn’t manage you.” I laugh out loud as I think about the color-coordinated spreadsheets they now make me fill out every day. The spreadsheets are supposed to be used to track my spending, although I admit, I don’t have that much to track. The Costases buy everything for me, and as a result, I haven’t spent much of the money they put in my bank account.