Before bed, I logged into my bank and transferred the money out of my savings account and into my checking. To cover the remaining five grand, I had to move some money out of my vacation fund, but that wasn’t a problem. I had been socking away money into that account in case I ever wanted to go on a cruise or visit a tropical beach, but I traveled so much for my YouTube channel that I never needed to dip into it. One of the many benefits of getting invited to Formula One races, car shows, and auto manufacturing facilities.
Deep down, I knew that I was also investing in her business because I was desperate for a connection to her. It was a reason for us to keep in touch, no matter what the next few weeks brought.
I thought about that while laying in bed, listening to Erica play music in the room next door.
I spent the next morning recording for my series of throwback videos. I set up four GoPro cameras in my rental car—two on the outside, and two on the inside facing me—and drove around town while narrating out loud. Talking about growing up in Columbus, and getting interested in cars because my dad was an engineer. I talked about how we visited at least twenty car dealerships around town when buying my first car because Dad loved to haggle, and because he knew a car’s true value down to the dollar.
Even though it was just an excuse to stay with Erica, I liked the idea of throwback videos now that I was recording them. It was therapeutic coming back here and visiting my old stomping grounds in a way that I hadn’t expected. I had left town so quickly five years ago that I never had a chance to say goodbye to this place.
When I got home around noon, Erica was gone. I knew she was meeting with the other investor before going into work at the brewery. I hoped all of that went smoothly—there was always a possibility of someone getting cold feet, especially when tens of thousands of dollars was involved.
I made myself some lunch and sat down at my computer to start editing the videos I had recorded that morning.
My phone promptly rang.
I knew who it was before I pulled the phone out. Carmen had been calling me relentlessly since I arrived. I didn’t want to talk to her right now—I didn’t want to talk to her at all—but since I was alone, I decided now was the best time to get it out of the way.
“Hey,” I said.
Carmen paused, like she was surprised I had answered. “Hi. It’s me.”
“What’s up?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“I wasn’t trying to snoop,”she said, “but I got a weird notification from the bank. A lot of money being moved out of the vacation account.”
“Yeah, I moved it. We’re not—” I paused and changed my phrasing. “I’mnot going on a vacation any time soon, so I figured there was no point leaving the money sitting around in there.”
Carmen hesitated. “What about your savings? There was another big transfer over to checking. Someone didn’t hack your account, did they?”
She claimed she wasn’t snooping, but I doubted that was true. Even if thesewereour joint accounts.
“It has to do with a business transaction I’m making here,” I said. “It’s a legit transfer.”
There was a long pause.
“Does this have to do with us?”she finally asked. “And why you suddenly—”
“No,” I said, which was partly a lie. “This is something unrelated.”
“Hunter,”she said in a long exhale. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything. This isn’t like you. When you returned from that Columbus funeral last month you started acting strange, and now you’re back there moving money around. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
“Trust me: it’s fine,” I said. “Everything is fine. Do you need anything else?”
“No.”
“I’ll talk to you soon,” I said, and then hung up.
I stared at the phone long after, and wondered if this was all a bad idea.
20
Erica
“This is a bad idea,” Lizzy said while we poured beers at the brewery. “I want to go on the record now. Letting Hunter invest in your business is a mistake.”
I handed a full pint glass to a customer and frowned at my friend. “Where else was I supposed to get the money?”
“Anywhere. Mixing friendship and business is always a bad idea. Didn’t they teach you that at Ohio State?”