Tom Prentice

Chapter 5.

...Tom and Laney....

Tom arrived at home early on Monday afternoon, after spending the weekend with his grandparents. His visit with them had been very enjoyable, and he was happy to have been able to help his grandfather with some jobs that the 65-year-old felt uncomfortable with.

All of them involved using the ladder, and Tom had no problem with the heights that tended to give his grandfather vertigo.

As a result he ended up painting the two gable ends on their house, an area that his grandfather had left undone, as well as doing a couple of other small jobs.

His weekend with his grandparents allowed them all to spend time together, something that Tom was particularly pleased by. He still had a few lingering thoughts that perhaps his grandparents would be uncomfortable with him, considering what his father had done to their daughter and himself. But by the time he left he knew for sure that that was not a cause for concern.

The painting had not taken too long to complete, so the three of them had a lot of time they could spend together in conversation. Tom left their home knowing that his grandparents had moved past the events of the winter, as he was trying desperately to do as well.

Once he changed clothing and had taken care of returning a couple of calls he found on his answering machine, he decided to pop in on Laney and her mother a little early. He had been invited for supper, but he arrived at their home just after 3PM.

Tom knocked at their door and when Grace answered it he immediately said, "I'm sorry I'm early. I had nothing left to do at home, and I thought I'd come over and hang out with Laney for a while before supper."

As he had said this he realized that Grace looked like she was upset, and he was quite sure that he could see tear stains on her cheek. He was about to excuse himself and offer to come back later when she said, "I'm sorry, Tom. Laney got called in to work until after the supper shift. She won't be home until almost 7 o'clock."

By now Tom realized that Grace was definitely not herself, so he asked, "Is there something wrong, Grace?"

It became apparent that Grace had been holding something back, as her voice broke as she replied, "You better come in, Tom. I'm afraid I'm going to start crying, and I don't want to do that on the front steps in front of the neighbors."

"It's bad enough that you're here to see me so upset. Something has happened, and I don't know what to do. Maybe you can give me some advice."

Grace immediately turned and walked towards the kitchen, and Tom could see that she was wiping her eyes with a tissue that she had pulled from her blouse pocket.

"Are you sure, Grace? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I don't really want to leave while you're upset, either. What's the problem?" His questions had come out quickly while he followed her to the kitchen.

When they got there she grabbed a couple of fresh tissues from a box and continued to wipe her eyes. He hated to see her upset, because any time he had seen her in the past she was very upbeat and fun to be around. He was now at a loss on what to do.

She still hadn't said anything so he asked again, "What's happened, Grace? I've never seen you upset before. What can I do to help?"

After sniffling a couple of times she sat down and said, "I don't think there's anything you or anyone could do to help right now. I just came home from visiting the bank, and they won't loan me the money Laney will need for University. Now that I'm working part time, the loans manager figured it out that I wouldn't have enough left over after I pay my expenses to make loan payments."

"I told him I'd get a second job, something part-time, to help cover the payments, but they said they didn't think that that was adequate to meet their requirements."

"I don't know what to do, Tom. Laney has her heart set on taking that program at State University, and she's going to be so disappointed if she can't do it. I really didn't think there was going to be a problem with the bank, so I even asked for a little bit extra for emergencies."

"Now I don't know if that was a mistake or not. Maybe if I had just asked for the bare minimum they might have been more agreeable and said yes."

She had to make another attempt at drying her eyes before adding, "She's going to hate me, I just know it. She's never going to admit it, but I'm sure that's how she'll feel. I always told her that we would have enough money to send her to university. Now she's going to think that I failed her."

Tom wasn't sure what he could say, so at first he simply tried to get her to calm down and relax. While she got up to get herself a glass of cold water and a fresh tissue he was thinking about the situation and what he could suggest to help. He was about to repeat his advice about staying calm when a thought struck him.

"Come and sit down, Grace. Tell me what the situation really is, and how much you had asked the bank to loan you."

The cold water seemed to help calm her somewhat and she replied, "Laney has a bit of money from her part-time job, and I have some left in her education account. I asked the bank to loan me $15,000, but we don't need quite that much for her tuition and expenses for the first year."

"I expected that between her working next summer, combined with what I hoped to save between now and then, we'd probably have enough for her second year by the time it was due. Now I don't know what to think."

"So if you had an extra $15,000 you think everything would work out okay for Laney and yourself?"

"That's what I thought, but the loans manager pointed out that unless I got back at the plant full time, I wouldn't be able to even pay off the loan. So how would I ever be able to save for next year's university costs?"

She paused to blow her nose before continuing, "I didn't really expect to be working part time for so long, and I didn't want to take a second job that I would have to leave right away to go back full time to my regular employment. Now I wish I had found another part-time job right away."

Her eyes begun to tear up again and she continued, "I don't know how I'm going to be able to tell her when she gets home from work that I didn't get the loan."

Tom got up from his seat and said, "I have an idea that will work. Just stay calm, and I'll be right back." Before he had stopped speaking he was already headed towards the front door on his way to his pickup.

Once he got there he took something from the glove box, and after a short time he stuffed a piece of paper into his shirt pocket before turning to go back to the house. When he got into the kitchen Grace was still seated at the table, a look of resignation on her face.

"I have a way to get around this problem, but I really don't want you to let Laney know about it. I really like your daughter, and I don't want to put any strain on our relationship." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a completed personal check and handed it to Grace.

Grace was showing very evident confusion as she took the small piece of paper from Tom and unfolded it. She took one look at it before her eyes shot up to look squarely at Tom's face. She now had replaced the confusion she felt with shock.

"What are you doing, Tom? I can't take this. I can't take your money to cover my problems." She was starting to slide the check across the table towards Tom when he reached out and put his hand over hers to stop the movement.

"Yes, you can take that Grace. I want to loan you the money. My parents left me with more money than I need right now, and I seriously want to help you out. Call it a personal loan, from me to you. I'll be your bank, with the exception that I don't want you to pay me back anything until you can really afford to."

He hesitated and smiled before he continued, "I think I know you well enough that I can trust you. I just don't want you to tell Laney, because I'm afraid it would affect our relationship. I don't want her feeling she has to go out with me because I loaned you some money. That's my only concern."

Grace was looking confused and uncertain of what to say, but after some thought she said, "I really can't take your money, Tom. We've only just met a couple of months ago, and I don't want anyone to think I'm taking advantage of you. You're a good young man to even make this offer, but I just don't see how I can accept it."

Tom was very quick to tell her, "Write me an IOU, if you want. I really don't believe I need one, but if it makes you more comfortable then do it. I'm serious about this."

The two of them continued to argue back-and-forth until Grace finally agreed to take the check. "I'll only take it if you get a proper loan form made out for me to sign. I want it to include interest as well."

Tom stuck out his right hand and said, "Shake on it Grace and we have a deal. I really don't need a legal form for you to sign, but if that's what you want me to do, I'll get it taken care of tomorrow. Just put the check away and let Laney know that you have the money for her university tuition and fees taken care of."

Grace shook his hand emphatically, holding his in both of hers. She had tears in her eyes again, but this time there was a smile on her face. When she finished shaking his hand she took a step forward and put her arms around him. Tom was uncertain what to do, and his arms sort of flailed around before finally he hugged Grace in return.

She had rested her head on his shoulder, and after a few seconds she said, "Thank you, Tom, thank you. You have answered my prayers."

Tom was beginning to become very conscious of the fact that he was holding a very sexy woman in a very tight embrace.

When he suddenly realized that this was his girlfriend's mother that he was about to physically react to he released her and gently pushed her back away from him, creating some much-needed space. Just before she stepped back Grace leaned forward and gave Tom a solid kiss on the cheek.

"Tom, I really want you to get me a proper legal document for this loan. I very much appreciate what you've offered to do for us, and I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm taking advantage of your generosity. If your grandparents ever found out that I had borrowed money from you they might be quite upset with me."

Tom had grown quite red in the face just before he had broken their embrace and he was only now starting to return to a normal color. He quickly replied, "I'm not going to be mentioning this to anyone, particularly because I don't want Laney to ever find out about it. I think we both have good reasons to be sure that no one else knows about it."

The two of them returned to their seats at the kitchen table, and Grace opened her purse and placed the check inside before saying, "We have a deal, Tom. I just don't know how I can thank you enough for your generosity and compassion."

Tom laughed and said, "I know how we can cover both the interest, and your desire to thank me for the check. What would you think of us making a deal in lieu of interest."

He had had an epiphany and continued, "How about this loan bearing interest at the rate of one Sunday supper per month until it's repaid. And by repaid, I mean I want you to just put aside whatever amount you can, in your bank, until the day arrives that you want to pay this loan off in full. Do those terms sound agreeable to you?"

Grace couldn't really understand why he was suggesting such a thing, and the look on her face showed it. "Why wouldn't you want real interest added to the loan, Tom? You would get some regular interest on your money if it was in the bank. I don't mind putting money into an account until I get enough to pay you in full, but are you sure that's the way you want to do this?"

He was still smiling as he replied, "I would gladly exchange cash interest for one of your meals every month. I get tired of my own cooking, and I can't expect to have supper with my grandparents every Sunday. You think about my deal before you agree to it. Maybe one supper a month would be worth more than regular interest."

It was Grace's turn to laugh as she said, "Believe me, I'm sure I would be getting the better part of the deal if you're willing to be paid with my Sunday suppers. I just want you to think about this for a day or two before you talk yourself into something you may wish you hadn't."

The two of them agreed to end the discussion of Tom's loan, and the subject changed to the meal they would soon be having with Laney when she returned from work. After they shared a soft drink, Grace began meal preparations with Tom helping where possible. Everything was ready to be put on the table by the time Laney got home.

++++++++++++++

Three days later Tom phoned Grace just after noon when he knew that she should be home, and that Laney would be out with a couple of girlfriends checking out clothing suitable for university.

"Sure Tom, you can come over; I'm not busy at the moment. I just got home from work as a matter of fact, as I picked up an additional half day now that the plant is starting to get a little bit busier."

"I'll be right over, Grace. I know Laney is shopping, and I have that loan agreement you wanted me to get. It will only take a couple minutes for you to look it over and decide if it's okay."

Twenty minutes later the two of them were seated at the kitchen table with soft drinks while Grace read over the form that Tom had given her. The front side of the page was preprinted, with a few blanks filled in, but when she turned the page over and read a little bit of it, she began to laugh.

"In lieu of interest the undersigned party of the second part agrees to provide the party of the first part with one Sunday supper per month. Upon mutual agreement of the two parties this condition can be interpreted as 12 Sunday suppers per year."

Her laughter temporarily overcame her, but she was finally able to say, "I can't believe you've made this sound so legally correct. At least it sounds pretty much that way to me."

"You like that part, do you? I had Fred Greenstein, my lawyer, draw that up. Both he and his legal secretary thought it was quite amusing. I took this to him because I had to see him about another matter anyway, and I knew you wanted to be sure I wasn't making a mistake with this loan. You'll be happy to know that he said he trusts my judgment in the matter."

Grace was continuing to giggle at the wording of the agreement, but she didn't hesitate to pick up a pen and sign her name on the dotted line. When she had done that she gave the form back to Tom who also signed it before signing a second copy of the form and passing it back to Grace.

"Here's your copy, but I hope you'll put it where Laney won't find it." The two of them shared a couple more laughs over the formality of the loan agreement before Tom departed.

+++++++++

In the week that followed a pattern was set for Tom and Laney, a pattern that was repeated many times during the course of the summer. Monday through Friday was taken up for the most part with classes for Tom and work for Laney.

On that Friday evening, Tom arrived to pick up Laney for what would become their customary date, and the first night of the weekend that they would spend mostly together. As usual, he was on time, but Laney was running late.

Grace met him at the door with, "Come in, Tom. Laney is not quite ready yet."

Tom laughed and stepped inside. "I'm going to have to either tell her we're going out earlier than we really are, or I'm going to have to start showing up later."

Grace laughed and said in reply, "You don't want to do that! Then I would miss enjoying your company while we wait for her."

She invited Tom to join her for a soft drink while they waited for Laney to finish getting ready. They were seated at the kitchen table and Grace laughed and said, "I don't know where Laney got this habit of being late. I don't think she learned it from me."

"Oh, that's okay, Grace. It's not a problem, really. We don't have any major plans for the evening anyway. We're going to drive up to the lake and see what everyone's up to. Someone will likely have a car with a good set of speakers and will provide the music for an impromptu dance night."

Grace shook her head before saying, "Things sure are different in just a few years. There was still a drive-in theater to go to in the summer when I was a teenager, and I don't think most car stereos could have provided enough volume for real dancing."

Tom laughed and said, "Times sure change, don't they." He grew serious before continuing, "Mom and Dad used to tell me what it was like when they dated."

He sat there apparently lost in thought for a few seconds before continuing, "Every day there's something that reminds me of them, and makes me realize how much I miss them both."

Grace felt guilty for initiating a conversation that obviously struck a nerve with Tom and said, "I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't mean to trigger another memory for you." She reached over and patted his hand lightly.

Her concern flustered Tom for a moment, but he gave a quick laugh and replied, "That's okay, Grace. There's no need to be concerned about what you say around me. It's been over six months now, and the memories don't usually upset me like they used to."

They were interrupted by Laney as she rushed into the room, carrying a small zippered case. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Tom. I know I'm always saying that, but I promise to get more punctual." She laughed and gave him a kiss quickly on his lips before kissing her mother on the cheek.

Grace looked at the case that Laney was carrying and said, "What have you got there? You didn't borrow a bottle of my white wine did you?" She had a mild look of reproach on her face as she said that.

Laney reacted immediately and replied, "Mooommm! You know I would never do that!" She quickly handed the case to her mother and gave a small laugh as she continued, "Here, check for yourself! I was going to surprise Tom, but that's okay."

Grace opened the case slightly, took a quick look, and then opened it wide. "Why do you have your lingerie in here?" She moved a couple of items and looked up in surprise, before adding, "Why is my blue négligée in here?"

Laney grinned back at her and said, "I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you I wasn't planning on coming back home tonight. I'm going to stay at Tom's tonight, and I thought I'd give him a little fashion show. Now, are you satisfied?"

Tom had been listening, and when Laney made her last remarks he immediately got embarrassed, his face turning a noticeable shade of red. He would've gladly been anywhere but there as the mother and daughter continued their conversation.

Grace also seemed a bit embarrassed as she also turned pink, just not as noticeably as Tom had. "Well, I'm sorry I spoiled your surprise. When were you planning on telling me that you were going to be gone for the night?"

Laney took back the case from her mother and passed it to Tom before answering, "I was going to call you later, but now I realize it's just as well that you know now. You could call Peter and see if he's got plans for the evening."

She giggled and added, "You wouldn't have to worry about coming home tonight either."

Grace's face got a little more flushed as she quickly said, "I could, could I?" She put one hand on Tom's shoulder and her other hand onto Laney's upper arm and pushed them both gently towards the door before continuing, "You two get going and enjoy yourselves. And you, Laney, can quit worrying about how I spend my evenings."

The couple quickly left, and Grace watched as they drove away. Once they were headed down the block she turned, a small smile on her face as she headed to the telephone and dialed a number that she obviously had memorized.