Consultations

Carrie sat at the dining room table with her parents and sister.

"Ten million?" Her dad, Charlie asked, mouth agape. "That would pay for Cassie's schooling. That would ... change everything." Carrie sighed. Of course there was a greed component.

"Dear, what your dad means to say. Well, your grandpa Willie has a lot of real estate. But he's hanging on longer than we thought, and we're overextended. Very overextended," your mom, Abigail said. Carrie's brow furrowed.

"Like, how overextended?" Abby sighed.

"Like, about to lose the house overextended."

"I mean, don't get it twisted buttercup," your dad said. "I don't want to lose my eldest daughter to ... one of them." Carrie's brows arched this time. Greed and racism. This was not a great consultation. "I mean, would you have to ... you know."

"Yeah dad, I'd have to start worshipping Allah and wearing a hijab. Kind of goes with the territory. And my kids would be Arabs and be Islamic too." Charlie shuddered.

"But that kind of money. It'd solve everything," he said, stuck in his own tune.

***

The consultation with you went better.

"So I mean, what do you think, Junior?" you looked Carrie in the eyes. She was still somewhat on the fence about it.

"I mean, putting your family aside ... and putting me aside. You did a lot for my dad, I appreciate that. I mean, are you comfortable with him?" Carrie thought about that for a minute.

"He lives in Houston. It wouldn't be a huge change. I mean, it is Allah and Muhammad, I can swing that. But, I'd need some tether." Carrie looked at you.

"Would you ... come with me?"

"Come with you? Would that even be allowed?"

"I think I could impose a ... condition. You could be my secretary. Help me out with stuff. Be my advisor. I need someone. I need you. No sex, no intimacy, nothing even close to it. But would you come with me, as my friend? I'm sure the Sheikh could get your legal problems dismissed in a nanosecond."

You reached over, taking Carrie's hand.

"For you, anything." Carrie beamed and kissed your cheek.