"Ya' know, I had no idea you were actually gonna show up. I guess you were serious when Sheena told me about you, huh?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEe0PFHdiqa
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"Well," Faith said carefully, "like I was telling your friend Tracy back there, I'm...considering it as a potential option."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Dyj8b9ZQ4
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"Okay," Aaron nodded approvingly. "Well, first of all, welcome to my establishment." He briefly gestured around his office before asking, "So what've you and that boyfriend of yours been doin' with yourselves lately? Or let me guess...he's why you're here to begin with?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2vLJmG5hj
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"Wait, how do you--? Ugh, never mind." It hadn't even been a minute in here and she was already becoming flustered. "We're doing alright, I guess." Allow him to think you trust him. Just tell him a little bit. "Thanks to him I've got some medical bills to pay off and they're due really soon. I'm just hoping it won't eventually lead to jail time being on my record because I can't pay them." 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07JqoiYLiY
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"Gotcha," Aaron nodded. "Well before we start, you...want some water or anything?” He gestured toward the water cooler which had some small paper cups stacked on top of it.1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRc78Rjy1b
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"That's alright," Faith said, not typically being one to consume anything from anyone she didn't fully trust. “I had some tea before I left the house. Thanks, though.”1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfcXFLM58X
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Aaron leaned his head back and laughed a laugh that may have sounded normal and good-natured in any other circumstance, but here it reverberated in Faith’s ears. "What, you think the water's drugged or something?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaut9JeMAl
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"Oh...don't take it personal. I get like this with just about anybody I meet."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIo23Jt8AWz
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"Sure," he said smarmily, reaching into one of his desk drawers and pulling out a book which he proceeded to open. "I can see you wanna get straight to the point, so that's what we'll do." Upon glancing at the exposed pages, Faith realized it was a logbook of sorts that appeared to display names, addresses and other information for different people. "How much, sweetheart?" He spoke with disgustingly fake compassion now, and his pen hovered closely to the first remaining empty line on the page. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3vTAQRnF5
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She had done all of the math back at home, along with some limited research on what somebody like Aaron might charge, so she had an idea how high an amount she might be willing to borrow--if she even went through with this at all. Unlike whoever Aaron was on the phone with a few minutes ago, she actually had somewhat of a plan. Once she stated her chosen amount to him, Aaron seemed surprised. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQYJmlD2Fc
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"Are you sure that's all?" he asked. Faith expected him to crack a smile to show he was joking, mostly because it felt like a lot to her, but he seemed to be asking a serious question. "People come in here every day and borrow five times that much. Just saying. If you need it, I've got it."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOk2iyuuiDU
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"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll let you know if I need more, though," Faith replied, pretending to humor him. "Now," she added, "before I agree to anything, what are the interest rates and how soon will you expect me to pay you back?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Vog7aG80Q
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"You're gonna need to pay me weekly. As for the interest amount, I can let you know about that in a few days. But you need some money now, right?" He glanced out the window before turning back to her and, when she only gave him a cautious look in response, added, "It's just you mentioned being scared of havin' to do jail time, and I'd really hate that for a delicate thing like you, ya' know?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDbOlBvgVh
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That was all Faith needed to hear regarding whether Aaron was still the same person that he used to be. "Well, it's kind of late, and my boyfriend might start to worry about me. It was nice catching up, though. Guess I'll just keep shopping around," she told him, keeping her tone as harmless and naive as she could. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk5EZ3I1j6
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Faith picked up her purse and rose from her chair to leave, not planning to let him completely out of her eyesight until she made it fully out the door, when Aaron piped up suddenly. "So that's it? Ah come on, wait. Please." He held his hands up innocently, almost frantically. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oqtrWijBM
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Faith paused, her eyes continuing to watch him. "Yes...?" 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHEpCv5V0j
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"We can uh, talk things out. We got off on the wrong track, that's all. Could we maybe start again?" 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk64OS0IA8A
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Faith paused, propping her hand on her hip before slowly let her hand slide down her side until it went down into her partially unzipped purse, feeling for the safety setting on her gun...just in case. She wouldn't turn off the safety just yet, but she wanted her hand to be conveniently close to it. "Maybe. But only if we can be real with each other."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2NkUpSPts
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Aaron raised his eyebrows. The amused twinkle in his eye had returned. "What's 'real'?" He glanced at her hand inside her purse, and she innocently pulled a comb out and proceeded to brush through her straight brown bangs a couple of times. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHE4kQlvozs
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After putting the comb away and once again letting her hand hang down inside her open purse, she responded hesitantly, "Okay, so I'm just gonna stop playing dumb here. That way we can just have all our cards on the table."
"Alright." The look on his face told her that she'd better make this good.
"Sheena pretty much made you sound like Mother Theresa when she described this little money-lending side venture of yours. Now, you and I both know that probably isn't the case here, but nonetheless I'm not here to make waves. It's just I'm in no position for games, and I want to make sure I can hold up my end of this deal. I'm not here to get you in trouble."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIvqHtT10D
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"Oh, you mean like...with the police?" Aaron inquired, raising his eyebrows at the last word of his question. "Don't worry about them. Some of 'em are easier to work with than you might think. And if we're bein' honest here, I'd like to keep it that way. However, if these...wild, crazy rumors start circulating that I'm this scary dishonest sort of guy, and enough people start believing those rumors, that could be bad news for me and my staff. Are you feelin' me so far?" 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DpZIXIeUz
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"Yeah. I am." That claustrophobia was beginning to return, but she knew running wouldn't be a good idea. If he had a loaded gun himself somewhere that she couldn't see, it would take longer for her to get to the door and through it than for him to pick it up and fire it. The safety on it could already be off; the safety on hers was still on. "I'll compromise with you, Aaron. If you tell me exactly how much interest you'll want from me every week, I'll tell you why you don't have to worry about me getting you in any trouble."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dEMBfrC95
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Picking up an ink pen from his desk and beginning to toy with it, he leaned back in his swivel chair and glanced back at Faith's seat opposite him and then back to her, as if telling her to sit back down. "Well, I'm listenin'."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjgqcgEWDw
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Faith felt her heart begin to beat faster as she did so, reluctantly taking her hand out of her purse and sitting it between her feet. There was no turning back, at this point. "So...five months ago, Rowan got in trouble for some drug-related charges but got off with just a fine. This part is hard to explain, but he--has some people after him that don't like him, and I'm pretty certain they framed him for all of it. And then one night, about two weeks ago, Rowan came home from a supposed 'outing with friends' with a broken arm, and insurance wouldn't cover it because he got it while supposedly committing a crime. He's begged me not to look up his record or ask anyone about it, and as stupid as it sounds...I really don't want to anyway. Because I already know it wasn't him."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHGgVFWTw6
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"Right..." Aaron mumbled with an undertone of sarcasm. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA04oK5wPd
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Balling up her fists, Faith asked, "Do you actually think you were my first resort here? I've tried going to the bank for a loan, but...they just wanted to know too many things. As for my parents and Rowan's brother Chance, that's a story for another time, preferably never."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpyQCy8C5F
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"Ah, Chance. Haven't seen him in a while. Great guy. Heard he became an accountant." Finally beginning to look a little less skeptical, Aaron continued, "But all that aside, what you're telling me is, that hospital hit you with one of those 'illegal act exclusions,' and basically you came to me because I wouldn't turn you down or tip the authorities based on Rowan's uh, history."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9pabgJGp0
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"Basically. Look Aaron, I'm too busy trying to keep myself and Rowan alive to go around trying to get other random people arrested, okay? The police aren't my friends any more than they are yours, at least from the sound of it." Sure, she was exaggerating somewhat, but Aaron didn't need to know that. The Faith inside Aaron's office would need to differ somewhat from the clean-cut upstanding Faith that most people knew her as.1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nNVvSGnd4
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Aaron now placed his ink pen down, clasping his fingers together. "Well Faith, this is your lucky day, 'cause I've met Chance's kid brother, and I can actually see somethin' like that playin' out. Now I happen to be in a good mood tonight, and I've always been able to trust you in the past, so I'll play along this once and lower your interest a little."1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1Zy89URKF
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"How much is a little?" 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALnf7mFXmA
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Aaron sighed. "Look, I ain't goin' under 20% per week, and I hope you know how charitable I'm bein' to you right now. Take it or leave it. And whatever happens on these premises, stays on these premises. Alright?" 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbfJHXJ1uC
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Faith nodded. It was the price she would pay, if it meant Rowan not getting them into any more trouble. She would skip a few meals, if she had to. Not that she was even that hungry most of the time lately. 1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMuRWmmLzf
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"So then, we've got a deal?"1368Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ajjYuPEQg
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Before she could overthink herself into a frenzy, she finally uttered the word: "Yes."
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