Chapter 30: 30 Decisions

Once Annie got over her shock at the sheer amount of money they now had access to, she didn't want to waste any more time. The first thing she did was call a new bank. They were very reluctant at first, considering the sheer amount of debt she had inherited, then she started to ask about the other bank's sudden death policies.

Once that option became available, where any and all payments would automatically be deferred for three months for the grieving family, the bank greedily accepted her as a new client and contacted the other bank. They transferred over all of Annie's inherited debts and asked her to come in and speak to one of their financial planners. They needed to discuss how they would manage the debt and to work with her to start paying down on the principal amounts.

Annie couldn't wait to go in there and tell them she was going to pay everything off. She made an appointment for an hour later and hung up.

“Shower and proper dress up.” Annie said to Arnold, who nodded and they both went upstairs to get ready. Annie was in and out of the shower quickly and went into her room to look for her best dress. She found it and saw that it didn't need to be ironed and was happy from such a simple thing. She put on her nicest bra and panties and brushed out her blonde hair.

“Mom.” Arnold said and she turned to see that he stood in her doorway in his new jeans and held a shirt that needed to be ironed.

“Not a problem.” Annie said and walked over to him, grabbed the shirt, then went to the ironing board and set everything up. “I'll have it done in a jiffy.”

Arnold watched his mother work and noticed what his mother was wearing. “You look very pretty.”

“What?” Annie looked down at herself and realized that she was only wearing her bra and panties. “Hey, you noticed!” She said and walked back over to him and took him into a hug, which pressed her bra and most of her breasts into his bare chest. “I assume you did because of everything that's happened over at Claire's?”

Arnold nodded and put his arms around her. “I know that if I see a woman's underwear, I should tell her that she's pretty.”

Annie gave him a huge smile. “I'm so glad!”

“I also know that it doesn't mean that they want to have sex with me if I do see it, either on purpose or by accident.” Arnold said.

Annie opened her mouth to respond, then she closed it as she thought about how he could have gotten that idea. “Arnold, I... well...” She wasn't sure how she was going to bring up that she had told Claire to let Heather do what Arnold wanted, and yet he knew that if someone showed him their underwear that it wouldn't automatically lead to sex. She must have told him that, otherwise she would have broken her promise to me.

“I love you, mom.” Arnold said and gave her a quick kiss. Since they were both only wearing socks on their feet, they were currently the same height, and Annie closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. She thought about what that Amy girl had come here to do and realized that Arnold was going to be propositioned a lot when he gets to college.

“Arnold, I love you, too.” Annie opened her eyes and looked into his. “We need to have a talk about what girls are going to do when they are trying to get your attention.”

“You want me to ignore them like Claire said?” Arnold asked and Annie's eyes widened. “She said that I can't take flirting to mean more than that, and if I did, I could get into trouble.”

“Arnold, I'm so glad Claire has been taking care of you and telling you important things.” Annie said. “Yes, I want you to ignore them if you can.”

“She said that you couldn't tell me specific things because you're my mother, not because you can't.”

Annie beamed a smile at him. “Oh, Arnold.” She said and gave him a kiss on the lips. “When you turn down all those girls, make sure that you aren't disrespectful when you talk to them.”

“I don't understand.” Arnold said.

“Well, if someone approaches you and tries to get your attention, don't just dismiss them or walk away.” Annie said. “You could tell them that you appreciate their attention and that you don't have the time to give them the appropriate attention back.”

“What if that's a lie?” Arnold asked.

Annie smiled and let him out of the hug she had him in. “You're trying to soothe their feelings, so a little lying is okay.” She said, then she felt a little cold. She had been pressed up against him for a bit longer than she had thought and now she felt his absence.

“What if I want to give them attention back after they flirt with me?” Arnold asked and raised his hands to comb them through her hair.

“Depending on what they did, you would reciprocate in a similar manner.” Annie said. “A compliment for a compliment and a touch for a touch.” She said and put her own hands up to caress his buzz-cut, then she chuckled. “Unless she shows you her underwear. Don't go put on a woman's bra and show it off to her. That's not the kind of message you need for her to get.”

“Because I don't have breasts?” Arnold asked and his fingers moved down to her shoulders.

Annie laughed and copied him. “No, because she'll think you're weird or something. Or worse, making fun of her.”

Arnold liked his mother's laugh, mainly because he hadn't heard it in a while, and moved his hands across the top of her torso and traced the bones there. After a few moments, he let his fingertips softly graze across her skin as he moved his hands down, then just before he touched the soft mounds of her breasts, he shifted his hands to the sides and slid them around to her back to hug her.

Annie had watched his hands the entire time and hadn't said anything or tried to stop him. She looked up from her chest and at his face to see a smile there.

“Thank you.” Arnold said and gave her a kiss.

“Arnold...” Annie started to ask what he was thanking her for, then he let her out of the hug and she changed her mind. “We need to get dressed.”

Arnold nodded and Annie went to the ironing board and ironed his shirt, then handed it to him. He put it on and tucked it in, since they were going for serious and not casual. She took her dress out of the closet and stepped into it, then lifted it into place and put the straps over her shoulders. Arnold stepped forward and zipped up the back without being asked and they stood in front of the mirror together.

“You look very pretty.” Arnold said and moved her dress straps to cover the bra straps that he could clearly see.

“Claire was that specific?” Annie asked Arnold's reflection.

“She mentioned seeing the tops of their underwear when they bend over or kneel, too.” Arnold said.

Annie let out a sigh and turned from the mirror to face him. “I really wish I could tell you all the things you need to know about things like this, but...”

“...you're my mother.” Arnold finished for her and she nodded.

Annie looked into her son's eyes for a moment, then looked at the clock. “We need to go.”

They went downstairs and Annie took the large envelope with the check inside, grabbed a hundred dollars from the can on top of the refrigerator, and they left the house. They had a short drive and probably a bit of a wait while their new account manager explained everything to them.

*

Amy pulled into the student parking lot with a screech of her tires, parked and grabbed her large handbag with her things in it, and locked her car as she ran across the parking lot. She had to park at the far end, because everyone was already back from lunch and had taken all the good spots. She ran for the first time in her running gear that she had owned for three months, and the irony was not lost on her. She entered the right building and ran down two hallways, then entered the classroom.

“Hey, you made it!” Cissily exclaimed with a laugh. “I lost my bet!” Her laughter was joined by several others as they laughed, too.

Amy walked over to her normal seat and plunked down into it with a sigh.

Cissily read her mood instantly and waved the laughter to silence, then leaned over to Amy to whisper. “You look defeated.”

Amy gave her a look to tell her to drop it, then sighed and folded her arms on the desk and dropped her head onto it. “I swore to myself that I wasn't going to tell you about it.”

“Damn, girl.” Cissily said and slid her chair over to drape her arm over her friend. “Now you gotta tell me. If it's bad enough that you want to keep it a secret from me, I have to know!”

Amy couldn't help herself and laughed at the logic.

“Fareena, I swear on a stack of bibles that I won't laugh or make fun of you.” Cissily said.

Amy took a deep breath and let it out. “It's not that... I just... it's embarrassing.”

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“Don't tell me the new guy told you to piss off!” Cissily said, instantly angered. “After all the trouble you went through for him? I'll kill him!”

Amy closed her eyes for a moment and basked in her friend's indignation on her behalf. “It's worse than that.” She said and opened her eyes to look at her friend. “It was his mother.”

“No. Fucking. WAY!” Cissily yelled and everyone in the class turned to her. “What are you looking at, fuck-wits?”

A few people ignored her response, a few chuckled, and one guy gave her a middle finger before he kissed the tip of it and blew her a kiss with it. Cissily noted the invitation and raised her eyebrows, so he winked at her and wrote something on a piece of paper and left it on the edge of his desk.

Okay, that was smooth. Cissily thought with a smile, then remembered her friend was in dire straits. “All right, Fareena. Tell me everything.”

Amy took another deep breath, and neither of them paid any attention in the class when it started, then Amy told her everything that had happened.

*

So, the little dweeb likes playing VR games. Brad thought as he sat in class and wondered how he could use that information to get back at Arnold for what he did. He had been surprised when a kid he barely knew came to him with the information and now he had to figure out what to do next. I wonder if... He thought and took a piece of paper and wrote something on it, then smiled and passed it to Kevin.

Kevin took the note and read it, then smiled, too. Eric sat behind Brad and saw the exchange and held in his sigh. He had successfully stopped Brad from hunting Arnold down at home, mainly because he had reminded Brad that Arnold wasn't there because he was working at some unknown location.

I hope I can stop this before it happens. Eric thought and took the paper when it was passed back to give to the other guys. He read it and was surprised that Brad wanted to get their old VR adventuring group back together. He added his mark and passed the note on, then thought about it. He's going to invite Arnold to play, too! He thought in surprise, then relaxed because he had time before the invitation could be given.

The note was passed back and everyone agreed, so Brad turned around and gave them a grin and a nod.

That's... not good. Eric thought when he saw the expression on Brad's face. I don't have anyone that I can send to warn Heather, either. He let out a sigh. I hate that I have to do crap like this all by myself.

*

That was exhausting. Claire thought as she drove home after taking care of the monthly chores she needed to do for the store. It wasn't strictly necessary for her to do the things she did; but, it kept her presence known at the store and the manager didn't disregard her as 'just the owner' that didn't know what was going on in her own business.

Claire always made sure to greet everyone, from the clerks right up to the manager, since she knew that she couldn't have a successful business without them. Plus, it had been her husband that had wanted the store in the first place and she wanted to keep it going for him. In fact, it was still named after him, even after all these years.

Claire pulled into her driveway and parked the car, then went into the house. She looked at the clock and she only had a short while before she had to go and pick up Heather. She went to the kitchen and picked at one of the steaks she had made as she thought about Arnold coming to work for her the next day. She was still sore and even though she wanted him again, she knew she couldn't do it. She hoped she would feel better by then, even though she knew that it took longer than a day for the tenderness to fade.

Claire sighed at the thought of having to wait, then she let out a laugh. “I am a terrible, terrible person.” She said. “I'm sad that I can't be ravaged by my daughter's boyfriend.” She rinsed the plate off and put it in the dishwasher. “No, by my boyfriend.”

Claire had the sudden urge to hear his voice and went to the house phone as she sat down on the couch. She dialed his number and sat there and waited as the phone rang. After ten seconds, she sighed and hung up.

That boy needs a cell phone. Claire thought and looked at the time again. I guess I can head out now. She stood up and grabbed her keys, then left the house and climbed back into the car. Since I have some time to waste, maybe I'll drive by his house and see if he's home.

*

It had taken an hour for the account manager to walk Annie and Arnold through the intricacies of all of the loans they had, which included the two cars, and also the two mortgages.

“What about the car insurance for the accident?” Annie asked. “I know that...”

“Both have lapsed.” The account manager said. “Six months ago they defaulted for non-payment.”

“Son of a bitch!” Annie said angrily, then she caught her breath. “I'm sorry, I... it's just...” She turned her head and looked at Arnold.

“I see.” The account manager said. “You're upset that you've been driving around and your son has been unprotected.”

“Exactly.” Annie said and looked back at the man. “I'm glad that you've been so understanding.”

The man smiled. “I've seen similar cases over the years, so I know how to handle a few things.”

“What about getting my insurance back?” Annie asked.

“We can take care of it at the same time as we prepare the loan payments.” The man said. “Since it's all for our bank, we've decided to consolidate all of the smaller loans into one, that way you're not being bombarded with making multiple small payments.”

“That's going to increase the time to pay them off, isn't it?” Annie asked.

“It will, by about five years.” The man said. “Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do with the mortgages, especially since there's no collateral to renegotiate them under.” He sighed. “It's the same with the two cars... well, one car. I'm sorry that you still need to pay it off, even though...”

“It's all right.” Annie said. “You've done more than enough with everything else.”

“I wish I could do more.” The man said. “It took some convincing to get the management to agree to a lump sum payment in consideration of the... death benefits... from your husband that you mentioned.” He looked at Arnold. “We also took over the college account with only ten dollars left in it.”

It was Annie's turn to sigh. “I'll be making that up soon.”

“Mom.”

“I know, Arnold.” Annie said. “We can work out something for the second car and...”

“No, mom.” Arnold said. “Pay it all off.”

“But...”

“I did the math.” Arnold said and tapped the spreadsheets on the account manager's desk. “If you keep even one loan, no matter what for, we will owe more money than what you are trying to save now.”

Annie looked at the spreadsheets and then at the account manager, who had a shocked expression on his face. “All right.” She said and opened the large envelope. “Mr. Lennon, I'd like to pay off all of my loans, the two mortgages, and the two cars, despite one being scrap and worthless.”

Mr. Lennon wasn't sure if he had heard her right. Before he could ask her to repeat herself, a check was placed in his hands for just over the total amount on the bottom line he had given them.

“What... what in the...” He looked at Annie. “Is this real?”

Annie smiled. “I've been thinking the same thing since we received it this morning.” She said. “Thank you so much for working hard to allow the balloon payment.”

“But... but...”

“I know. I thought about just depositing it and using it as collateral; but, Arnold is right. If I did that and only made payments with it, it would be exhausted and we would still owe a ton of money.” Annie smiled. “By paying everything off, I'll have a lot of collateral anyway. Right?”

The bank manager looked at the check and then back at her face, then he nodded. “It's going to take me a while to work through it all.”

Annie smiled and took her son's hand. “We are more than happy to wait and watch you work.”

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