Subject: Mortgage 2/10 (nc, m/f, f/f, bd)
In Part Two-- Mr. Baines offers Amy a way out...
The Mortgage- PART TWO, by Marlissa
Bob cleared his throat politely. "So, tell me Amy, what did you want
to see me about?"
Amy smiled bravely and dove in head first. "Well, Bob it is about our
mortgage--"
His immediate reaction caught her off guard. "You're late on your very
first mortgage payment. Several weeks overdue, as a matter of fact."
His tone was neutral, bordering on accusatory-- the banker coming out.
Amy looked down, playing with a button on her white blouse. Without
looking at the older man, she spoke into her lap. "Well, you see,
Wendell, uh, he lost his job right after we were approved and he hasn't
been able to find work since then-- but he's looking real hard. I was
hoping you could help us Bob, the way you helped us to get the loan.
Maybe bend a few rules like you did when we applied. Just maybe give
us an extension Bob-- Wendell just knows he's going to get a job soon.
He's down at Unemployment now, that's why he couldn't come with me."
The banker didn't blink, didn't respond at all. She thought he'd be
angry-- he had worked with them so closely to help them organize their
finances. But no-- he merely looked at her with those emotionless blue
eyes. He opened the file and read silently.
"Empire Building, that is where Wendell was working-- right?"
She nodded.
He shook his head. "Too bad. He was making good money-- almost thirty
thousand a year, that right?"
Amy smiled proudly. Wendell was doing so well for his age. "Yes, Bob,
and I just know he'll get another job like it very soon. And he thinks
he might be called back any day now, when they get reorganized. Right
now he's ready to take anything he can get and we're sure he'll get
something." She nodded as she said it, trying to show him how much he
should believe her.
A thin smile, then a shake of his steel gray haired head. "Possibly.
Now, you say Wendell may get called back. He won't. Empire is
bankrupt. They owe the bank hundreds of thousands of dollars. It
has
been coming for a long, long time. They are so deep in the red that
it's clear that that they'll never open again. Believe me, when I
heard about this from the Commercial Loan people I couldn't have been
more surprised."
Amy was stunned. When they had submitted their mortgage application,
Mr. Baines had been the one that said Empire was a "solid company" that
would be around for many years to come. He even said they might be
expanding soon, with promotions and raises possible. That had only
been three months ago!
"And," he continued passionlessly, "there's no other construction firm
in the whole county that will be hiring. In fact, with the economy
slowing down every day more and more, there will be more, not less,
construction workers on the street. older, more experienced men with
connections. So I don't think Wendell will have any luck getting a
construction job any time soon. I doubt construction will come back
into the area for at least five years." A small, curious smile spread
on his lips. "What other prospects does Wendell have? What is his
degree in anyway" He looked at her expectantly, picking up a gold pen
ready to write down her answer. There was more in the look too,
something she remembered from long ago.
When she had last stayed over for a slumber party at Kathryn's, Amy had
been fifteen. After the other girls had gone to sleep, Amy had woken up
to get a drink of water. It had been late and she was sure she was
alone as she turned the tap in the dark kitchen. A sound from the
kitchen table frightened her and she had turned to see a bloodshot Mr.
Baines having a drink in the dark by himself. She was blooming then
into full womanhood, her breasts swelling under her nightie tee shirt,
her panties pulling tighter around her widening hips. He had licked
his lips and said that she was a pretty girl while examining her in her
sleep clothes. She had thanked him and tiptoed out quickly,
embarrassed at the way he had been looking at her in her underthings.
Amy could swear he had the same look in his eyes now.
"Degree? Wendell, uh, didn't go to college, Bob."
Baines looked up, a puzzled look on his face. "I thought your husband
was a big football star or something in high school. I had heard he
was being recruited by some big school sin the East."
Amy sighed. "He was till the accident. Wendell was going to Boston
College on a full scholarship. Then, after the accident, he couldn't
play any more. So he went to work right away."
Baines exhaled and looked at Amy with kinder eyes. "That's right-- I
forgot. A hit and run wasn't it? Thank God he wasn't too seriously
hurt. But it was a tragedy about his legs. You can't be a quarterback
without being able to run a quick four-forty. Awful. And they never
got the guy, did they?"
Amy shook her head and Baines returned to his earlier question, gently
prodding. "O.k., no college degree makes it tougher, but I'm sure you
two have thought about your options. What else does Wendell have in
mind for work?"
"Uh, well, I don't know."
Mr. Baines chuckled. "Not a good answer Amy. Not a good answer at
all. How will you meet your adult obligations, my dear? What kind of
assets do you have?"
Amy shook her head. "I don't know! Nothing-- just our principal."
"And that's not much to speak of at this point since you just bought
the house." He shook his head wearily, glancing back at the file.
"Well, I guess your in-laws will have to meet
the obligation then. The bank will have to require them to pay your
mortgage."
Her hands flew to her face, panicked at the prospect. She saw her
in-laws, kind yes, but poor and old. If they had to pay--
"Yes, they'd lose their home to make up YOUR failure," Baines completed
her thought. "Too bad. They are older people and to lose your home at
that age...But at least the bank could sell their home to meet YOUR
mortgage." He sighed. "What a waste."
Amy's head was swimming. Her world was falling apart. Bankrupt, all
their money lost, nothing left, no work...
"Maybe there's a solution," Baines offered hopefully.
Amy looked up, a wide grateful smile on her face for her savior. "Yes,
Mr. Baines?"
He gave her that look again. She forced her smile to remain.
"You might need to find work."
Amy nodded. "I'm a hard worker, Mr. Baines! And I'll take anything!"
That made him smile. "As you know, I feel somewhat responsible for you
two kids. Perhaps there might be something at the bank. Perhaps as a
secretary."
She nodded. Amy would get a job, no problem. It would be work but if
it would help them keep the house...
"Perhaps as my secretary, Amy. Would you be willing to take that
position if it was offered to you? On a temporary basis of course--
say a few weeks or so. To be frank, I really need a properly trained
secretary. However, I'm sure you'd be up to answering the phone and
handling my filing, at least for a little while. And when Wendell gets
a new job, you could leave." His slate eyes softened, the eyes of an
older friend trying to help. "And you'd be doing me a favor--as I said
I'm without a secretary right now and it would really help us both
out."
Relief spread through her like cool water. Crisis averted! Amy
gathered her strength. It would be all right, after all. Bob had
come through for them. She was happy she had come here today.
"Yes, yes I would Bob. I can probably help you more than you think,"
she played it calmly, nodding slowly. "I can type and take dictation
and file. I took secretarial classes in high school and I think I
could do a very good job for you, at least for a couple of weeks."
Baines nodded, pleased to have solved the problem...but then a slight
frown creased his face.
"What is it?" Amy asked, worried again.
The banker tapped the mortgage with his gold pen. "Even working for me
as a temp won't solve your problem. This," he shuffled the mortgage
file and pulled out a red piece of paper, "is an internal notice to
begin the foreclosure process here at the bank. The mortgage has got
to be paid right away. Can you pay this today?"
Amy shook her head sadly. "We don't have a cent, Bob! It took
everything we had to buy the house!"
"And I overlooked the normal savings requirement too," Baines said in
reminded frustration. "Maybe, well..." He closed his eyes in thought
and pondered. Then he looked up. "Look Amy, I feel responsible and I
want this to work out for you kids. What if I agree to give you an
advance on your temp pay and cover the difference between your salary
and the mortgage till Wendell gets a job?"
The grateful smile on Amy's face said it all. "Would you do that for
us Bob?"
The older man nodded. "It will mean that I become a secondary creditor
after the bank. You'll have to sign a loan agreement with me, promising
to pay me back when Wendell gets his next job, but yes, Amy-- I think
I'd be happy to do that for you. Could you bring it home and get
Wendell to sign it? It also needs to be notarized."
Amy felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her back. "We'll
sign anything you like, Bob. And I can't tell you how grateful we
are."
Baines promised to have the papers drawn up and dropped off at the
house. He stood up and walked her to the door. "I'll see you
tomorrow, Amy." His slate eyes were so warm, so reassuring. "It's
nice to have you aboard!"
