That question was answered when I pulled out the check. It was for three hundred thousand dollars.
There was a note with it, which said: It doesn’t feel right to give you a weekly check and treat you like an employee. You mean a lot to me, Jasper, so here’s the whole amount we discussed, including the bonus. If you decide to stay until January, now it’s because you want to be with me, not because of the money.
I whispered, “Oh my god.”
There were still several more envelopes, and it turned out they all contained notes. The next one said: See last week, with a smiley face. The one after that said: Okay, now this is awkward. Are you actually opening these envelopes? I don’t know what to think about the fact that you haven’t mentioned the check for 300K.
The following week’s note said: I checked my bank balance and saw you hadn’t cashed either of the checks. I debated bringing it up with you, but god I hate discussing our financial arrangement. I suspect you do, too. Please cash the checks, Jasper, and let’s put that part of our relationship behind us.
Next up was: I know I should stop giving you an envelope every week, and I should insist you open the ones you’ve received so far. But you must have your reasons for leaving them unopened, so I’m keeping up this charade for now.
Meanwhile, I’m going to confess something—I think of you as my boyfriend, not as someone I’m paying to be here. I’m scared you don’t feel the same way though, so I guess this is my way of telling you without risking rejection. Sooner or later, you’ll finally open the envelopes and the truth will come out. Until then, I guess it’s my little secret.
I read the rest of the notes, which were similar to that last one, and then I picked up the checks and went downstairs.
Micah was sitting on his bed, chewing on the edge of his thumbnail. When I sat beside him, he glanced at the checks and murmured, “You finally opened them.”
“I did. I’d stuck them all in a drawer, because I didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that money was changing hands. This whole time, I felt like we were building something real, but the paychecks contradicted that. I had no idea you tried to put an end to them weeks ago.”
“I should have said something, instead of keeping up the sham of the weekly envelope.”
“I understand why you kept quiet,” I said. “You felt insecure, just like I did, so you kept up our weekly routine instead of rocking the boat. But now we don’t have to worry about this, ever again.”
I started ripping the checks into thin strips, and he asked, “What are you doing?”
“We’re a couple, Micah, and these paychecks have no place in our relationship.”
“But that money was going to give you a way out of prostitution and open the door to a better life.”
I grinned at him and started ripping the strips into little squares. “I retired weeks ago, and that better life is already happening, right here and now.”
A smile spread across his face. “I’ll always take care of you, Jasper, in every way. That’s my promise to you.”
“I’ll always take care of you, too.” I tossed the checks into the air, and they rained down on us like confetti as Micah pulled me close and kissed me.
Epilogue
Even though January second landed on a Sunday, Peter Boseman arrived bright and early to remove the anklet. The moment it was off, Micah whooped with delight. Then he and I ran out the front door. We screamed and yelled and did a happy dance in the middle of the street, and I grabbed him in a hug and exclaimed, “Congratulations, Micah! You’re free!”
When we came back inside, we asked Peter to stay for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised when he actually agreed. The three of us went to the kitchen, and Micah whipped up some omelets while I made toast and brewed a pot of coffee.
While we ate, Peter asked, “So, what’s the plan now?”
“We’re flying to Thailand this afternoon for a three-week vacation, and we’ll get back right in time for Jasper’s first semester at Sutherlin.” Micah beamed at me proudly, and then he gestured at the packed boxes on the kitchen counter and added, “If we’re very lucky, the kitchen remodel might be just about done by the time we get home. We hired a great crew, and Lisa, my new personal assistant, will be here to crack the whip and make sure they stay on task.”
“But if we have to eat takeout for a few days or weeks after we get back, that’s fine too,” I said. “Apparently it’s pretty common for construction projects to run late.”