MissManaged

“The socks were on sale and the magnets were only two dollars each, so yeah, maybe thirty-one. Do you want me to show you the receipt? I think it’s in my purse.”

I went to stand up, but he stopped me. “No. You don’t need to get the receipt. Why did you spend money on other people if you were already over budget?”

“I wasn’t when I bought those things. That was from the first store we went to.” I sighed. “I told myself I was only going to spend fifty dollars. I guess I should have asked you first.”

I technically didn’t have shopping in my budget at all, but there was an emergency buffer in my checking account so fifty shouldn’t have been so bad.

“No, Charlotte. You don’t need to ask me for permission to spend your money. You need to stay within your budget and what you can afford. You’re a smart woman with a business degree. You know how to manage money. Unfortunately, sometimes you make bad choices.” Tobin sighed before slapping both hands on his thighs and then standing. “And when you make bad choices, it’s my job to correct you.”

I sucked in a breath as regret and apprehension surged through me in equal measure. I’d never wanted a time machine more than I did right now. If I had one, I’d go back to that stupid boutique and stand firm when Allison encouraged me to buy that outfit.

No. I wouldn’t have even walked inside. I’d done enough shopping in Ellicottville to know there was nothing in that store I could afford.

“Charlotte, do you agree you broke a rule today?” Tobin asked, peering down at me with a tense jaw and thin lips. I got the distinct impression he didn’t want to punish me any more than I wanted to be punished, but I didn’t attempt to talk my way out of this.

“Yes, I agree,” I said, then continued, knowing what he would ask next. Even though I was resistant to the idea of discipline at first, having agreed to follow the rules, I would not make this more difficult for either of us. “I broke the rule about sticking to my budget and spent too much money on clothes today.”