Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough Page B

wants to talk to you. Here.” She gave Mia the phone, pulled off a big piece of brownie, and disappeared before Mia could say,
No, wait, you haven’t had breakfast.
    â€œShe sounds good,” Lloyd said.
    â€œYou think? That’s because you haven’t been talking to her teacher or anyone else at her school.”
    â€œDo you want me to? Because I will, you know. Just give me the names and numbers. I’m there. I am
so
there.”
    While Mia debated whether a conversation between Lloyd and Eden’s teacher would be a good or a bad thing, she heard someone in the background say something about a latte.
    â€œWhere are you anyway? Since when are they serving lattes in Sri Lanka?”
    â€œWho said I’m in Sri Lanka?”
    â€œSeoul then.”
    â€œWrong again.” These words were followed by a silence. “So are you going to tell me where, exactly, you are?”
    â€œL.A. And I’ll be in New York next week.”
    â€œL.A.? What are you doing in L.A.?”
    â€œI had to see some people here. There’s been interest in some of my stuff. They flew me in for a meeting.”
    â€œOh,” she said. “Great.” Was it? She was trying to process all this information—Lloyd in L.A., Lloyd in New York, Lloyd with a potential Hollywood deal—when she realized he was still talking to her.
    â€œ. . . So I’ll be there at the end of next week. Thursday, maybe Friday. I can let you know when it’s firmed up. I want to see Eden. Of course.”

    â€œYou can take her for the weekend. She’ll be thrilled; in case you haven’t guessed, she’s missed you. Where will you be staying anyway?”
    â€œThat’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
    â€œOh? You won’t be in the apartment in Queens?” She could not bring herself to say Suim’s name.
    â€œThere is no apartment in Queens.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œSuim had to give it up. Long story.”
    â€œI’m sure.” Mia prayed that she wouldn’t have to hear it. “Anyway, I don’t want to go into that now. The point is, I need somewhere to stay.” Pause. “I hoped it could be with you.”
    â€œStay with me! You and Suim want to stay with me?”
    â€œSuim can’t make this trip. I’m flying solo.”
    â€œI don’t know, Lloyd. I don’t think I want you here.”
    â€œWhat’s the big deal? I’ll sleep on the couch.”
    â€œI don’t have a couch. I have a love seat. And you’re too tall to fit.”
    â€œSo I’ll sleep on the floor. Or in the bathtub.”
    â€œI’ve only got a shower. It would be kind of hard to sleep standing up—unless you’re an ox. And I don’t even have a real bedroom; there’s only a flimsy partition in the living room—”
    â€œJesus, Mia,” he interrupted. “Why are you giving me such a hard time?”
    â€œWhy am
I
giving
you
such a hard time? Let me see: Could it be because you left me, left our kid, and took up with an underage Asian call girl you found under a rock? And because you owe me, big time, for child support?”
    â€œI have every intention of giving you a check when I get there. And as for Suim, that kind of racist talk really demeans you, Mia. I hope Eden isn’t listening.”
    â€œFuck you, Lloyd Prescott!” Mia shouted, totally losing it now.“You are not, I repeat
not,
sleeping on the floor, love seat, fire escape, or any part of my apartment you haven’t yet mentioned. So just forget about that idea.”
    â€œOh,” said Lloyd in an infuriatingly wounded tone. “If you really feel that way . . . I just thought it would be nice for Eden—”
    â€œYou didn’t tell her, did you?” Mia asked. “That you were going to stay here?”
    â€œWell, yes, as a matter of fact, I did.”
    Mia had an impulse to hurl the phone out of the