“Yeah, my father was wealthy,” Cormac says, almost sounding guilty. “I didn’t have to worry about tuition or a place to live. Consider this is me paying it forward.” He looks away. “Although I don’t understand how your father is the dean and he can’t take care of you.”
“My mother was sick for a long time. She died last year. It drained his finances.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He turns back to me. “My mother was very sick, too.”
“I’m sorry. When did she?—”
“She recovered,” he says sharply.
“That’s good. I’m glad.” I inhale.
“This is even more of a payback. I’m lucky my mother pulled through.” He tents his fingers and looks out the window.
“The management office is on the next block, on the right,” I say, pointing.
The SUV pulls to the curb and idles in front of a hydrant. Dr. O’Rourke sets his feet on the ground, then turns, holding out a hand to help me out of the SUV. I take it.
Heat and sparks fly up my arm. As soon as I’m on the sidewalk, I let go. He struts to the glass door and opens it for me. I step in first, but then he skirts around me to address the woman at the staff desk.
“Can I help you, sir?” The woman stands wide-eyed, taking him in.
By the voice, I recognize it as Kay, who called me earlier.
“This is Scarlett Ford. Do you have an apartment for her?” Dr. O’Rourke says firmly.
I just give a dumb wave.
“Yes. ID please, Miss Ford,” Kay says, taking a seat and typing on her keyboard.
I reach into my wallet and hand it over. Once she scans it, she gives it back.
“Here is the lease.” She hands me a folder with the rental agreement and points to the lines that require my signature. “Read through the agreement, then sign here and here. And as I said on the phone, we need?—”
“Do you accept credit cards?” Dr. O’Rourke says, taking out his wallet.
“Cormac, no,” I say, shocked that his first name drops so easily out of my mouth. And more shocked at how he reacts to it.
“Um, yes, we do,” Kay says, twirling a pen. “There’s a large service fee. We prefer to do auto billing through a bank.”
“Miss Ford here is waiting for tuition money to clear from her school. Hamilton Medical College. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. I’m giving you my credit card as a hold until those funds clear. Can you do that?”
“Oh, um…” Kay smooths her hair down her neck. “Yes, we do. Parents use credit cards as a placeholder to guarantee housing for their kids all the time.”
Parent. God, does she think he’s my father? And why didn’t my father offer to do this? Has he maxed out all his credit cards?
“Great,” my professor says, smiling. “Keep it on file as a guarantee.”
Okay, he’s not paying. He’s my…guarantor. I can live with that.
Kay takes the card and runs it, then hands it back to Cormac.
First the hotel, now my apartment.
I look down at the stack of papers for me to fill out. When Kay is typing something into her computer, I pull Cormac aside.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “The bank said the money should clear in a few days. This is my fault. I got the process moving too late.”
“I need you focused, Ford.” A hand sweeps under my jaw, but he shakes his head and steps back.