Relax, Ginger. You just started dating him.
As I looked over my monthly budget, I decided that I could afford a house within one to two years with my raise. I would double my monthly payments toward my student loans and deposits into my savings accounts, invest a little more money in the stock market, and could easily come up with a twenty percent down payment. It wouldn’t be enough for a large, elaborate home, though. Just something to call my own while waiting on Jorge.
It wasn’t what I thought would happen, though. I’d always assumed that once I graduated from college, I’d meet someone, fall in love, get engaged, and then buy a house with him. But I knew he’d need some time to come down after ending things with Ria. Men tended to be much more cautious than women when it came to tying the knot. It still bothered me that life was turning out differently than I had planned.
After all, you were supposed to buy a house and get married right after college.
But I hated wasting money, and there was no point in paying rent when I could be investing it in a house, especially after seeing some of the new properties for sale. I could easily put down twenty percent within two years, as long as I committed to an investing schedule and stopped throwing money away on rent.
As I typed away, however, my eyes kept gravitating toward the engagement ring that I still wore despite us not being engaged.
Dozens of people had congratulated Jorge and me on our recent engagement in Paris, but instead of correcting them, Jorge thought it’d be fun to play along. That only got my hopes up, though. He came up with a proposal story that melted my heart, and each time he told it, I wanted to beg him just to do it already. The tension between us was too strong, anyway. It was clear that both of us wanted to be together, and Jorge had yet to ask for the ring back.
As I was tinkering with applying for a first-time homebuyer’s savings account, Eva showed up with iced coconut lattes.
“I figured you could use some caffeine on your day off.”
“I just downed my second cup of coffee, but I’ll never turn down anything that tastes like coconut.”
Eva looked over my shoulders to see what was on my computer. “Why are you looking at houses?”
I twirled the large diamond around my finger while looking at a stunning, ranch-style home not far away from where I was living. “With my raise at the spa, I’ll be able to pay off my student loans in almost half the time. And after reviewing my budget today, I’ve decided to increase my monthly savings so I can buy a house in one to two years.”
Eva sat down across from my desk, and I knew what she’d say before she even opened her mouth. “I know that you’re on this independent-woman kick, but shouldn’t you wait and see what happens with Jorge? I mean, the guy could probably buy the state of Florida. Why spend any of your money on a down payment for a house?”
“That’s not the point, Eva. Who knows if and when Jorge will ever propose, and why should I keep paying rent? Besides, it’s always good to plan ahead.”
Eva lifted my left hand. “If he isn’t going to propose, Ginger, then why hasn’t he taken this ring back yet?”
“Because he knows how much I like it, Eva. As much as I love Jorge, I’ve learned that you should never assume things will work out with a guy.”
“So, what if you buy a house, and then you guys get married?”
I shrugged while adding a few listings to my favorites. “Well, I could always sell it or rent it out to someone.”
“Yeah, because if you marry Jorge, you’ll really be hurting for money.”
“You still don’t get it, Eva. Until Jorge and I get married, I have to focus on myself. I know better than to depend on a man even though down deep inside I want to.”
Eva shrugged again while taking a sip of her latte. “I just think it’d be a tad emasculating for you to buy a house while dating Jorge, that’s all.”
I folded my hands while leaning back in my chair. “Eva, Jorge doesn’t need to worry about being emasculated. Believe me. He’s all man underneath his clothing. And I bet he’d view it as a wise decision on my part. You’re reading too much into this. Enough about me, all right. What’s new with you?”
As Eva told me about having a crush on one of our male clients at the spa, I clicked away on different homes. Many of them were far outside of my price range, but there were quite a few that I could see myself living in. Of course, nothing within my budget was right on the water. If I ever wanted that view, I’d have to marry someone incredibly wealthy.
Jorge is incredibly wealthy, and you’re still wearing the ring he gave you.
“Anyway,” Eva continued, “he comes in all of the time for facials, and yesterday he got an hour-long massage. Ugh, I should have gone to school to become a masseuse. I’d give anything to rub my hands up and down his gorgeous body.”
“I think Guadalupe and Yuslan have an education assistance program. They’ll probably pay your tuition if you want to go back to school.”
Eva shook her head while giggling. “Nah, I wouldn’t want to be on my feet all day. Well, I should get going. Let me know how the house-hunting turns out.”
I laughed while watching her leave my condo. And just as I was about to shut my laptop down for the day, Jorge called me.
“Good morning, sweetie. How’s work going?”
“Not that great. Are you sitting down?”
