CHAPTER 5
Mary
The next morning
I get into my car and open the location Cash sent me through WhatsApp. I click on it opening it up on my GPS.
I look down expecting to see a Woody Creek address, but don’t.
Aspen.
He lives in Aspen?
I didn’t think to check last night because I spent the entire night thinking of something else.
Him.
Where he lived was secondary. I knew he must live around here somewhere, but I didn’t expect it to be Aspen. I’m not sure why though. Maybe just because he’s so understated.
But Aspen is only eight miles from Woody Creek so it won’t add any noticeable time to my commute. And I’ve been up since five anyway after only falling asleep around two thirty, so I figured it’s better to leave early anyways just in case.
I want to make a good impression, a really good impression. The same kind of impression he made on me yesterday.
And the incredible impression Mikey made on me too.
I can only imagine how lucky his mother is to have both Cash literally, and cash figuratively, and such a beautiful son.
I plugged Cash Guy into Google last night. It makes me laugh every time I see it. I can just imagine his clients talking.
“Who’s your cash guy?”
“Well Cash Guy of course.”
“Really? Me to.”
Followed by a lot of laughter thinking they're pretty clever.
But I’m not as clever as I thought I was either as my results turned up zero results. I even tried to find him on social media and couldn’t. So Google and social media have nothing. This guy really is private.
Today I hope to find out his relationship status. I didn’t feel, or see, a ring on his finger yesterday when we shook hands. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything but it’s definitely an interesting start.
And when I pull up the small road that leads to his house I get a different kind of start, as in the kind that gets your heart beating real fast.
Cash is there in a pair of short jogging shorts hosing himself down next to the house.
He must be freezing.
My eyes drift to his groin and…oh, no. He’s definitely not freezing.
He’s not as excited as he was yesterday, but he’s still sporting quite the package.
I hit the breaks, but it’s too late. The hose lowers from above his head and his head moves down looking straight at me.
He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t move at all.
A few seconds pass where he stares at me staring at him. Then his arm raises and he motions me over with all the fingers of his hand. It’s the same motion I wish he would do to me somewhere else on my body, not that he’d be able to fit all four of those fingers…well.
I slowly accelerate up the last bit of the small road and into his driveway. I pull up right in front of the house and he’s already there to greet me when I arrive.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Morning.”
“You’re here early.”
“I’m sorry. I hope it’s not a problem.”
“Not a problem at all. I like people who are anxious to get to work. I’m that way myself.”
He’s already got my car door open and offers me his hand when I get out of the car. He’s standing back a bit making sure not to drip on me though.
“Come on in,” he says.
I walk up the steps to his palatial estate. It’s understated like his office yet still massive and absolutely breathtaking. It doesn’t scream gaudy or attempt to show off at all.
He grabs a towel the minute we step inside and towels himself off in the entryway.
“Get your run in…oh,” the woman says. “Hello I’m Carrie. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I say. But it’s absolutely not nice to meet her. This must be his wife. All that tossing and turning not being able to sleep last night was for nothing. Rats!
“Mikey’s still sleeping,” she says to Cash.
“Great. I’ll just grab a quick shower and be gone. That way you two ladies can get acquainted without me here getting in your way.”
“Nonsense,” she says. She’s right. It would be better if she left and he and I stayed back with Mikey. What’s wrong with me?
Cash walks down the hallway and I hear a shower turn on.
“Thanks so much for agreeing to watch after Mikey.”
“My pleasure.”
“Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee or tea, maybe?”
“I’m okay, but if you’re having a coffee I certainly wouldn’t mind one as well.”
“I always start the day with a cup. Two coming right up.”
I follow her into the kitchen where she prepares the most delicious cappuccinos. We sit and chat for a minute and I start to feel bad about my initial thoughts about her. She’s very nice and a wonderful listener. I guess it must be this easy to be happy all the time when your life is like this.
Not more than ten minutes later Cash is standing in front of us in a suit and tie looking incredible.
“Okay, ladies. Sorry to leave so quickly but I’m off,” he says. “Good luck on your first day,” he says to me before quickly making his way to the front door. I notice he doesn’t give his wife a kiss, but then again we’re all busy these days right? He might be in a hurry to meet someone this morning.
Over the next few hours Carrie gives me the rundown on everything about the house and everything about Mikey.
The house is absolutely gorgeous. She’s done a great job decorating it. The living room has a button you can press and a panoramic glass window slides to the side and the fresh air comes right in. I can only imagine how much that costs. And what is even more unimaginable is the view. Sitting in the living room you can see right out across the valley and look at the snow capped mountains. There’s not much snow to speak of this time of year, but still just enough to make them absolutely postcard worthy.
This is life at a whole other level, one I’m not familiar with. My grandparents bought a home in Woody Creek before it got popular. Our family has done all we can to keep it, working hard to keep up with the rising property values in the area and the taxes due on them. There’s no way we’d be able to afford living here now. It’s priced way out of our league.
Right at noon the bell rings and Carrie rushes off to answer it. She’s back in a flash with lunch. I didn’t even know she ordered it.
We dig in and I can tell right away that it’s five star restaurant quality, which I confirm when I see the name on the bag. I just can’t fathom this kind of lifestyle at all. I mean I only live eight miles from Aspen, but I never really come here. Everything is way out of my price range and as a kid I spent most of my time in Woody Creek just running around by myself making up games with my imagination. Sometimes I forget how close this kind of life is to where I live.
As soon as we finish lunch we feed Mikey. He’s easy to feed and not fussy at all. That’s a welcome surprise for day one on the job.
“Okay. Do you have any questions?” Carrie asks.
“I think I’ve got everything,” I say.
“Great. Well it was nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
“You won’t be back before your husband gets home?” I ask.
“My?…Oh my gosh,” she says laughing so hard she bends at the waist and places her hand on her chest. “My husband? I can’t wait to tell Cash that.”
“You mean he’s not…”
“Heavens no. He’s my brother!”