It didn’t take Ben very long to convince Anna to take the day off. She knew she needed a day to herself and now dreaded going to work thanks to Ethan and his surprise visits. At least she didn’t feel guilty for staying home. Her working late the night before helped her get a lot done on the design for the master bath and she was able to start and finish two of the guest bathrooms since the designs were to be similar.
She watched Ben drive away and when he disappeared from view, she went back into the house and closed the door behind her. Anna walked up to the fish tank and observed the fish going about their business and wondered what life would be like as a fish. They had not a care in the world besides when they would be fed.
Swim, eat and poop. The life of an aquarium fish.
Sighing, Anna headed into the kitchen and noticed the little red light blinking on her phone. She turned it on to reveal a new text from Karlie.
Take the day off and let’s have a girl’s day!
She tapped the ‘call’ button and pressed the phone to her ear before strolling to the kitchen window. Anna peered out of it and saw two men dressed in black suits talking to each other. Ben mentioned that he had men keeping an eye on the property and knew from their serious demeanor and wrinkle free attire that those were the men he spoke of.
“Anna!” Karlie shouted, surprising her.
“Hey!” she responded back with the same amount of enthusiasm.
“Did you see my text?”
Anna nodded even though Karlie couldn’t see her. “I did. Believe it or not, I’m already taking a day off.”
“What!?” Karlie exclaimed. “And you didn’t think to call me?”
“Well, I hadn’t told you this yet, but I’ve been staying at Ben’s house the last few days.”
“House?” she asked. “As in the hotel?”
“Nope. Apparently Mr. Money bags owns a mansion in Fountain Hills.”
“Hmm. Then why the hell does he stay at the hotel?”
“I asked him the same question. He says that it’s because it’s closer to the field and he doesn’t have to deal with the traffic.”
“I guess that’s a valid enough reason.” Karlie didn’t sound convinced.
Anna giggled. “Whatever the reason he has for not mentioning that he lives here, it’s fine. I’m here now and oh my God, Karlie. You have got to see this place. If you’re planning to take the day off, why don’t you just come over here? You can help me explore the depths of his house.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Oh, and he already gave me permission to snoop through his things,” Anna added.
“Even better! Text me the address and I’ll come now.”
“Sending. See you soon.”
Anna hung up the phone and rummaged through a pile of mail she found on the counter to find his address. She texted it to Karlie and after she hit send, she made herself a breakfast burrito and waited for her friend to arrive.
It was about an hour later when she got another text from Karlie.
Here, and OMG!
Anna smiled and hurried to the front door to find Karlie standing outside her car with her mouth hanging open.
“You weren’t kidding when you called this thing a mansion!” she hollered to Anna.
“Wait until you see the inside.” Anna embraced Karlie. She was so happy to see her friend. They hadn’t really spoken in the last week and she still hadn’t told her that it wasn’t Ben’s ex doing the tormenting.
Anna pulled her in the house and came across Joyce, Ben’s housekeeper. Anna hadn’t met her before but remembered Ben talking about her.
“You must be Anna,” the woman stated as she extended her hand towards Anna. “I’m Joyce. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Joyce. It’s great to meet you, too. This is my friend Karlie.”
“Karlie, pleasure to meet you as well. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything. Perhaps lunch?”
The confusion on Anna’s face went unnoticed by Joyce. She was a lovely woman with long brown hair pulled into a tight braid. She had large brown eyes that were almost too big for her face, but her facial features were soft and her smile was bright. Anna found it infectious.
“What I meant is, I would be happy to prepare lunch for you whenever you are ready.” Joyce clasped her hands behind her back and waited for Anna’s response.
“That won’t be necessary, Joyce. Karlie and I can throw something together when we’re ready.”
“Please, Anna. It is my job to make sure everyone in the house is well taken care of. Feeding them is one of those things.”
Anna wasn’t sure how to feel about letting the woman make them food. She had never been catered to by someone and felt like she would be taking advantage of her. Especially since she had no idea what her and Ben’s relationship status was. Until now, she thought Joyce’s only job was just to keep the house clean.
“Anna,” Joyce said, smiling. “You have very expressive facial features. I can tell by the look on your face that you are unsure about this, but I can assure you, it is my job to make sure you and your guests are happy. So, while you mull things over in your mind, I’ll be in the kitchen. It’s ten o’clock now, lunch will be ready at noon.” Joyce smiled sweetly and walked away.
Karlie started laughing. “The woman wants to make us lunch, Anna. Why won’t you let her?”
She shrugged. “It feels weird. I know Ben calls me his girlfriend, but I don’t feel like he means it. I’m just having a hard time letting his housekeeper take care of me and my friend.”
“Stop offending her and just go with it.”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
Karlie gave her shoulder a soft shove. “You’re a real pain.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She shook her head, amused. “Where shall we start?”
“What have you seen so far?”
Anna pointed up the stairs. “The master bedroom and bathroom, and the kitchen.”
“So, why don’t you show me the master and we’ll explore the rest of the upstairs?”
“Okay, we can do that.” Anna led the way and reveled in Karlie’s surprise when she saw how huge the bedroom was. She went on and on about the size of the closet and became speechless when she saw the bathroom.
“Shit, Anna. He must make a ton of money.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure what he makes, but I do know that this used to be his parent’s house. He bought it from his mom shortly after his dad died. I didn’t think it was appropriate to ask if she gave him a deal or not.”
Karlie snorted. “Yeah, probably not a good idea.”
They left the master bedroom then oooh’ed and ahh’ed their way through the four guest bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. The last two rooms they came across were Ben’s office and a library with a cozy sitting area near the fireplace.
Anna and Karlie left the upstairs area and turned in a direction away from the kitchen. They discovered a large formal living room that was in such pristine condition, it looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. It made Anna wonder if it was the same furniture placed there when his father was still alive.
What is wrong with me? she thought. Why do I always have to go dark? She couldn’t help it. She wanted to know everything about Ben, including his need to preserve his father’s memory.
Anna hadn’t realized that she had paused in the living room until she heard Karlie’s voice.
“Holy crap!” she exclaimed from down the hall. Anna caught up to her and looked into the same room and her eyes widened.
Inside was the largest home theater she had ever seen. She followed Karlie into the room and she studied every detail it had to offer. She looked up and found soft lighting surrounding the inset ceiling, and old movie posters encased in frames of lights occupied the paneled walls. The screen took up an entire wall and black velvet curtains were draped around it.
The couch was so big, it looked like someone pushed twenty chaise loungers together and plopped an arm rest with cup holders every four feet. The far corner had a full bar and the kind of popcorn machine you would find at a real movie theater.
Karlie ran full speed for one of the couches and flung herself on to it causing Anna to laugh out loud. Wanting to join in on the fun, Anna copied her and flew head first into what felt like a cloud, and she was immediately swallowed by the giant pillows.
“This might be more comfortable than the bed upstairs,” Anna mumbled.
Karlie giggled. “This is more comfortable than any bed I have ever been on.”
“Whoever started the phrase ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ has never been on this couch before. Pretty sure I could die a happy, comfortable woman right now.” Anna wriggled herself deeper into the pillows.
“Mmmm. I agree with that statement.” Karlie sighed heavily. “You can tell Ben that I’m moving in and I want this to be my bedroom.”
“Absolutely not,” Anna argued. “I want this for my own room.” They laughed and continued their innocent argument over who would get the theater for their bedroom when a voice floated through the room.
“Lunch is ready when you are, ladies!” They both shot upright and stared at one another before looking around the room.
“You heard that, right?” Karlie asked.
Anna wrinkled her eyebrows and crawled off the couch in search of the voice. She found that it came from a speaker just beside the door to the theater. “Found it.”
Karlie came up beside her and adjusted her shirt. “That’s just creepy. Do you think she can hear everything we’re saying?”
Anna shook her head. “I don’t think so. You have to hold this button down while you’re speaking. See?” She pointed to the printed label beside one of the buttons that read, ‘Hold to speak.’
“Is it really noon already?” Karlie glanced at the watch on her wrist.
“I guess we should go since we are being summoned.”
“Yeah. I’m starving anyway.”
Joyce was putting the finishing touches on two plates in front of her and once Anna got a whiff of the aroma, her mouth started to water. She had made them lemon chicken on a bed of brown rice with a side of grilled asparagus.
“Wow, Joyce. Thank you. This looks delicious.”
“You are welcome. If you would like, I can bring these to the dining room for you.”
Anna shook her head. “We will eat here in the kitchen at the stools.”
Joyce cocked her head to the side. “But I’ll be cleaning. I don’t want to disturb you with clanging pots.”
“Joyce, Karlie and I are laid back kind of people. If you think we will be in the way, we can move to the dining room, otherwise, we’re happy to eat here. Besides, it’ll be one less area you have to clean up.” The middle-aged housekeeper chuckled and nodded her head.
“So, Joyce,” Anna said between bites. “What other remarkable surprises will we find besides the upstairs area and home theater?”
Joyce wiped her hands on a towel and asked, “Have you seen the lazy river yet?”
Anna and Karlie both shouted, “What?” causing Joyce to laugh.
“Yes, there’s a lazy river in the back, along with a pool and hot tub. You’ll also find an indoor basketball court with an attached gym, batting cages, a tennis court, a sauna, a guest house and a fairly large wine cellar.”
Anna knew his house was enormous, but she never imagined it would have so many incredible things inside it.
“We have got to try out that lazy river, Anna,” Karlie begged.
“Did you bring a swim suit?” she questioned.
“Sweetie,” Karlie started, batting her eyelashes, “I never leave the house without the essentials.”
Anna tried not to laugh. “And a swimsuit is one of the essentials?”
“Duh! When it starts to get warm out, you never know when a pool party should arise!”
They finished their lunch and hurried to get ready for the pool. They found the lazy river and Anna was once again blown away. It wrapped around a stone structure, and the hot tub sat atop it. A giant gazebo filled with furniture was to the right, and it had two bridges that lead to the hot tub. Waterfalls cascaded down the sides of the bridges and dumped into the lazy river, causing the people floating under it to get wet.
They grabbed inner tubes and dipped their toes into the cold yet refreshing water. The landscaping throughout was beautiful and lush, and it almost seemed like they were floating down a river in the Amazon.
This had become a moment in time where Anna had found herself to be so happy, she had actually forgotten everything that was going on in her life. She watched Karlie adjust herself on her raft and was thankful for the woman she got to call her best friend. It was fate that the two of them had decided to take the day off from their professional lives. Without her, Anna knew her mind would have ventured into darkness, and all the evil in the world would have started to creep in again.
As the two of them floated around the river, Anna finally relaxed and took in the sun and fun she had been so anxious to feel once again.