AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 1
Elena
“I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse. Seriously, Elena, you’re not going to believe this,” Riley says.
“Yeah?” I’m used to my best friend getting excited over everything. It’s how she rolls and I love her enthusiasm, but today there’s no way I can match it.
“It’s big,” she insists. “I’d do it myself but I can’t and I’m regretting that very hard. Believe me, I tried everything I could think of to make it work out. It could be the answer to all of your problems.” She pauses. “Maybe not all of them, but one of the major ones. This place is perfect for you.”
“Place? What’s the deal?” I stop folding my laundry and catch my phone right before it slips out of my grasp. I so, so need to move. I can’t afford this tiny apartment since my ex moved out. I’m beyond happy that Owen’s gone but now I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay next month’s rent.
Every single person who’s answered my ad for a roommate has been super sketch, if not outright creepy. I’ve gotten so many vibes of I’m-going-to-murder-you-in-your-sleep, I can’t even count.
One guy showed up with a python wrapped around his neck and shoulders. A python. As if that’s the most normal thing in the world to have, let alone walk around with in public. I was so scared I wouldn’t let him come in.
Although I was more afraid of the guy than the snake.
Of course he probably would’ve been better than my ex, who still insists on dropping in randomly for things he ‘forgot’. Maybe I should’ve accepted snake guy so he could scare Owen away once and for all.
“I’ve not only got somewhere for you to live, it’s an amazing place,” Riley continues. “It’s a housesitting gig for a very wealthy couple and as much as I want to, I can’t do it myself.”
“A house? Where is it? I don’t want to leave Manhattan if I don’t have to.”
“No, not an actual house. It’s a gorgeous penthouse in a great building. I’ve seen pictures and you won’t believe it. It’s huge and it’s on 59th.”
I perk up, all my senses on high alert. “Which part of 59th?”
“Oh, you know,” she teases. “Somewhere you might like.”
“You don’t mean Central Park South, do you.” She can’t. There’s no way Riley’s talking about one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the city. My goal in life is to live right there.
Riley laughs. “I wouldn’t joke about something like that. That’s exactly it, babe. Billionaire’s Row.”
I can’t speak. Visions of exclusive parties, high fashion and a super glam lifestyle dance through my mind. That’s what must come along with a really cool address like that. It’s practically guaranteed.
“It’s in one of the most luxurious new buildings,” she continues. “You’re going to love it.”
“What would I have to do?” I ask, skepticism seeping in no matter how hard I try to push it away. I love my instant fantasy of having the best possible Manhattan life there is. There’s no need for reality to intrude too soon.
“That’s the best part. There’s literally nothing to it. You don’t have to do a single thing except be there. The owners just want their place to be occupied,” Riley says. “You know, house-sit. Make it look lived-in.”
“Really? If it’s a penthouse, who’s going to know that the owners aren’t there?” I ask.
“I know, right? It’s not like an actual house where someone might notice the owners being gone. This is what the super wealthy do these days. It’s a whole thing. Usually how it works with this kind of situation is that you’d just check in every few days and make sure everything’s good. In this case, the client’s worried because there was a robbery in another building. It’s kind of ridiculous since it was ten blocks away. In the end, it turned out to be the couple’s son who was sneaking their jewelry out and selling it off.”
“Seriously?”
Riley laughs. “It wasn’t even a real break-in, but there’s no convincing these clients of that. They want someone living in their place while they’re away on an extended trip. You remember my friend who does this kind of thing full-time? She has a lot of these housesitting gigs and she goes around checking in on a few of them every day. She takes care of the plants and hangs out for awhile before going on to the next one. All she does is rotate between them. That’s her whole job. It’s got to be the easiest one in the world. I wish I’d thought of it.”
“So why isn’t she doing this one?” A glimmer of hope rises up in me but I’m trying to be cautious. This is New York. Everything comes with a price and if it seems too good to be true, it always is.
At the same time, my mind’s jumping toall the possibilities this could bring me. Having a great address in this city is a big step towards to having a fabulously sparkling life. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. When I was a student along with Riley, we’d watch reruns of all the housewives shows and dream about how we could live our own glam lives some day.
Going to law school means that Riley’s much more on track for achieving that lifestyle than I am, but I still want it too. Mydreams of becoming a investigative journalist aren’t the best way to get there, but still. I’m determined to pull it off somehow and a great address is a massively positive step in that direction.
“She can’t, she’s going on vacation and she’s already arranged everything. She doesn’t want to cancel. I’d do it myself but it’s too much commuting time for me to take on now. So I said you would.”
“You already told her I would? Really, Riley?” It’s not like her not to ask first. “Why?”
