AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I gasp. It’s spectacular.
“This is your space,” she tells me. “There’s a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, closet. There’s a TV in your room and a mini fridge in there. The kitchen is fully stocked, and there’s a bar over there, also stocked.” She points to a bar that looks like it belongs in one of the hottest nightclubs in LA.
“Can I ask?” I twirl around, looking at everything. “How does it work? Do you only work when Aaron’s here?”
She smiles and I notice how pretty she is.
“We get paid a yearly salary and are expected to maintain the property and stock it when Mr. Sullivan arrives. He’s very generous.”
She walks over to the glass wall. “Over there,” she points past a large golf course, “is the house that he bought for me and myfamily. “Over there,” she points to the right of the house, past the basketball courts and I can’t even tell what else, “that’s where Chef lives.”
“There’s a chef? His name is Chef?” I’m confused.
Sienna grins. “His name is Brad, but he goes by Chef. He’s on call day and night so you can order whatever you feel like.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
Sienna looks down and picks at her nails. “All the staff have housing and bills paid, on top of their salaries, even though Mr. Sullivan is barely here. I’m extremely grateful.”
Her eyes fill with tears, and I step forward and give her a hug.
I smile. “I knew there was more to him than just being a grump.”
She laughs and steps back. “I’m sorry, that was extremely unprofessional of me.”
“Don’t apologize. It just peels back another layer.”
“Yes like a…” she clicks her fingers trying to find the words, “caramel chocolate. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside.” She wipes her tears away. “He found all of us when we were on the brink of losing everything and changed our lives forever.”
Instantly, Aaron’s work obsession starts to make a bit more sense. He’s not just funding his own lifestyle, but a slew of people that work for him.
The crew took our phones before we went up to our rooms at the hotel to make sure we couldn’t google him. I know a couple of the girls managed to sweet-talk a stranger into letting them borrow their phone, but only very briefly. All they found out is that Aaron’s a billionaire, he was in a messy public fight withsome football player that everyone loves, and now his business is in trouble.
I look out the window and wonder what it would be like to live here. Playing tennis or basketball. Not that I ever play sport, but I’d like to watch other people play.
It feels like such a nice place to vacation. Maybe Danielle and I could come back, maybe with Natalie. That would be a fun trip. Maybe Aaron would let us stay here. As much as he’s a grump, I think perhaps it was the circumstances. I’m learning that there’s more to him. There’s a generous side.
I ask if it’s okay to explore the rest of the place myself. Sienna gives me a general lay of the land, but part of the fun is getting lost and finding things you didn’t know were there.
She points out the buzzers that are all around the house that I can use if I need anything.
I profusely thank her and as much as I’d rather not bother anyone, I could kill for a cheeseburger right now, so I mention it to her on her way out. She tells me she’ll make sure one is brought up, along with fries and a specialty sauce that she swears is the best thing she’s ever eaten.
The moment Sienna leaves, I run and jump onto the bed. It feels like floating on a cloud or a very soft marshmallow.
For the first time since I’ve arrived, I feel truly happy, like I get to let loose and have fun. I get to be free. I get to explore. I don’t have anyone watching me, filming me; I don’t have anyone telling me where I need to be and at what time.
I don’t know how long I’ll get to stay here, but I’m going to make the most of it.
I pick out one of the bikinis Danielle made sure I brought with me. It’s one I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing on camera, but with this sudden freedom, I’m feeling a little cheeky.
My food arrives and I devour it. The sauce is so good I want to swim in it. Practically that would not be good but gosh, it is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
Sienna walks past as I’m just finishing and I’m sure me in a ridiculously small bikini with burger sauce all over my face is quite the sight.
She laughs. “I told you.”
“I need Chef to bottle some of that sauce, it’samazing. Seriously, I need a case to take back to Seattle with me.”
