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“And this right here is your room.” She unlocked the door and opened it, standing aside for me to walk in first.
It took everything in me not to open my mouth wide as I stared at what would be my bedroom for the next few months.
I had a freaking fireplace in my room was all I can think when I walked further into the room and saw the fireplace in the furthest corner of the room. A large painting of a snow-covered mountain hung over the fireplace. There were two floor-to-ceiling windows opposite the bed and the view from here was breathtaking.
On the other side of the room, opposite the fireplace, there were two cushions and a small center table.
I turned to Alba, who was still standing by the door, watching me as if waiting for my reaction.
“This is my room?” I asked again, just to be sure I heard her correctly.
“Yes, is it not to your liking?”
I burst into laughter at her words and immediately apologized so she didn’t take it the wrong way.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever slept in and you’re asking me if it’s to my liking. It’s just ironic.” I said to her, still smiling,
She smiled in return and I could already tell that we were going to be fast friends even though she was closer to my mother’s age than mine.
“I’m glad you like it then. If you come with me, I’ll give you a small tour of the house before we meet Mr. Fitzgerald.”
At the mention of his name, I remembered why I was here in the first place and I set my suitcase and handbag on the side of the room as if afraid to taint them. And I followed her out.
“Does Mr. Fitzgerald have physical therapy every day?” I asked.
“Oh, no. Just about three times a week. It would have been shorter by now if he started earlier.” Alba said; it felt like she wanted to say more, but refrained from doing so. I had a feeling it was a show of loyalty to her boss.
I was the outsider, and she was still deciding if she could trust me or not.
We walked back down the stairs together and went into the living room. The design was something out of a fairy tale.
How rich were these people?
I could not help asking myself repeatedly. Everything screamed of wealth and it was a hard pill to swallow, thinking that there were people who were this rich just as there were people who could not even afford a roof over their heads.
When we walk past a room downstairs, I suspect it was the gym when I heard the soft grunts of someone working out and a softer feminine voice telling him what to do. I am almost tempted to look in, but Alba had already walked past. I had to follow her before I got lost in the expansive mansion.
After the tour, my boss was still in therapy. Alba left me in my room to go get started on dinner then I took out my phone to call Leila when I was alone.
She answered on the first ring and I can tell she was still at work when I saw her sitting at her desk. Leila worked for the New York Times as an entertainment journalist. She loved her job, although she hated her bosses.
“Hey you,” she said.
“Hey, why are you still at the office? It’s almost 6 pm already.”
“Oh. It’s the time difference. It’s still about four here. How was your flight?”
“It was good. I mean, it was first class, so I can’t complain. But this house is enormous!” I said to her and then showed her my bedroom.
There were two doors in the room. One led to the closet and bathroom with bright lights and pastel-colored walls and floor. The other led to the balcony and I gasped when I saw the view, just as I was showing it to Leila.
“Oh, my God. I am deathly jealous of you right now.” Leila said in a whiny voice. “It’s like you’re on vacation.”
“Right? That’s exactly how it feels like, living here. It’s so big and everything’s so beautiful. I know they got me a first-class ticket, but I did not know just how rich they were.”
“I told you they were billionaires. Word had it that his father has two private jets. Not one, two!” Leila said with emphasis and we both burst into laughter.
It feels so good to laugh again. The air here felt different from New York. It was freer, easily breathable, and for the first time, I was not on the brink of tears just at the thought of my mother.
