He reaches out the window and this time when he puts the number in, the gate opens. The houses are spread out. The windows are cracked and I can hear seagulls and waves crashing in the distance. We must be close to the ocean.
I let out a low whistle as we drive past the different mansions. Whoever we’re here to see must be some big corporate type to be able to afford a place in this neighborhood. I wonder if we’re here to talk to someone about the new app we’re working on.
I look back at the others. They all look at me with big shit-eating grins on their faces. Is this part of the surprise? Is this why the lawyer was at our office? Maybe the new app sold and we’re here to meet the person who bought it?
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” I say.
Beck just smiles, on the verge of giddiness and says, “You’ll see.”
We come to a house that looks like something an A-list celebrity would live in. Then I start to wonder if maybe there actually is a celebrity living in there. Am I about to meet someone famous?
Winston’s Tesla is parked in the circular driveway. Beck pulls up behind it and everyone starts to spill out of the car. We go up to the door, but it’s already open. When we go inside, I wait for our host to greet us, but it’s only Winston.
He wears the same big, goofy smile that the others have on their faces. “Welcome home, angel,” he says, sweeping his arms in a big arch.
“What is he talking about?” I say to no one in particular. My heart is thrashing in my chest.
“Surprise,” Beck says.
Laughter boils up inside of me, but I’m too stunned to make a sound. My jaw drops to the floor. “You’re joking, right?”
“Nope. This is all yours—ours, actually. Do you like it?”
Tears burst from my eyes and so does the laughter waiting to escape. “Are you kidding me? Do I like it? No one can like a house like this. One can only love a place like this.”
I’m out of breath. This place has literally taken the breath from my lungs. I put my hand to my chest, trying to get my emotions under control.
I throw myself into Beck’s arms. “So the snake in the suit, that wasn’t a lawyer?”
He wrinkles his brow. “Of course not. You’ve met our lawyer. That was the real-estate agent.”
I take turns hugging each of them. This place feels right. I can see myself living here, making dinner for my guys, entertaining.
“We have one more surprise for you,” Jason says, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“There’s more?” I say. I don’t know if my nerves can handle much more.
Jason leads me to the back of the house. We come to a huge wall of windows showing off a show-stopping back yard. There’s a lagoon-style pool, a hot tub, a basketball court, and a cabana just like the one at the bar we went to when I first had sex with all of my guys.
But what gets my attention is the black and white border collie that runs up to the door with his tongue hanging out. I throw the door open and run outside to greet him.
“Oh my god, you’re adorable,” I say, scratching him behind his ear. He’s so sweet and affectionate. He puts all of his weight against me and looks up at me with the most adoring eyes. He has a collar on. I look at the tag. It reads: Speedo. I laugh at the weird name.
“Let me guess. You guys named him,” I say. It sounds like something they would come up with.
“Actually, no, he already had a name. We adopted him from the shelter.”
I hug the dog’s neck and he melts into me.
“He’s perfect. You are all perfect.” I swipe at the tears rolling down my cheeks. “Everything is so incredibly perfect.”
I wish I could stay in this day forever. I have my guys, my dream house, and now my dog. I couldn’t possibly be happier than I am right at this moment.
“Let’s eat then go check out the rest of the house,” Trey says.
Winston had brought Thai food, which was why he came separate from the others. It’s in the kitchen, piled on the counter. The kitchen is enormous. Dark wood cabinets, solid granite counter tops. Two refrigerators that blend in with the cabinets. Two stoves as if whoever designed this house had been prepared for a cook-off. Looks like a kitchen made for Iron Chef. I guess I’ll need to become a better cook if I’m going to do this room justice. I want to deserve a place like this. And if I’m going to have a kitchen taking up this much space, I want to make it worth it.
I scarf down my food, too excited about seeing the rest of the place to take my time nibbling daintily. Since the others eat like starving animals on any given day, dinner doesn’t take long and we head for the tour.