“Nope.” Nora unlocks the front door and pushes it open. “The guy who built the house went all out on every single room, except the bathrooms. They all have stand-up showers.”
“I think I’d rather have that than the bathtub.”
“Trade ya?”
“Deal.”
She laughs and takes my hand to give me a tour. The house is beautiful, but she’s right, it’s not overly fancy. It’s inviting—clean lines with lots of white and gray, and splashes of color throughout.
There’s an outdoor veranda attached to Nora’s room with a walking path that leads to a gorgeous infinity pool that my kids would die to swim in. The kitchen is opulent, with top-of-the-line appliances and more counter space than anyone could ever need. Exposed beams run the length of the living room ceiling, but as promised, the bathroom is mediocre compared to the rest of the house.
It makes me wonder if whoever built the place ran out of money when he got to the bathrooms.
“Are you ready for the best part?”
“The garage?”
“Okay, second-best part?” Nora asks, leading me down the hall and into another room. “Tada!”
She pushes the door open to a theater room—stadium seating with rows of leather chairs. With the push of a button, a giant white screen lowers from the ceiling.
“Isn’t it great? Can’t you picture the kids in here eating popcorn and watching a movie?”
She’s picturing my kids in her house, and I’m wondering how much this place set her back. Not that I would ever ask, because I wouldn’t, but I can’t help but think it. She has a theater room, for crying out loud.
I would never be able to buy her a house like this.
“Grayson?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m great, just a little hungry and tired from the flight.”
“I get like that too when I travel. I had my people stock the kitchen. Let’s go see what we can find to eat.”
She has people, I think, following her into the kitchen.
“You said the premiere is tonight?”
“Uh-huh.” Nora opens the refrigerator, roots around, and pulls out a couple of cold cut sandwiches. “Turkey or ham?”
“Turkey.”
She grabs some bottles of water, and we take a seat at the island.
“After we eat, we’ll pick out our clothes for tonight, and then you can chill by the pool or just hang out while I get my hair and makeup done.”
“Do you just have men’s tuxes hanging in your closet?”
“No, but my stylist is taking care of it.”
27
Nora
“You look stunning.” Grayson steps up behind me. His lips find the soft spot behind my ear and work their way down my bare neck and shoulder. “But, baby, what happened to the back of this dress?”