Female Novel
Chapter 47
Chapter 47: Cleaning Lady
Time really flies by. Without even knowing it, we are only a few days away from the anniversary party.
The party will be held at a lakeside country house. Mom is in hysterics, getting herself all worked upabout everything looming on the horizon. She moved to the country house two weeks ago to make sureeverything goes perfect.
And three days before the party, she called me nonstop asking for help. I have no choice but to take afew days off from school and come to her side.
Eason volunteers to drive me there. He picks me up at school in a red convertible, which is absolutelyconspicuous in the school parking lot. People are actually turning their heads to look when I open thedoor and hop inside.
“How many luxury cars do you own?” I ask him when he exists the parking lot.
His hands are on the wheels, eyes straight ahead, as a playful grin appears on his lips. “Do you reallywant to know? Or are you just being ironic?”
“I was being ironic, but I am also curious now,” I giggle. “Let me guess…10?”
“10?” he laughs out loud, “That’s the top number you can guess?”
I bite my bottom lip, feeling a little embarrassed. I’ve always known that he is rich but exactly how muchmoney he possesses is beyond my imagination.
“Stop making fun of me!” | groan, “Just tell me.”
“Fine,” he smiles and taps his index finger rhythmically on the wheel. “So in Boston I have 5 cars, but Iusually only drive M8 and Maserati. And in New York, I think there are 3-4? I’ve lost count. Let methink… there are a couple more in L.A. I order a new Lamborghini last year and they just shipped to myhouse in L.A. a few days ago. We can fly down there and give it a test run one day. And that’s howmany I have in the U.S.-”
“OK, OK!” | interrupt him before he goes too far. “That’s enough. I got the idea…God, why do you needso many cars? You only drive a few normally. It’s such a waste.”
“A waste? To be honest, only people with no money worry about practicability. I have more money thanI can ever splurge in a lifetime, so I simply buy what I like.”
I lapse into silence. He’s right. We have different mindsets and I’ll never be able to understand his life.
“Hey,” he takes a look at me. “You are not mad at me, aren’t you?”
“No. It’s just-” | pause before saying, “We are so different, you know? Do you really think there will be afuture ahead of us?”
He takes his hand off the wheel and reaches over, taking my palm. “I know what you are worryingabout. But let’s just focus on the present. The rest will come into play when the time comes.”
I smile back at him, trying my best to shake off those dark feelings at the back of my mind.
When we get off the freeway, he opens the top and lets the summer wind breeze in. The weather is so
good. We even catch a glimpse of the stunning sunset. On the way, he stops the car once to get me amint chocolate chips ice-cream. It tastes so great and my mood couldn’t be better.
When we arrive at the country house, it has already passed 7. The car drives through the big iron gateand into the English landscape garden, which is so huge and clearly under careful maintenance.
We finally stop at the front door, behind the fountain. A maid comes to greet us and takes our luggagewhen mom appears behind the doors and rushes downstairs.
“God! You are finally here!” she waves her hands in frustration. “You should’ve arrived this afternoon. Ihave so many works for you.”
“Umm..I let her drag me into the hall and ask. “You have like a million maids and servants here. Whatdo you need me for?”
“I need you to be in charge, OK?” Mom grabs my shoulders and forces me to face her. “Theconstruction in the backyard is still not finished. Maybe you can oversee that? Wait, you haven’t seenthe drawing yet. No, you can’t do that. Let me think, let me think…go meet those florists! You can helpthem with all the décor.”
“Mom, calm down.” Her eyes are all bloodshot, so I know that she hasn’t rested properly. “Everythingwill be fine. You have everything under control. Why are you so worried?”
Mom takes a tremendous breath. “Yes, yes. You are right. I need to calm down. Nat, why don’t youcome with me and meet with the-”
Before she can finish, a couple appears around the corner. I am surprised to find that it’s Mr. Ramirezand Eason’s mom, Caroline Griswold.
She has her arm wrapped around Mr. Ramirez and is whispering something into his ear. They appearvery intimate-so intimate that they look more like a couple than him and my mom.
Mom’s face grows cold as soon as she sees them. And I immediately realize where her hysteria comesfrom.
“Alicia,” Mr. Ramirez smiles at my mom. “Caroline was just telling me that the backyard lookswonderful.”
“Thank you,” mom says dryly. “I was just asking Natalia to help.”
Caroline Griswold raises her sharp eyebrows at me. She is absolutely stunning today, but her smileseems very condescending and arrogant, “Are you looking for something to do Natalia? In that case,maybe you can help the cleaning lady. It sure takes a lot of time to get my room ready.”novelbin