Page 265 of The Bonus

“It’s just a nickname.”

Dominic’s eyebrows flick up. “That’s dumb, what has this place got anything to do with apples?”

Gabriel laughs again, and I giggle too. “You do have a fair point.” Gabriel goes to the big black doors and scans his finger and then presses in a code on the PIN pad. The door clicks in release and he pushes it open.

We are hit in the face with the opulent luxury of a huge living room. The furniture is all cream with black trimmings, a gigantic black-and-cream rug is on the floor, and behind it are floor-to-ceiling windows looking over New York.

“Whoa.” Dominic’s and Lucia’s eyes widen as they peer in.

Holy fuck.

Holy fucking fuck.

This penthouse is new. I thought his last one was over-the-top beautiful.

This one is astronomical.

There are big cream floor lamps and a black square coffee table in the center that is adorned with beautiful ornaments. I get a vision of a ball being kicked and smashing everything to smithereens.

Oh hell…those need to be packed away stat.

“Come this way.” He bends down and picks up Dominic too and walks ahead of me. “Out here is our kitchen.” We walk through to a huge cream marble kitchen, what the hell…the island bench must be seven meters long. “And over here is our living room.” He brings us through to another living room, and my eyes widen; this living room is as big as the entire bottom floor of my house. “And this is our garden.” He pushes a button and the glass doors all begin to slide open.

“What the…?” I frown.

There’s a great big yard complete with a swimming pool. A full garden at the top of a skyscraper with grass and everything? Just…what the hell?

I’m flabbergasted.

“A pool?” Dominic yells.

“And it’s heated, you can go for a swim now if you like.”

Lucia’s eyes are the size of saucers as she looks around.

“Down here is the theater room and the gym, my office and a guest bedroom and bathroom,” he says casually as he walks down the corridor. “There’s a bar room.”

“Whoa.” Dominic’s eyes are bulging from his head. “This is…” His eyes flick to me, and I nod. “I know, bubba.”

It really is unbelievable; no wonder Gabriel has been struggling so hard in my tiny ramshackle of a house.

“Let me show you our bedrooms.” Gabriel carries the twins inside and I hobble along behind them. He goes to walk up the grand double staircase and looks back at me limping. “We will catch the elevator upstairs for Mom.”

“There’s an elevator in here?” I squeak.

Gabriel smiles over at me, realizing I’m a country bumpkin too. “Yes.” We get into the elevator and he pushes the button.

“You guys take the stairs if you are on your own, okay?” I get an image of one of them getting stuck in here or squashing the other one or something. The doors open and my eyes widen again, we’re in another living room. Giant-sized with big slouchy couches and cushions everywhere. “I had all this furniture ordered in for you guys, I thought this could be your living room.” He puts the kids down on the floor and opens the television cabinet. “I bought you an Xbox and I got Disney Plus and stuff.”

I smile that his sales pitch contains Xbox and Disney Plus.

“Whoa.” Dominic begins to bounce on the spot.

“And down here are the bedrooms.” He leads us down the grand hallway. “There are six bedrooms, and the end three are ours.” He points down to the end. “On the left is Dominic’s room.” We peer in and see a huge bedroom, it’s blue and beautifully furnished, there are floor-to-ceiling windows and big heavy curtains. “Wow.” We all gasp.

“On the right is Lucia’s room.” We all peer in to see the exact same version of Dominic’s room, only in pinks. “This is incredible,” I whisper.

“And here is Mom’s and my room.” He presents the room as if he’s the best real estate agent in town. “This is all new furniture and stuff for Mom.”

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