Page 2 of Thanks for the Love
I let out a nervous laugh.The jungle?I’m not sure I like the sound of that.
“You didn’t have to cut your conversation short on my behalf.”
She waves her hand. “Oh please, you gave me a great excuse to get off the phone. Enrique is sweet, but he gets a little pushy. I’ve made it clear that we aren’t exclusive. You’d think he’d get the picture by now, right?”
I nod. Although I’ve barely had any interaction with Lila, so of course I don’t know anything about her personal life.
“Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff. I have some goodies for you.” She begins digging around in her bag.
“Here are your house keys, the gate card, and the garage door opener. I already texted you all the codes, so you should be good to go.”
A rush of excitement takes over, making me forget about the jungle comment.
“Thank you so much. I can’t wait to see the house.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I have great news,” she continues. “I found us another roommate. Her name is Reagan, and we met at Pilates class. She’s from Iowa or Indiana, or one of those places where it’s cold all the time.”
I force a smile even though my stomach is twisting into knots. I’m really stepping out of my comfort zone—moving in with not one, but two complete strangers.
“I think you’ll really like her. She’s super nice and works for one of the big hotel chains.”
How does she know I’ll like her? She barely knows me.
“I look forward to meeting her,” I say. But at the same time, I’m thinking about what it’ll be like living with two girls I’ve never spent any time with.
Lila continues spouting off information about the guards at the gates, the lawn care company, and the housekeepers that come in every other week. I should probably be writing everything down, but before I have a chance her phone rings, making her squeal. “I’m sorry. This is a potential client I’ve been waiting on."
She answers, and I can’t help but listen as she works her magic. She’s basically selling a two million-dollar listing right before my eyes. Damn, and I thought I was good. I have no doubt she’s earned her spot here at Fun in the Sun Realty. It makes me eager to get started and build a name for myself in Miami.
* * *
I scan my card at the gate to my new neighborhood, waving to the guard like I know what I’m doing. As I drive slowly down the street, I take in my surroundings. The manicured lawns are full of tall palm trees and bright tropical flowers. It won’t be hard getting used to this drive every day.
My GPS directs me to make several turns and leads me to a grand, cream-colored, sprawling house with a brown spanish tile roof. I pull into the wide circular driveway and park directly in front of two massive glass front doors. I slowly get out of the car and stare up at my new home. So far so good.
As soon as I step through the door, I get excited. The layout is an open concept with tall cathedral ceilings and lots of windows. This is a definite upgrade from my apartment back in Orlando. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely, but nothing like this. Now I can understand why Lila didn’t want her parents to part with this house.
I follow her directions and walk toward the left side of the house. I’m pleasantly surprised when I see my room. It’s open and spacious with a bay window overlooking the large backyard. There’s a pink gift bag sitting on the bed with an envelope leaning against it. Inside I find a large box of Godiva chocolates and a gift card to Trader Joe’s. I can’t think of a better welcome gift.
After setting my bag down, I wander through the house. It’s actually the perfect setup for living with multiple people. The living spaces are all located in the center of the house, with the bedrooms in opposite corners, each with their own bathroom. The private bathroom was a huge selling point for me. The last thing I wanted was to have to share a bathroom with someone I didn't know. That’s a recipe for disaster.
The kitchen might be my favorite room in the entire house. There are large beams running across the ceiling, and a huge island in the middle with barstools all around it. It’s the perfect space for entertaining. Most party guests congregate in the kitchen anyway. I look in both the fridge and the pantry—Lila has some staples, but I definitely need to make a run to the grocery store today. As much as I love pickles, Cheez-Its, and almonds, I need more sustenance.
I continue my tour, peeking out the french doors at the backyard. The pictures Lila sent definitely didn’t do it justice, and it only confirms that I made the right decision to move in here. The resort-style pool is inviting with waterfalls cascading off the rock formations. Next to the pool is an outdoor kitchen with plenty of seating to entertain. Just beyond the pool area are two hammocks hanging between tall palms. I practically race through the yard on my way to one of them. What is it about hammocks that make them so fun?
I sit down in the one with plenty of shade and try to balance myself as I stretch out it. The soft breeze begins to rock the hammock, and I exhale slowly. For a second it almost feels like I could be at a resort in the Caribbean instead of in a neighborhood in a Miami suburb.
“This is perfect,” I say out loud.
“Hey, there,” a deep voice calls, causing me to shoot up from my position. Unfortunately, I move too quickly and start to lose my balance. As much as I try to hang on to the ropes, I’m unsuccessful.
I begin tipping despite my desperate efforts to stay on, and I hit the ground, hard. Upon impact pain shoots through my left hand, and I wail in agony.
Chapter Two
“Are you okay?” a male voice shouts.
I don’t know whether to be more worried about the pain pulsing through my arm or the fact that there’s a strange man somewhere in my backyard.
