Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Oh my God, the maintenance cost must be incredible,” I whisper, my eyes round. “I mean, I didn’t know grass could be such a vivid emerald color.”
Halsey nods, squinting a little.
“Yeah, right? It’s almost like they colored it with food dye or something. I’ll have to talk to the gardeners about that.”
I smile as we start walking across a paved footpath towards a wooded area behind the lawn.
“Yes, but you don’t own this place, Halsey. Someone else would manage the estate.”
My friend just shrugs, unconcerned.
“You heard Travis and what he said. He’s going to buy it for me.”
I stare at my friend.
“Yes, but it was just a joke, right? I mean, Hals, this place must be in the tens of millions of dollars. We’re in one of the nicest parts of Long Island, and not only that, but that house must be thirty thousand square feet! What would you do with so much space?”
She shrugs sassily and grins.
“Fill it with furniture, I guess. Who knows? As soon as we pulled up this morning, I told Travis that I liked it, and I know him. My boyfriend’s going to buy it for me,” she says with conviction.
I stare again.
“But does he have that kind of money?” I ask in a disbelieving voice. “I mean, tens of millions is a lot, girlfriend. I know you said Travis was an entrepreneur, but you didn’t say anything about him being as rich as Midas.”
Halsey winks at me, still sauntering without a care in the world.
“Don’t worry, Travis is worth ten figures, girlfriend. And before you start counting zeroes, it means that he’s a billionaire many times over, so actually, the sale price isn’t even that much to him. It’s not a drop in the bucket, of course, but it’s also not something that he needs to worry about. Besides, it makes me happy, so I know he’s going to do it,” she adds as we stop for a moment in the shade of a massive oak tree. Then Halsey lets out a blissful sigh, her eyes dreamy. “It’s nice to have a boyfriend who loves you, don’t you think?”
I nod, still stunned by this new information.
“Yes, but Hals, if you move here, how are you going to go to school? I mean, this is a great place but it’s at least a three hour drive from the city. Are you going to stack all your classes into two days, and live here for the rest of the week?”
Halsey shrugs, unconcerned.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe they’ll let me do all remote learning. But my gut feeling is that I’m going to leave Loyola, girlfriend. You know me. I was never really into school to begin with, and to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if I get put on academic probation as soon as we get back. My midterm grades were awful, and I’m not exactly looking forward to going back and cramming for finals. It’s going to be a huge shitshow.”
I stare at her.
“So you’re dropping out of school?” I ask in a low voice.
Halsey shrugs and smiles, tossing a lock of long blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Yeah, probably. I mean, if Travis wins the auction, I’m literally going to be the lady of the manor. I know I’m projecting a bit, but I expect to have my hands full managing this place. There will be gardeners, cooks, maids, and cleaning staff. Not to mention,” she adds in a low tone, “Travis and I are trying to get pregnant,” she shares with a blush. “So soon, there may be the pitter patter of little feet, especially since I know that my boyfriend’s very virile.”
I stare at her, even more flummoxed now.
“But Hals, you’re nineteen and you just met this guy in September! It’s only been two months.”
The beautiful blonde shrugs, unconcerned.
“Yeah, but when you know, you know, girlfriend. I mean, I’ve been with a lot of guys in the past. Honestly, I could write a book on my dating experiences because you know I’ve always been into older men, Annie. Hell, when I was a sophomore in high school, I was seeing a guy who was sixty!”
I stammer with shock.
“Sixty? But you must have been only sixteen!”
Halsey giggles with a sly smile.
“Yeah, my parents were pretty taken aback. Hell, they were pissed. But you know I’m from Georgia, right? The age of consent there is sixteen, so it wasn’t like we were committing a crime, and besides, Howard was very kind to me. His wife had just passed away, and being with a pretty young thing was exactly what he needed as a pick me up.”
I stare at her.
“Yes, but what about you? You were nothing but an impressionable young teenager!”
“Who me?” Halsey laughs. “No, it was totally fine being with Howard! I enjoyed it and besides, you know that diamond tennis bracelet I have? The one that’s five carats? That’s Howard,” she winks craftily. But then my friend becomes serious. “I know not all women are attracted to older men, but I always say they’re like fine wines. They just need some time to settle in, and then we’re good to go.”