I flash Reed a snarky look. “Sure, Reed. You not wanting me to party with C-Bomb this week didn’t inspire your decision at all.”
“Not at all.” He matches my snarky expression. “Come on, Intrepid Reporter. There’s a lot more to see.” He takes two steps and tosses over his shoulder, “And, yes, you can take notes on your phone. But, please, don’t record me speaking, unless I’ve expressly consented.”
I stop walking, surprised he’s read my mind so accurately, and Reed stops walking, too.
“Georgie, you’ve got the most expressive face I’ve ever seen, and I can already read it like a book.” He crooks his finger. “Now, come, come, little kitty. I’ll show you the whole house, anything you want to see. Just as long as the last stop is my bedroom upstairs.”
29
GEORGINA
Reed leads me through several rooms on the ground floor of his impressive home, while I “ooh” and “aah” and take furious notes on my phone. He shows me a game room. A wine room. A home theater. We walk down a hallway and turn a corner and, suddenly, I’m standing in the most spectacular kitchen imaginable—a beautiful, sleek space that instantly makes me wish my mother were alive to see it.
“Do you cook?” I ask, running my palm over a sleek countertop.
“I cook breakfast pretty well. But, mostly, it’s my housekeeper, Amalia, who cooks in here. Caterers, too.”
“When is Amalia at the house, typically?”
“She stays overnight Monday through Thursday every week, unless I’ve told her to take off at five during any given week. Some weeks, I want complete privacy when I get home from work.”
I open my mouth to suggest perhaps this coming week should be one of those weeks of extra privacy, but the clever man beats me to the punch.
“Yes, Georgina. Of course, I’ve already told Amalia to take off at five every day this week. I had no choice, once I found out you’re a screamer. My house is big, but it’s not big enough to contain Georgina Ricci’s screams of ecstasy.”
I swat his shoulder. “I’ve never screamed like that with anyone but you.”
“Well, that’s a given.” He gestures for me to follow him. “The quicker we get through this tour, the quicker I’ll get to hear you scream again.”
He leads me through a set of French doors and around a corner, and, suddenly, we’re standing on a serene patio, complete with water features, twinkling lights, and manicured bushes and flowers.
“Am I dead?” I ask, looking around the peaceful space. “Is this heaven?”
Reed chuckles. “That’s what Henn’s wife, Hannah, said when she first saw this patio. That’s why I offered to host their wedding here—because Hannah loved it so much.”
“I can’t believe you let them have their wedding here. That was so generous.”
Reed shrugs it off. “All I did was open my house and wallet, and Hannah and her wedding consultant did the rest.”
“Wait, youpaidfor the wedding? I thought you meant you let themuseyour house for it—which, right there, would have been an incredibly generous thing to do.”
Reed pulls a face like that’s a ridiculous notion. “What kind of person says to his best friend, ‘Sure, you canusemy house to marry the love of your life,’ but then doesn’t foot the bill?”
“Um, plenty of people say that. And I’m sure it’s very much appreciated.”
Reed waves at the air. “Go big or go home, baby. It’s one of my favorite mantras.” He points to my phone playfully. “Write that down, Intrepid Reporter. ‘Reed lives by the mantra, Go big or go home.’”
I roll my eyes. “I think I can remember you’re a big fan of ‘going big’ without writing it down.” I motion to our surroundings. “All I’ll have to do is look around me this week to remember that fact.”
“Suit yourself. I wouldn’t deign to tell a professional how to do her job.” He flashes me a charming smile. “Ready to move on?”
“Lead on.”
I follow Reed down a pathway, past a basketball court, and then past a beach-volleyball court, and a moment later, we’re standing next to anelegant black-bottom swimming pool overlooking the twinkling lights of Los Angeles.
“This is spectacular,” I say. “I love swimming—being weightless. If I lived here, I’d swim laps every day of my life. Or maybe, just come out here to float.”
“Feel free to use the pool any time you like. It’s heated.”
