BXBX NOVEL Chapter 79: Home
A few minutes later, a sleek black Jeep pulled up onto the driveway. The driver's side door swung open, and out stepped a lovely, slim woman in her mid-thirties. I could tell that she loved to do fitness.
I walked up to the porch and the woman approached me with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon. We spoke through the phone, right? You're a lot younger than I expected," she said, extending her hand to me.
I returned her smile and shook her hand. "Yes, I'm Jack."
"Isabella."
"Nice to meet you," I said. "I was hoping it would be alright to take some pictures and check out a few technical things like the water heater and the utility closet."
"Certainly! I've got plenty of photos and technical documents on my computer. If you'd like, you can look through them and print out any that you find useful."
Since I was getting a fully equipped house, I had to avoid overpaying for malfunctioning things.
We stepped through the door into the hallway.
"Would you like some coffee first?" she asked me.
"Thank you, but I've still got somewhere to go this evening, so I'll have to pass on the coffee."
"No problem," she replied. "So, why do you want to move here?"
"I'm actually a student at Florida University. I've been looking for a place that's a bit quieter."
Her expression shifted slightly. "Really? And what kind of work do you do?" she asked as a hint of skepticism crossed her face.
I could sense she was trying to gauge whether I could afford the place.
I gave a reassuring smile, "I'm studying full-time, but I also do some freelance work for an investment institution."
She continued asking more questions and as the conversation got underway, I was reviewing the house.
Starting from the door, to the left, there was an open kitchen and the dining room.
The kitchen connected the bright with the dark with it's mix of navy wood design and marble touches. For example, there was a big white marble table in the dining area.
On the right side of the hallway, a door led to the living room. A glass wall was hidden behind dark curtains, but after I moved them to the side, lots of light got inside, lighting up the comfy sofa and the wooden coffee table in the center.
The staircase was on the left side of the hallway, and just under it was a small storage room, like in the Harry Potter movies.
Opposite the utility room was a small study, something along the lines of an office.
At the end of the hallway was the main bedroom.
It was roomy, with a big bed and a walk-in closet. There was an attached bathroom, which included a double sink and a walk-in shower.
Upstairs, there was another bedroom with its own bathroom. This room was a bit smaller but still comfortable.
There was also a guest bedroom, along with a guest bathroom.
One thing that was regretful was that the only way to get to the backyard was through the main bedroom or by walking around the house.
After I walked through the house, Isabella guided me into her study, showed me her laptop, opened the file with pictures of the house and technical information, and pointed out the printer to me.
I spent the next 30 minutes going through the photos and reviewing the utility information. Some of the utilities were set up outside, while others were in the small storage room under the stairs.
After carefully examining everything, I decided that almost everything was perfect.
Of course, nothing is ever truly perfect, but overall, it was okay.
Isabelle was a really talkative woman; at this point, she had already told me about her entire life, all her jobs, that she got divorced three years ago and she wanted to move out to Orlando so she was selling this house.
She probably got divorce money and wanted to buy herself something better.
"I want to buy this house." I finally said.
Her face brightened up instantly. "Oh, that's fantastic! I'm so glad to hear that. We will just need to finalize a few things with the agent. My only things left are in the study, so you could move in by Friday!"
"When could we meet together with the agent to finalize everything and transfer the property?"
"I'll organize it for tomorrow. Probably sometime in the morning. I'll get in touch with the agent and set everything up."
We chatted for a bit longer, exchanged contact information and then I thanked Isabella and headed out.
I drove away in my Subaru Impreza, taking State Road 24 out of Gainesville and then merging onto US Road 301 to Jacksonville.
After buying the house, I would have just under $300,000 left. I needed something that would make me look rich, not necessarily for my own satisfaction, although it does feel nice.
I already had my Snow White BMW, my Subaru Impreza and two other cars stashed away in my rented garage, but with the new house providing more space, I could indulge in something even more eye-catching.
The Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe was a classic choice, but I wanted something even more striking—something that would turn everyone's heads, even the haters.
I drove into the city and soon arrived at a dealership.
I parked my car in the lot and stepped out, glancing around.
Outside, a few people were milling about, checking out the Ferraris displayed outside. There was a black Ferrari F355 Spider and a yellow Ferrari 355 Berlinetta, the coupe version of the Spider.
I noticed that a few enthusiasts were actually eyeing my Subaru Impreza with interest. They knew the value of a well-crafted machine. I exchanged a brief chat with one of them and after a few minutes, I walked inside the dealership.
Inside the dealership, the gray floor was lined with various Ferraris, but the star of the show was a fiery red 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS with it's curvaceous body lines, lifted up on a pedestal in the center of the room.
The Ferrari's hood had a graceful curve, and its front end had this distinctive low-slung grille and round, chromed headlamps that resembled a pair of keen eyes.
I saw one man in shorts and a white t-shirt standing right next to it; his jaw dropped in awe, clearly taken by the car's beauty.
In this condition, the car was worth at least $1.6 million.
I walked up to the man. "A true masterpiece, isn't it?"
He turned to me, still mesmerized by the car. "Oooh, yes—it's a beautiful one... but," he shook his head, "these cars are incredible, but if you're not already happy with your life, they won't bring you happiness..."
"Happiness? What good is happiness?" I replied. "It can't buy money."