How to Stay Afloat

~9: Where She's Invited to a Party~

CHAPTER 9:

Where She's Invited to a Party

~~**~~

|Fallon|

"You sure your parents won't mind?" I asked Archer.

He had called the tow truck company to take my car to his house. He'd explained how it made more sense since he had a proper garage and all his tools were already there, carrying them to and fro from his place to mine would be an inconvenience.

I knew he was too polite to say it but the thought of fixing my car on the sidewalk of my shady neighborhood probably wasn't that appealing to him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "They probably would," he gave me a wink, "if they knew."

My mouth dropped open and I started to protest but he beat me to it.

"Don't worry about it." He reassured. "My parents are hardly ever home and even if they are home I doubt they'll notice since our house has two separately attached garages. The car they use is in the first garage and I use the second one. It'll be a little snug but both of our cars should fit."

I could feel my eyebrows disappearing into my hairline.

"Your house has two garages?" I asked incredulously.

He shrugged again "The house came that way. Always seemed unnecessary to me. Never really thought having two garages would actually work to my advantage one day."

Before I could give him an appropriate response the tow truck arrived and Archer went over to talk to the man sitting behind the wheel.

~~**~~

My eyes were practically bugging out of my head when we reached Archer's house.

Not a house.

More like a mansion.

I watched as Archer reached out the passenger seat window and punched a code in the small keypad mounted on the brick wall beside the black iron grill gate. The gate opened automatically and there was a beautiful white marble fountain right in the middle of the black-stained concrete driveway which led up to the Hastings's elegant residence. The house was huge with glass walls and towering white pillars.

Shit

Archer Hastings is rich.

Like crazy rich

I mean I'd kind of started to suspect it when I'd seen his car and when he'd said that he had two freaking garages but I hadn't expected him to be this well off.

I swallowed, feeling a little nervous and out of place suddenly.

Archer must have noticed my unease. "What's wrong?" He asked, concern lacing his voice.

I swallowed, biting my lip. "Nothing's wrong," I reassured him. "I just didn't know that you were so well-off. I'm just a little caught off guard I guess." I gave him a small smile.

His gaze flitted towards his house briefly before returning to me. "Technically I'm not."

My face must have shown my bewilderment because he chuckled.

"What I mean is," he paused, "this isn't my money it's my father's. I'm just a privileged asshole, nothing special."

Something about the way he said the words gave me the impression that he wanted nothing to do with his father's money but I chose not to question him about it.