[Chapter 53: New Home]
Watching Billy and Anna walk out of the mansion, John immediately started organizing things. He first called Joseph, who, along with his wife, said they would arrive at the mansion shortly.
There were exactly two rooms available on the first floor, so Bob took one, and Joseph and his wife took the other.
Yes, Bob and Joseph's couple would be living with John in the mansion. Originally, he had planned for Bob to stay with Zach, but Zach said he was used to being alone. Plus, since Bob was John's security, he needed to be close by. So, Bob ended up staying on John's side.
While waiting for Joseph and his wife, John and Zach discussed the moving plans. No matter how you looked at it, both of them were excited about owning such a luxurious mansion, and their excitement showed as they talked.
When Joseph and his wife arrived, well, Joseph's wife was a bit overweight in her early thirties -- think the average housewife type, you get it. She wasn't particularly striking, but the couple was clearly very much in love and enviable. They had no kids yet, living a rather carefree life.
They were assigned the room on the first floor and were asked to tidy up the mansion a bit. Then John and the others drove back to his rental apartment.
---
Sitting in his old apartment, John felt a wave of emotion. He had truly stepped into the wealthy lifestyle.
His clothes were always designer labels worth thousands, even tens of thousands -- Armani, Gucci -- the kind he used to buy when he accompanied Charlize, although not yet the legendary bespoke tailoring.
Housing? He was about to move into a "modest mansion" worth several million dollars, though not the multi-million or even hundred-million dollar mega-mansions out there.
As for transportation, his recently purchased luxury Cadillacs and Lincolns were common among the rich, although, of course, he didn't yet have the special custom editions.
Still, John thought to himself, it probably wouldn't be long before, like the legends of his past life, wealth was just a number to him. Then maybe he'd focus more on status or reputation -- the things billionaires really chase after when money is no longer a priority.
---
He called Charlize to update her. She said she was busy filming a few commercials in New York. Right now, Charlize seemed more like a rising young model from the future.
Although she'd been prepared for this, hearing about the move made Charlize a bit regretful.
Yes, regretful -- because Charlize decided not to move in with John. After all, she was hustling in Hollywood, and if word got out she had a boyfriend, especially one at seventeen, it wouldn't do her career any favors.
John had anticipated that. He knew Charlize wouldn't give up her acting career, and he wasn't going to force her either. After all, it wouldn't be fun if the future Hollywood star disappeared.
...
As for the three rooms he rented in the old apartment complex, John wasn't giving them up. Since he'd already paid for a year, he might as well leave them vacant.
That way, Charlize would be the only one living in the entire 12th floor, which would be safer. Plus, John could occasionally come hang out, giving himself a small place of his own.
He figured one year was enough. By 1996, Charlize's career should take off, and she could move out of the area.
He also gave himself the same one-year timeline. By then, his wealth, as he projected, might even hit the one-hundred-million mark, giving him full freedom to move on opportunities. After all, in this era, opportunities were everywhere for him.
After the call with Charlize, John contacted a cleaning company and signed a contract for weekly deep cleans to avoid having to handle the cleaning himself.
With everything arranged, he packed up with Zach and Bob and headed to the new mansion.
...
Evening at the foot of Beverly Hills, inside John's mansion.
Ring~ring~ring~
The lively ringtone interrupted the group's casual chat inside the mansion.
"Hello, this is John Leighton. Who's this?" John answered habitually.
"Hey, John, it's Kenny. So, the house is bought, right?"
"Hi, Kenny, yeah, bought it. Where are you guys now?"
"Wow, mind if we stop by to check it out?"
"Of course, you're welcome." He gave Kenny the address, exchanged a few casual words, then hung up.
"The two rich heirs we ran into at the dealership yesterday?" Zach asked after hearing the call.
"Yep, those two. They'll be here soon. Don't worry about them. Zach, let's have dinner party tonight to celebrate."
"Oh yeah? That sounds great."
---
"Hey John, nice place you have here." John greeted Kenny and Mansour at the door, who grinned and praised the mansion.
"Yeah right, if a regular person said that, I'd be happy. But you two probably have servants' quarters bigger than this," John replied with a smirk.
"Ha! Nice weather today, huh?" Kenny quickly changed the subject, making everyone laugh.
"John, you know what? I had our people look into you. Didn't expect you actually just got out of the St. John's Welfare Home this year.
Sorry for the background check, man. You know our world. But it won't happen again, we're friends now."
Walking and chatting, Kenny was frank.
"Oh, no big deal. I've got nothing to hide. I get your situation, but now I hope this is the last time, okay?"
"Of course, John. Thanks for understanding. We're friends, right? It absolutely won't happen again, I promise."
Listening to Kenny's solemn promise, John smiled and nodded. He wasn't angry but did raise an eyebrow. Making connections with the right people couldn't hurt, after all.
In his past life, he'd heard plenty of insider gossip about wealthy families -- though mostly rumors. But as the saying goes, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."
...
Then John introduced Kenny and Mansour to the people around him. Kenny had probably already done his homework on John's circle, so they greeted each other warmly.
They were excited about John's promise of an unforgettable dinner. The table was set with wood-fired truffle pizza, prime ribeye steaks cooked to perfection, lobster tails with drawn butter, and a side of creamy mashed potatoes with roasted vegetables. A basket of fresh sourdough bread rounded out the spread.
At first, John wondered if Mansour, who was from Abu Dhabi, might have any dietary restrictions.
But Kenny assured everyone that Mansour had some restrictions back home, but in the US, he ate and drank everything. Mansour was a total foodie.
Everyone laughed.
Drinking Chianti with the meal, John felt at ease. As for his age, no one bothered to ask, so he got to enjoy himself properly for once.
*****
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