Deuce-ace Roommates

03: Outside

"The place is huge and epicurean." I stuttered, taken aback by my new home for the rest of the school years.

The further we travel around the penthouse the familiar I get with the corners and paths leading to everywhere. I learned about the modern library, the private courtyard with swimming pool. The house is a four bedroom penthouse which is absolutely elegant and too perfect for first year college students.

"Believe me I know, I have nothing to do with anything here. It's all KC's, his father own the building and some couple more round California." Riley explain.

My widen eyes meanders around when I say. "When you said small, I was picturing some cozy wooden house with two bedrooms."

"I was afraid you would turn me down." With small smile, she speculated. "I know the place is quite too rich and superior in quality. KC's family possesses only the most excessively expensive stuffs. His mom makes sure he lives a satisfying life." Riley instantly turns rosy pink. She bashfully folds her bottom lip between her teeth, muffling her smile.

That's the effect KC has over her. Riley had loved him with everything she has. I could remember among the letters she wrote to me which I do have in my suitcase, she had made sure she detailed out her feelings for him on that paper. She claims he is it for her. Now I can only believe the trueness of her words.

For even saying his name makes her blush.

"That's redundant." I mumble as we follow the grand staircase.

"The only good part is we get to be together all the time." Confidentially, she asserted.

"Of course." I agree with a single nod, jutting my excited face.

Stopping by the fourth door at the end of the hall, Riley turns the doorknob and reveal a well decorated bedroom. "Here's your room, you can decorate it to your liking. For a while now I have been thinking to repaint the walls, the house is too bright for people like us. Do you think when you're free we can go grab some paint and make home here." She crowed with joy.

"I almost thought you're so parentally." I teased, failing to smother the smile.

"Told you I love arts." She reminded me something I've known for years.

"Yes. . . I should take a shower and finish up, it's still early we can go today?" I queried.

With crinkle eyes lids, Riley curiously probed. "You don't wanna take some rest?"

"I've slept almost the whole flight."

"Great! paint shopping it is then." She joyfully clap her palms together. I offered a flash of smile before she walk out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Immediately silence took over my surrounding, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and sunk into the soft made mattress with my both eyes close.

Taking some minutes to myself.

I am exhausted, I had a hectic day yet I still feel the zing of exploring Palo Alto so I push myself up and take in the big extravagant room with a perfect city view through the glass doors that lead to a private balcony.

I saunter to the en-suite bathroom that smells like expensive bouquets. Everything is accordingly in place waiting for me to use. I slip out of my peach dress and settled into the marbled tub.

And for once I let myself relish the whole sumptuous benefit of this penthouse.

By the time I emerged from the bathroom with natural beach waves hair; thanks to the supplies from the cabinets—I was feeling less knackered. I open my suitcases and fish out my underwear and grey lace up ankle boots before dressing into a white crochet summer kimono over my grey tank top and light blue high-waist denim distressed frayed shorts.

I put on a light makeup and leave my bedroom. Riley was seating around the island of the acrylic metallic glossy kitchen when I descended the staircase, she was fully concentrating on whatever's in the MacBook mirroring her.

"Hey!" She immediately snap out when she sense my presence.

"You're ready?" My eyes rose along with the question.

"Of course." She blurted and shut the laptop on the worktop before sliding off the bar stool with excitement all over her feature. "Honestly, I never expect to find you so fashionable... Not meaning in any offending manner." She append while she hangs a small white crossbody bag over her shoulder.

"None taken. To be completely honest, I also portrayed you the artist type." I sincerely remarked.

"Believe me when I say the arts are all here." Riley giggle and hold the spot where her heart is. "And the whole external version of me is just polar of your expectations." She laughed out. "We rather stroll, there's some paints store few blocks away, unless you prefer we drive?" She ask when she grab one among the keys in some mini drawer by the entranceway.

"Stroll is okay. Beside I think my legs definitely need it after hours of nestling them in the plane."

"Definitely." She smiles, dropping the keys before requesting the private elevator to slide open.

At the last floor we stepped out of the elevator, around the lobby my eyes flicker and dart on Hopper and some men rocking the same polo shirts before Riley and I headed out of the building to purchase necessary buckets of paint.

Her manicure nails tracing the words on the bucket when she swirls around. "What do you think?"

"Where are you painting?" The clerk questioned.

Riley leered at the older man with slug grey eyes. "Our skins." She gibe along with a smirk, forcing out the intended effect on the innocent man's expression.

However he managed to reply her sarcastic respond. "Maybe white would do?"

"It's white everywhere." She shook her head, denying his idea.

"Ooo! Uhm Maybe you should consider blue?" He suggested.

"No! I need something homey." Riley heaves a breath and takes another aisle.

My parent felt at home around beige or taupe walls. Those are the colors that easily reminds me of how prefect my family used to be.

"What about taupe?" I instinctively blurt out.

Riley halt and twist to face me, her lips pull into a satisfying smile. "Great! And we could make the bedrooms muted green, what do you think?" She elatedly announce.

"That sounds like art." I quipped.

After paying for eight buckets of paints, we ambled around the beautiful streets of Palo Alto for over two hours. The paint store sets to deliver our purchased contents to the definite address Riley had written down on the delivery slip before we exited the store.