Page 19 (1/2)

"Where are we going?" I asked e got to his truck

"Surprise," Noah said, helping me up into the cab

He drove west of campus in the direction of two of the city ?" I asked Noah, worried that I wasn’t quite dressed for the occasion "Because I’lanced over at me and said, "You’re perfect"

For souise my response with another question He didn’t really think I was perfect It was just a saying "What’s our destination?"

"Casa de Hombre"

"The Man House?" I translated with some amusement

"Yup"

"You have a pool at your house?" And I thought I lived in swanky college digs

"Finn’s dad is in construction He was building this house at the Woodlands" Noah said it like I should know about it, but I didn’t

"Never heard of it," I adated couy who contracted for the house lost his shirt during the downturn, and his financing fell through Finn convinced his dad to let hiage, and e sell it we’ll split the equity," he explained

"Sounds all too grown up for me," I said I couldn’t wait to see where Noah lived This was personal and intimate stuff, and I could barely sit still with atehouse in front of a two lane street and pressed a button on a reate opened, and he waved at the attendant

The Woodlands was aptly na over the streets and filled the yards of the houses that dotted the landscape Each horass

"It’s really nice back here You have parties? Don’t your neighbors kick up a fuss?" This area looked too sedate to tolerate a bunch of college or near-college aged kids

"We invite them or pay them off You’d be surprised how ive them a little ood neighbors We rass and don’t keep the trashcans on the drive for too long"

He pulled into a wide driveway that dipped down and ended in front of a large two-story house that looked prilass with a feood beams to hold it up The end of the drive separated the main house froe

I shook uess I understand why there are so ether"

"Yeah, it’s a pretty sweet setup," Noah replied with pride

We walked in the side door Noah said, "I think Ada in his studio" He pointed to the detached building across fro football The pool is eh the kitchen and out the back door onto the patio

"Tell et this house" I couldn’t believe eous We stopped before the pool, which was laid out in a classic e The drop-off made the most of the forested woods behind the house

"It’s possible You’ve ot that serial killer vibe," Noah joked Finn looked like a e in his eyes He probably got aith a hty deeds

"It’s obvious from the start ith his illicit coffee cup in the library and his predilection for architectural design ns of perversion," I snickered

The pool was spectacular It had jets in the concrete on one side that arced into the pool Attached to the shallow end of the pool was a raised, tiled round area that looked like a Jacuzzi The pool itself was rectangular, with one end framed by a sizeable pool house A covered deck area contained a brick oven that looked to be in disarray

Noah ledan outdoor grill, but it’s a project that has taken theet this point"

It looked like a ehammer to a brick wall If this was the process of reconstruction, I worried about the houses that Finn flipped

The pool area was ee fence and barrier of trees on either side of the property shielded us froer You can change in the pool house," Noah directed

"I’ve got ainst water" I had once asked Noah what his greatest fear was, after sharing that mine was spiders He had told me it ater, but that the Marines worked that out of him