Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe the pics they sent,” Ally added.
“Tex and Nancy have decided on a house?” Luna asked.
“Tex! Dude!” Jessie shouted. “You picked a house and didn’t tell us?”
“Didn’t tell the Rock Chicks either!” Tex bellowed back.
“He didn’t. Nancy told Jet,” Indy confirmed. “Jet would be here too, but the boys have something going on and she couldn’t get away.”
Jet, another Rock Chick (book two), had three boys. In other words, for the most part, her hands were full.
“Did you bring your men?” Luna inquired.
Annette slung an arm around Roxie and Ally’s shoulders. “Girls’ trip, bitch.”
We all got that, considering how big we were smiling at each other.
“This calls for a cocktail,” Jessie decreed.
“Not here for five minutes, and day drinking is on offer,” Annette declared. “This might make me open another store. Head South.”
Annette, by the way, owned a head shop in Denver (Head West), also one in Chicago (Head East). Annette was kind of a pot-and-hippie paraphernalia mogul.
“If you leave us too, I’ll be pissed,” Indy snapped. Then, loudly so Tex could hear, “No more deserters!”
“You girls stop being boring, I’ll go back to Denver,” Tex boomed back.
“Please, sir, don’t do that,” a customer’s voice could be heard begging.
“I am where I am,” Tex again boomed his retort.
“Then I’m moving to Denver,” another customer said.
Told you Tex had groupies.
“Can we see the pics of Tex’s house?” Shanti requested.
Roxie whipped out her phone and we all huddled closer as she pulled up the photos.
“Well…uh…” Jessie didn’t quite comment.
I understood her inability to voice her opinion.
The place was one-story, L-shaped, blockish, had zero personality, and it looked like no one had lived there for two decades.
There was a massive front drive that was a sea of light-colored gravel. There was practically no vegetation, unless you counted the very dead tree and a meandering cactus at one side. And there was a concrete half wall in front that looked like someone was trying to do something architecturally interesting, but considering the overall “An Axe Murderer Lives Here” vibe, they failed.
The pool was oval, it appeared to have its original liner, and I knew that because, except for some sludge at the bottom, I could see all of it.
The interior rooms were boxy and small, though they all had floor-to-ceiling windows, which would be cool, if there was a better view out of them than just scrub and a scary pool. Not to mention, this was Phoenix. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the summer would be killer on the AC bill if you didn’t have really good shades.
And the kitchen had mustard-colored cabinets and appliances.
On the plus side, it was clear the bones were mid-century modern, and if someone gave enough of a crap to roll up their sleeves and give it some TLC, it could be fabulous.
On the minus side, well…everything else.
“Uncle Tex kinda hasn’t exited the seventies when it comes to his home owning and décor choices,” Roxie said.
“It has a catio!” Tex bellowed.
Well, there you go. I was wondering what that big screened-in porch-like thing was off from the pool.
And one could say, since he had a bajillion of them, Tex liked cats.
“I can’t believe that hasn’t been scraped,” Luna said as Roxie put her phone away.
“It’s some famous architect’s design. People have tried to buy it and put something else there. When that happens, other people in the ’hood throw down to put a stop to it,” Roxie informed us. “They might have put a stop to it, but none of them wanted to pour the dosh into it that would fix it up.”
There were some super-famous architects who were responsible for a few fabulous, mid-mod Phoenician gems.
Therefore, I blinked in shock. “Frank Lloyd Wright?”
Roxie shook her head.
“Ralph Haver?” Jessie asked.
Roxie shook her head again.
“Al Beadle?”’ I tried.
Roxie snapped and pointed at me. “That’s the dude.”
“We’re all gonna take turns hauling our asses down here to zhuzh it up,” Annette announced.
“You are not!” Tex hollered.
“We so are, big man!” Annette hollered back. “I’m on garden duty!” She came back to us. “I can’t wait to xeriscape that mofo.”
“I’m doing the kitchen,” Roxie yelled so Tex could hear.
“Me and Indy are on crafting a great room!” Ally shouted.
“Jet has called the bathrooms,” Ally added.
“Can the Angels get in on this action?” I asked, excited about the opportunity to help Nancy settle in her new home that hopefully would eventually not have mustard-colored appliances.
I could organize all their stuff!
“We’re having a meet with Nancy tomorrow,” Indy told us. “I’m sure she’d love it if you girls came. She’s going to need all the help she can get.”
“It’s perfect as is,” Tex boomed.
“It needs some TLC!” Roxie yelled in return.
Tex lumbered in, ignored the Rock Chicks and scowled at the Angels.
“Am I the only one who’s gonna make some bread around here? Or do I have to fire half my staff so me and Otis and Lucia aren’t the only ones who are working?” he demanded.