“And this is my mindfulness studio,” Emma said, pushing open a door on our right with considerable fanfare.
I poked my head inside the space and nodded.
It was a nearly empty room, not unlike a typical workout space or dance studio. One of the walls was all mirrors and there were shelves in the corner with towels, exercise mats, and bottles of water. In another section of the room, there was just a pile of pillows and mats. A tiny table in the center held a variety of aromatherapy bottles, a diffuser, essential oils, and lotions.
“I like to come in here when I want to escape and just basically get centered,” Emma said calmly. Before closing the door again, she bowed to the empty room. “Namaste.”
Okay.
We left the room and continued down the hallway.
“And down here we have something really special,” she said, suddenly jumping up and down like a little kid.
“I can hardly wait,” I said, forcing enthusiasm into my voice.
Emma had taken the last fifteen minutes to give me the grand tour of her side of the house. And while it was indeed, impressive—there was a theater, a nightclub, and a full spa setup, complete with a mudroom—it was also a huge time suck.
We came to a door at the end of the hallway and Emma took a key from around her neck and stuck it in the lock.
Well, what’s this, then? A secret locked door? Now we’re talking.
“Are you ready?” she asked, creating a buildup I really hoped paid off in the end.
Before turning the key, the heiress brought her hand up to the keypad near the frame and typed in six numbers. When the light on the pad turned from red to blue, she turned the key in the lock and then pushed the heavy door open.
“Should I be worried?” I joked around as I looked inside. It was pitch black. I could only see as far as the light in the hallway would shine.
“Not if you’re with me,” she said, smiling.
Emma reached out into the dark and suddenly lights sprang on, one by one, all the way down the length of the room. Suddenly I could see that it was just another white hallway. There were no pictures, no pieces of art. Nothing. Just white everywhere.
I started to take a step forward, but Emma stopped me.
“Not yet,” she warned, placing her palm firmly on my shoulder. Then she handed me a pair of ugly sunglasses.
“It’s no worry. I’ve got my own,” I said, raising and lowering my sunglasses over my eyes.
“Just put them on,” she said, sounding bored.
I turned my head and did as I was told, only to be rewarded with something I never imagined.
Under the lens of the glasses, I could see glowing red lasers. Dozens of them. Low to the ground, as high as my head. They went diagonal, straight across and a few even split the middle of the room.
They were everywhere, and I would’ve walked right into them if Emma hadn’t warned me.
I looked over at her and she looked absolutely giddy. Like a kid on Christmas morning.
I could tell she wanted me to be impressed.
And I was.
But I was also excited. Because, of course, lasers had to mean there was something important on the other side of the hallway. You don’t install an alarm system like that for no reason.
“Are you hiding something crazy in there?” I teased. “Because if you are, our readers want to know.”
“Hiding something, yes. Crazy…well, it’s all relative, right?” Emma asked, waving her hand in the air.
She pulled out her phone, and after moving her thumbs around in rapid motion, I watched the lasers disappear.
The alarm was controlled from her cell.
“Cool, huh?” she asked me before leading the way down the hallway and toward the room ahead.
I followed willingly, curious what was inside.
If I’d known, I might not have followed.
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Brigeet,” Emma said casually, stopping just inside.
That was when I heard the growl.
And then I let out a shriek as something punctured my leg.
Looking down in horror, I saw that there was a tiny tiger trying to use my leg as a chew toy. As a reflex, I shook my leg like it was on fire and the little ball of fur let go and scampered across the room to its other buddies.
I turned my head in shock to stare at Emma, who was standing there, one hand on her hip, the other holding Lady Godiva.
“How’s your hand doing after visiting our little petting zoo the other day?” she asked, her face blank. “Did you find what you were looking for?”