Tim stuck out his tongue. It wasn't like he wanted to be so high-profile, but all his clothes had been picked out by his mother and aunt. His backpack, laptop bag, and everything else were the same—basically all designer brands. Even the cheapest items cost thousands of dollars. His status as a rich kid might as well have been stamped right on his forehead.
They put down their bags, and Big Beard invited them over to the dining table. There was a map spread across it. Tim knew Big Beard was the landlord, but he hadn't expected him to personally introduce all the nearby attractions. It looked like Schiller was going to have to spend some cigarettes again.
Sure enough, when Big Beard had talked himself hoarse, Schiller handed him a pack of cigarettes. His eyes immediately lit up, but after glancing at the still-young Tim, he merely put them away without smoking one.
After that, he became even more enthusiastic, going through every recommended restaurant and attraction, even the bike trails. Tim now understood why this house had such high ratings on Airbnb.
After the landlord left, he realized the place was rated highly for more than just the landlord's hospitality. The little house really had been well maintained.
The entire cottage was built of stone, but all the furniture was high-quality solid wood. On one side of the house, a huge window stretched continuously from the first floor to the second. Since the house stood high enough up, they really could see most of Los Angeles.
Animal pelts had been draped over the leather sofa downstairs, and the rug was made of animal hide as well. But Tim could tell with one touch that they weren't real fur, just imitation decorative furnishings. The wall beside the sofa and