Malcolm
"You look like you could use another drink," Andrew laughs, refilling my glass with a ribbon of amber-colored whiskey.
"You know me all too well," I smile, grabbing the glass and downing its contents in one swig. "I'm in some deep shit."
I look out the windows of my office, across the city skyline, and over the steady river of traffic snaking between buildings. It's one thing to look out across the city from 50 floors up, and a whole other thing when you're viewing it from a cardboard box on a street corner. If I don't fix this shit I'm in, I'll be that guy on the corner, with one foot from the fucking gutter. Just thinking about this causes a thin film of sweat to pool on the nape of my neck.
"You may be in some deep shit, but if you don't slow down, you'll be under this desk, drunker than you've been," Andrew chuckles, slapping his hand down on the mahogany, "instead of bending another intern over it."
"What makes you think I have plans to bang an intern today?"
"Are you kidding?" he says, eyes wide. "We've been best friends since college. That's long enough to really know a person. And I think the real question is: When do you not have plans to bang an intern?"
I watch as Andrew laughs again, this time, the laugh is deep enough to make his belly shake.
"Are you telling me you've never bent anyone over your desk?" I ask.
"Not like you, man. I don't think anyone can keep up with you. What's the official count now? 100—or maybe 1,000? Don't tell me it's more than that."
We both laugh and slam back another shot of whiskey.
"I'm just giving you a hard time," Andrew smiles. "But I'm not shocked its come to this. And you're like a brother to me, man. The last thing I want is to see you hit rock bottom. Sure, you play hard, but you work equally hard. I know that, and so does everyone else. I've watched you build this empire. I don't want to watch you lose it too."
He says this with a sincerity in his eyes that's touching.
"Unfortunately, I think I have more than a few enemies—unhappy rivals in the world of business, and any one of them would be more than fucking happy to see me fail," I say.
"I'm sure it's not that bad," Andrew shrugs. "It can't be all doom and gloom. You're painting a bleak picture, but I'm sure you'll think of something. You always do."
"This time is different," I say, shaking my head. "I think this time … I'm out of fucking options. I'm fucking serious."
Andrew sits back in the soft leather of my couch, deep in thought. He's flicking his wrist, swirling a few pieces of his remaining ice in his glass. It's making a repetitive clinking sound.
I've known him long enough to know that when he's deep in thought, it's best not to break his concentration. The man has always been a deep thinker, which is why he's one of the best attorneys this city's got.
I pace the office, quiet but tense.
Finally, Andrew breaks the silence. "I might have a solution."
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? If so, I'm all ears. Give it to me."
"Have you heard of Athena's company?" he asks, his eyes locked on mine.
"Wait, you mean Athena Hawke? The Athena Hawke of Millionaire Matches, Inc.? Of course I've heard of her. She eats men for breakfast. She's ruthless, which explains why she's so successful."
"You scared of her or something?" Andrew laughs.
"Of course not. I'm Malcolm fucking Bane. Women don't scare me—not even women like Athena. It's just an observation."
"Good, because her entire business model on matchmaking is like a contest you could enter.”
"Contest?"
"She calls it 100 Days," Andrew says. "And only Manhattan's richest are invited to play."
"Why is that?"
"Because the buy in is $100 million per person," he smiles.
I let out a shrill whistle. "Pretty steep for a contest. You gotta to be fucking kidding me, Andrew.”
"I'm serious as a heart attack," Andrew says. "Of course, you're supposed to be going there to find love … but you can be like those people who go to her to play this like a game. “
"I'm in no fucking position to be playing $100 million dollar games, Andrew. C'mon, man. This is serious. I need to make money, not spend it."
"Just hear me out—let me finish. There's more. If you win, the payout is $4 billion dollars."
"Okay, now you've got my attention," I say, turning to face him.
“That’s the total amount that has been paid in through the buy-ins to date,” Andrew says. “Minus whatever Athena takes as her cut. But people go in thinking they’re been able to not fall in love. They bet $100 million they’ll win. They come out happy to pay because they find they’re happier losing.”
“Fuck that,” I say with a snort. “No such fucking thing.”
"I told you," Andrew says, his grin widening. "If you win this pot, your problems are solved. It's that simple."
"But what makes you think I even have a shot at winning this?" I ask. If I'm fucking honest, this sounds too good to be true. And when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
"Because this is a game you know all too well," he says, standing up and clapping his hand across my back.
"And what game is that?" I ask.
He turns to me, and smiles. "Women."
"Now I'm confused. Women? What about them?"
"Over the course of 100 days, Athena will be pairing you up with women—beautiful fucking women, gorgeous women—and to win this game, you can't fall in love with any of them. Not a single one."
I can't help but laugh out loud. "Is that fucking it? I just have to keep myself from falling in love with any of them?"
"That's it," Andrew says, shrugging his shoulders. "But it's harder than it sounds, believe me. I hope your cock doesn't get in the way, and make you lose it all."
"Let me tell you something," I say. "My cock doesn't do love."
"You say that now…" Andrew smirks, giving me a sideways glance.
"I mean it. Love is like a foreign word, from a language I don't fucking speak," I smile. "This will be the easiest fucking money I've ever made. Trust me."
“I got it up on my phone if you want to make an appointment to enter yourself,” Andrew says.
And before Andrew can say another word, I'm already taking his phone and signing up.
This is too easy.
$4 billion dollars here I come.