Chapter Three
Justin – Tuesday
Thoughts of what to do about Garrett plagued me all night long, leaving me with not much sleep. I felt tired and cranky, and in need of doing something. Harry’s words were still spinning round in my mind, and I knew that I couldn’t just leave it any longer. I had to at least say something…and this time, I would do my best to say it in a less nagging tone of voice. Maybe that way, by some miracle, my brother would actually want to hear it. And, if I cooked him breakfast to go with it…well, that could only help.
“Oh God, I’m so hungover.” He made me jump as those croaky words burst from his throat behind me. I was expecting to have to go and wake him up! “But whatever you’re cooking smells great.” Of course, a free meal already prepared for him, that was probably the only thing that could make him rise out of bed before dawn. “What are you making for me?”
I placed a plate down in front of him, taking a moment to drink in his disheveled appearance. My brother mostly looked like me, except he kept his dark hair much longer, and he often didn’t bother shaving, leaving him a lot of stubble. Plus, his bloodshot eyes seemed to be a permanent feature…the after effects of partying nonstop.
“Garrett, I really think we need to talk,” I started, slipping myself quietly into the chair opposite him. “I had a meeting with Harry yesterday.”
“Oh God, that old stick in the mud.” It was safe to say that my brother didn’t get on very well with my financial advisor…shocking as that was. “What did he have to say for himself? More complaints about spending? Doesn’t he know that we’re billionaires?”
That stunned me, so much so that I actually didn’t know what to say for a couple of seconds. I knew that Garrett had something of a bad attitude and a carelessness with regards to money, but to take credit for money that was mine? That was a new low.
“Actually, I am the billionaire,” I told him firmly. “I earned the money; it all belongs to me. And, it certainly didn’t just fall in my lap. I had to work very hard to get to where I am today!”
He glanced up at me, and in that moment, I could see something finally hitting him, which encouraged me to continue. “I pay for your lifestyle – the parties, the drinking, the idiocy—”
“Wow,” he replied quietly, slumping back in his seat. His eyes lit up with a recognition that I’d never seen before, causing hope to flood through me. Maybe this was how I should have approached things all along. “You know what, you’re right.” He pursed out his lips as he thought hard. “Maybe…maybe I could come and work with you?”
My heart beat faster as he actually considered work. This was something totally new, and I was more than keen to go along with it. This was the sort of help that I could get on board with. “Yeah, of…of course you can. Erm, maybe come in later in the week? I’ll see what position I can fix to your skills.” I would create a job opening for my brother if I needed to, anything to drag him away from his current, very immature lifestyle. “Sound good?”
“Yeah, sounds great.” He gave me a smile that was so sincere, I actually started to believe it. Maybe this was all going to work out after all…
My brother was a good guy, really, and I was sure that he’d do well at my company, if only he would give it a real shot. Sure, he was lazy and acted crazy right now, but that was because he didn’t have any desire, anything to be passionate about. As soon as he worked out that having a purpose could make you feel better than any short term quick fix ever would, he’d really throw himself into it.
I just needed him to give it a try.
***
“Boss? I just wanted to warn you that Anita is here,” Lucia hissed at me the second I walked through the door. “Apparently she has some new opportunities for you to look at.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I shot back with a grin. It was common knowledge in the office that Anita was always finding ridiculous excuses to come in and talk to me; it had been going on for far too long to be undetected. It was my fault that things had gotten worse, though, because in my intoxicated state at the Christmas party, I ended up going home with her. She had been throwing herself at me, and I just couldn’t resist. However, the last thing that I needed today was to get drawn into a long and involved conversation with her. “You got anything else for me?”
“Erm, actually, I do,” Lucia replied whilst searching through the paperwork in her hands. “Here are your phone messages; there is one from a Mr. Larkin that sounded pretty urgent.”
“Roy?” I gasped in shock. I hadn't heard from my good buddy Roy in a long while, but he was always good to talk to. “Did he say what he wanted? I think I’ll call him back now, before I face Anita.”
“He didn’t say, just to call him back the moment you get into the office. Do you want to use my phone? Anita’s already sat at your desk.”
I rolled my eyes and nodded. I knew it made me a bit of a bastard to treat her that way, but I’d made it perfectly clear to Anita for years that I didn’t want to get involved with her. Even after I’d caved to temptation and we’d had sex, I let her know that it was a onetime thing only. I never wanted to leave a trail of confusion behind me, which was the reason I always made a point of being honest. But Anita…well, she didn’t quite seem to get it.
There was nothing wrong with Anita, per se; she was a great girl with a rocking body and a wild side like nothing I’d ever experienced before, but she just wasn’t a long term investment for me. If I couldn’t see things going the distance, I didn’t bother to devote any of my precious time to it.
As the phone rang, I couldn’t help but wonder what was so desperate with Roy. It had to be a business deal – that was mostly what we talked about; and considering Harry only just told me yesterday that I had to start investing in new businesses, this could be the perfect thing for me. Roy Larkin always knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Hello, Justin?” he sounded a little out of breath as he answered the phone. “You all right, buddy?”
“Yeah, what’s going on with you? Things sound a little crazy where you are,” I asked curiously.
“Oh, just work, you know how it is,” he chuckled. “Anyway, I have a new business venture that I think would be perfect for you.” Of course he did; I’d suspected as much. “It’s something a bit different, but I really think it’s perfect.”
“Go on…” I continued curiously, grabbing a notebook and pen to write everything down. Different was something I could get on board with. If done right, different could make the most money of all.
“Well, it’s only small at the moment, a local place called Boffees. It sells books and coffee—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I stopped him in his tracks. “I thought this was going to be some established, technology-based business, or a product with some solid market research…but books? Aren’t books a bit…obsolete?”
I hadn't seen anyone reading actual books for years, and surely some pokey coffee shop in some tiny town wasn’t exactly a solid investment opportunity; even Roy could see that. So why did he want me to invest? What benefit would it be to him?
“Is this a woman’s business?” I asked him curiously. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” He had to want to get into her pants…that was the only logical explanation.
“It is a woman’s business, and she’s a good friend of mine, but that has nothing to do with it. I just think…I think what she does is amazing, what she does for the community is great.”
“Okay, look I get all of that,” I told him curiously. “But that isn’t a solid investment, is it? You know that Harry won’t agree to anything unless it’s going to make me loads of money.”
Especially now, I thought. But I didn’t say that part aloud. I didn’t want to trouble my friend with my brother and his nightmarish issues. “How the hell am I supposed to pass off some coffee and bookshop in Florence to him?”
“Okay, I understand your reservations,” he told me with a slow and considered tone of voice. “But I really think that you should listen to me. I think you should understand that I have your best interests at heart…” He paused for a moment before landing his main argument. “Plus, you know…you do owe me.”
He didn’t use that one a lot, but he was right. When I was first starting out, his oil company was one of my very early investments, and it paid off big time. If it wasn’t for Roy and his success, I probably wouldn’t be doing so well myself, so really, I did owe him. But was I willing to risk everything because of that?
“Look, just take Annie’s number, give her a call, and see what I mean. You don’t have to invest; I told her that it wasn’t any guarantee, but it would be good if you could just talk to her.”
I couldn’t deny him that, after all he’d done for me, so I agreed quickly. “Yeah sure, give me her number. I’ll call her later on and set up a meeting.”
“Thanks. You won’t regret it, honestly. Annie is a great girl, and her dedication to the business is something else.”
“Okay, okay, you have me convinced,” I laughed. “I need to come down to see you, anyway, so it’ll be good to come and visit.”
As we said our goodbyes, I had a great idea form in my mind – one that I hoped could satisfy Roy and myself. I would make the call, but I wouldn’t set any specific dates. I could simply head down to Florence, go and see my friend and this store, then make my decision about going through with the meeting with the owner at that point. That way, I wouldn’t have to set up anything too official, and I wouldn’t have to go through the intense awkwardness of having to say no. My business could run without me for a few days without any problems, so it wouldn’t be an issue.
Okay, so I might have to put off bringing Garrett to the company for a little while longer, but that would be fine. As long as he kept up his enthusiasm for starting work with me, then everything would be all right.
“Right, Lucia,” I said to my PA. “I need to go away for a while, so I’ll have to discuss the schedule with you for while I’m not here. I might need to move some meetings around. But before all of that, I suppose I better go and face Anita before she does anything crazy. My office might already be completely upside down!”
“Whatever you say, boss,” she smiled back at me, before making a note in her pad, doing a much better job of running my life than I ever could. “And, erm…good luck in there. I think you’re going to need it!”