Chapter Five
Cade
December 1st, Friday Afternoon
Okay, I botched it.
I should have gone to see Alissa on Wednesday night, but I didn’t. It wasn’t entirely my fault. Somehow, in a way that seemed completely out of my control, Matt caught up with me at the bar, and I ended up practically carrying him home before he did any real damage to himself. I didn’t even make it to the nice bar, which was why I’d come today. I was determined to get my expensive drink from somewhere.
Even if that hadn’t happened, I still might not have gone through with it, though. I just wasn’t sure how the hell I should start that conversation: “Hey, I’m your stepbrother. Want to hang out all of a sudden with no strings attached, honest. Oh, by the way, I now have a billion dollars if you ever need anything.” No, that was the sort of conversation that needed careful planning.
“What can I get you, Sir?”
I smiled at the bartender. It was a bit of a shit-eating grin, to be honest. Maybe having money was why my father was a bit of an asshole. I’d still never turn out like him, though. I had enough of my faculties about me to know that was wrong.
“Whatever your most expensive whiskey is,” I commanded. “I would like a glass of that.”
His eyes widened before he rapidly regained composure. Even in this place, which seemed to be purposely decorated to create a warm but luxurious feel, this must have been an extravagant request. I felt pleased with myself and my life as I leaned against the rich mahogany bar.
“Here we are.” He presented a bottle to me, and I nodded as if I knew what the hell I was talking about. Who gave a shit? It was all just bottles of stuff that made you feel fuzzy. Apparently, expensive whiskey had a wonderful taste. Although, I guessed I’d soon see whether it was worth it. “That will be two hundred and five dollars please.”
As I glanced at the small amount I got for my money I blanched a little – the old me hadn’t totally gone yet – but I quickly recovered and paid the man.
“That’s good stuff,” a finely-dressed gentleman commented beside me. “Worth the cost.”
I took a sip, wanting to be in the know, and I had to admit the quality of it was instantly clear. “Yeah, it’s amazing.”
“I’m Hank.” He held out his hand to me, and I shook it.
“Cade, happy to meet you.”
As he twisted back to face the bar, I found myself wanting to speak to him some more. He was a little older than me, and mature, too. Much as I loved Matt, this guy wasn’t about to be peeled off some floor. I wanted to get to know him a little better.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Any guy in a suit in a bar lived for his job. Maybe he could give me some insights into what it took.
“I’m a financial manager.”
“You, er, you like it?” I felt a little like a naïve child speaking to some career advisor about what I wanted to do.
“Meh, I don’t know.” He slugged back his drink, giving me a little insight into how the lifestyle made him weary. “It’s real money, that’s all I care about. I need it, you know, to keep my family happy. My wife likes nice things, so I follow where the cash is.”
That sounded suspiciously like my father and Helen. I wondered if his wife was off on some “beauty retreat,” as well...not that I’d ask him.
“Even if you hate it?” I couldn’t resist.
“Even if I hate it. It’s all about the pay check.”
“I see.” He really didn’t care. I wondered how people managed to become such a slave to money. Sure, it was nice to have it, but there were more important things in life. I made a secret vow never to turn out that way.
“What about you?” He turned the spotlight right back around to me. “You must be doing pretty well for yourself.” He nodded towards the whiskey, obviously respecting money more than anything else. “What is it that you do for a living?”
“Oh well, actually, I’ve just finished business school.” I figured I might as well be honest. I didn’t have anything to hide. “So right now, I’m just trying to work out what’s next for me. I have an inheritance,” of sorts, “which opens up opportunities for me.”
“If you have that sort of inheritance, then maybe you don’t need any other options at all!” he laughed. “If I were you, I’d just live it up in a life of luxury.”
Admittedly, the idea was tempting. I could see the world now; I could do whatever the hell I wanted. I could spend all my life on vacation and still have money left over. I wasn’t sure if that was what I truly wanted – I didn’t know if I could never use my brain again – but the idea was there...
“I dunno about that. Do you want a drink?” The guy nodded, a little amazed that I was buying him a drink, which gave me an idea. “Would anyone else like a drink? I’m celebrating, so I’d like to get a round in?”
People cheered loudly, and I could see a beautiful woman winking at me. At least I’d made everyone else happy. While the people in the bar yelled out their orders and the bartender poured them, Hank grabbed my shoulder. “What are you celebrating exactly?” he practically whispered into my ear.
“The future,” I shrugged as I made something up. It seemed reasonable, considering what we’d just been talking about. “Possibilities... You name it.”
“Yeah, sounds fair.”
He clinked his glass against mine, and we both drank. I finished my own drink much too quickly and stood up. “Put those drinks on my card,” I told the bartender. “And, it was good to meet you, Hank.”
“You aren’t leaving, are you?” he asked incredulously. “You’ve just made this whole bar happy. You are a Goddamn hero, and there is a woman over there who is definitely into you.”
Of course, there was. I’d flashed the cash – many women were attracted to that sort of thing, but they weren’t the sort of women for me. “Yeah, I’m off, man. I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
I fingered the crumpled the piece of paper in my pocket, feeling brave from the Dutch courage. I couldn’t keep putting this off – I had to do it eventually.
“Ah,” Hank smiled knowingly. “A woman, I see. Well, I can’t blame you for that. I wish I had a girl to get to myself.”
“I thought you said you had a family?” I asked, confused.
“Hmm, I do, but that isn’t the point.”
Oh God, I didn’t need to hear all about this man’s affairs. It was too sad for words, so I smiled at him and turned to leave. That was never going to be me. I wouldn’t let it happen.
***
This was it: the address that my father had given me. This was where Alissa Jones, the stepsister I didn’t know at all, lived. As I glanced up along the apartment block, I felt terrible for having so much money when this girl lived in damn near poverty.
Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration. It was nice enough as far as apartment blocks in this area of the city went, but I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t accepted my father’s money to get herself somewhere decent. Even if she didn’t like him, get some cash out of the old bastard. Why the hell not? There had to be a reason she was so stubborn about it. Maybe I could find out why.
"Hi, Alissa, I’m Cade," I practiced in my mind. "I don’t know if you remember me from our parent’s wedding"...I hoped she didn’t remember me then. I had been a drunken fool. It would be embarrassing if she did, maybe I needed to go about it differently. "Hey, Alissa, good to see you. I was just in the neighborhood. Just got news that our parents are going..."
Oh God, this was impossible. I had no idea how to break the ice! Maybe this was dumb; maybe I should just pretend that I couldn’t find her. I really wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not. It didn’t feel like it was, but I didn’t know how trustworthy my gut was.
Oh, crap!
Suddenly, I saw her. I knew it was her right away from the beautiful shade of her hair. I’d spent a little bit of time studying the pictures of her online, not that there were many, so I felt like I knew her quite well now. At least, on the surface.
She was walking towards her building with large, purposeful strides. This was the perfect opportunity. I could casually just step out and speak to her as if we’d randomly bumped into one another on the street. There was no reason that I wouldn’t be in the area on a Friday evening. I couldn’t have set it up perfectly if I tried. I had to go for it – a chance like this would never roll around again.
I had no explanation for my next action. I didn’t plan it – a coward simply washed over me and took all control of my faculties. I hid behind a brick wall and peered out her like a creeper. I watched her from a distance.
My heart raced loudly in my chest and sweat brushed over my fingers. I couldn’t have looked more like a stalker if I tried, and the more aware of that I became, the more challenging it was for me to step out into the light. My brain whirred, my mind went crazy. In the end, I managed to talk myself out of the best chance ever, and I just stood there and watched her go inside. I stood pathetically and let the amazing chance slip through my, now very sweaty, fingers.
Idiot, I cursed myself as the door locked behind her. What a damn fool.
As I stalked off, frustrated with myself, I couldn’t help but think about what a natural beauty she was. Through all my rage at myself, that thought snuck in. She had a lovely face. Even with her thick winter coat covering up her curves, I could tell she had a nice body. Alissa Jones was officially gorgeous, as pretty in real life as she was online.
She was the sort of woman I would like to settle down with. It looks wise, at least. I mean, I didn’t know her at all yet. She was the sort of person I wouldn’t mind hanging out with even without a billion-dollar bribe. I would’ve happily done it for free.
It was just a shame she was my stepsister. And, that complicated things somewhat.
I would do it tomorrow. There was no putting it off anymore, no excuses. I would check up on her, see how she was, make sure she was okay with our parents being out of the country for the next six months to a year. She probably was. My dad was cold, and her mom was a bitch, after all. But it was the right thing to do.
I wouldn’t talk myself out of it again.
I wouldn’t.