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The room was set up like a private theater with about twenty plush leather chairs all arranged in a semi-circle around a huge projector screen. I twirled slowly, taking the place in. “So, The Golden Pecker is what, like a movie theater? Is this one of those porn theaters like in old movies?” I took a step back from the seats when I thought of desperate, grunting old men pleasing themselves while watching erotic films on the screen.
“No,” Landon said. “This is just one room. The club is…” He stopped talking and cleared his throat. “Grab a seat and I’ll start the video.”
I looked at the seats and shook my head. “I think I’ll stand.”
“Suit yourself,” Landon said. He moved behind a console with what I assumed were controls for the projector. He pressed a few buttons, and then the machine whirred into action.
A huge image of my Grandpa Willy filled the screen. It had only been four days since he died but seeing him again felt surprisingly strange. He was smiling, and the bandage on his forehead told me this video hadn’t been filmed long before his death.
My heart wrenched at the sight of him. I couldn’t help thinking about how strange death was—that one moment, someone could be alive and well with all the invisible little threads that connected them to the world. I liked to think the thread between Grandpa Willy and I had been one of the thickest. But then the fire could just go out inside someone. One moment, they were in there, alive and well. The next, it was just a body.
Maybe that should have made me feel depressed. Instead, all I felt was my own fire burning brighter. Like all the death I’d seen so close just made me realize how important it was to do something with my life while I had it. It might even be part of what always fascinated me about writing. As long as my writing was still being read, I wouldn’t ever really be gone.
“This video is for Andi,” he said, looking off to the side more like he was making a note for himself than for me. He fixed his eyes on the camera and his expression changed—blossoming into a happy smile. “Welcome to The Golden Pecker! You’re probably wondering what the hell this place is. Oh, and if you’re sitting in one of those chairs, I’d make sure Landon properly cleaned them first.” He laughed. “It’s strange, knowing he’s there with you. Well, I guess it’s also possible that you refused to listen to him, and nobody will ever see this video, but I’ll assume that’s not the case.”
“Anyway,” Grandpa continued. “I’m rambling. One of the dangers of getting old, I’m afraid. Welcome to my secret BDSM club.” He paused, lips curling at the corners in amusement. Then he waggled his eyebrows up and down a few times. “Surprise!”
I turned to look at Landon for confirmation. He spread his hands and gave a little shrug.
“The reason I asked you to come down here is simple and complicated,” Grandpa said. “But I’m just going to make this as simple as I can. I want to leave a third of my hotel to you. I also want to leave The Golden Pecker to you. But there’s a catch.”
I turned again, and the look on Landon’s face told me he was hearing all this for the first time, too.
“Now,” Grandpa said. “I could explain exactly what my plan is. I could go into all sorts of details and unravel the maniacal genius of this little arrangement and what I hope it’ll accomplish, but… But I’m afraid the only way this will work is if I keep you two in the dark. Just understand this: Yes, what I’m about to ask you is incredibly strange and probably highly inappropriate, considering I’ve been like a grandfather to you for so many years.”
I waited for him to say more. But it’s not what it sounds like, or but I can explain. Instead, he just smiled and shrugged, continuing.
“You will get a third of my hotel and the club if you complete a little to-do list I’m about to read. If you don’t, it all goes to Landon Collins.”
I felt lightheaded. When I looked at Landon, he was scowling at the screen in utter confusion. I turned back, letting out a few ragged breaths. To Landon? I felt like I’d just watched a cute little old lady on her way out of church drop a few F-bombs. The only thing stopping me from storming out of the room was that I hadn’t even heard the to-do list yet. I took a few steadying breaths, trying to force a calm I didn’t feel.
I didn’t even care about the inheritance. I cared about the fact that my Grandpa was making me feel more and more like I didn’t even know him. First, some mysterious grudge with a gorgeous man I’ve never met? Then a secret BDSM club, and now he was dangling my inheritance in front of me and threatening to snatch it away.
