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“So, in conclusion, if you want this business,” Matthew pointed at me, a smirk on his face as if he’d just given the best presentation in the world, although I completely disagreed. “You can have all of this for the measly price of twenty-eight million dollars. Our loss is your gain, and think about the empire that you’re signing on to. Is this really an opportunity that you want to miss?”
How many times had he brought up the price, now? More times than he should have, and each time he did, the less that I trusted his word. But I wasn’t going to say that in front of him, not right then. I was still debating whether I wanted the business or not, so it was better not to burn that bridge.
Instead I stood up and stuffed my hands into my pocket to stop him from the urge of attempting to shake my hand. It was a form of physical contact that I’d never quite understood nor appreciated. I didn’t like people touching me unless it was in a specific way, and it definitely would be on my terms, not someone else’s.
“Thank you for taking the time out of your day to give me the rundown of the company,” I stated and sent him a stiff nod of my head. “With all of the information that you’ve provided, I think it would be in my best interest to consult some partners and think about this before I jump into anything.”
Matthew’s face fell at my words even though he tried to cover it up. My answer wasn’t the kind he’d been expecting. He tried to hide it. “And when should you have an answer for me?”
“It’s business,” I stated. “It takes time.”
I walked out of the room with my personal assistant, Jenny, following close behind me. I only started talking once we were out of ear range of the meeting room.
“Take note of this,” I started, and she pulled out her notepad, pen poised and ready to write. “I’ll offer half of their asking price, and it’s contingent on the fact that he answers me within the next forty-eight hours. If I haven’t received anything by then, I’m out.”
Jenny nodded as she wrote all of this down, reminding me why I enjoyed her as my personal assistant so much. She did everything I asked for quickly and precisely.
The ride back to my office was quiet, as Taylor, my driver, focused on the road. I straightened my tie, happy to be back in my safe space, and made my way to the top floor, formally nodding my head at everyone who greeted me.
I was just grateful that the paparazzi had decided to give me a break today. Usually, they had me plastered on the fronts of their magazines as this eligible bachelor, a place I didn’t belong. Relationships were the furthest thing from my mind after what had happened to me. But it wasn’t easy to get the truth out to those man-eaters.
When I opened my office door, my brother, Klaus was sitting at my desk, in my chair. I sighed. He knew I hated when he came by unannounced. I was a man of routine, and when that was messed up, I felt off balance. I did everything by a schedule, and he was fully aware of that. He did this just to tease me.
Klaus was the complete opposite of me in just about every way. Where my hair was a dusky brown, he’d died his to a light shade of blonde, which to this day I didn’t think suited him well. My eyes were light, and his were as dark as the night sky. I was tall, and he was 5’10’’. Most people questioned if we even had the same biological parents.
And the differences didn’t end there. I was a working man, whereas Klaus was more of a gambler. Our parents were rich, and when we turned eighteen, they gave us a large sum of money to find our place in the world. I’d used my money to become the business tycoon that I’d always wanted to be. I didn’t feel successful unless I’d earned what I had, but Klaus was the complete opposite.
He’d taken every penny that was given to him and invested it or gambled it away. It was pure luck that he’d managed to hit the jackpot and walk away with millions more than what he’d started out with. But it had always been like that. Klaus had always been the brother with all of the luck. It didn’t bother me, though.
“Klaus,” I said his name in greeting. “What are you doing here? And how many times have I asked you to plan with Jenny before you stop by? I don’t like to be bombarded by your presence.”
“Bombarded?” he asked, feigning shock. “Since when do I have to ask to see my brother?” He stood up and moved away from my desk.
“Since always.”
He rolled his eyes at me. “I wouldn’t have to bombard you if you picked up the phone every once in a while.”
I sat down at my desk. “I’m busy.”
“You weren’t too busy last weekend, at the club.” Klaus arched an eyebrow at me.
A sigh escaped my lips. How had I foreseen that this would be the reason Klaus had come to speak to me? Perhaps because this was always the reason he wanted to talk to me. I’d come to realize that my little brother’s life revolved around women, booze, and a good time. And he wanted my life to be the same.
“I have work to do, Klaus,” I reminded him although I was fully aware that those words weren’t enough to make him stop bothering me, on the subject. Some weekends, I sat back and just enjoyed the bachelor world, but I wanted that to stay for the weekends. And the only reason that Klaus knew about it was because I didn’t have anyone else to go with me. It wasn’t as if I was big on having friends.
“You can take a break, just for a second, can’t you?” he asked, sitting in the chair, in front of my desk.
“I really can’t.”
“But that girl, Ezra.” He raised his hands and let out a groan that made me frown. “She was delicious.”
“And she’s in the past.”
“What was her name?”
It was better to play along with Klaus than to ignore him. After all, he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted anyway. “Amy.” That was probably the only personal information that I had about her. I was good at keeping my one-night stands in their place. It was all sex and nothing else.
“She had some huge cans.”
