AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thinking of you. C U in LA. Safe journey home. ??????
He didn’t get one back.
From St Pancreas station, Jordan took a cab to the Kensington townhouse where his brother Bryce currently lived. Bryce was well into his four-year tenure as head of European operations, but everyone expected that the eldest of the American Royals would eventually come home.
At Christmas while they were all gathered at the family’s private island in the Caribbean, Jordan had inadvertently overheard his brother and father talking. The discussion had been centered around the timing of Bryce’s return to the USA. It was clear that Edward Royal expected his first born son to take over as CEO for North America in the future, but Jordan had noted a definite hint of push back from Bryce.
Maybe there is still a chance that someone else in the family could get the gig.
That would have been interesting. But it was also impossible. Matthew had never shown any sort of intention of putting his hand up for the top job, while the thought of occupying the fancy corner office at the company’s US headquarters in Manhattan had always filled Jordan with a sense of cold dread.Bryce is the best man for the job.
After paying the cabbie and including a handsome tip, Jordan gathered his bags and headed for Bryce’s front door. He rang the bell.
Two seconds later, Bryce opened the blue glossy door. Jordan and his luggage were quickly hustled inside. No sooner had he set his suitcase and bag down, than a cup of coffee was thrust into his hands.
“Tell me what you think. It’s a secret blend from Jamaica. I found a guy in a street just over from Shakespeare’s Globe theatre who brings it in from his family’s plantation every month. I’m thinking of securing a regular delivery and offering it to our VIP suite guests.”
Jordan had to laugh. His brother was an absolute caffeine fiend. From the second he woke to the time he closed his eyes, Bryce Royal was on the hunt for coffee. The color of his blood wasn’t red, it was thick and black, just like his beloved brew.
“I’m glad to hear you’ve found a new caffeine dealer.” Jordan took a sip of the hot joe and raised his eyebrows.Damn that’s fine.The coffee was excellent—he could almost say it held its own against the famous Jamaican Blue, and that was saying something.
It was only when he’d finished his obligatory first cup of coffee, that he was finally permitted a brotherly hug. Bryce’s attempt at a rib crush was quickly defeated by Jordan’s five am weight lifting class arms. He grinned when his older brother finally cried, “Uncle.” Jordan gave mercy and released him.
“You’ve gotten strong. I need to get back in the gym and on the weights so I can give you a proper thrashing,” said Bryce, struggling for air.
Clenching his fists, Jordan bent and gave his best bodybuilder pose. He would have done the whole arms above his head routine, but the seams of his Italian suit might not forgive him. “I’ve got strength but no stamina. I was huffing all the way up the stairs of the Paris apartment yesterday, it was embarrassing.”
He wasn’t going to make mention of the world-famous singer who had left him in her wake as he struggled up the five flights of stairs.
“It’s good to see you, Bryce. You need to get home more often.” London might only be an eight hour flight from New York in the company jet, but everyone was super busy. At any one time, the three Royal siblings could be on three separate continents, thousands of miles apart.
At least the bonds of a shared upbringing still held.
“How’s Matthew? Any more movement on the Colorado project?” asked Bryce. He was busy cutting up some fresh bread and adding it to a charcuterie platter which already contained cheese, sliced meats, and fresh fruit. Bryce was nothing if not the master of Omotenashi, the Japanese hospitality mindset where one looked after guests well beyond expectations.
Jordan rolled up a piece of thinly slice prosciutto and stuffed it into his mouth, humming with delight as the Italian cured meat set the pleasure response in his brain toyumlevel. While he chewed, he considered Bryce’s question about their brother.
Poor Matthew. He’d come across an old, abandoned ski resort in the Colorado mountains and been possessed by a burning desire to buy the site, raze the existing buildings, and create a brand new ultra-modern resort from scratch. Matthew Royal was the king of big dreams. Being the most creative of the three siblings, he had gone on to study architecture at Cornell University.
“Last time I spoke to our little brother, he was trying the divide and conquer route with the current owners of the place. They, of course, saw right through his ruse, and decided to punish him by adding a couple more devious clauses to the deed of sale. Negotiating has never been Matt’s strong point.”
Bryce winced. “Yeah, I would offer to assist, but like the ski resort, I’m snowed under. Pun intended. I have a horrible feeling we are going to find Matthew has been eaten by a bear in the woods of Colorado long before he can get a signature on that contract. But if he can find a way to get the deal done, it could be an absolute gold mine.”
There might be a degree of sibling mirth in the conversation, but the Aspen project was a major piece of work for the American side of the House of Royal. If they could find a way to deliver a world-class resort in the town that was famous for celebrities and rich people, it would be a huge coup for Royal Resorts. It would also go a long way to sealing the USA as the big growth market for the House of Royal. As well as shutting up a few of the condescending European cousins at the same time.
“Dad wants us to stay out of it, says it’s Matthew’s project and he has to learn to deal with recalcitrant vendors. But as Mom would say, enough about business. Where have you been this week, Jordan?”
He shrugged off his coat and jacket, making himself comfortable on one of Bryce’s overstuffed dark gray couches. His brother set the platter of food on the low coffee table in front of Jordan and motioned for him to eat.
“I went to Berlin to catch up with Leon and check out your new hotel. It looks great, you really know how to deliver the best product. I thought it made sense to see how Leon was handling an opening. Pick up some tips for Laguna Beach. Then, last night I was at the apartment in Paris. I caught the Eurostar this morning.”
A bemused Bryce shook his head. “You had the corporate jet at your disposal, but you still chose to take the train. Are you ever going to grow out of your little obsession with all things relating to rail?”
Nope. That was never happening. From the time he could walk, Jordan had had a thing about locomotives. He liked planes, but helovedtrains. The thundering beat of a train as it approached the station always sent shivers down his spine. And the things that happened to his cock when a steam whistle blew, well that was something he had never dared share with another person. Bryce had his coffee obsession, Jordan had his trains.
As far as Jordan was aware, he was the only member of his family who owned a New York City transit system MetroCard. He doubted that either of their parents had ever set foot on the subway.
“I like taking the train, especially in Europe. Besides, once I’m out in California for the Laguna Beach project, I doubt I will get much time to travel. It was nice to look out the window and see the passing countryside, and just before we got to the channel tunnel, I took a nap.”
