by M T Stone
“Things probably would’ve been a little better between us if he actually knew I was his son.” My mind immediately begins to recall a multitude of bitter moments from the past. I hear the door to our suite open and assume that Mandy is back from the spa. “I’ve got to go Mom. I’m just sad that I spent so many years thinking that Dad was the asshole. That isn’t fair to him and now I have no way of telling him that I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Mom, whispers through her tears. “I’m so sorry, Trey.”
“I’m sure you are, Mom. Have a good rest of the day.” Beating up Mom isn’t going to make me feel any better, but I did want her to know my level of regret.
After hanging up the call, I walk inside the suite to see that the visitor was apparently room service. They had left a complimentary bottle of champagne and a bowl of fresh cut strawberries, along with my ice and the repackaged bottle of cognac. I pull the crystal decanter from its shiny black steel case and refill my glass, adding a few fresh cubes before returning to the terrace. It’s way too early in the day to be on my second glass of hard stuff, but I need to numb these feelings. I cast my eyes upon the vast ocean in front of me and slowly sip this incredible nectar of the gods. I’m sure everything will work out in time. I am truly sorry, Dad.
Mandy
Feeling a little better after two hours of pampering, I click the button in the elevator and the thoughts that were stressing me out this morning begin replaying in my mind. Even if Trey and I are not related, it doesn’t change the fact that my father is the one who caused all of the problems between our two families. I actually have to respect Victor for never telling anyone about the affair. He could have told all of us and completely ruined Dad’s life.
The hardest part for me to rationalize is the feeling that everything I have been working towards seems to have been in vain. Suddenly Dad is not the person I have loved and respected all of my life. I have always taken pride in the fact that I am his daughter and we are so much alike. So I thought, at least. I really need to talk to Mom.
I have no intention of burdening her about Dad’s infidelities, but I simply need to spend some time with her. Deep down, I am fully aware of the fact that she is dying. It simply pains me to see her in the current crippled state. In recent months it has become increasingly difficult to talk with her on the phone, which has lead to shorter and less frequent conversations. I need to go home and spend some quality time with her, before it’s too late.
Once back inside the suite, I am greeted by fresh strawberries and an open bottle of Dom Perignon on ice. I’m definitely up for both of them. I bite into one of the juicy berries while pouring myself a flute of champagne and the juices explode across my tongue. Wow, these are perfect. Tipping the glass to my lips, I think back to the discussion between Liv and Sasha about which champagne is best. I’ll bet neither of them could tell which was which without looking at the label. I know I sure couldn’t.
“Are you relaxed?” Trey asks, turning in his chair to greet me as I walk out to the terrace.
“Not really, but maybe a couple glasses of this will help.”
“Drink up baby, I’m already two ahead of you.” He reclines in his chair and sets down his empty glass.
“Want another one?” I ask before taking a seat.
“I better wait a bit. I don’t like being drunk this early on a Tuesday.” He laughs. “Although if there ever was a day to do it, this would probably qualify.”
“I say go for it.” I raise my glass and give him a nod before chugging it. “Give me your glass, I’ll get us a refill.”
On second thought, I’ll just bring the bottles, the ice bucket and strawberries out to the terrace, effectively eliminating any barrier to complete intoxication. After all, sunshine and seventy-five degrees with an occasional refreshing breeze is perfect drinking weather. If we both weren’t in such a shell-shocked emotional state, it would be a perfect day to go out on the water.
“Maybe we should get drunk and mess around,” Trey says after finishing another glass. “It could be our last chance, depending on how the results come back.”
“If it turns out that I’m your half-sister, our last sexual encounter along with all the others will need to be purged from my mind. I have no idea how much therapy will be required.” I shutter and shake my head.
“Maybe that’s why our kiss feels so magical,” Trey jokes, giving me a sideways glance.
“Because I’m forbidden fruit?” I reply with disgust. “You are being a sick fuck right now.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to cope the only way I know how.” He laughs, taking another sip.
“Maybe gambling would help to take our minds off things,” I suggest. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to play craps and baccarat.”
“Good idea. I’ll take a quick shower and put on one of my James Bond suits. You go pick out the hottest dress in the closet. In Monte Carlo, it’s all about making a great first impression.” He pats my arm and rises from the chair, polishing off the tail end of another drink. “Whew! Nothing like four glasses of eighty proof cognac to settle the nerves.”
“You better ease up a bit. I don’t want to be baby sitting my older brother later on.” I give him a glare as he stumbles past me and laughs it off.
Trey
Whoever says alcohol isn’t a great therapist, just doesn’t know what the hell to drink. I feel much better than I did a few hours ago. Standing in the shower with the water raining down over my head, my thoughts turn back to Mandy. Part of me is hoping that the door will open at any moment and she will appear, just like she did that night in New York. I chuckle to myself, knowing my thoughts are completely delusional. She has made it perfectly clear that she is off limits for now.
That’s the difference between guys and most women; we tend to be far more hormone driven and maybe a little irrational. I say most women, because I have met quite a few who would fuck anything for a handful of Ben Franklins. I really don’t want to go back to dating. If things go south with Mandy, I think I’m just going to declare celibacy. I push my face into the steam of cool water in an attempt to clear my thoughts. Whew, I think Mandy is right. I must be drunk.
Why anyone would actually choose celibacy is beyond me. Maybe I’ll spend a couple weeks at the Playboy Mansion, instead. That would be the polar opposite of celibacy. I like it. I chuckle and rinse the conditioner from my hair. Maybe I should take Tyler with me too. He needs to loosen up before he has a psychotic break.
Wrapping a towel around my waist, I walk back into the master suite. “You can’t parade around like that in front of me right now,” Mandy scolds.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I being a tease or something?” I release the towel, letting it drop to the floor. “I promise, I won’t let it happen again.”
“Okay, I’ll finish getting dressed in the other bedroom.” She gives me a glare before gathering up her makeup and hair products.
We have already seen everything there is to see of each other. What’s the big deal? I pull out a black Giorgio Armani suit, a crisp white shirt, black tie and a pair of gold cufflinks. I’ve never had much luck gambling, but at least I’ll look good. I slip on my shiniest pair of black dress shoes to complete the look. I glance in the mirror to comb my hair and spray on a little Sure Fuck, even though it’s probably not going to work it’s magic tonight.
“Is this better?” I ask Mandy, cracking open the door to the other bedroom.
“Wow, you look amazing.” She beams. “If I was sure you weren’t my brother, I might just rip those clothes right off of you.”
“Have another glass of champagne and think about it.” I walk over to her, slipping my arms around her waist. “You know what it does to me when you wear high heels and a little black dress.”
“I know.” She smirks. “Two can play the teasing game,” she says as she breaks away and heads toward the door.
Mandy
After a two-minute limo ride past the Hotel de Paris, we arrive at
the Casino de Monte Carlo. I definitely think we could’ve walked, as it would’ve sobered us up a bit more. Judging by the number of exotic sports cars parked in front of Casino de Monte Carlo; it definitely looks like the place to be tonight. Trey shifts in his seat obviously wondering which business magnates and socialites will be among the crowd inside. There are times when he is very cool and confident, but other times he seems a bit uncomfortable with the expectations that accompany extreme wealth. Even though I still harbor a sickening feeling inside, I’m determined to have some fun.
“It’s really busy tonight.” He scans the crowded floor upon entering the casino. “Hopefully we don’t have to wait around for a table.”
“We’ve got all night,” I assure him. “If we don’t get on right away, it’s no big deal.”
“I’m not one who likes waiting,” he says, leading me to the cashier.
“We are here to play some baccarat,” he tells the man who returns a blank stare. “I’m Trey Addison, Victor’s oldest.” He turns and gives me a confident wink.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Right away, Sir,” he replies after just a few keystrokes on his computer. “Would you like his standard line?”
“No. I only need one million, thanks,” he replies. “Dad always started with five million euros, but I’m not much of a gambler,” he explains while the cashier hands him a block of one hundred, ten thousand dollar chips. “I guess our minimum bet is ten thousand,” he says with a smirk as we make our way to one of the high roller rooms.
“I have no idea how to play, so I’ll just watch you.” I stay back while he takes his spot at the main table.
“Do you want me to lose?” He reaches back and pulls me up to his side. “I told you I’m a terrible gambler. I want to see if we are any good together.”
“But what am I going to do?” I ask, completely at a loss.
“It’s your job to pick whether we bet on the player or the banker and I’ll place the bet,” he replies, making it sound like a simple task.
“How do I choose which one is going to win, when I don’t even know how to play?” I’m still a little flabbergasted by the notion. “Are you still drunk?”
“Buzzed maybe, but all we do is bet on who is going to get closest to nine. The best odds are betting on the banker, but the player wins 49.3% of the time so it’s almost fifty-fifty. Who should I bet on?”
“I have no idea… the banker?” I throw out there randomly.
“Ten thousand on the banker,” he announces, giving me a nod of approval.
The dealer reveals four cards. “The banker has a natural nine. You win,” she says with a smile.
“We won?” Oh my God, I just won ten thousand dollars! “Can we quit?”
Trey laughs and hands me the chip that I just won. “You throw that one in your purse. I want you to keep it as a good luck charm.”
I stuff the chip into my wallet and zip up my purse. That is so damn cool.
“One hundred grand on the player,” a familiar voice calls out. We both look back to see Tommy and Liv approaching the table. Seriously?
Trey
We fly half way around the world to escape the drama of the city and within a matter of hours the drama has come to us. I just cringe as Tommy saunters up to the table and tosses ten chips onto the felt. “One hundred grand on the player,” he repeats, narrowing his eyes at me. He and Liv are wearing matching leather jackets, which seem a little out of place in Monte Carlo. Liv is standing as close to him as possible, hanging onto his left arm and giving me her harshest glare. Good for you Liv.
“One hundred thousand on the banker,” Mandy pipes up, taking the opposite bet.
“You pick the winner and I place the bets,” I remind her.
“Two fifty on the banker.” I swallow hard, not because of the size of the bet but because I really want to kick Tommy’s ass.
The dealer smiles curtly and begins to turn the cards. “The player has three, the banker has five,” she summarizes before drawing two additional cards.
“The player has six,” she says after drawing the first card. Tommy has me beat momentarily, so I take a deep breath and wait for the last card. “The banker has seven. The banker wins.” She pulls Tommy’s chips off the table and places five stacks of five next to my bet.”
“We just won $250,000!” Mandy screams in the direction of Tommy and Liv.
“She’s never gambled before.” I chuckle and roll my eyes at Tommy even though I was probably more excited than her.
“Well, she must be a natural.” He sighs before placing his next bet. “Five hundred on the player.”
“The banker, the banker!” Mandy bounces up and down tugging at my arm.
“One point two five on the banker,” I tell the dealer, pushing all my chips onto the felt.
By this time everyone else had stopped placing bets and were standing around waiting to see how things were going to play out between Tommy and me. The dealer gives me a concerned look as she begins to turn over the cards.
“The player has seven,” she says before turning over the banker cards. A seven is hard to beat, but the cards keep flowing in our favor. “And the banker gets a natural nine.” She pulls Tommy’s chips from the table and begins to count out one million two hundred and fifty thousand chips for us.
Needless to say Mandy has come unglued and is dancing around like she just won the lottery. “We won three times in a row! I can’t believe it! Three times in a row!”
“One point one on the banker,” Tommy says, placing his remaining chips on the felt. He looks over at us, expecting us to top his bet.
“I’m good,” I tell him. “That’s the first time I’ve ever won at gambling, so I’m walking away.” It’s actually the first time I’ve ever made a million and a half dollars. I’m still trying to make back all the money that Papa left me. At least I’ve learned some expensive lessons as a result of my losses.
“You chicken shit,” Tommy scoffs as the dealer begins to turn the cards.
“Player gets a natural eight,” she says with a smile, relieving Tommy of the rest of his stack.
“Come on Tommy, I’ll buy you guys whatever you want,” I offer, feeling overwhelmingly generous for the moment. Tommy is not the type of guy who is used to losing, so he has a rather stunned look on his face. Even under duress though, he still looks pretty damn cool.
“We want a bottle of Ace!” Liv blurts out before Tommy has a chance to recover.
“I’ll buy you a bottle if you can tell me the real name of it,” I tease her.
“Armand de Brignac,” Tommy replies derisively after gauging the confused look on Liv’s face.
“Alright, one bottle of Ace coming up. Do you want the big one?” I ask, referring to the thirty liter bottle that supposedly costs a couple hundred thousand.
“A normal sized bottle will be fine,” he replies in a snide tone. “You must think you’re pretty smart beating me three times in a row.”
“Actually, I’m smart enough to know that it was pure luck. The only one with any advantage whatsoever is the house. I’ll be back with that champagne.”
“Then you and I need to have a little talk, Trey.” He lowers his head and raises an eyebrow.
Great, this should be interesting. On the way up to the bar my phone rings, I glance down to see that it’s Tyler. I debate with myself for a few seconds and click to send it to voicemail. Within two minutes it rings again, it’s him again. I’ll give him a call when we leave the casino.
CHAPTER 3
M andy
As soon as Trey orders the champagne, Liv wastes no time pulling me aside. The intense look on her face has me prepared for one of her infamous rants. Instead, she is intent on giving me the dish on what Tommy is about to tell Trey.
“Tommy is going to be the new CEO of Addison Media,” she whispers a bit too loudly.
“It’s already been decided?” I’m more than a little shocked by how quickly a decision has been made.
�
�Yes. He met with the board this morning and he starts Monday.” She glows. “They gave him like a gazillion shares of stock.”
“Wow, a gazillion? That’s a lot.” I smirk and dismiss her comment. “Are you two an item now?”
“Oh yeah, we’re crazy about each other.” She straightens her posture and lifts her nose just enough to look down on me. “He’s way more successful than Trey will ever be.”
“Honestly, I don’t think Trey has much to worry about,” I reply, wanting to cut the conversation short.
“Except for the fact that Tommy will be controlling all of his stock.” She sneers.
“So, the CEO controls all of the stock in the trust?” I assume.
“Yeah, Trey and Tyler don’t have any voting rights for the next five years.” She giggles with childish delight.
“Well, in the long run they will control the company. In the meantime, Tommy’s interests are aligned with theirs. They all will profit from the company doing well, especially if he has a gazillion stock options,” I tell her bluntly.
Liv’s eyes immediately glaze over due to the rationality of my comments. “Oh look, there’s the bottle of Ace.”
She moves past me and heads directly to the gold colored bottle like a moth fluttering towards a light bulb. I stand back and watch as she interacts with Trey and Tommy. It’s as if she has no feelings whatsoever, only concerned with getting the first glass from the bottle. My God… she is the definition of a gold digger. I find myself no longer feeling sorry for her as she fawns over Tommy in an obvious attempt to irritate Trey.
Trey
After getting the girls settled at a table, Tommy and I excuse ourselves and head out of the casino. Once we are out of earshot, he begins to explain the deal that he hammered out with the board of directors. Basically, if he is able to take Addison Media to the next level over the next five years he will make as much money as either Tyler or me. He now stands in front of me expecting some sort of retaliation or at least a little retribution.
