by Grey, Chloe
“Omg, Les, this place is huge!” she said when she came back. She grabbed my arm and tugged for me to follow her. “Look! Floor to ceiling windows, a stunning panoramic view of the Strip, two bedrooms with plush, heavenly king beds, and another sitting room at the other end of the unit. Can you believe it? And did you notice? We have our own separate bathrooms, all marble and with Jacuzzis, no less. There’s a kitchen over here too. Les. Why aren’t you freaking out about this?”
“Everything’s beautiful, Monica.”
“So what’s the problem?”
She stopped in my master bath and activated the bidet to get my attention. If I weren’t so wound up about Drew, I’d be impressed. Pulling almost all my body weight behind her, she led me through the kitchen to the larger sitting room, and stood beside the minibar.
“Need a drink? Come on Les, look at where we are. Why are you moping at a time like this?”
“It may have something with my best friend tipping off Drew about our trip. Or that he has a brother who’s not only a billionaire, but about to star in my favorite reality series. Oh wait, it could be that I’ve slept with him and I don’t know a damn thing about him, yet he knows every intimate detail about me.”
“Come on, hun. Don’t be like that. Did you guys talk down in the lobby just now?”
“No. He said he’ll tell me everything when I’m back from our salon appointment.”
She looked at her watch and her eyes bulged. “Right! We have ten minutes to make our appointment! Let’s go. He’s a good guy, Les. Just give him a chance to explain, and don’t think about it now. Besides, it’s time for your head to toe makeover!”
Clearly Monica knew more than she was letting on, and if she wasn’t spilling to me, it meant there was something bad in the mix.
Chapter 3
Drew
We made our way into Max’s suite and he showed me to the guest room. He was a regular in Vegas, so the hotel would make the same room available to him at every visit. We had a lot to catch up on, but my mind was elsewhere—on Leslie. As she had a spa appointment, who knows how long she would be. I did my best to put her out of my mind, went out to the living room, and focused on the business at hand.
“Have a seat, Drew,” Max called from the full bar in the corner of the room. Care for a drink?”
“I’ll pass for now, thanks. So tell me what this is all about, Max. Why did you want to meet here, when we could have sat down in Dallas last week, or months ago when Mr. Gorber died?”
I still called the man Mr. Gorber. He was supposedly my biological father. I had no recollection of him at all. My mother divorced him when I was two, and won sole custody of me. She moved and remarried, and changed my last name to Masterson so we could all be a big happy family, I guess. She only decided to tell me about Mr. Gorber when he died three months ago.
Talk about the bubble you’ve known as your life being pricked until it bursts. Not only did I find out I had a different father—which was enough of a shock—but the man was an oil tycoon, who my mom said was nothing but horrible to her. I wasn’t there so I have no frame of reference, but I had to believe her. Up until the moment before she told me, she and Richard Masterson were the most kind, honest, and nurturing parents to my sisters and me.
But now, I also had a younger brother, Maximillian, who was the splitting image of me, and had reached out, hoping to build a bridge between us. In the same way I had only recently found out about having another family, he had only been told about me on his dad’s death bed. He seemed to have taken it really well, sitting across from me now, calm as a cucumber.
“The timing wasn’t too good, big brother. I was in the middle of several business deals and couldn’t break away.”
“Well tell me everything you know. Don’t leave anything out.”
“I’m in the same boat, Drew. All I know is what dad told me just before he died. Let me get to the point. Dad named me the executor of his will, but I’ve handed the reading to our lawyers. Too much is happening now. I already told you the reading is next weekend, in Dallas, but I want to make sure you’re prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
Max shifted in his seat and then focused on me again. “He’s named you in a part of the will, Drew. It’s significant. And complex. The lawyer will explain more, but you need to know he’s always wanted a relationship with you, and more importantly, he wanted us to be closer.”
“How could he have possibly wanted that, Max? You and I didn’t know a thing about each other until three months ago.”
“I know, man. I know. I’m just as shocked as you at all this. But think of it this way. We’re on equal footing now. We have no history, no baggage, and can start fresh. In some ways, we’re better off for that, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know, Max. This is still a lot to digest.” I stood up and started pacing back and forth across the expansive living room, raking my fingers through my hair, trying to take it all in. I was probably going to go bald anytime now. For a guy three years younger than me, Max was certainly level-headed. I wondered if he got that from my real dad.
Thinking logically—and any kind of thinking at all was already hard to begin with—I had nothing to lose from any of this. All of a sudden, I had a brother who seemed like a decent guy, and was named in a will by a man who I didn’t remember. But sitting before me was a guy who must have really experienced his world turning upside down as well. He lost his dad. His only dad. It had to have been hard for him too.
I took a breath and sat down again. “Okay. So what do I need to know?”
“Well, the lawyer will get into all the details next week, but here’s the short version. My dad put some terms around how the business is to be run going forward. It impacts the both of us. He wants each of us to take on VP roles in the parent company.”
“What? I don’t know a thing about the oil business.”
“I’m almost in the same boat here. I studied fine arts at college. I always wanted to be a classical concert pianist.”
“Yes but he had to have done some grooming with you before this, didn’t he?”
“Maybe a little. He made me add a commerce minor to my fine arts degree; otherwise he said he wouldn’t release my college trust fund.”
“Well, you might as well tell me I have to perform open heart surgery on you tomorrow. I have a career in television news, Max. Not to minimize what I do, but I read lines off a teleprompter, speak, and look handsome for a living.”
He smiled at that comment. I was dead serious. “I’ll tell you the truth, Drew. I’ve never wanted to run dad’s business. But you know what? Maybe if we put our heads together, it’ll be easier, you know? Maybe that was his point.”
His level-headedness and calm demeanor was having an effect on me. It could also be the fact that I was sitting across from my Doppelganger. Pretty soon, I’d probably be talking like him too. “Okay. Sure, you’re probably right. Well, I’ll know the details next week, right?”
“Yes. Next Thursday at three in the afternoon. I’ll email you the details. And there are a few other things.”
“Seriously? There’s more?”
“Yes. It’s not all bad, Drew. If you agree to run the business with me, your inheritance will be sizeable.”
“What do you mean, sizeable?”
“Half.”
“Half? Half of what?”
“Everything. There’s just you and me in the will.”
“What about your mother? Is she…did she…is she around?”
“Yes. Yes of course. My mom’s fine. My mother’s family is very wealthy, Drew. Wealthier than dad was. She made sure dad didn’t name her in the will.”
“So what are you saying?”
“What I’m saying, Drew, is if you agree to the terms next week and join the company—and we can figure out how that looks in the coming weeks when we meet the CEO—it means you’ll have half.”
“Half of what exactly?”
“Don’t think of it as a thing. Think of it as a set of things, none of which we can take with us when we die.” By the sound of Max, I took it that he didn’t put much weight in wealth.
He stood up and came over to shake my hand. “Congrats, big brother, you’re rich. A billionaire, no less. Welcome to the most prestigious, most suffocating club around. I for one am happy I don’t have to bear title to the Gorber fortune all alone.”
I sat dumbfounded as he shook my hand enthusiastically. I had no idea what to make if any of it. And why was Max so happy? Weren’t the wealthy always hung up on being more wealthy? Why would he want to hand over half so easily?
“Max. Tell me frankly. I feel like I’m missing something here. Why are you so excited to give a complete stranger half of your dad’s inheritance like that? Is he in debt? Is there any trouble lurking? Sorry to sound a little skeptical, man, but it’s not every day that this kind of thing happens, you know?”
“There’s nothing underhanded going on, Drew. And Dad’s companies are booming, asset-rich, and not likely to have anything go wrong—well, not unless the two of us make a whole slew of bad decisions over the coming years. As for me, I told you, I don’t care much for any of it. There’s nothing I would love more than to perform solo concertos and tour with the top orchestras. That’s my passion, not running an oil conglomerate.
“Plus, I’m the sole future heir of my mother’s riches. I don’t need the money or the prestige. In that respect, I think dad really did this to get you and me to connect. He knew I would do anything for him. And now that he’s put it in the will, he gets his way.”
He walked over to the bar and poured cognac into two balloon glasses. He brought them over and handed one to me. This time, I accepted it, and drank the contents in one gulp.
“Look, try not to worry about it until next week, okay? Let’s try to enjoy the weekend. Hey, care for a round of golf tomorrow? We’d have to go early though, but it would be fun. Have you played?”
“Yes. I’ve done a few rounds here and there. I didn’t bring any clubs to Vegas, though.”
“Well let’s buy you a set before we head out. So you’re game for a round?”
“Sure.” The man was taking the whirlwind in stride. Granted, as executor, he would have had more time to let it all sink in. Things could have gone down differently had he not been so seemingly—grounded. “Yes, sound like it’ll give us time to catch up. I’m in.”
“Excellent. Well, it’s getting late, and I promised one of my Vegas buddies I’d meet him for a late night game of high stakes poker. Care to join us?”
I was curious to see what kind of stakes billionaires played for, but then again, I wasn’t one—not yet anyway. And speaking of money and stakes, I had precious little in my bank accounts, and even less on the one credit card that still had room. I wasn’t in a position to walk the halls of casinos. And I had promised Leslie I’d wait so we could talk.
“I think I’ll pass for now, Max. I’ll see you in the morning for golf.”
He may have read my mind about finances. “No problem. Feel free to charge anything you need to the room. I’ve already told the front desk, so you’re good to go. Enjoy your night, big brother.”
He went back to his room for a few minutes, and returned dressed in another sleek business suit for his poker outing. I was glad to be alone again. I needed time to think. More than that, I needed to figure out what to tell Leslie. I went back to my guest room, unpacked my travel bag, and had a shower. I needed to be fresh and clear-headed when I spoke to her.
Chapter 4
Leslie
I covered mouth when the stylist swung my chair around so I could see my new ’do. My nails, pedicure and makeup had been done before the hairdresser got me in the chair. The spa had even squeezed in half-hour massages for us. I couldn’t believe the transformation. I almost didn’t recognize myself.
“Oh my goodness,” Monica said from the seat next to me.
I turned to her and shook my head. “Is this real right now?”
“You’re a bombshell,” Monica said. “The guys aren’t going to know what hit them.”
I bit my lower lip, glancing at my reflection. It wasn’t what I expected going into the makeover, but it provided the change I wanted. Big time. I looked up at the hairdresser. She smiled at me, looking pleased with the result.
“Thank you. I am just in a bit of shock right now.”
The woman laughed. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
I stood up and nodded, and almost gave the woman a hug. “It’s a great thing.”
Monica stood up next to me. She hadn’t changed much, other than her once straight hair had a touch of curl. She didn’t need to change a thing to begin with. She already had the looks. “Let’s pay. I can’t wait to get this weekend started.”
We left the chairs and walked over to where the cashier processed their transactions. Monica couldn’t hide her shock when the total was revealed.
“Whoa…” Monica breathlessly replied next to me. “It costs a heck of a lot to stay beautiful in Vegas.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a credit card. “Les, I can pay for my stuff.”
I push her card away. “I already told you it’s my treat. It will be fine.” I handed over my credit card and waited for the transaction to be completed. It was worth every penny.
“Are you sure?” Monica asked, arguing as we left the salon.
That was the great thing about the luxury hotels on the south Strip—many of them were connected together by indoor walkways, so we were lucky enough this salon was close a short indoor walk to our hotel. We browsed the shop fronts as we headed back.
“I really don’t mind paying you back,” she pressed on.
I laughed. She could be a dog with a bone sometimes. “Positive. Repeat after me—this trip is Leslie’s treat.”
“Okay, okay.”
“No. Not enough. Say it.”
“This trip is Leslie’s treat.”
“Good. Soon, I’ll get the money and I’ll have plenty to make up for these small purchases. Don’t…” my voice trailed off as I saw a dress in a boutique window. “I want that dress.”
Monica turned in the direction I was looking. “Wow, it’s beautiful, but are you sure? I mean, you aren’t exactly the cocktail dress type.”
I wasn’t paying much attention to Monica. I approached the blue gown. It was gorgeous. It was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline bodice, elegant silver beading, sequins and pearls, with the most adorable sapphire-colored, puffy, A-line skirt. It looked like something you would see on a Vegas Showgirl, not on someone run of the mill like me. It was perfect.
“I told you I need a change,” I said, glancing at Monica. “Picture this… we wear dresses like that tonight and we’ll have all eyes on us. You said that’s one of your main objectives. We won’t be scouring for men, Monica. They’ll come to us, especially with my new look. I want to do this for us. I want to feel beautiful.”
“Les, it’s almost nine at night.”
“Yeah, and we’re in Vegas. All night restaurants, clubbing until after dawn, twenty-four hour casinos and late night stage shows.”
“I can’t,” Monica said.
I frowned. “What? Why not?”
“Les, you’re talking about a dress that would bankrupt me, and here you are, wanting to buy two. This is too much and this is only the beginning.”
“Listen. Will you let me live a little? My credit card will hold it. I never use it except for emergencies, and when I do, I pay it off before interest starts to accrue. Why do you think it practically has no limit? Please. Do this with me. Let me get us these. I’m not worried and you know what? I’m not taking no for an answer.”
I grabbed Monica’s hand and pulled her into the store. It wasn’t until we were trying on dresses that Monica finally started to relax. I could see it on her face. I put on the blue dress from the window and her eyes popped out of her head. It was like I was suddenly a princess b
eing swept out of my normal comfort zone.
“You have to get that one,” Monica shouted.
“Oh, I’m getting it. Come one, let’s find you one.”
She was already holding on to a purple silk dress she caught a glimpse of in the racks. It was a formfitting mini with beading along the sweetheart neckline of the corset-style top. It wasn’t quite as extravagant, but still sleek and elegant. It fit her like a glove.
“You have to get this dress, Monica. It’s perfect for you.”
She nodded, turning to face a mirror. “I’ll never be able to repay you.”
I laughed, disappearing back into the dressing room. “I would never expect you to.”
I got dressed back in my original clothes. With dress in hand, I left the room and waited for Monica. Her smile was wide as she came out of her dressing room.
“We are so going to turn heads this weekend,” she said as I paid the cashier. She was pretty pumped up about our big-ticket purchase. It was probably going to give her a nice commission. The price of each dress was totaled up and I handed over my card, like the amount was peanuts. Deep down, I still was in shock that this was my life. We left the store and headed back to the hotel. It would be a weekend to remember.
“Thanks again for the amazing dress. I’ll wear it all the time, just so it won’t be wasted money.”
“You’re going to wear it on the newscast? Wouldn’t that be a sight!”
We both laughed, entering the hotel.
“Well… maybe not all the time.”
I was too happy. I didn’t care if we only wore it once. It was the principle of the thing, and I enjoyed having one gown that would stand out in my closet. We got up to our room and laid our dresses out, still admiring them.
“Look in the pamphlet and see if you can find a fancy restaurant to go to tonight. We’re having a drink to celebrate. I’ll be back with some ice from the machine outside.”
“Okay,” Monica answered.
I took the ice bucket and left the hotel room. I hummed, heading down the hallway to find the vending and ice machine. I kept humming the tune as the bucket quickly filled up, and then headed back to our room.
