by Alexa Davis
I had promised him faithfully on his deathbed that I would look after my brother, no matter what, and that was what I was trying my best to do. I wasn’t totally sure that I was succeeding in the right way, but at least he was being looked after.
I strutted proudly into the office, and everyone turned to look at me when I walked in. They all admired me, they all saw me as some sort of business hero, and I loved that. People enjoyed a rags-to-riches sort of story.
“Hey there, handsome,” the overly flirty receptionist, Marie, purred at me. “How was your weekend?” She wasn’t even slightly trying to hide her attraction to me, but then again, the women here never did. I would never go for it, though – gold diggers didn’t attract me. They just came with the territory with being successful.
“Good, thanks.” I shot her a wink back, just to make her day. “How about you?”
She rambled on, telling me about her plans that seemed to involve a whole lot of drinking, which I only half listened to. I could see Harry, my financial advisor, looking my way. It wasn’t me throwing things down the drain, of course; I was damn sensible with cash, but I had to take the flak for how Garrett was leading his life.
“Sorry, Marie, I’ll see you in a bit.” I eventually stopped her, the distraction lacing my tone. “Harry, how are you this morning?”
He came into my office and I rang through to my PA, Lucia, to sort us out some coffee before we both took our seats for the serious stuff to begin. I sighed deeply, and shuffled uncomfortably in my chair. “So, what’s going on, Harry?”
“Well, as you already are aware of,” he said in a pinched tone, “your business is doing really well. The percentage of your investments making you money is incredible. It’s just the outgoing that are causing you problems.” He didn’t say Garrett, despite the fact that we both knew he meant it.
“You really need to find a way to curb your spending.” He handed me a list and started to reel through it all. “Artwork that I know you don’t like, seven limo trips in one day, the flight to New York—”
“Right, I know, I’ll sort it out,” I snapped at him, taking my temper out on the wrong person. “Don’t worry.”
He’d heard it a million and one times before, which was obvious in his expression. “Look, I know, but…well, my advice to you would be to expand even further, make some more investments.”
This was him giving up on me ever dealing with Garrett, which, to be fair, I understood. If I were him, I would probably give up, too; it had been years after all. “I would get your research assistants to find you some new places…”
As he told me exactly what to do next, my eyes drifted down to the family photo sitting on my desk. I couldn’t help but wonder what my dad would think of me now, of both of us. I had everything I’d ever wanted, plus more, but I was risking it all just to keep a promise that I’d made to a dying man. Maybe I would be better off helping Garrett in a different way. Maybe the best thing to do would be to kick him out and make him stand on his own two feet, but that didn’t feel right. I knew Garrett wasn’t capable of looking after himself yet, so it wouldn’t be fair.
I would just have to expand the business for now and make more money that way. Garrett, I would deal with later on.
Just as I was saying goodbye to Harry, he shot me one more meaningful look. “You have done well, Justin,” he told me seriously. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have that threatened. I understand your situation, I know why things are the way that they are, but someday soon, you won’t be able to expand anymore. There will come a time when there is no other solution. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
With a sinking heart, I nodded morosely. “I understand.” Probably much better than he thought I did. “Thank you, Harry. Thank you for everything, as always. I’ll keep in touch with you; whatever I do, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you,” he smiled sadly at me. “I’ll speak to you soon.”
My head fell into my hands for a few moments once he’d gone, the reality of everything hitting me hard, but then I forced myself to snap into action. I needed to go and see the research team now, before things got too overwhelming for me. I would put in some calls myself, too. If I needed more money to keep things the way they were at the moment, then that’s what I would do.
Chapter Two
Annie – Monday
“Urgh,” I grumbled as the bright white light shone into my bedroom, disturbing me from my sleep. “Is it that time already?”
As I turned over, I accidentally knocked the person in my bed, making me jump. I hadn't realized that I wasn’t alone. I shifted more comfortably and turned my body right around to give me a better view of the beautiful creature lying next to me. I ran my fingers down her cheek carefully, not wanting to wake her, before placing a small kiss on her forehead. Rae was my darling, sweet, four-year-old daughter, the axis that my world spun upon, and I would have done anything for her.
But that certainly didn’t explain what she was doing lying next to me.
“Mommy?” she murmured, finally flickering her eyes open, proving that my attempts to keep her asleep hadn't exactly worked. “Is it morning? Do I have to get up?”
“You do, sweetheart,” I confirmed with a smile playing on my lips. “But first, I want to know why you’re in here with me? I thought if I brought you that princess bed, you were going to sleep in it forever more.”
“Oh, well, I was,” I could tell that she was doing her best to think on her feet. “But then when I woke up in the night…you were by yourself, and…and I felt bad for you.”
“You did, huh?” I did my best to keep my tone light, to act like that statement didn’t totally break my heart. How can my little gorgeous daughter be so observant, even if she is only using it as an excuse? I did everything that I could to disguise my loneliness from her, but she had picked up on it, anyway. “Well, it’s just a good thing that you’re around, isn’t it?” I blinked quickly, ridding my eyes of the tears, and I slid out of the bed quickly. “Come on, let’s go and have some breakfast.”
I stumbled into the front room with Rae bounding behind me, proving that she had endless energy despite the early hour. She was one of those kids who never seemed to really get tired, no matter what she did in a day, whereas I was always the opposite – worn out before I’d even gotten started.
“Actually, maybe you should go and get dressed now, while I’m cooking breakfast,” I insisted as I spotted the time. “I’m running a little late, and Nancy will be here soon. We need to get going if I’m going to open up the store on time.”
“Yay!” Rae squealed excitedly. “I love Nancy.”
“So do I,” I said quietly as she raced away. I honestly didn’t know what I would do without Nancy. When I first opened my coffee and book shop, Boffees, I’d needed someone to look after my baby. Nancy was the only candidate to apply for the position that I ever considered. I was so overprotective over my baby girl that it had to be absolutely the right person, and she was the only one I warmed to. With her short, blonde hair, her heart-shaped face, and her caring smile, I just felt a connection with her. After talking to her about her qualifications, security checks, and her past experience, I hired her on the spot, and I’d never looked back.
Not only was she now the best nanny ever, she was my closest friend, too. She’d seen me at my best times, and my worst, and me her. A beautiful friendship had been created, and that was worth everything to me. Without her, I couldn’t have made it through a lot of the things that I had.
I flicked the stove on and started cooking some bacon with my mind on work. The business was doing really well, even in a world where people believed that electronic books were the future, and that made me so proud of myself.
I’d managed to overcome a lot of crap in my life to actually make a success of myself…but now I wanted more. I wanted to be able to leave a really decent inheritance for Rae, and I had to expand for that to happen.
The annoying t
hing was I had the potential; if Boffees could do well here, then I believed it could do well anywhere. I just didn’t have the money to fund that sort of thing, and I wasn’t sure that anyone would be willing to invest in me. From my experience, investors only wanted to know the bigger companies, and books and coffee didn’t exactly qualify as that, however essential I believed both those things were.
“Do you like my outfit, Mommy?” Rae bounced back in, showing me her princess dress, which she’d combined with shorts, tights, and a superhero cape. “Do you think Nancy will like it?”
“I’m sure she’ll love it,” I reassured her, giggling to myself. Rae really was a character, far more like her father than me. I was quieter, shyer, and more content to be by myself. “Now come on, sit down and eat.”
While Rae told me her plans for the day, involving a whole load of tea parties and picnics, I couldn’t help but smile happily to myself. When she was born, I had no idea how I would cope all by myself. I didn’t even slightly think that I could do it. I wasn’t sure that I was cut out for motherhood, especially not alone, but somehow, through all of that, I managed to raise her well – and create my own mini empire, too.
“I’ll get it,” she screamed excitedly at the sound of a knock, racing to the front door before I could even stand up. Our apartment was small enough for her to get across it in seconds, which sometimes drove me crazy, especially when she thundered around as I was doing my best to get some paperwork done. “Nancy, come in!”
“Hello, hello,” Nancy breezed in, looking like a vision from a fashion magazine. “Sorry I’m a little late. Oh, it looks like you are, too. Why don’t you go and have a shower, get ready, and Rae and I can get right to it?”
“Thank you,” I replied gratefully. “You really are a life saver.”
***
As I unlocked the door and stepped inside to inhale that wonderful scent of books, I thought about how calm my day would be compared to my friend’s. Luckily, she loved kids, and she adored Rae, but I did feel some sympathy for Nancy. My daughter was like a tornado, and she would run her ragged.
“Hello there, Miss Driscoll,” a familiar voice rang out from behind me, shaking me from my thoughts. “How are you today?”
It was Mrs. Jin, one of my regular customers, someone old enough not to have been raised with technology. To people like her, people in retirement, people at a loose end, Boffees was a haven. They could come in, meet up with friend, drink hot beverages, and read to their heart’s content. It was a sanctuary for them, which made me even happier. I’d managed to create something that actually made people’s lives better…not many people could say that. I didn’t mind if my customers didn’t always spend a fortune because despite my bigger dreams, most of what I wanted was to make people happy.
“I’m good, thank you, please come in. I’ll put on the pot to get some drinks ready.”
While I waited for it to boil, the place filled up, so by the time I actually got around to making the drinks, I had a long list to complete. I didn’t mind, though; this was what I lived for. This stuff made me happy.
“Ooh, hello, Roy,” I heard Mrs. Jin call out joyfully. “It’s nice to see you here again.”
Roy Larkin was a local billionaire famous for his oil business, but up until recently, he hadn't interacted with his community much, preferring to be alone. It proved how much of an introvert he was by the fact that barely anyone in Florence even knew that he was here – and for such a small community, that really was something else. However, more recently, after a small scandal and some new happiness in his life, he was actually becoming a regular in my bookshop, and a face that everyone looked forward to seeing.
“Latte?” I called over my shoulder, already knowing his standard order.
“Sounds good,” he replied smilingly. “You know I can’t go to work anymore without one of your lovely coffees.”
“You know I also sell books, too…” I joked, turning around and handing him the drink. “If you’d ever like to help a poor girl out…”
“Actually,” he replied, sounding far too serious for the conversation as it was. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me the other day, about wanting to expand the store.” I hadn’t exactly said that directly to him, I had been talking to some of the others and he just happened to overhear, but I didn’t correct him. I just nodded silently, wondering where he was going.
“Well, I actually have a friend who invests in companies, a little like this one. Justin Gains – you probably haven’t heard of him; he lives in Portland.” He shook his head, seemingly realizing that he was going off on a tangent. “Anyway, I can set up a meeting with him, if you’d like? I can’t guarantee anything, but it’s worth a try, right?”
“Really?” I gasped back, gripping his arm tightly with my heart racing in my chest. “You would do that?”
“Of course,” he smiled brightly at me. “I love this place. I think that it’s awesome, and I like the way it’s become a hub for the community, too. People rely on Boffees more than you know, and that’s something that should be spread all over the country.”
“Well, thank you,” I replied, taken aback. I knew that I adored Boffees and everything it stood for, but to hear someone else say it…well, that was something else. That made me feel incredible. “That sounds great. I would love to meet your friend.”
“Right, I’ll contact him today, see what he says. With my recommendation, I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to come and see you. He trusts my opinion, and I’ll tell him how wonderful you are.”
I blushed brightly, shrinking under his praise. The fact that Roy was saying those things in a straightforward, honest manner, with no other intentions made his words even more special. He really saw the possibilities with Boffees just like I did. I had to hope that his friend would feel the same way, too. I prayed he would understand how awesome my company was.
“Well, thank you so much,” I panted breathlessly in shock. “I really do appreciate it.” I couldn’t even begin to express how much, even though it was only a chance. It was more than I’d started with this morning, and that meat everything to me.
“No worries; I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As he walked out of the shop, I returned to my favorite daydream. I pictured a real-life empire under my control, stores all over the country, even out of Oregon. I imagined Rae’s pride as she grew up to realize what a success I’d made of myself. Oh God, that was a dream that I wanted so damn badly.
I’d been thinking about it for ages, and now with this Justin Gains, it might just happen. Banks wouldn’t ever see me, and other investors weren’t interested, but with Roy’s recommendation, Justin might feel compelled. A lot of business was all about who you knew, anyway – this was simply another example of that.
This could really work, I thought excitedly to myself. This could actually happen. All I need to do is impress this guy in any way possible. That shouldn’t be too difficult, right?
Chapter Three
Justin – Tuesday
Thoughts of what to do about Garrett plagued me all night long, leaving me with not much sleep. I felt tired and cranky, and in need of doing something. Harry’s words were still spinning round in my mind, and I knew that I couldn’t just leave it any longer. I had to at least say something…and this time, I would do my best to say it in a less nagging tone of voice. Maybe that way, by some miracle, my brother would actually want to hear it. And, if I cooked him breakfast to go with it…well, that could only help.
“Oh God, I’m so hungover.” He made me jump as those croaky words burst from his throat behind me. I was expecting to have to go and wake him up! “But whatever you’re cooking smells great.” Of course, a free meal already prepared for him, that was probably the only thing that could make him rise out of bed before dawn. “What are you making for me?”
I placed a plate down in front of him, taking a moment to drink in his disheveled appearance. My brother mostly looked like me, e
xcept he kept his dark hair much longer, and he often didn’t bother shaving, leaving him a lot of stubble. Plus, his bloodshot eyes seemed to be a permanent feature…the after effects of partying nonstop.
“Garrett, I really think we need to talk,” I started, slipping myself quietly into the chair opposite him. “I had a meeting with Harry yesterday.”
“Oh God, that old stick in the mud.” It was safe to say that my brother didn’t get on very well with my financial advisor…shocking as that was. “What did he have to say for himself? More complaints about spending? Doesn’t he know that we’re billionaires?”
That stunned me, so much so that I actually didn’t know what to say for a couple of seconds. I knew that Garrett had something of a bad attitude and a carelessness with regards to money, but to take credit for money that was mine? That was a new low.
“Actually, I am the billionaire,” I told him firmly. “I earned the money; it all belongs to me. And, it certainly didn’t just fall in my lap. I had to work very hard to get to where I am today!”
He glanced up at me, and in that moment, I could see something finally hitting him, which encouraged me to continue. “I pay for your lifestyle – the parties, the drinking, the idiocy—”
“Wow,” he replied quietly, slumping back in his seat. His eyes lit up with a recognition that I’d never seen before, causing hope to flood through me. Maybe this was how I should have approached things all along. “You know what, you’re right.” He pursed out his lips as he thought hard. “Maybe…maybe I could come and work with you?”
My heart beat faster as he actually considered work. This was something totally new, and I was more than keen to go along with it. This was the sort of help that I could get on board with. “Yeah, of…of course you can. Erm, maybe come in later in the week? I’ll see what position I can fix to your skills.” I would create a job opening for my brother if I needed to, anything to drag him away from his current, very immature lifestyle. “Sound good?”
