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“Yep. You know what that means.”
Braxton clapped his hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re the oldest.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Did you see the article in the LA Times this morning?” he asked.
I took another swallow and sighed. He liked to keep up with whatever media fodder was active but I couldn’t care less. “Let me guess, a couple of actors Dad hired are in trouble.”
“You got it. Plus, the reporter had the nerve to assert his two cents’ worth of bullshit. He thinks Dad is too old to be effective in the business and his son perched to take over was no better than the skanky actors Progressive Media hired.”
A cough pushed up from my throat. “He did not use the term skanky.”
“Oh, yes, he did.”
“Well, I guess I know what Pops wants to meet about.”
He laughed. “You’re probably right. Incidentally, I’m having a little party this weekend, including the hottest models in all of California. Why don’t you swing by? Since you’re a skanky party boy and all.”
“Very funny. And here I thought it was your turn to check the clubs.” I tipped my head toward him, noticing his mischievous grin. One of us regularly flew from one location to the other to ensure our guests were being catered to the way we’d promised in our glossy brochures.
“Nope,” he said as he swirled the liquid in his glass. “Gage volunteered to switch with me. If you ask me, I’d say the man has someone on the side.”
“He is an adult and can do whatever he wants.”
“Speaking of which. When are you going to start dating again? Like serious dating?”
I wanted to say when hell froze over, but Braxton wouldn’t allow me to get away with that. I’d been stupid enough to actually care about a girl at one point in my life, which had been against the motto and identity I’d created for myself now some almost twenty years before.
Never have feelings for any woman. Use them. Enjoy them. Pleasure them. But in the end, toss them aside.
It had worked for the most part. Now I could barely stand the thought of going out with anyone.
“I’m busy. You know that,” I told him.
“You’re getting gray hair, buddy.”
“Speak for yourself, bastard.”
As Mr. Spinnaker rose from the seat, I shook my head from the look my brother was giving me. Gage was also extremely good at forcing a new client to sign on the dotted line before they could even consider changing their mind.
“You’re going to be a lonely old man,” Braxton whispered to end the conversation as both of us turned around to shake hands with our client.
What really bothered me was that my brother was right. I was tired of attending swanky parties and hobnobbing with celebrities and politicians. I was also repulsed by basically hiring arm candy to attend said events with me.
Which was why I planned on retreating to a house I barely spent time in, maybe even doing something out of the ordinary for me.
Walking the pristine beach I could barely remember paying any attention to over the last year or two.
With all the pleasantries finished, Gage guided James to the door, offering the perfect amount of praise as required. Or as my father liked to call it, stroking a man’s ego. Once the door was closed, Gage groaned and dropped his head.
“A hard win,” Braxton muttered.
“I’m getting too old for this.” Gage laughed as he finally headed toward the bar himself.
“What if the perfect woman just dropped into your life?” Braxton asked me. Why he was busting my balls was beyond me.
“First of all, there is no perfect woman. Second, I don’t think any female is suddenly going to drop into my life. We have far too many security measures established years ago.”
