The Arrangement (unenhanced Edition) by AnnaRCase (books to read now .txt) 📖

                “No no it’s true. I was always dragging his ass to parties I swear. He would rather chill at home. And I swear to fucking God he and his brother would go to museums and shit. Watch documentaries and  hole up in the library reading for hours. No lie.”

                “Now I know you’re pulling my leg, Leo.”

                But she remembered all the books in Grayson’s room and up in his loft. Though she’d never actually seen the billionaire open up a book. Was that what he spent hours holed up on his room doing? There was a lot she didn’t know about the man.

                “Adam was a big history buff. I’m sure you saw his collection when you broke into G-Man’s room. Their Grandfather left it to Adam when he died like fifteen years ago. He used to take Adam to auctions, museums and reenactments. And Adam got Grayson interested too. I would give them hell about it all the time. I was the driving force behind G-Man’s social life.”

                “Well fuck, you really do learn something new every day.”

                “Their father was the one who forced them into sports and shit. Said they needed to be well rounded and look good on their college transcripts. Though he could just buy their way in if he needed too. Grayson loathed tennis and Polo the most. But he actually studied and shit, made good grades. Adam was more of the slacker in that regard.  More outgoing and he was hella good at lacrosse too.”

                Amberleigh now had a bowl full of cheese to offer to the chef. He thanked her as she took the grater over to the sink and rinsed it. She wondered what it was like to lose a sibling. The way Leo talked, it was probably like Grayson had lost a piece of his very soul the day his brother died.

                “It must have been hard on Grayson losing his brother.”

                Leo breathed in deeply, “I didn’t leave him alone like ever for a couple months after. I was fucking terrified Amber. He was so good at pretending to be ok ya know. Even to his therapist. But I knew he wasn’t. It wasn’t the times he cried that made me worried, it was the times he went quiet and stared off for hours in his room.  I had to make an appointment with his therapist and snitch on him, because I was scared he’d do something to hurt himself. He was started on anti-depressants then.”

                “Jesus. That’s dark. Poor Grayson. I hate to think where’d he be without you Leo.”

                Leo chuckled, “Oh I can think of a few places. Probably still at his office right now, pulling an all- nighter. Or doing the same thing from his bedroom.  Now where did I put that sauce I canned last week?”

                The chef rummaged through a cabinet or two before he bent down to open one near the liquor stash. Despite the heaviness in the air, Amberleigh would be a liar if she said she wasn’t checking out Leo’s fine ass. Appreciated the way it filled his linen slacks quite nicely. She jumped when the chef cursed.

                “Son of a bitch! Fuck.”

                “What is it?”

  Leo rummaged through the cabinet and she heard the sound of bottles clicking together. After several seconds, he stood up and slammed the cabinet shut.

                “There’s some bottles of liquor missing. I thought his ass was asleep. He must have snuck back in here and carted some off to his room. If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care off. I’ll just be a few minutes. And if you hear shouting, don’t be alarmed.”

                Amberleigh nodded and took over the search for the tomato sauce as Leo went off to read his friend the riot act and remove the contraband from his master suite. She soon found the sauce and smelled in its goodness before she took the liberty to spread it across the crust. Leo was right about the shouting. She could hear him yelling from the kitchen.  But then he was shouting her name.

                Amberleigh set the remaining sauce on the counter quickly. Something in Leo’s voice was urgent and made her heart begin to pound. She sprinted out of the kitchen and to the master suite.  She halted at the doorway and peered in. Grayson was slumped over in a leather arm chair near the fireplace. An empty bottle of scotch was on the floor near his feet, another half empty bottle of brandy was overturned leaking out on the floor. But more concerning was the vomit leaking from the billionaire’s mouth, down the front of his flannel pajamas, and Leo shaking him and yelling his name. Grayson Godwin wasn’t waking up. And the billionaire was barely breathing.