Just another day at the office.
“How's Amanda?” Declan asks me with concern. “Shannon's over at your house now, hanging with her.”
“Did she bring ice cream?”
“With Cheetos,” Dec confirms. “And a case of those YoYo Baby Belly Snax you love so much.” Declan gives Vince a smarmy look that makes it clear he thinks he's scoring points by revealing my new love of baby snacks.
“Those are the bomb,” Vince says, surprising us both as he asks me, “which are your favorite? Mango or peach?”
“Did I mention the Cheeto ice cream?” Declan reiterates.
That gets the expected response.
Vince starts to gag, then eyes my brother's chest. “What do your pecs look like?”
“I am not taking anything off,” Declan flatly declares.
“Um, Andrew? If you're done with me?” Gina glares at Vince. “You can find your own meal?”
“I'll feast off your obvious admiration for my shred,” Vince says to her with a wink.
“No clean diet can compensate for a man who is, well... compensating?” Her eyes drift lower on his body.
And on that note, she exits.
Dec lets out a low whistle as a stunned Vince scrambles back into his shirt, shooting looks of outrage at the empty doorway.
“Why did you keep asking Gina for all that info? You never drill down like that when we eat at the gym,” I ask Vince, who starts stretching.
Damn. He meant it. We really are working out.
“I was just yanking her chain.”
“What else were you yanking while bothering her like that?” I ask.
Before he can order it, I drop to the ground and start doing burpees.
From above, Declan says, “While this impromptu workout looks great and all, I came here for a different reason. Dave told me you're thinking about partnering with us for a real food bar in your gyms.”
I go flat on my belly and look at Vince, who is now doing crunches. “What?”
“Right. That,” he says, sitting up and looking at me. “I was going to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“I've been working with Dave.”
Dec shoves his hands in his suit pants pockets and lowers his brow. Any other guy would be intimidated, but Vince just smiles.
“On what?” Dec asks.
“A whole new way to make people get real food.”
“We serve real food,” Declan begins.
“Not real enough. Let me show you.”
“Show me?” Dec and I say together.
“C'mon. Let's go to Grind It Fresh! Dave's already there waiting for us.”
I look at my workout clothes. “We're not doing a workout?”
“Of course not. We're having a business meeting.”
“Then why did you make me change?”
“I wanted to see if I could convince you to strip down. I succeeded. You're surprisingly easy to manipulate, Andrew.”
Declan bursts out laughing as I storm back into my dressing room and put on my suit of armor, shouting, “Does this mean you accept the job with my new company?”
Silence.
“New company?” Declan calls out.
Oh, damn.
Vince clears his throat and says, “You never told your brother?”
Silence is a fine weapon when wielded appropriately.
Like now.
Finishing up, I re-knot my tie and make them wait. When I come out, Declan has an expectant look on his face, brows raised, eyes unblinking.
“Spill. You're hiring Vince to run your chain of gyms?”
Vince gives Dec an appreciative look. “So you do know.”
“I didn't realize this was so serious,” my brother says, grabbing my arm. “Is it?”
“Not talking about this until Vince answers my question.”
“What question?”
“Does this mean you accept the offer?”
“Duh.”
“You could have told me sooner.”
“That wouldn't have been as much fun as this.” He points to Dec. “Now I get to watch you squirm.”
“You're seriously planning to run this chain?” Disdain fills his eyes. “Old Jorg's gym?”
“No. Not the gyms. A different chain,” Vince helpfully answers.
“Of what?”
“Coffee shops,” I say as we walk to the elevator bank and I push a button. Also Dec’s buttons.
A bark of laughter escapes him. “You didn't.”
“No. I didn't. I have too much respect for you.”
Vince laughs through his nose.
“Thank you,” Dec says pointedly.
“I would never want to humiliate you by becoming a competitor and wiping you out.”
Ding!
He stands there, eyes murderous, as Vince suddenly turns to the stairs and announces, “Let's just take the stairs and get some cardio in.”
We're in suits. Vince is in shorts and a muscle shirt.
But obedient clients do as told.
Five flights before the end, Declan huffs and says, “Why the hell are we doing this?”
“Because Vince said to.”
“We pay him! He's not our boss.”
I just grunt.
“And you never answered my question.” The metallic echo of our voices makes even a hushed whisper feel like a scream. He stops. “Day-to-day operations?”
I just shrug.
“For Anterdec? An acquisition?”
I could lie. It would be easy. It is easy.
Instead, I stop. I take a deep breath. I let time pass, enough time for Declan to cross his arms over his unbuttoned jacket and watch me, his judgment fading by the second, replaced by a curiosity I don't see in him very often.
“No.”
“An investment? Something you'll dismantle and sell off for pieces?”
“No.”
“Andrew.” His voice is firm, but frustrated. “Get to the point.”
“I bought a chain of gyms. I'm planning to run them. Hiring Vince is the first step. I told you about the gyms when we had dinner.”
“You mentioned it casually. I didn't understand the implications of it. Dad is going to lose his mind over this.”
“Why?” I round on him, in his face, pissed that of all the things his mind gravitated to, Dad's reaction is on top.
“Because you're the CEO of Anterdec, Andrew! Dad picked you!”
“Is that what this is about? You're still jealous?”
“No. It's that Dad picked you and you're about to have two babies and you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and now you're talking about adding a chain of gyms as a hobby? You're not superman.”
“You're worried about my time management skills?” I laugh in his face, but an image of disappointed Amanda in our lap pool makes the chuckle cut in half in my throat.
“If that's what you think I'm saying, then you really don't get it.”
“Oh, I get it all right, bro. You're playing the role of Dad. Thanks but no thanks. I don't need a lecture on priorities.”
The way he grabs my arm makes me cock my other one, elbow ready to punch him. Rage blooms in both of us, fierce and sudden, violent in the way that only authentic emotion can produce.