I'm finally back in Manhattan, New York ever since the forced college transfer I had to endure from my family all those years back. I'm still bitter about it, and meeting Leilani at the bar doubled the ugly feeling.
She's even more beautiful than I last remember. Especially those gray eyes. I missed the way they glared at me with a pink blush on her cheeks every time I'd tease her.
Then there's that body. Slim. Athletic. Curvy in all the right places. I just know she's a gym freak. It takes one to know one after all. My hands still tingle at the sensation of having touched her, and don't get me started on my nose. Her lavender scent rubbed off on me at the bar prompting the thought of placing this suit in my wardrobe unwashed until the scent dies off.
The only thing that hasn't changed about her is her family situation and inasmuch as she said it wasn't my business, I took it personally. Maybe it's because I understand where she's coming from a little, after all, I have a somewhat shitty family myself. Thanks to them I had to leave Manhattan overnight without even being given a chance to say goodbye to the one girl who had managed to cool my blazing heart back then—Leilani Mayfield.
Cold, silent, beautiful, strong, and smart.
I don't know how I got attached but I do remember being curious and asking my cousin, Manon, who was in the same class as her back in high school about her. Manon told me a bit about Leilani's situation and I ended up feeling a kinship to her that I didn't with anyone else back then.
Me. Desmond Lawrence.
High school and College delinquent known for being arrogant finally found someone I wanted to get closer to. But just when I'd finally managed to get close enough with Leilani to get a hug from her without begging for it, my brother, Calvin, had to swoop in like a pigeon with a bad case of diarrhea and shit on my life. Ended with me and him being transferred overnight to a college in another city after we fought during dinner. That's where we learned how to run Grandma's businesses; him the hotels and I the Wineries.
Now eight years later after making a name for myself in the business world despite my reputation within the family, I received a phone call from Grandma telling me to come back to New York because she has new tasks for us. I don't know what it is that she wants me and Calvin to do, but now that I'm back I'm not leaving New York again. I've already brought an apartment secretly without any of my family members knowing, leave for Chester. He's my secretary so he obviously knows about my business.
If there's one way I can finally settle this bitterness that's been eating my heart out all these years, then it's getting back at Calvin for the hell he put me through all of my childhood. And I know how to deliver that blow perfectly—by taking everything that he treasures away from him like he's been doing to me all my life.
The only question is how do I do that? The only thing Calvin is set on is Grandma's company shares, and we both know those can only be attained when she finally decides to choose her successor.
"It's raining," Chester announces as we enter the subterranean car lift.
"I noticed," I reply looking out the raindrop-speckled window as the lift carries us to my family's garage. "Think Lei made it home safely?" I ask before I can stop myself, making Chester chuckle.
"I can't believe you still have a crush on her."
My cheeks heat up but I keep on my poker face. "What do you know? You've never had a crush on anyone before so shut up."
The lift immediately goes silent after we reach the garage and Chester drives us out of the lift, a little too silent for someone who was teasing me a while ago. I shift in my seat and look at Chester's back. Lucky for him his melanin skin doesn't show he's blushing but I know he's doing it nonetheless.
"No way...dude! You have a crush?"
"We're here sir," is all he says before bringing the car to a halt and stepping out so he can open the door for me.
"This conversation is not over. We continue after I'm done with my family."
Chester simply nods knowing I'll have forgotten about it by the time I come out of whatever meeting I've been called to. Meetings with my family are probably more tense than a group of Presidents having peace talks.
"Good luck," I hear Chester say before I smile at him and disappear from the garage.
Moments later I step inside the formal dining room where my family is already seated. Calvin too. I'd bet all my money he came here a day before even though we received the calls this afternoon. He's that much of a sucker to grandma, but that sucker attitude of his helped him milk me of everything that makes a child's life enjoyable.
"Late as always baby brother," he fakes a smile at me.
I don't return it. There's no need to be plastic. No fake it till you make it attitude can pass grandma's sharp senses. Her intuition is that scary.
"Your brother's clearly happy to see you, Desmond. Why don't you look excited to see him too?" My mother asks as if she doesn't know why I don't like Calvin.
Then again, none of them seem to understand. To them, Calvin is the boy whose mother died when he was young and had to watch his father remarry a few years later and make a new family. They still think he's shocked by the new family and that all of us should pity him.
I used to think they were right, but that was before I grew up. Before Calvin showed me his true colors. Before he started bullying me, and before he took everything from me, including my family's entire affection. The major reason why I feel a sense of kinship with Leilani.
I'm like her, my family is shitty, the only difference being my biological mother treats me like a stepson.
"Leave him be, he's probably tired from the flight," Dad backs me up. He and grandma at least know how to support me sometimes, but mom is a special case. I've already lost hope of us ever becoming close.
"Well, tired or not, I'm still delivering my news tonight," Grandma says from the end of the golden ten-seater table placed right below a dangling chandelier of the same golden shade. "Take a seat, Desmond. I'll keep this short so you can go to your house. Heard you brought a master piece somewhere in the city."
Of course, she knows. She's one of the largest business operators in the city. Sometimes I think she has mafia connections with the way she gets information so quickly. Then again, money can do wonders that the normal folk can't comprehend.
"Nice meeting you too after all this time everyone," I mumble sitting down.
Grandma and Dad chuckle. Mom gives me a curious look that's more menacing than Calvin's subtle glare.
"Anyways, down to business. I called you two here to announce big news. As you know, your father is independent of me and operates his own business, thus he has no need to inherit my shares. Which leaves the two of you in the picture."
Wait a minute. Do I have psychic powers? Wasn't I thinking about this not too long ago?
"The older one should obviously get more of the shares than his little brother," Mom cuts grandma and we all look at her.
"Aww, mom. You didn't have to," Calvin kisses her cheek and I grit my teeth.
"If I operated things like that I wouldn't have let you marry my son, Eve," Grandma replies making Mom go pale in an instant.
I hate to say I feel relieved seeing the way her face drops. Calvin's too. Everyone's attention immediately turns back to Grandma as she clears her throat.
"The boys will have to go through the trials that I set for them," Grandma adds, a hint of mystery in her voice.
"And those are?" Dad asks, making her brush her hands together excitedly.
"Each of them should find a woman among the girls from my friends' families that I've personally selected and marry one within a month."
My jaw drops to the table. What the fuck?!