Page 25 of Tangled Trust

"Only a pleasure."

Sweet of her to say, but I know it’s bull. I imagine Ella’s had a small taste of Amanda’s cold shoulder. I wish I’d been a fly on the wall when my ex met the infamous Au Pair. I imagine there are hairline cracks in the ceiling after Amanda hit the roof.

It’s 7 p.m. when I open the front door, ready to put a long and hard week at the office behind me. Contrary to popular belief, even billionaires have to work their tails off to maintain the proverbial empire.

"Good evening, Mr. Moore."

"Hello, George."

"Did you have a good day, Sir?"

"A bit longer than I would have liked, but yes. Thank you."

"Chef is ready when you are, Sir. Shall I pour you a whiskey?"

"George, you read my mind."

"My pleasure, Sir."

George is quite the find. An old-world butler I took over from a friend who relocated to Europe. At first, I thought a butler would be a tad much. However, I learned on the path to success that there were small pleasures that were expected of someone with wealth. I’m glad I relented. If only to give old George a purpose and appreciate his flair for the finer things in life.

It’s such a beautiful evening, so naturally, I decide to get out of my boss' gear into something more relaxed. I wonder where Ella is. Hopefully, she made it back safely from the dragon’s lair. I hope Amanda didn’t char the beautiful Ella’s blonde locks with her fiery breath.

My cell phone interrupts my amusing mental picture.

"Andrew! How are you, big brother?"

"Caboose Baby!"

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

"Oh, come on. It’s your own fault for hogging all the limelight as a kid."

"You’re just jealous because I’m still young and virile and you’re in the midst of a midlife crisis."

"Oh, balls! I’m only ten years older than you," Andrew laughs.

"Only…"

"I miss this," he says.

"Well, you’re the one who moved away, dumbass."

"LA couldn’t handle two Moores, Caboose. But, all is not lost. I’m in town for a week."

"Excellent. Where are you staying?"

"With you."

"Lucky for you I’m in town this week."

"I’m just yanking your chain. Carly and I are staying at The Conrad. A little romantic getaway."

"You’re welcome to stay here, Drew. There’s plenty of room."

"That’s very kind of you, Caboose. But, the old ball and chain has her eye on the spa."

"Okay, but the offer stands if you change your mind."

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