When I woke up the next morning the red hair had left and I was alone in the room, I felt miserable and I had a consistent headache. My phone beeped just as my hands went up to my head, it was Alex and he was already at work.
"Hello," he muttered into the phone and I groaned, loud enough for him to hear me.
"What is it? Can't you handle an off day?" I asked him and he chuckled.
"I am at your house and you are not here. Your mother is here and she wants to see you. I lied to her that you had an overnight meeting, I hope you will be back here with your full two piece and not your boxer briefs." He grounded and I almost questioned who was boss before it registered that there was an even more important question.
"Did you say my mother is there?" I asked him, getting up and pulling my trousers up my leg, just then room service knocked bearing breakfast I had ordered for earlier.
"Yes she came two hours ago." He confirmed, the tall service provider placed the breakfast on the table. I could see the dry looking bread and coarse egg.
I placed the jam between the toast before responding. "Can you keep her occupied? I would be there in an hour, max"
"I've been doing that for the last hour. I need that raise boss," Alex said in a chippy tone and I sucked in an irritated breath, he seemed to get the message and immediately cut the call.
*******
I took the drive from the club back home, Nikolai was waiting outside for me and I felt oddly guilty for dragging him into my mess. But when I slid into the backseat all of the guilt remained out the window.
"You look like a month old loaf of bread." He said simply looking as fresh as newly brewed coffee.
"Did you lodge?" I asked him, feeling sort of betrayed.
"You were having a good time with the lass, I had to do something with myself."
"I feel betrayed," I said to him and he scoffed.
"I feel even more guilty, I shouldn't have driven you away from the missus house that night." He commented as he took a turn into our estate. The missus he was referring to here was Eliza and I also regretted leaving that night.
My mother was chatting away on the phone when I walked in, I was most definitely her newest husband or her long time friend who I liked to call 'Rehoboam's downfall'. She never failed to give my mother bad advice and I blamed her for every failed marriage and new weddings.
"It looks like Hawaii was very good to you," I said out loud and her sunny head bobbled as she turned to face me. Layla Brown-Grey-Michelson-Reginald- Davis was no ordinary woman, she was beautiful and sunny but one thing she wasn't was stable. I had gone to court a lot as a child, having to testify of my stepfathers infidelity and seeing the property divisions.
My mother always got her half of the properties of all the millionaires she married, and having to watch her temporary return to my father before she spun out and got married again was so exhausting and changed my whole perspective on marriage.
It was always crazy hearing how much love my father still showed whenever he spoke about her.
"Lincoln!" She screeched and ran into my hands, at five feet four, she was exactly a foot below me.
"If it isn't the amazing Layla Grey! You haven't aged a day" I said to her and she chuckled.
"Yeah! Tommy always said the same" She blushed, as she walked over to the patio. I followed behind her and sighted Alex seated in the dining area.
"Tommy Webster, your newest?" I teased as she settled on the cane chair and I sat next to her.
"Don't say it like I am some whore" she growled, picking up the magazine seated on the side table.
I laughed, feeling uncomfortable in my skin, I needed to wash away the night's activities. "Believe me, I have nothing against whores."
"Your Dad always says that. That is true! Have you spoken to him recently?" She asked, a bit of concern seeping into her pale green eyes.
"No not yet," I admitted, Lincoln Grey (senior) was as tough as a nut and everyone but Layla knew that. Our relationship was coarse and distant, aside the mutual respect -respect that I had struggled to earn over the years- that we shared we were distant.
"That means you don't know what's going on, you haven't heard the whispers." She murmured with surprise in her tone.
"How do you keep in check with the gossip happening in New York from Hawaii?" I asked her, she was one of the owners of the larger shares in Grey enterprise and was entitled to information, but I didn't know she kept up with them. A wise woman.
"Apparently I'm more informed than you are, I did notice you were not in that particular meeting." She added and I saw the look that appeared on her face, the one that announced she knew something I didn't know and I would have to force it out of her.
"What is it Mum?" I asked her and she scoffed.
"It's a little confidential, I don't know if i should mention it."
"I am your son, and your loyalty lies with me first before anyone else." I said firmly, placing emphasis on every spoken word.
"Your father and the board were talking, did he ever mention settling down to you?" She asked me, deviating from the subject point again.
"Can you please remain on track?" I responded and took a long swig from my iced coffee, the maid had brought it in mid conversation.
"Your father and the board think before you can take over the Grey franchise from him, you need to get married." She finally said and it felt like my eyes were going to pop out of its socket.
"Get married?!"