"Evelyn, what on earth are you doing? You've got flour all over your face," Grayson Blackwood said, watching his stepmother approach.
"I was making something for Charles," Evelyn replied, waving the rolling pin in her hand with a smile.
"Of course," Grayson replied, his expression unreadable.
Evelyn came closer and sniffed at him.
"Master Grayson, did you bathe in alcohol? You reek. Go clean up," she scolded, gently pushing him toward the front door.
"I didn't bathe in it, Evelyn, but some crazy woman thought it would be amusing to spray me with the alcohol she was about to drink," Grayson shot back.
"Serves you right, Master Grayson, for always jumping from woman to woman like you're changing clothes," Evelyn teased, her tone playful.
"She's not my woman, Evelyn," Grayson replied with a sigh, already tired of the conversation.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be chasing her until she's yours. Am I right, Master Grayson?" Evelyn gave him a knowing look.
"Enough with the 'master,'" Grayson muttered, rolling his eyes as she continued to push him inside. It had been more than six years since Evelyn had married his father, and yet she still called him "Master," as if he were some stranger. At first, he'd resented her for stepping into his father's life, but as time passed and he saw how Evelyn made his father happy, he had relented.
"If you want me to stop calling you master, then go get changed. Your scent is rather unpleasant in here," Evelyn teased, pushing him farther up the stairs after they had entered the grand foyer.
"All right, all right, enough, woman. You win," Grayson laughed, though his tone was a bit forced. He made his way toward his suite. "I'll get back at you for this."
As Grayson walked through the house, he watched his stepmother wind her arms around his father's waist in a tender way, leading him toward the main lounge. Shaking his head, Grayson entered his room to wash off the lingering smell that was starting to get to him.
Life for me right now is perfect, he thought as the soothing spray of hot water hit his skin. Good food, a good life, and no worries. His fortune was enough to last a lifetime, and he never had to lift a finger for it. What more could he ask for? He felt blessed, and he cherished every moment of it.
After cleaning up and donning a new outfit—a crisp Armani suit, black silk tie—Grayson styled his hair back, checking his appearance in the full-length mirror. It was an identical mirror to the one in his apartment in Central Auckland, but in this moment, he appreciated it more than ever.
Grayson looked at himself, a sleek figure from head to toe. He knew all the women at the company would be swooning at his sight, and he was sure even the grumpy Mrs. Crood, the cafeteria lady, would offer a compliment. He was ready to face the monotony of the merger meeting at Blackwood Enterprises.
An hour later, Grayson's prediction was spot on, and not fifteen minutes into the meeting, he felt his eyelids grow heavy. The jargon being thrown around was foreign to him, and the speaker's voice was as dry as dust, doing nothing to keep him alert. Every so often, Derek had to nudge him in the ribs to keep him from dozing off.
"You fell asleep during the meeting," Derek whispered, his eyes sharp with disapproval when they took a break. "How could you do that? Uncle specifically asked you to attend so you could learn, and here you were snoring. Where does that leave him now?"
"Where it always is. On his shoulders," Grayson replied, casually sipping his coffee without noticing it was scalding hot. He took a large gulp, only to spit it out immediately, fanning his mouth.
"Serves you right," Derek muttered, handing him some napkins to clean his face.
Grayson wiped away the coffee and glared at his cousin. "What do you mean 'serves me right'?"
"For falling asleep in the meeting," Derek said. "Karma, Grayson. Karma."
"Karma, my ass," Grayson grumbled. "What am I supposed to do? The meeting was as boring as watching paint dry. Why don't they hire someone with a little more flair?"
"Grayson, stop being childish and start acting like an adult," Derek scolded. "Boring or not, you're here to listen to what the other side says. Uncle is counting on you to take over."
"He doesn't need me. He already has you," Grayson muttered, blowing on his coffee to cool it down.
"I'm just his nephew, not his direct heir. Plus, I'm not cut out for this," Derek sighed, resigned to his role as second-in-command despite being named the top CEO at Blackwood Enterprises twice by E Magazine.
Derek was Grayson's only cousin. When both of Derek's parents passed away, Charles had taken him in and raised him. He worked tirelessly to earn his uncle's respect, while Grayson was allowed to live a life of luxury, free from the pressure of responsibility. Now, it was Grayson's turn to step into the leadership role, but seeing him slouch in his chair as though he had nothing to worry about made Derek wonder how long it would take before Grayson took the reins.
"If you're not ready for this, then I'm in even deeper trouble," Grayson admitted, cutting Derek's train of thought short.
"You need to get your act together," Derek told him bluntly. "Stop partying and start taking things seriously. Money won't always be on your side. We need to work for it."
"We already have all the money we could ever need," Grayson chuckled casually. "I'll never have to work a day in my life."
"Don't you have any goals, any responsibility?" Derek Blackwood asked his cousin.
"Yeah, I do. And that is to enjoy life as much as possible before I get to your age," Grayson replied nonchalantly.
"Grayson, I'm only thirty-one."
"That's right. So I've got a solid eight years before I need to buckle down and start working like you."
"But I started working long before your age," Derek said, raising an eyebrow.
"That's because it was a different time back then. This is the new age. I don't have to work for money, and besides, you guys can support me."
"We won't always be around to support you, Grayson. You'll have to learn to earn your own money one day."
"Until then," Grayson said, folding his arms behind his head and lounging further into his chair, "this guy right here will only have one goal in life. And that, cousin, is to have as much fun as possible."
"God, there's no reasoning with you, is there?" Derek said, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Not a chance, cousin, not a chance," Grayson responded, eyes half-closed, fully soaking in the warmth of the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the window.
Grayson loved this time of day when he came into the office. There were hardly any employees around, and no office workers eyeing him like he was some sort of Greek god. Well, to be fair, he did resemble one—but that wasn't the point. The cafeteria, with its massive skylight that let the sunlight pour in, was his favorite spot. Whenever he had to be at the company, he always made sure to sit there to soak up the most sunlight.
Derek sighed in defeat. "And where were you last night? I called you a hundred times. Were you out clubbing again?"
"You read my mind, cousin. You read my mind," Grayson murmured, barely lifting his gaze from the sunlight.
"Grayson, I don't know what to do with you."
"You don't have to do anything. Just let me be myself," Grayson said with a lazy smile.
"Clearly, I can't." Derek pulled a card from his coat pocket and placed it on the table in front of Grayson.
"What's this?" Grayson asked, opening his eyes slightly and gesturing to the card.
"Uncle arranged a meeting for you with this woman," Derek said.
"A woman?" Grayson asked, sitting up a little straighter, suddenly interested. "Is she attractive?"
"Don't know. But Uncle wants you to meet her," Derek replied.
"Don't tell me Dad's trying to set me up. I'm not ready for that kind of thing yet."
"I don't know. Uncle didn't say much."
"I just saw him this morning. Why didn't he mention this?" Grayson asked, irritated.
"Again, no clue," Derek responded. "But will you go?"
"Of course. If she's attractive," Grayson said, as if it were the only reasonable answer.
Derek just shook his head, completely giving up on trying to change his cousin's mindset. He could only hope that one day, something would happen to Grayson that would force him to grow up and face reality.