“You have a dog?”
“Spartacus.” Dylan said with a fond smile. “He’s a little angel. You’ll hardly even notice he’s there.” The smile widened as he leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, you’ll be having the time of your life—feasting your eyes on curtains, and scrabble boards, and whatever other drab things you secretly crave. And in the meantime, I will be having the time of my life on the sunny beaches of Miami. Tiny bikinis, lavish parties, maybe a long weekend in Bermuda—”
“Not Bermuda,” Logan said suddenly. “It’s hurricane season. You go to the Caribbean in the spring.”
Dylan froze dead still, perched on the edge of his chair. “Does that mean...” His eyes locked onto his brother, hoping beyond hope, “Does that mean you’ll do it? You’ll dump your quest for world domination...at least for two weeks? Because I think you’re hitting burnout. You’re spent. It’s why you’re even considering this. It’s time to discover a better life.”
“Maybe money isn’t the key to happiness.”
“It’s not. I’m happy and carefree, and I don’t have a dime in my savings account.”
“I need this.”
“I know you do. I might not be rich or live in a mansion but I’m happy. And I know you can be too. You just need to learn balance. So are you ready to see what my life is like?”
Logan stared back at him with equal apprehension, unable to move. The room tilted dizzily, and it took him a second to realize he’d been holding his breath.
“I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am today,” he said slowly, choosing each word with measured care. “There’s an entire kingdom waiting back in Florida. You have to promise not to tear it down in fourteen days—”
His stern warning was interrupted with a wild cheer, as Dylan launched himself across the table—catching his brother in a giant, undignified hug.
“Holy shit! I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed, taking Logan’s coffee without a thought and downing it himself. “I thought I was going to have to work all night to convince you!”
Logan grinned in spite of himself. Dylan’s energy was so contagious, it was impossible not to catch some of it himself. But that grin faded as the logistics of what they were about to attempt caught up with him tenfold. Along with all the risks.
“Absolutely no work whatsoever,” he warned. “You are going to be officially off the grid on vacation, not to be disturbed under any circumstance. If there’s some sort of emergency, you call me. Don’t try to handle it yourself.” There was a pause. “You have to swear it, Dylan.”
Dylan held up two fingers in a solemn oath, looking remarkably like a boy scout who’d wandered too far off the reservation and ended up in some gritty Cleveland club. “On my honor. And you have to promise to enjoy life. Because from what you’ve told me, your life completely revolves around your job. And that has to change. I want you to watch television, get a good night’s sleep, sleep in, climb a mountain, go to the movies, walk in the park and enjoy the sunshine on your face. No sneaking in work. No emails. No PDA’s. No laptops. No computers. No phone calls. Unless it’s from me.”
“I can do that.”
“You say you can. But I don’t know if I trust a workaholic’s word. You’re addicted to work, and I think it’s hurting you. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a strong work ethic. But you’ve taken it a step too far. You know, even God rested on the seventh day.”
“No work. I give you my word.”
“Can I make you a reformed workaholic?”
“I doubt it. But I promise not to work for two weeks as discussed.”
“I could be saving your life here.”
Logan rolled his eyes, but stuck to the basics. “You can fly home on the jet. I’ll send out some texts to the staff—tell them to vacate for the next two weeks. Here,” he fished around in his pocket and pulled out a black credit card, the kind not open to the general public, “take it.”
Dylan reached for it curiously. “What’s this?”
“It’s for you.” Logan flashed a crooked smile, gazing across the table at his long-lost twin. “You said you wanted to live the high life, right? You’ll need some money.” A sudden wave of panic settled upon him, and he almost snatched it right back. “Just...keep yourself out of the papers, okay? Nothing shady, be discreet. I have a reputation to protect.”
Dylan pocketed the card with a little wink. “Your reputation is safe with me.”
“Good,” Logan said abruptly. “Now what about you?”
&
nbsp; “What about me?”
“You have any things that I should know? You don’t have a wife, right? Any kids?” His eyes flickered across the street to the club. “Any other disgruntled mistresses...?”
“No wife. No kids...that I know about. Lots of mistresses. But I’ll take care of them.” He leaned back with a casual smile. “You should be fine.”