Uninhibited

Grand gestures

*
"That's that." Chaz finishes signing the papers his lawyer had drawn up. He scoots his chair back at the same time as me, and we both stand from the table to do a quick bro shake.

"I can't thank you—"

"Nope. We've been through this, Trey. There's only a handful of people I'd give anything to, and you're one of them. Don't thank me, just put this new start to good use."

I nod, beyond grateful. It's hard as hell to get a loan, especially when you have several. The club needed a larger venue, but I was overextended. Severely. I'd bought a house, a fucking house, bit off more than I could chew, assuming these grand gestures, these huge expensive things were what women, or what my ex, wanted. I thought I'd done it all right. Turns out, I had no idea what I was doing.

"I already put my card on your room," Chaz says.

I swallow the sour reminders of real life while buttoning my suit jacket, following him from the boardroom.

"That's really unnecessary." I feel kind of dumb that, at twenty-five, my rich friend has to bail me out.

"No shit." He punches the button for the elevator. "I knew you'd say no, or make up something. Come on. I know you pretty well."

No comment except, "Thanks."

We step in after the metal doors open, and Chaz sighs. "You deserve it, man. Everything you and your family have done for me."

"It was nothing like this. You're saving me here."

Seriousness crosses his face. "Some things money can't buy." His throat clears as the building's lobby reveals itself.

We fall in line on the busy sidewalk, and it's weird, because it feels more like home at this moment. I'd considered staying, aware there'd be more legitimate business opportunities, with a higher shot of success in a big city. Kyra wanted me to move back to Georgia; said she was sick of the distance.

We'd met in high school and had an on-again, off-again relationship towards the end of it. When I got into Columbia, I almost didn't go. I almost shit myself—do you know how low their acceptance rate is? She was staying local for college.

My parents pushed, they encouraged me to get out there, to take advantage of every opportunity I could. They met young, had all the kids, one of those serendipitous types of love stories you read about in books.

So, I loaded up and transplanted to the Big Apple. A city where people hope their dreams will become reality. It's true, there's something special about it, in all its jam-packed craziness.

I stuck out like a sore thumb. This southern kid, shy as hell, youngest of five; didn't exactly fit in. I'd walked into a suite with two rooms, and you can guess who strutted into mine.

Chaz was cocky, good looking, and loaded. The trifecta—according to him. We were opposites. But I'd figured out early on that most of it was a show. During our first year, when he said he was staying at school for the holiday, I told my parents my roommate, my friend, wasn't going home, and they insisted he come with me. No one should be alone at Christmastime. That's how they are. From then on, he became more like a brother.