Aries

Chapter 1

Aries

I hated suits. Hated the constricting feel of them on my body. Hated the tie that Alex forced me to wear around my neck. I'd rather use it to hang myself from the ceiling. I felt like I couldn't even breathe in it, the buttons at the top too tight around my neck.

I couldn't stop shaking my legs, hoping the slacks I was wearing would somehow convert into my favorite pair of jeans. This wasn't part of the plan. Aden was supposed to go with Alex to this board meeting and I was supposed to be doing the tech part from home.

I didn't even get to go another round with the pretty girl I had in my bed this morning. Instead, I had to get interrupted by a different kind of banging as Alex screamed for me to open up my door. I got a suit thrown over my face with a firm 'you got five minutes'.

I didn't even get to argue or get to come up with an excuse as to why I couldn't go with him. I hated meetings. And I hated working. I rolled my hands over the sleeves of my shirt and then fixed my slacks by tugging them down.

"Stop fidgeting." Alex scolded.

"I fucking hate suits," I muttered. "Where the fuck is Aden?"

"Leila's water broke last night, asshole. They've been in the hospital all night. He dropped Ariana off with Rosie before they rushed to the hospital." He explained.

I rubbed my face with my hands and sighed. "I didn't know that. We have a family group chat. Why doesn't anyone use it?"

"Maybe she was too busy screaming to text you and let you know," Alex said, irritated as he parked his car in the lot. "Look, it'll be easy. You don't even have to talk. Just stand there. They know the Grayson brothers as a united front, so I couldn't show up here alone. Mr. O'Brien is a family man and if this meeting goes well then we get to co-own his tech company."

He stepped out of his car, locked it, and ushered me to follow him inside.

"Co-own? This shit won't even fully be ours?" I asked once we were in the elevator alone.

He shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. "Not yet. Baby steps, Aries. Once this meeting is over, I'll see a way to make it ours."

The doors dinged and opened, and I followed closely behind and saw him fix his suit as he reached the secretary's desk.

"Grayson." He spoke and the man in the suit typed away on his screen before getting up to open the white doors.

"The Graysons are here, sir."

He let us in and closed the door once we stepped inside. The office was extravagant. High glass windows, luxurious chandeliers hanging from the detailed ceilings, black leather chairs and ghost white sofas, a bar spread out on one side of the room with glass cups and brown liquor.

The other side was shelves and shelves of books that ranged from English Literature to French and Italian. The man known as Mr. O'Brien was in a dark brown suit with a crisp white button-down shirt.

He had a cigar in one hand and a glass of Whiskey in the other as he ushered us over to sit. He was standing behind his intricately grand desk and once we sat down on the chairs in front, he sat down on his.

"You're new."

The man spoke in a rattly voice as he exhaled his smoke, his hand pointing over to me. He was an older man, with salt and pepper hair, sunspots on his hand and face, with eyes too small for his face. I had to squint to actually see them. I stood up respectfully and extended my hand.

"Aries. Aries Grayson." I introduced. He set his cup down and reached over to shake my hand. 

"Aha. The youngest Grayson." He nodded and downed his drink. "Drink? Water? Coffee?" He asked, looking between the two of us.