Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
And so I have my answer. She doesn’t want me. Or doesn’t want me enough. There’s no coming back from that. I just have to move forward.
I slide my empty glass on the table and excuse myself to the restrooms. I need to splash some water on my face. Regroup.
When I emerge, I’m feeling no better. Maybe I’ll just head home. Thank god Sophia never stayed at the brownstone. I don’t think I’d be able to go back there if the ghost of her was waiting for me in every corner.
I head back to find Byron on his feet, making his way toward me. He nods to the bar and we both take seats at the mahogany counter, leaving the other four sitting at the table.
“I’ve been really cagey about Colorado,” he says.
“Can I get a drink?” I ask the bartender. “A glass of malbec.” No more whisky for me. It’s going down too quickly. I turn back to Byron. “You ready to share now?”
“It’s weird, because you five are the best friends I ever had. You’re more than friends, you’re my brothers. But you’re also rich as fuck and move in certain circles…”
“You didn’t trust us not to share your secrets?” I ask, irritated by the implication. Why the fuck am I the guy who can’t be trusted these days? What the fuck did I do?
“It’s not that,” he says. “Of course I trust you. All of you. It’s more that you’re all wealthy and clever and so, sometimes, that becomes an echo chamber when it comes to business.”
“Right,” I say, feeling better.
“What I’m doing in Colorado is a risk. A huge risk. Part of me thinks I’m nuts. And then the bigger part of me thinks I don’t care if I’m nuts, this is what I want to do.”
I chuckle and realize I haven’t done that in a while. I’m so fucking miserable without Sophia. “Are you going to actually tell us what this resort is about?”
“Yeah, I am. I can’t turn back now. Too much time and money are committed, so none of you can talk me out of skirting the edge of bankruptcy to get this off the ground. I’m risking everything with this thing.”
It’s the exact opposite of the way I run my business. I have so many investments in so many businesses that it doesn’t matter if any of them don’t work because I’m so well hedged. I’m not the risk-taker Byron is. Or Leo or Bennett. Probably because I know it’s not just my future at stake, it’s my sisters’ too. Or it used to be.
“Byron, do me a favor and just tell me. I need something to take my mind off…” I can’t even say her name out loud.
“It’s a billionaire playground,” he says. “Combined with a wilderness reserve.”
“Okay,” I say cautiously. “What does that mean?”
He glances up and around the bar. This place is so opulent, it’s a place where I’d expect people with the names Vanderbilt or Rockefeller to feel at home. He can’t be thinking of creating a club like this in Colorado? He’s not certifiably insane.
“A private members’ club that guarantees anonymity, exclusivity, and complete luxury,” he says. “And the experiences of a lifetime. The Colorado Club costs a million dollars to join and fifty thousand dollars a month in membership fees.”
“Are you serious?” I ask. “How many people in the world can afford that? How many people in Colorado can afford that?”
“In Colorado? Fifteen. In the world? Not many? Thirty thousand max.”
“So it’s a club for the fifteen centimillionaires who live in Colorado?”
He shakes his head. “It’s a destination resort. People will come from all over the world for the incredible skiing with world-class instructors on empty slopes and virgin snow. Restaurants and bars that stock the best food and beverages with unbeatable service and discreet staff. In the summer, we’ll have hiking trails where you are as removed from the industrial world as you can get. We’ll have pools and wellness offerings. We’ll have cutting-edge sport scientists perfecting your workout in state-of-the-art gyms, Olympic athletes coaching your crawl. This is…”
“A retreat for the very wealthy.”
“Exactly. The world keeps wanting more and more from all of us. And most of the time, we keep giving it. This is the ultimate place to escape and live in the now.”
I pause, thinking about what Byron’s saying. It’s not adding up. I’m missing a piece of the puzzle.
“Why?” I ask.
“You should see the profit projections.”
I don’t buy it. I shake my head. “There’s always a why. With all of us. It’s never just about the money.”
He shrugs, and I can tell I’m not going to get him to admit his motivations for creating this billionaire resort. “Enough about me.”
“Then what are we going to talk about?” I ask. “Because I don’t want to talk about me.”