Chapter 7
1789 Words
Maron
I end the call with Pavel and open the door to my office.
To my surprise, Maurice is sitting on my couch. Despite not having seen my half-brother for a long time, he’s the last person I want to be around on a f****d-up day like today.
"Wow," I say. "You are only a day late, brother. That's an improvement. Knowing you and your excellent time keeping, I expected your visit next week."
"There's no need for your sarcasm, Maron," he says, his face sour. "Hi, by the way. I see you still don't believe in greeting. Some things just don't change."
I ignore his shitty comment. "Sarcasm? I’d call it realism, Maurice. You promised to pitch up yesterday and you didn't. Again."
"I had a good reason not to come yesterday," he says, his voice hoarse. "Anyway, good to see you too, brother,"
I frown as I look at him. He looks like he hasn't slept a minute. For a brief moment, I almost feel bad for him. But then again, he’s an i***t. Sure, he's technically my half-brother, but let's be honest, Maurice is a complete f**k-up. He always had a habit of drinking and gambling, and he was always terrible with money. He says one thing and then does another.
Not wanting to spark further conflict, I ask, "You okay, Maurice? What brings you back to me after all this time?"
“Yeah, I'm alright,” he sighs. “Except I'm hungover as hell."
I look at him. "I can see that. Still drinking much, huh?"
He shrugs. "I try not to. But yesterday was the shittiest day of my entire life. Sorry, I didn't call, Maron."
I walk to the booze cabinet and turn back to him. "Want remedy?"
Maurice shakes his head. "Not now, thanks. It will just make things worse."
I pour myself a small shot of vodka. "Well, isn’t that an improvement. I'll drink on my own, then." I down it. "Now tell me what happened. Nothing good, judging from your looks. You look like utter s**t, bratok."
He nods. "And I feel like it, too."
I down another vodka. "And the reason is?"
"I'm single again."
I raise an eyebrow, surprised by his openness. Maurice has never been one to share his personal life with me. But then again, I’ve never been one to share mine with him. This time, however, I can see desperation in his eyes, and the way his shoulders slump tell a story. A f****d-up one. The dickhead hit rock bottom, I’m sure of it. It’s not the first time he does that. And as usual, he has no one else but me to turn to.
"Single, huh?" I say, pouring him another shot. "Must be serious if you're telling me about it."
Maurice nods, grabbing the glass. "Yeah, well... when you've f****d up as badly as I have, your pride goes out the window. I need help, Maron. And you're the only one I've got left."
Right. Just what I expected. So much for sorting out his life and finally finding a stable girlfriend. Looks like he f****d that up too. I almost feel sorry for the girl, whoever she is. But then again, she’s probably better off without my fuckup of a brother.
"Sorry to hear," I tell him. Lie of the f*****g century. I’m not sorry. I’m sure he brought this on himself. “And now, get to the point, Maurice. What do you need my help with?”
He heaves a big sigh. “I think I changed my mind about the vodka. Give me a shot.”
I pour him one, and he downs it. He sits in silence for a moment, his eyes distant as he gathers his thoughts. When he finally speaks, his voice is tinged with a melancholy that catches me off guard. His eyes are fixed on a distant point as he begins to speak.
"I haven’t told you about my girlfriend before, have I?"
"You haven’t. You just said you had a stable relationship and everything was going well."
He lets out a heavy sigh. "She was my first real love, you know? The kind of love that shakes your whole being and doesn’t let you go."
"You're getting poetic, Maurice," I tease.
A wistful smile plays in the corner of his mouth as he takes a deep breath. "I've had other girlfriends in the past, but Mindy... she's different. She made me feel truly alive."
Mindy?
So, his ex-girlfriend’s name is Mindy. That’s odd. I’m also taken aback by the depth of emotion in his words. I never knew this side of Maurice.
"We were together for two and a half years," he continues, "But then... I don't know what happened. I got scared, I guess."
"Scared of what?" I ask.
He nervously ruffles his hair. "I don't know, bro. Maybe I'm not good enough for her. She's smart, outgoing, and gorgeous... how can I even compare? And what if other guys try to get with her? And they will, no doubt. Do I really want to spend my whole life feeling like I'm not good enough?"
That’s new. That's the first time I hear Maurice being reasonable.
"So?" I ask.
"So, I dumped her yesterday. Thought I was doing the right thing. But now... now I'm not so sure anymore." I watch as he struggles with his emotions, the weight of his decision hanging heavy on his shoulders. "I can't stop thinking about her, Maron. About the life we could have had together. I know I f****d up, but... I don't know if I can live without her."
My brow furrows in suspicion. Despite the fact that we’ve been distant for years, I know Maurice relatively well. And right now, he is not being truthful with me. Or with himself.
"Cut the crap, Maurice. Why did you really dump her?
"We were going to start a family. I think I got scared of the responsibility," he says after a short silence. He hesitates. "And because…"
"Because?"
"Well… that woman is a beast in bed, Maron."
I grin. "Are you boasting or complaining?"
"Complaining. About libido mismatch."
Huh. He’s saying he couldn’t keep up with the woman’s libido? I’m really starting to get curious about who this mysterious Mindy is.
"Our s*x life was a disaster," Maurice continues, "I couldn't satisfy her. Just couldn't. No amount of s*x was ever enough for her. After a while, I had no d**k left, Mindy was left unsatisfied, and s*x became stale… so she came up with an idea. She started sending me nudes ‘to spice up our s*x life’, she'd say. But those pics scared the s**t out of me... I just knew I could never deliver what she needs."
A lightbulb suddenly goes off in my head.
She sent nudes to him?
And her name is Mindy?
I lean forward, now every nerve in my body paying attention to what Maurice is telling me. This is getting more than interesting by the minute.
"Go on, brother."
"The real s**t came when she insisted on starting a family together. It turned out she can't conceive naturally so she will need IVF."
Okay.
Whoever this nude-sending Mindy person is, she can't conceive naturally.
Maurice continues. "I had some cash left from the money dad left me, but not enough for the treatment. So, I went to Marble Monkey."
My eyes widen. "You f*****g didn't."
He heaves a big sigh. "I did, Maron. And I know what you’re thinking. It was a stupid idea, I know. But that was my only option to double the money, so we can pay for Mindy’s IVF. We were going to start the process on Monday. That’s in less than a day, and I only had half of the money, you understand? I loved Mindy and trusted that the hormone therapy would reduce her… s****l appetite. And that having kids will also take away her libido, and we can have a happy family life."
"Let me guess, Maurice. You went to Marble Monkey and you lost the f*****g money. Am I right?"
He nods. "Yes."
Jesus, what a f**k-up.
"Let me take another guess. You came here to ask me for money so you can get your ex back and pay for her treatment."
He nods and sighs. "That’s right. I'm in deep s**t, bro. I need fifty grand."
"No shit."
"Please, Maron. I promise I'll pay you back."
Yeah right.
Maurice and his empty promises.
I pour myself another drink. "I've heard that way too many times, Maurice. I would happily believe you if you had paid back the previous loans you took from me." I down the drink. It burns my esophagus like hell, just the way I like it. "But you didn’t. Sorry, brother, no cash this time. I’m not running a f*****g charity here."
As I see the desperation etched onto Maurice's face, I can't help but feel a tinge of pity for him. The man is a fool, constantly making poor choices, a streak of fuckups. Judging by his past behavior, if I give him money now, he’ll just f**k it up again and will never pay me back.
Then, a thought hits me. It’s like a jolt of electricity racing up my spine.
This Mindy girl, he broke up with.
The one with the wild s*x drive.
The one who was sending him nudes.
I must know.
“Maurice,” I say, taking another swig of vodka, eyeing my brother with curiosity. “The girl you told me about. Mindy. Mind telling me her surname?”
Maurice looks at me surprised. “Williams. Her name is Mindy Williams. Why are asking, Maron?”
My grip falters, and I almost drop my vodka glass on the carpet. My mind races, connecting the dots at lightning speed.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
Mindy Williams, my gorgeous chief accountant is Maurice's ex-girlfriend. And the nudes she sent me by mistake were meant for Maurice.
“Just curious,” I tell Maurice, shooting him a glance. But my mind has already wandered off, thinking about that video with Mindy fingerfucking herself, grinding her hips, and shaking from her orgasm. My d**k is rock-hard in my pants in an instant.
Fuck, what are the chances?
Jesus, I need another shot of vodka.
I just don’t get it. Why would a woman like Mindy choose to be with a fuckup like Maurice? For two and a half years? Did she not see Maurice for the loser he is? Not that it matters now. What matters is that Maurice broke up with her. It’s over.
Which suits me just fine.
More than fine.
- Writer
