A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement by Casper Graham

Author:Casper Graham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“I still can’t believe that I’m accompanying you to your parents’ house so we can have Sunday brunch together.”

Benedict grinned at Howard. “There’s a first time for everything, man. Don’t forget that Violet, my grandmother, will be there, too.”

Howard snorted. “I remember. Anyway, it’s weird to see you sitting behind the steering wheel. Where’s Michael?”

“Michael is always off on Saturdays and Sundays unless I have to attend an important event and it’s inconvenient for me to drive the car myself.”

“I see.”

“By the way, is this car awesome or what?” Benedict asked. “It’s customized by Bugatti. Top speed of two hundred and seventy miles per hour, and it can go from zero to seventy miles per hour in two seconds. Cool, right?”

“It’s rather small,” Howard said while glancing around the inside of the vehicle. “I like the shiny black exterior of the car. I also love the grain leather upholstery of the seats, but there are only two of them. How much does it cost you?”

“Thirty-one and change.”

Howard stared at Benedict. “Million?”

“Yeah, but it’s worth every penny, man.”

“That’s your opinion,” Howard retorted with a scoff. “This car is cheaper than your Rolls-Royce, I presume?”

“Nope. The other way around.”

“Holy crap! How’s that possible? Unlike this car, your Rolls-Royce can accommodate four people altogether.”

“You have to take into account the engines, the materials, and some other things, man.”

“I still think it’s insane that you paid thirty-one million for this car.”

“Thirty-one million three hundred thousand dollars after tax.”

“You’re definitely crazy, and I rest my fucking case. No normal person in his or her right mind would fork out that kind of money for a damn car.”

Benedict chuckled as he reached for Howard’s hand and grabbed it tightly before pulling it closer to his face and kissing the back of the man’s palm. “Then you should always stay by my side so you can stop me from wasting my money in the future.”

Howard looked at Benedict without uttering a single word. For a second or two, Benedict thought he noticed a flash of sadness on Howard’s face, but it disappeared so fast he must have imagined it.

“Right. I’ll do that.”

Howard’s facial expression seemed brighter, albeit a little strained. Benedict decided not to overthink it. Howard was probably tired or something. Benedict knew that Howard had to deal with many things at the restaurant earlier that morning before he’d picked the man up for this brunch appointment at his parents’ house. For the remainder of the journey, neither of them exchanged a single word, but the atmosphere inside the car didn’t feel awkward at all. Benedict focused on the traffic on the road while listening to the classical music that was playing on the radio. Less than twenty minutes later, they arrived outside his parents’ three-level townhouse on the Upper East Side. Benedict parked the car inside the private garage to the left of the townhouse before he and Howard got out from the vehicle and made their way into the house through the connecting side door.

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