Chapter Two

Vince

"I told you." Val leaned back on his tan leather couch and twisted the cap off his beer bottle. "All you needed was time away from that soul-sucking hellhole of a job. You needed space to breathe. You've been here two days, and you're already better. You may even look better than me in a few more days."

"Dude, You're my identical twin. I already look like you." I rolled my shoulders, attempting to loosen the knot still there from the stress of working at ZityCorp.

"We may be twins, but we definitely can look different. When you got here, those dark circles under your exhausted eyes, and slouch of those shoulders did not match the carefree, relaxed look I've perfected over the five years I've lived at the beach. Admit it. Living here has made me the hotter brother." Val raised his eyebrows as if waiting for me to argue.

"Whatever. It definitely inflated your ego."

"No, that would be the omegas that keep calling me for repeat dates. They can't seem to get enough of this." Val gestured to his body, grinning like an idiot. "But, seriously, you look ten times better in the short time you've been here. That job is killing you."

Honestly, I felt amazing. Being out of the city and away from my toxic boss had shown me the pressure of that life. The job was slowly draining me of life. It was good that my leaving went down the way it did.

I took a swig of my ice-cold brew and closed my eyes. The hint of citrus made my taste buds happy. "I know I told you I was on vacation right now, but the truth is the jackass fired me. I was about to request a few days off when he called me into his office stating they were eliminating my position and I was no longer needed. They didn't even offer me a severance package, which is customary when they eliminate a position and lay off the employee."

"That's fucked, dude." Val sat up and squeezed my shoulder. "What are you going to do? I'm sure you had an action plan ready for something like this. You are the planner between the two of us, after all."

"You are correct. I had a few outlines prepared for handling a situation like this. But first, I will enjoy a few days of relaxation with my brother." I finished my beer and placed the empty can on the coffee table. "Next week, I'll reach out to a few past clients and see if they have any freelance positions for me. I never signed the new contract saying we wouldn't approach previous clients for a certain amount of time after leaving the company, so there wouldn't be a noncompete clause in place for me. Many clients wished they could hire me directly instead of going through ZityCorp. Well, now they will have their chance."

"Until you get a few clients, are you good with funds? I can help you with the rent or groceries once you return to the city." Val stood and took our empties to the trash.

"Thanks, but I'm good financially for now." I appreciated my brother's generosity. "I have three months left on my lease, but when I received my last bonus at work, I prepaid the remaining months with the property manager. Something told me to put the money toward the rent instead of the new gaming system I had been eyeing. Now, I can afford to take the next month to figure out my next steps without worrying about paying my bills."

"I'm just going to throw this out there." Val sat on the couch beside me. "If you need a place to stay or even want to relocate somewhere away from the city, my home is big enough for us both."

I looked around the large living room of my brother's beach house and imagined sharing the space with him until I got my life back on a solid track. It could work. I needed to consider all my options before accepting his offer though.

"Thanks, bro. I'll think about it." I slapped his shoulder. "If I need to stay here longer than I planned to, maybe I'll make the move permanent and leave the city for good."

"I mean it." Val shrugged and tilted his head. "Honestly, I miss you. It would be nice having my brother with me again."

"I'll let you know. Now, let's move on from the bullshit that was my ex-employer. I'm here to relax and to have fun. Let's go out tonight. I hear there is a must-see club on the beach. Why don't we go check that out?"

"Ah, you've been talking to the locals. Club Kismet is the place to be on a Friday night." Val's lip quirked up, and he stood, shutting off the television and silencing the game we were watching. "Let's get dressed and start our night. Maybe we can even get you laid."

I rolled my eyes and followed my brother to the closet to find clubwear. Although it'd been ages since I'd gone out and danced on a Friday night, I couldn't help the surge of excitement the thought produced. Getting laid sounded like the key ingredient to a fun and relaxing night.