Even his idea of fun sounded like torture. “And here I thought fun was supposed to be, you know, fun.”
He straightened up, his tone defensive. “It is fun. There’s a real rush in pushing your body to the limit and breaking your personal records.” He eyed me, challenging. “So, what do you consider fun?”
I tried to ease the tension. “Well, think less actual marathon, more movie marathon. Where did you go to college?”
“Brown. You?”
Brown, huh? I could picture him and his crew team buddies rowing down the river, discussing their self-designed majors and shouting quotes from Diderot and Foucault at each other between strokes. They probably organized protests for environmental justice in between putting on an experimental theater production and debating existentialism, the ethics of modern economics, and whether ‘Inception’ really deserves its cult status.
“I went to Duke for a while, but didn’t finish. What’s your favorite food?”
“I have a chef who handles all my meals to make sure I get balanced macros, vitamins, the whole thing. Though sometimes I’m just too busy to eat.”
Too busy to eat? What kind of person gets too busy to eat?“You said you haven’t visited your mom in a while. Why not?”
His whole demeanor shifted, and he stiffened like I’d hit a nerve. “Next question.”
Clearly a touchy subject. “Okay, fine, what’s it like being a billionaire?”
Topher leaned against the doorway. “Honestly? If I acted like a billionaire, I wouldn’t be one. Every penny spent is a penny that could’ve earned more pennies. There’s no room for indulgence if you want to stay on top.”
“You do have a private jet, though, right?”
“Of course, time is money. Why waste it waiting around for commercial flights at airports?”
“And how many houses do you own? I mean, I know about the one here in the Garden District, but you spend most of your time in New York, right?”
“Well, there are a few more than just my house in New Orleans and my penthouse in Manhattan, but each property I own is a solid investment. Take my castle in England: it’s appreciated three-hundred percent since I bought it. And my yacht has risen four-hundred percent in value.”
I nearly choked on my drink. “So, just the one yacht, or are we talking a fleet?”
“Just the one. A single yacht is more than enough for personal relaxation and hosting important business meetings.”
Just the one. As if one yacht is perfectly normal. He really did live in a different world. “You know, I sometimes fantasize about what I’d do if I won the lottery. I’d give a lot of it away, and help out people who need it.”
Topher scoffed, his tone edged with disdain. “Lottery tickets are a fool’s investment. People who buy them might as well be burning their money.”
I bristled slightly, defending my daydream. “It’s just a bit of fun, not a financial strategy. Besides, dreaming big doesn’t cost anything. You have so much… Do you give to any charities?"
He hesitated, and his jaw tightened slightly. “Look, I believe in investments, not handouts. It’s better to invest in something that can grow and create more opportunities. Handouts don’t solve the root problems; they just create dependency.”
His words hit me harder than I expected.So, not only is he a workaholic, but he doesn’t even believe in helping people who are struggling.A knot formed in my stomach.This is who I’m supposed to pretend I’m in love with?
I forced a smile. “Interesting perspective. You’re all about the bottom line, huh?”
“Someone has to be,” he replied, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Well, I believe that life’s about more than just work and money.” I tried to keep my tone light but firm. “Like taking a day off just because you feel like it or giving away something to make someone else’s day better.”
Topher’s expression shifted to one of disbelief. “You don’t see the value in working hard, do you?”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you don’t see the value in slowing down every once in a while, do you?”
He gave me a pointed look. “I don’t get people who don’t take work seriously.”
“And I don’t get people who can’t switch off.”
We stared at each other for a moment, the tension thickening between us. It was like we were from entirely different worlds, each struggling to understand how the other could live the way they did.
