Invitation
Rrrrrring. Rrrrrring. Rrrrrring.
Max Rochester’s eyes snapped open to the sound of his phone’s incessant ringing. He thought that if he just ignored it, it would eventually stop and he could return to his gloomy slumber.
Unfortunately, whoever had been calling him was determined to be heard and continued to call back—over and over.
Max couldn’t take it anymore. He snatched the phone off his nightstand beside him and answered it without even opening his eyes.
“What,” he grumbled into the phone, not even trying to hide his annoyance. He remained in his massive bed, rubbing his tired eyes with his free hand.
“Maxwell, that’s no way to answer your favorite brother!” Heath Rochester’s voice laughed through the speaker. Max groaned. He had been purposefully avoiding his brother’s sporadic calls for the past few weeks.
Heath didn’t even wait for Max to speak again before continuing.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re avoiding me, kid!” Heath mocked. Both brothers knew that Max had a tendency to isolate himself and ignore all attempts of contact by his family from time to time. He could be a bit... moody.
“Cut to the chase, Heath,” Max mumbled. “Just tell me why you’re calling. Oh, and don’t call me kid, dickhead. I’m 29,” he added, though he knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
Heath loved to push his buttons by calling him all sorts of names, reminding him of the fact that he was the youngest sibling of the three, including their sister.
“Okay, have it your way, mister grumpy pants. You can be so cranky sometimes, you know that, right? And to your own brother, no less! I don’t know why you-”
“HEATH!” Max roared. “That’s it, I’m hanging up.”
“Okay okay okay! I’ll tell you!” Heath conceded. “I would like to formally invite you to a dinner party at my place this week for-” Max cut him off again.
“I’m busy. Sorry,” He lied.
“I didn’t even tell you what day it was yet!”
“Oh. Well.... I’m busy every day.” Max lied again.
“Too busy to see your dear sister for the first time in what, months? A year?” Heath said casually. Max froze.
“.... Bex is coming?” He asked genuinely, any trace of annoyance and malice gone from his tone. He sat straight up in his king-size bed, suddenly feeling fully awake.
“Mhm,” Heath hummed smugly. “But, since you’re busy, I guess I’ll tell her that you won’t be able to make it. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“No, Heath, wait, I- I,” Max stuttered. He heard laughter from the other end of the phone.
“I know, bro, I know. I missed her too.” Heath was no longer mocking his younger brother. He knew Max had truly missed their ambitious, assertive, occasionally aloof sister. Bex, or Rebecca Rochester, was constantly on the move, running the family business like a well-oiled machine. She had stepped up when their father died two years ago to take his place as the leader of the organization, and her brothers knew that she would have been his choice for the job.
Of course, that meant that she had to travel the world like their father did, so they rarely got to see her anymore.
“Listen, Maxwell, she just told me she has two days off and wants to spend them with us. This Thursday and Friday, she’ll be staying at my place. You better get your ass over here, alright? I know you’ve been, well, frankly... a mess lately, but you need to show up like a good brother and make sure our sister is happy, okay? She’s the reason we have everything we have,” Heath said sternly. Max nodded, and then realized his brother could not hear a nod over the phone.
“Yes, brother. I’ll be there.”
"Yes, brother,” Heath mocked playfully in a high-pitched imitation of Max’s voice, lightening the mood once again. “God, you sound just like one of my bunnies,” he laughed. “Though, they call me ‘Sir’,” he added deviously. Max rolled his eyes.
“Ah, yes. Your slaves. How are they?”
“They’re not slaves, Maxwell. You know they can leave any time they want to. And I prefer to call them ‘bunnies.’ It’s a much cuter name, isn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Max grunted. “Sure.”
Heath’s “bunnies” were a result of him having way too much money and an insanely high sex drive. He needed a host of staff members to take care of the massive estate he called home, and he had the brilliant idea to employ women who would also be willing to service him in any way he desired at any time.
The way it worked was that the girls would agree to work at the estate full time as chefs, maids, assistants, or any other job that needed to be done. They would live there for free and have all meals, clothes, and toiletries provided for them. Of course, the job came with a hefty, life changing paycheck.
The only catch: they were also there to please Heath. Any girl he wanted, any time he wanted.
Most of the girls he took in thought the opportunity was too good to pass up. Besides, Heath was a handsome man and while he had a slightly devious streak at times, he promised never to hurt the girls, and they all grew to trust him as they got to know him. It was mostly a mutually beneficial arrangement for everyone.
Heath’s estate was massive, especially compared to Max’s modest cottage. He loved to host parties and dinner events on his sprawling 10 acres of land, complete with a massive pool, a well-tended-to garden, and a house you could easily get lost in.
Max thought it was a bit excessive. His own cottage was half the size land-wise and definitely not appropriate for massive parties where people jumped off of roofs into pools and did coke off servant girls’ tummies.
“Bex is bringing me some new girls when she comes,” Heath said. “Apparently, being one of my bunnies is a highly sought-after job. Wanna help me break them in? We could even tag team the same girl.”
“Absolutely not. Gross, Heath,” Max said in disgust. He knew his brother was joking, but still. “I don’t know why you would ever think I’d want to participate in an orgy with my own brother. You’re sick.” Heath just laughed.
“It could be a bonding moment! Oh well, suit yourself. I’ll see you on Thursday.”
Max put down the phone and sighed. He ran his fingers through his chestnut hair and started making his way out of bed, clad only in his boxer briefs. Thursday was only three short days away, and he wanted to look his best for the occasion. His siblings, especially Bex, tended to worry about his health whenever they saw him.
He stood in front of his full-length mirror and assessed himself.
You got skinny, bro. He could imagine his brother’s voice saying that for sure. It wasn’t that he meant to slim down, but he just wasn’t exercising like he used to. As a result, his muscles shrank, and he could definitely tell he looked slimmer and less toned than the last time he saw Bex.
Max ran a hand across the ridges on his stomach. At least my abs still look decent, he thought.
At 6′3, Max towered over his 5′7 sister and even his 6 foot tall older brother, though the trio shared the same dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin.
Max was by no means skinny, but he did not have as naturally bulky of a build as Heath. The 36-year-old was into boxing and rugby, both of which favored his natural athleticism. Their 34-year-old sister Bex was a lean, leggy girl who mainly stuck to yoga and pilates, which clearly worked with her jet-setting schedule.
And then there was Max. He was never interested in sports or exercise much, but stayed fit at the urging of his siblings. Once he acquired his current home, however, he isolated himself and stopped caring about his appearance. It wasn’t like anyone was seeing him anyway. He hadn’t even had sex in over two years.
Maybe I actually should get with one of Heath’s bunnies on Thursday, Max thought. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about having to charm them beforehand.
Truthfully, Max was awkward around women, and people in general. His naturally grumpy demeanor was off-putting to most who didn’t know him and made having relations with women difficult because they thought he was rude and arrogant when, really, he just had no idea how to act around people in general. This was one of the main reasons why he decided to move a couple of hours away from his brother’s estate. He didn’t want to have to feel obligated to attend Heath’s events and socialize with people he didn’t give a fuck about, and people who found him just as off-putting.
Max enjoyed his solitude. Unfortunately, this meant he also had to enjoy having little to no sex life, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
Maybe this party won’t be so bad, he thought. Sure, he’d have to interact with whatever guests Heath invited, but at least he’d be able to see his beloved sister. And possibly help Heath “break in” some bunnies.
Overall, it could be worse.
