Chapter 64: A different lifestyle

By noon, Ethan had already sent Damian three messages.

Ethan:

Where are you?

Ethan:

Bro.

Ethan:

Don’t tell me you changed your mind.

Damian looked at his phone while putting on his shoes.

Damian:

I’m coming.

Ethan:

Good. And wear something decent.

Damian glanced at himself.

Black jeans.

Plain shirt.

Clean sneakers.

"Decent enough."

He grabbed his keys and headed downstairs.

Ethan was waiting outside.

The moment Damian stepped out, Ethan looked him over.

"Better."

"Better than what?"

"Yesterday."

Damian shook his head.

"You’re obsessed."

"I’m trying to save you."

"From what?"

"Looking like a millionaire who shops at the same place he did when he had twenty dollars."

Damian laughed.

"Get in."

They drove toward the city.

Ethan looked out the window.

"So where are we going?"

"Shopping."

"I know that. Where?"

"You’ll see."

"That sounds suspicious."

"It’s shopping, not a bank robbery."

"Coming from you, I’m not sure."

The first store was enough to make Ethan slow down.

He stood outside the entrance.

"Damian."

"What?"

"You sure we’re going in here?"

"Yeah."

Ethan looked through the glass.

Everything inside looked expensive.

"You know these clothes cost more than my semester budget, right?"

"That’s dramatic."

"I’m serious."

Damian opened the door.

"Come on."

Inside, Ethan immediately lowered his voice.

"Don’t touch anything."

Damian laughed.

"Why?"

"I feel like we’re going to break something."

A staff member approached them.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you?"

Damian nodded.

"Yeah. I’m looking for some casual stuff. Nothing too flashy."

Ethan turned.

"Nothing too flashy?"

Damian ignored him.

The staff member showed them a few options.

Damian picked up a jacket.

Tried it on.

Looked at himself in the mirror.

Ethan nodded.

"That actually looks good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Damian looked at the price tag.

He paused.

Ethan noticed.

"You’re doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about the price."

Damian put the jacket back.

Ethan grabbed it.

"No."

"What?"

"You’re buying it."

Damian laughed.

"I’m not letting you spend my money."

"I’m not spending it. I’m stopping you from acting broke."

"I don’t act broke."

"You walked away from a jacket because it cost too much."

Damian looked at the jacket.

Then back at Ethan.

"You have a point."

"I usually do."

"Don’t push it."

They bought the jacket.

Then two shirts.

A pair of trousers.

And another pair of sneakers.

When the cashier gave Damian the total, he paid without checking his balance.

That small action surprised even him.

Outside, Ethan carried one of the bags.

He looked at Damian.

"Okay."

"What?"

"This is different."

Damian nodded.

"Yeah."

"You didn’t even flinch."

"I still did a little."

Ethan laughed.

"That’s the Damian I know."

They stopped for lunch afterward.

Ethan ordered confidently this time.

Damian noticed.

"You’ve gotten comfortable."

"You’re paying."

"I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to."

Damian laughed.

They sat by the window.

Ethan looked at the shopping bags.

"You know what’s funny?"

"What?"

"A few months ago, you were calculating whether you could afford lunch."

"Don’t remind me."

"And now..."

Ethan gestured toward the bags.

"You’re buying clothes from places I used to walk past."

Damian leaned back.

"Things change."

"Yeah."

Ethan smiled.

"I’m happy for you, bro."

Damian looked at him.

The joke disappeared from Ethan’s face.

"Seriously."

Damian nodded.

"Thanks."

They didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then Ethan picked up his drink.

"But don’t become one of those rich guys."

"What rich guys?"

"You know. The ones who suddenly forget everybody."

Damian smiled.

"I won’t."

"Good."

Ethan pointed at him.

"And if you ever start saying things like ’my people will handle it,’ I’m leaving."

Damian laughed.

"Deal."

Later that afternoon, Damian received a call from Sarah.

"Hey."

"Sorry to bother you."

"You’re not."

"I just wanted to give you an update."

Damian sat down.

"Westbridge?"

"Yeah."

"The university pilot is still going well. Completion rates are holding. Support requests are lower than expected."

"That’s good."

"Also, another university asked for information."

Damian smiled.

"Already?"

"Apparently."

"Don’t rush it."

Sarah laughed.

"Daniel said you’d say that."

"Daniel knows me too well."

"We’re putting together the information package now. Nothing has been promised."

"Good."

Sarah hesitated.

"And the acquisition?"

"Still under review."

"Any progress?"

"Some."

Damian looked at the shopping bags beside him.

"Turns out there are more complications than we expected."

"That’s usually how acquisitions work."

"Yeah."

"Let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

They ended the call.

Damian looked around his apartment.

For the first time, he noticed how little had actually changed.

Same couch.

Same desk.

Same walls.

Same cheap kitchen equipment.

His bank account had changed.

His investments had changed.

His responsibilities had changed.

But his surroundings hadn’t.

Maybe that was fine.

He didn’t need a mansion.

He didn’t need ten cars.

He didn’t need to prove anything.

But there were a few things he could improve.

His laptop, for one.

His apartment.

His wardrobe.

Maybe eventually a better car.

Nothing ridiculous.

Just enough to make life easier.

His phone buzzed.

Ethan:

Football tonight?

Damian smiled.

Damian:

Of course.

Ethan:

Good. Rich or not, you’re still playing.

Damian:

Unfortunately.

That evening, the football pitch was busy.

Ethan spotted Damian walking toward them.

"Look at this guy!"

A few of the others turned.

One of them laughed.

"New clothes?"

Ethan pointed at Damian.

"I told you."

Damian shook his head.

"You guys are annoying."

They started playing.

Nothing special.

No audience.

No expensive cars.

Just a football pitch, a bunch of university students, and enough arguments to make the game louder than it needed to be.

When Damian scored, Ethan immediately shouted.

"See?"

Damian turned.

"See what?"

"I upgraded you!"

"You bought nothing."

"I provided moral support."

"You insulted my shoes."

"Same thing."

Everyone laughed.

Damian smiled.

He’d spent so long worrying about becoming wealthy that he hadn’t thought much about what came after.

Maybe this was part of it.

Not the expensive clothes.

Not the restaurants.

Not the car.

The freedom.

Being able to say yes without checking whether saying yes would ruin next month’s budget.

Being able to help someone without emptying his account.

Being able to enjoy a Saturday afternoon without worrying about the next bill.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

He ignored it.

For once, whatever was on the screen could wait.

He had a game to finish.