(Please, check author's note at the end)
Raymond Caldwell stepped through the front door of his mansion just past seven in the evening, loosening his tie before he'd even crossed the threshold. The conference had run three hours longer than it was supposed to. Three hours of men in expensive suits arguing over numbers he already knew by heart. He was tired in the kind of way that sleep didn't fix easily.
He handed his coat to the butler without looking up. "Bring me a glass of wine. The red one. Not the cheap bottle."
"Of course, sir." The butler disappeared and returned almost immediately, which Raymond appreciated. He settled into the armchair in his sitting room, crossed one leg over the other, and took a slow sip. The wine was good. It helped.
"Will you be having dinner soon, sir?" the butler asked, hands clasped in front of him.
Raymond tilted his glass slightly, watching the wine shift. "Not yet. I need to unwind first. Dinner can wait."
