Page 106 of Sebastian's Baby

“Hi, my name is Sebastian Fox, and I’m looking for a bodyguard to protect the mother of my child. Your agency was recommended to me,” I say when I call them.

“I see. Can you tell me more about what kind of protection you require?” the woman on the phone asks.

I tell her there is intense paparazzi interest in her, and the person will need to be available to travel to Chicago. She says that she’ll send through some resumés, and I thank her before I end the call.

After that, I dial Ariana, and she answers my call. “Hey, Seb. What’s up?”

“I need to find an apartment in Seattle ASAP. Do you know any real estate agents here?”

She laughs and says, “No, sorry. Real estate agents don’t all know each other, particularly when they’re on opposite sides of the country.”

“Dammit. I thought I’d give it a try.”

“Is everything okay?” she asks, sounding concerned.

“No. The paparazzi found Lita’s work. Her apartment isn’t safe, and I need to get her a bodyguard as well as go shopping for clothes because I wasn’t expecting to be here longer than the weekend.”

I give a heavy sigh because I’m so fucking stressed about everything, and I’m just worried about Lita and the baby’s safety.

“Leave it with me, Seb. I’ll check out listings for apartments in Seattle and find a good agent for you. I’m assuming you want an underground garage and good security. Any other requirements?”

“Settlement as soon as possible. Anyone selling with furnishings would be good. I just want to be in there as quickly as I can.”

“Got it. I’ll let you know what I find.”

Daryl arrives while I’m looking through the resumés, and of the ten that were sent through, we decide on two that seem good. The protection agency tells me that one of them, Benjamin Thomas, can start today and has no ties to Seattle and is happy to travel for any length of time, so I end up choosing him.

Contracts are sent through, and once all the paperwork is completed, I’m given his number, and I give him a call.

“Benjamin Thomas speaking.”

“Hi, Benjamin. My name is Sebastian Fox.”

“Mr. Fox, I look forward to working with you,” he says in a pleasant tone.

“I’m glad. I’ll need you to start today because my baby’s mother drove herself to work today, but the paparazzi were waiting for her when she got there.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m definitely available to start today, though.”

We talk through the logistics, and he agrees to come to Lita’s apartment late this afternoon before we go get Lita. Ariana has also sent through five apartment listings that all look good, as well as the name of a real estate agent who is the agent for four of the five listings she found.

“Vincent Armstrong,” he answers the call.

“Hi, Vincent. My name is Sebastian Fox, and I’d like to look at purchasing an apartment that you currently have listed.”

“Yes, of course. Which one?” He sounds a little bit flustered, but I’m used to this reaction from people.

“There are four you have listed that I’m interested in. I need a settlement as soon as possible, so could we go look at them today?”

“Uh, just give me a minute. I’ll just put you on hold.” The call goes silent, and after thirty seconds, his voice comes through the line again. “Are you still there?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Great. We do require some paperwork for apartment visits. Can I email that through to you?”

I look around Lita’s living room, but I have no idea if she owns a printer, so I tell him, “I don’t have access to a printer at the moment. Can you bring the paperwork with you?”

“Yes, I can, but”—he’s silent for about five seconds before he asks—“is this really Sebastian Fox?”

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