Page 43 of Sebastian

SEBASTIAN

“What are you doing here?”

Paolo’s surprised voice rings out from behind me while I’m checking my phone, displaying a text message from Veronica, my old girlfriend. She’s yesterday’s news since we broke up well over a month after our trip to Cabo. I delete the message without reading it, making a mental note to delete her from my phone before facing Paolo.

“What’s up, man?” I let out a long, appreciative whistle. “You look snappy in your suit. Are you trying to impress your lady or your boss? Which one?”

His hand brushes down the front of his navy suit, messing with his red tie that makes him look like a career politician. I can’t resist teasing him a little.

“Thanks, I guess.” His attention shifts to the take-out containers scattered across the table. “Did you bring all this?”

“Yeah, Chloe couldn’t?—”

“Chloe? Don’t tell me you and she are . . .” Paolo stops what he is saying when she murmurs, “Excuse me,” right behind him. A guilty look washes over his face when he steps to the side,allowing her to bring the drinks she’s juggling into the room and set them on the table.

“Hey Paolo, are you hungry? Sebastian brought more than we could possibly eat.” She’s oblivious to how uncomfortable he looks.

“Oh, hey, Chloe.” Paolo quickly regains his composure, offering a friendly smile. “No, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Behind Chloe’s back, I wave him off, emphatically shaking my head so he knows I don’t want him to crash my lunch with her. I don’t care that there’s too much food. She can throw away whatever she doesn’t eat. I don’t want him third-wheeling it.

“You know I can see you in the reflection of the wall-mounted television, Sebastian,” she scolds before casting a disapproving look over her shoulder.

I duck my waving hands in the air and flash her my most charming smile while Paolo rolls his eyes with her back turned to him.

“In fact, why don’t we invite Taylor too? Like an impromptu double date.”

She gives me a shit-eating grin right back before marching out of the room.

“Dude, you fucked it up, and now you got me in trouble.”

I take two steps to punch him in the arm as hard as possible. He crumbles into the rolling chair beside him as he absorbs the blow.

“What? You haven’t even explained what you’re doing here?” His voice raises in shock as he rubs his arm through his coat. “So again, why are you here? And why are you having a picnic with my colleague at my office.”

“You were the one that hooked us up, so you know why I’m here.”

I toss a package of chopsticks at him.Paolo raises an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“You’re dating Chloe? She’s actually entertaining going out with your dumbass?”

I aim the other package at his head, missing by an inch when he ducks at the last minute, and it clatters to the table.

“Yeah, we spent all day yesterday together. I’m seeing her tonight too.”

I pick up the stray chopsticks and throw them back into the take-out bag. Paolo narrows his eyes, studying my face with a suspicious look.

“You? Seeing someone regularly? And you chose someone from our office? That doesn’t make sense. Not even for you, Seb.”

I don’t know why, but his surprise rubs me the wrong way.

“People can change, you know.”

He stops rubbing his arm, adjusts his tie, and then leans back in his chair.

“You told me you and Gio were still wasted from the party when I texted you.”

I offer a half-smile and admit, “I might have exaggerated our condition slightly. I was actually fine, but Gio was struggling, and Chloe was over, hanging out with me.”

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