Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
SEBASTIAN
Itap my fingers on the desk and take another long pull of my drink, trying to relax my tense muscles.
Do I want to hire her?
We definitely need an extra set of hands around here, but the thought of seeing Fiona every day sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Fiona’s mere presence affects me in ways that it shouldn’t, with her being my sister’s best friend and all.
My attraction to her has to be some sort of brother code violation or something.
Yet, I can’t deny that I’m tempted, especially if she needs help. The girl is sunshine personified, and I’ve always enjoyed her company.
Really enjoyed it.
In fact, we had an instant connection the first time we met that’s rare for someone like me to experience. Attraction is hard. Then she started dating Anna. I thought I’d misread her vibes, so I pushed away any feelings I had.
Fiona showing up here and asking for a job is a little out in left field. After all, Vancouver is a long way from Brighton, relatively speaking. And what happened with Anna?
Without thinking, I pull my phone from my pocket and hit FaceTime next to my stepsister’s name. I steel myself while it rings, hoping I don’t look as worn out as I feel.
“Hi, Seb.” Charlie’s emerald eyes study me for a moment before she scrunches her nose. “You look like hell.”
“Wow, Sunshine,” Lincoln says somewhere off-screen. “Your brother called, and you chose violence.”
Charlie sticks out her tongue at him. “Sorry,” she tells me with a sheepish grin.
“You’re not wrong.” I blow out a sigh. “This admin stuff takes a lot out of me. I don’t know how Marcus actually enjoys it. I think I’d rather sit through a Gilmore Girls marathon than do this shit—it’s a special kind of torture.”
Charlie pouts. “You did not just insult one of my comfort shows.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll take that show seriously when the writers remake it so all the actors talk at a normal pace and make witty references I actually understand.”
“Amen, brother!” Trey pushes himself into the frame next to Charlie with a huge grin.
She shoves him away. “So what’s up?”
“I don’t have long, but I wanted to ask you something.” My eyes lock with hers, and I lower my voice. “It’s about Fiona.”
Charlie’s brow furrows. Lincoln and Trey start giggling at something in the background, and she gives them a tolerant look, then stands and walks from the room and down some stairs, closing the door when she reaches their office.
“Sorry,” she says, sitting down in a large leather high-back chair that squeaks under her weight.
“She just showed up here asking for a job,” I whisper, watching the door. “Do you want to fill me in on what’s going on?”
Charlie sighs. “I shouldn’t really be telling you all this, but Fi’s had a rough go lately. I assume she told you she was laid off?”
I nod.
“Well, her mom died that night.”
“Shit,” I breathe. I don’t know a lot about Fiona’s mother other than she was an alcoholic.
“And then she broke up with Anna, which hit her pretty hard.”
“Wow, that’s brutal. I really liked Anna at Friendsgiving last year.”
“I know. We did, too. Honestly, I thought they might get married.” Charlie rubs her eyes wearily.
“She hasn’t really told me a lot since it all happened.
I don’t even know who she’s been staying with for the last two months.
But I know she needs a change.” She gives me a pleading look.
“If she’s asking for help, that’s a big deal. You’ll give her a job, right?”
My stomach churns.
The need to protect Fi hits confusingly strong, but I assume it’s because I’d do just about anything for my little sister.
“Sure,” I mutter. I’ll just have to put my personal feelings aside, which is what I do best anyway. “I’ll give her a job.”
Charlie gives me a small smile, but then her face turns serious again. “Please take care of her, Seb. She doesn’t think she needs anyone, but she does. I worry about her.”
“Of course.”
There’s an awkward pause while Charlie studies me. “And how’re you holding up, brother? I know Marcus has been gone a lot, and he told me about the incident at the pub.”
I grit my teeth. Just thinking about Michaels’s stupid, sad face makes me want to punch it again for good measure.
But Charlie doesn’t need to know that, so I school my features into something more neutral.
I’m not about to worry my little sister—she’s already juggling freelance editing jobs alongside deadlines for her publishing contract.
Her debut contemporary fiction novel, Hand Me Down, will be released early next year, so I know between that and helping the guys run Lakeside Cinema, she’s probably swamped.
“It’s all good,” I tell her. “Maybe I’ll let Fi manage some of this admin stuff, so I can get back into the kitchen.”
She gives me a soft smile. “You guys work too much.”
“Agreed. Talk to you later, kiddo.”
“Bye, Seb.”
I drop my phone back on the desk just as Fi walks in. “Did I hear Charlie’s voice?
“Uh, yeah, just a quick phone call.”
Fiona’s eyes narrow. “She told you.”
“She mentioned your mom and Anna,” I say slowly as she takes a seat.
She downs the rest of her whisky and then pulls in a deep breath. “Yeah, it’s been a rough couple of months, I guess. But I manage.”
I don’t believe a fucking word. “So I think I might have a job for you.”
“Really?” Her green eyes brighten.
“Yeah, I fucking hate paperwork.”
She laughs, the sound almost musical, and it makes my stomach flutter.
“I can do paperwork! You won’t regret it,” she says eagerly. “It’ll just be temporary, of course. Until I find something else.”
“Can I ask where you’re staying?” I take her glass and refill it. Our fingers brush deliciously when I hand it back to her.
Having Fi around is going to suck in the best way possible.
“I haven’t actually thought that far ahead,” she replies, pushing strands of long auburn hair behind her ears.
I frown. “The city is expensive, Fi—nowhere near Brighton prices. Do you have savings or something? I don’t think I can pay you enough for a studio.”
Her face falls a little, but she catches herself and gives me a confident smile. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Stay with me,” I blurt.
What the fuck did I just say?
“What?” Fi echoes my thought, her brows lowering in confusion. “With you?”
“Sure.” More idiotic words fall from my lips. “Marcus will be in Seattle for the foreseeable future, so we have an extra room.”
“Oh, I dunno, Seb.” She bites her lip, glancing away.
“Fi.” She doesn’t look at me. “Fiona,” I say more firmly, and she finally meets my eyes. “I want you to. Please.”
“I suppose I can try it for a few weeks,” she says hesitantly. “But the second I get a film gig, I’m getting my own place.”
“You want to get into film? It’s a pretty cutthroat industry around here.” I give her a meaningful look. “It could be years, not weeks, before you land any sort of position. And it’s all contract work, so you could go months without any income.”
She gives me a cheeky smile “Not that it’s any of your business, Dad,” she teases, “but how the heck do you know so much about this stuff?”
“I was talking to Joel McHale the other day—”
“I’m sorry, WHAT?”
“Joel McHale? He was in some sitcom, I think.”
“Sebastian Conner,” she says, her tone admonishing. “He was in Community, and I can’t believe you met him! Do Charlie and Link know? They are gonna freak the fuck out.”
“Anyway, I asked him a bit about acting and all that, and he was super nice. I guess he lives in Seattle.”
“He lives on Mercer Island, actually.”
“Whatever,” I say, waving my hand. “He just told me some stories about when he was getting started. It sounded pretty rough.”
She cocks her head to one side, her hair cascading over one shoulder, and gives me a gentle smile. “It’s sweet that you’re worrying about me, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
I nod reluctantly and drop the subject, and we spend the better part of an hour catching up. She asks about the new pub location, and I can’t help nerding out over my menu ideas.
She gives me a coy look. “Do you need a taste tester? I love putting things in my mouth.”
“Do you now?” I ask, with a raised brow. Everything below my belt is tingling, and I shift in my seat, praying to God that I don’t get an erection.
Stop flirting, Sebastian, I scold myself. She’s still your little sister’s best friend.
Fi’s cheeks pinken, and I’m mesmerized by the contrast to her pale skin. “I mean—not like that. Fuck, I just mean I like to eat.” She gives me an apologetic look. “I have no idea why I said it like that.”
Fiona’s so easy to talk to, and I almost hate it.
My attraction to her is right there, simmering at the surface, and my body’s response to her is unprecedented—and obscene. She’s the first person to make me feel this viscerally since the last time I saw her, so of course, she’s the one person I can’t have.
And now I’m going to live with her.
Fuck my life.