Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Sebastian
“Jack, I’m telling you, this place is like something out of a TV show.
One of those channels that cater specifically to women who love quaint small-town shows.
” I laugh as I look around the room. It’s nice, and I can see why people are drawn to come here.
I mean, it’s not anywhere I would choose myself.
“So, what’s she like?” he asks, his voice apprehensive, and I’m not quite sure how to answer his question.
“Are you tired? Did I wake you up?” I respond, feeling slightly guilty.
“I know it’s only seven a.m., but I was at the gym at five o’clock this morning,” he responds, laughing. “I woke up before the sun. You know that, Sebastian.”
“That’s what I thought. I didn’t know if you were getting lazy in your old age.”
"You're not going to answer my question?”
“She’s fine,” I say. “I took her on a date last night.”
“And?” he presses, and I’m slightly annoyed.
“It was fine.” The date had been more than fine. But I don’t really know how to explain the feelings I had as we stood there, watching the stars, with me pointing out constellations while she listened, asking questions, eyes bright with curiosity. The connection between us felt real.
“So you’re not going to tell me anything else?” he teases. “You called me first thing in the morning to say it was fine?”
I sigh. “I’m feeling slightly hesitant about my plan. I’m not going to lie.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I don’t want to be a bad guy. I feel… manipulative.”
“Why is that?”
“Because she looks at me like her feelings are real. She’s really responding to me, and it makes me feel bad.”
“So what you’re telling me is, this girl is like the next Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry?”
“Yeah, she’s like Cameron Diaz—only hotter and funnier.”
“Wow. You sound like you’ve got a thing for her.”
“I don’t,” I insist. “I just understand why Sergio was drawn to her. She’s warm in a way a lot of women aren’t. She asks real questions. She listens. And I’m not used to that. I’m not used to women wanting to know about me as a person, as opposed to what I have or what I can offer.”
“So she’s smart. She hasn’t brought up your money?”
“Not once.”
“Has she asked you what you do for a living?”
“No.”
He pauses. “That tells you everything right there.”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s the first question most women ask a man? His name. After that, his age. And then, Sebastian, they ask what he does for a living.”
“Fine,” I mutter, knowing he is correct.
“But she hasn’t asked you, has she?”
“No.”
“And you know why?”
“No, but I think you’re going to tell me.”
“She hasn’t asked because she already knows.
She already knows who you are because she screwed over Sergio.
She knows your family has money. And she’s thinking her luck has quadrupled—because now she’s got the older brother, who’s better looking, has more money, and actually seems into her more than Sergio was. ”
I exhale heavily. “So what you’re saying—”
“What I’m saying is,” he interrupts, “you went there for a reason, Sebastian. And that reason wasn’t to fall for the same woman who took your brother for a ride.”
“You’re right.” I pause. “You do realize that’s why I called you this morning. I was feeling conflicted. Like maybe she wasn’t so bad. Maybe she wasn’t preying on Sergio.” I sigh. “But I have the data. Louisa did the research. She’s the one, and she’s done it to multiple men.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to make her fall for me. I’m going to make her think I’ve fallen for her, and then I’m going to pull the rug out from under her feet.”
“You’re going to pull the rug out from under her feet?”
“Not literally.”
“I know that.” He laughs. “So tell me this, do you think you’re going to sleep with her?”
“I don’t know. What I can tell you is that I want to,” I admit honestly.
“So, she’s hot-hot?”
“You saw her. She looked fine at the Magnolia Club.”
“I wouldn’t say she was hot-hot when we saw her.”
“She’s got one of those kinds of beauty that’ll stop you in your tracks if you see her on the street.”
“So she’s bewitched you.” There’s silence for a few seconds. “Do I need to come down there?”
“What? Why?”
“Because I don’t want to find out you’ve given away ten million, as well.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not giving away anything, at least nothing that’s going to hurt me.” There’s a knock on the door, and I pause, my heart racing. “Hello?” I shout out.
“It’s me, Willow,” she says through the door. “I have your breakfast.”
“Okay, give me a second,” I say. “Hey, Jack, she’s here.”
“Oh, shit,” he laughs. “She’s there for some morning sex?”
“No, it’s a bed and breakfast. She brought me breakfast.”
“Oh, I see.” He chuckles. “Is she the breakfast?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter.” I cackle. “I mean, if she wants to be the breakfast, I wouldn’t say no, but it’s a little early for that.”
“Tell me if you think the same thing tomorrow.”
“We’ll see. I gotta go.” I hang up and head toward the door. When I open it, Willow’s standing there. Her hair’s in a bun, she’s wearing a T-shirt and a long skirt, and she’s holding a tray. “Morning.”
“Morning,” she says. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You didn’t.” I sniff. “It smells good.”
“Freshly brewed coffee. African beans. Ethiopian, to be exact.”
“I love Ethiopian beans.”
“I had a feeling you would.” She grins. “Now, I have to admit, I’m not sure if the Dutch apple pancakes came out the way you like, but it was my first time making them.”
You made them? I stare at her in surprise. “Not the chef?”
“Well… sometimes I’m the chef.” She laughs.
“Not all the time. Sometimes it’s Katherine, sometimes Brielle.
We all take turns. But they were off this morning, so…
anyway, I hope you like it.” She carries the tray over, sets it down, then turns to me.
“Is there anything else I can help you with right now?”
“There may… How did you sleep last night?” I ask.
“Fine, thank you. And you?”
“Well, I was thinking about our date and how I’d like to take you on another.”
“You’d like to take me on a second date?” she says, smiling shyly.
“Would you like that?”
She blushes and looks down, and I think to myself, How can she be such a good actress? How can she seem so genuine, so sweet? Then I see it—a sparkling diamond on her right hand that I didn’t notice before. I still. “Oh. Is that new?” I nod toward her fingers.
Her eyes widen slightly, as though she doesn’t want to answer. She licks her lips.
“It’s not new.”
“You weren’t wearing it yesterday, were you?”
“No, I… I wasn’t.”
“Where did you get it? Did you buy it? It’s very pretty. Looks expensive.”
All of a sudden, she looks nervous. Her eyes glisten, like she knows I’ve caught something.
Did she spend money she stole from my brother on this ring? I can feel anger rising inside me.
“You don’t care about my ring or how I got it,” she says quickly and looks away, blinking rapidly.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” I reply through gritted teeth. Smile, Sebastian. I remind myself not to let her sense suspicion. I can’t let her see through me. But my good mood is gone.
She’s more complicated than I thought. She comes across as shy and innocent, but she’s not. She’s someone playing this game hard.
She doesn’t want me. She wants what comes with me. I tilt my head, walk over to the table, lift the coffee cup, and take a sip. It’s dark and strong—just how I like it. I let the caffeine hit me, sharpen me, fuel me. Then I turn back to her with the sweetest smile I can muster.
“So… that date. You think you might be interested, sweet Willow tree?”
She blinks. “I mean… sure. If you’d like that.” She licks her lips nervously again and looks away.
“I think we should do something fun,” I say. “Maybe we’ll even go jewelry shopping.” I can’t help but push the knife in a little bit.
Her face goes red. “I… I don’t know what to say. I should go though. I have to work. I’ll see you later.”
I nod, watching as she hurries out the door. I lift the cover off the pancakes—regular pancakes, sliced apples, cinnamon, sugar, and pecans. I take a bite. They’re delicious. Really, really delicious.
Then my phone rings. A number I don’t recognize, but it looks international, so I answer.
“Hello?”
“You have a collect call from Sergio Laurence. Do you accept the call?”
“I accept,” I say.
“One moment, please.”
“Hey, Sebastian!” Sergio shouts into the phone. “You there?”
“I’m here. What’s going on? Why are you calling me collect?”
“Oh, I misplaced my cell phone,” he shouts back. “Had to use this payphone, but I didn’t have cash, so—collect call! I have a huge favor to ask.” I hear what sounds like a party in the background.
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Thailand. You know that.”
“Okay…”
“I need you to wire me five hundred dollars. There’s a moon party tonight.”
“Sergio, what are you talking about?”
“I need you to wire me five hundred. I’ll give you the hotel name; you can do it through Western Union.”
“Sergio, where’s your money? What’s going on?”
“I misplaced my wallet along with my cell phone.” He laughs. “It’s been a crazy couple of days.”
“Sergio, I can get you a ticket. Can you get to the airport? You need to get back.”
“I’m not coming back right now.”
“Sergio, you’re in a foreign country, you have no money, you’re calling me collect—”
“I can take care of myself! I just need you to send the five hundred. I’m pretty sure I know where I left my phone and wallet, but I need cab money. Can you do this for me?”
“If you come home, we can take care of everything. Come back to work for the family business. You’ll have access to your trust fund—”
“I don’t care about that!” he yells. “I just want to live my life and figure out what I want to do without the Laurence money. I want to be seen for me, not for what I have.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose to stop myself from blowing a gasket.
“I just want to have fun. Do you not understand that, Sebastian? We’re not all you. We’re not all going to be the golden child, taking over the family business.”
“Sergio—”
“Maybe being broken up with was what I needed. Maybe this was the catalyst to push me into starting a new life. Maybe that’s what I needed.”
“Your life wasn’t that bad, Sergio.”
“Are you sending the money or not?”
“Give me the name of the hotel,” I say tightly.
“Hold on, let me grab a pen and paper...” I’m furious.
Absolutely furious. My brother is losing it.
And all I want to do is fly to Thailand, grab him by the ear, and drag him home.
But maybe this is what he needs. Maybe he’ll come home stronger.
I just pray he’s not doing drugs or drinking himself into oblivion.
This is a huge mess—and it’s all Willow’s fault.
She destroyed my brother. And whatever guilt I’d been feeling—it’s gone. Whatever misgivings or doubts I’d had—gone. Willow has caused my brother to spiral. And I am going to make her and everyone who matters to her spiral into oblivion, as well.