Chapter 13 #2
Before I could stop him, he lunged and snatched the phone out of my hand.
“Seb—come on. I wasn’t done!”
But he was already skimming the screen, backing away as I chased him onto the court. I vaulted the net after him, but he stayed just out of reach, holding the phone like a trophy.
“Why are you reading some article about dating men in finance?” Seb continued to scroll on the phone. “Wait …” Seb trailed off as his eyes quickly raced over the screen, going wide. “Didn’t you tell me that you got in at Crepitio on Friday?”
I stopped mid-chase, heart pounding, watching the realization already dawning on his face. Seb stopped running and finally looked at me. He’d known me for almost ten years. To my frustration, it was nearly impossible to hide anything from him. “Is this article about you?”
Day in and day out I could play the corporate game and spin a reality to be something it wasn’t, but with my best friend glancing between me and an article that Hallie had just written, calling me “charming” and “a true gentleman”, there wasn’t a chance I was getting myself out of this one.
Mr. Old Fashioned truly is old-fashioned. He walked me to my door and bid me farewell, promising a second date that I’m actually looking forward to. Maybe on this one we’ll see if Mr. Old Fashioned can turn up the heat.
I read the final paragraph again, slower this time, letting the words settle into me.
She’s looking forward to a second date.
She wants me to turn up the heat.
Did she mean that? Or was it just good copy? A clever line to wrap the piece, to keep readers invested in the next installment of whatever this was between us?
I kept circling back to that moment outside her apartment. The way her hand lingered in mine after the handshake. The pause before she turned the key. The way her lips parted like she was about to say something else instead of good night.
I’d convinced myself I imagined the flicker of disappointment in her eyes when we didn’t kiss, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was real. Maybe she wanted it as much as I did.
“You didn’t even kiss her?” Seb exclaimed after he finished reading Hallie’s closing line. “Why didn’t you tell me about her? I tell you about every girl I’m with.”
Sebastian wasn’t lying. He told me about every girl he took on dates or simply hooked up with. And this man had been with a lot of women. He’d recount his escapades to me over drinks, often giving me far more in-depth detail than I cared to know.
“It’s not anything serious. It was a first date.”
The rest of the truth I kept to myself. Seb had met my family and eaten at the pizzeria on countless occasions over the years.
But telling him I had only brokered this deal with Hallie for the greater good of the restaurant was not only complicated, it felt like a lie.
If I were honest for just a minute, I’d admit that Hallie Woods fascinated me.
Not only was she incredibly beautiful, remarkably intelligent, and hilarious, but she was also incredibly talented, as evidenced by the article Seb had just finished reading.
And maybe that fascination was turning into something else.
Our date had a far-too-convoluted explanation, so I kept our agreement to myself.
“Did you know you were dating a columnist?” Seb handed me my phone back. “Did you know she was going to write an article about your date?”
“I met her at the Grangers’ dinner party that you skipped … again. And she told me she was a writer for Sophisticate that night. She doesn’t name me, so I don’t think there’s any harm in it.”
I shifted uncomfortably under Seb’s narrowed gaze. His smile spread slowly, too smug, too knowing. The kind of smile that was a neon sign warning of danger ahead.
“We should go on a double date.”
I shook my head, hard. “Absolutely not.”
There was no chance in hell I was going to subject Hallie to Seb in that kind of setting.
“Besides,” I added, raising a brow, “which one of your current roster would you even bring? Or are we going with the classic ‘whoever texts back first’ strategy?”
Seb grinned. “That depends—do I get bonus points for bringing twins?”
I groaned. “This is exactly why you’re not coming anywhere near her.”
Seb clutched his chest like I’d wounded him. “That’s not fair. You met a girl who’s not only hot but cool enough to write an article calling you charming, and I don’t even get to meet her? What kind of best friend are you?”
I ran a hand down the back of my neck, debating whether to come clean. “You already have.”
Seb’s eyes widened with realization. “No way. The girl from the bar? The one whose date you sabotaged ? Oh, this just keeps getting better.”
I’d had enough. The last thing I needed was Sebastian’s commentary on my dating life. I grabbed my tennis racket and walked to the far end of the court. “We’re cutting into our court time.”
Sebastian’s booming laugh echoed through the high stone walls of the court, punctuated by the rhythmic thwack of tennis balls from other players. “It’s nice seeing you like this.”
“Like what?” I asked. We stood at opposite ends of the court, the silence thick before Seb’s serve. Then a grin spread across his face.
“Happy. Defensive, sure. But happy.”