CHAPTER FIVE - VIOLET
Here I was having lunch with Sebastian at a fancy sushi restaurant in Beverly Hills. Who'd have thought this was going to be my life? Sure, it was a working lunch and not exactly a romantic lunch date I'd fantasized about for so many years, but it was nice and it would do.
Besides, he looked stunning, as always, sitting across from me. So much so, I caught myself staring far too long into his dreamy eyes at times, and had to remind myself to look away. I also caught myself looking around and noticing the glares of envy on the faces of some of the other women in the restaurant. I had to restrain myself from smirking and taunting them.
“So, about Bali,” I said, bringing up the trip we'd barely discussed since my interview, “How long do you think we'll be gone?”
“Five days, I expect,” he said, taking a long sip of his sake.
He'd ordered some for both of us, but mine sat untouched and I sipped from my glass of water. I still wasn't sure I should be drinking on a work lunch, especially when it was with Sebastian. My mouth could get me in trouble even when I was sober. I couldn't imagine the things I'd say with alcohol in my system.
“But we could always stay a few extra days to look around or enjoy the beach. If you want,” he added.
Of course, I wanted to, but the idea of taking a real vacation with Sebastian felt strange. It felt a little too personal. Besides, I knew it was never good to mix business with pleasure. That led to things getting complicated very quickly.
“Whatever you want, boss,” I said. “I'm just thankful for the opportunity to go at all.”
And I was. Oh God, I was. I'd always wanted to visit Bali, but never had a chance and honestly, never thought I would. And not only would we be visiting, we'd be flying via private jet. It just sounded so luxurious, I could hardly believe this was my life. It all felt so surreal.
“I'll make sure you enjoy it,” he said with a wink.
“I'm sure you will, Sebastian,” I said.
The silence between us was more than a little awkward, as if yet again, I'd managed to turn something innocent into something flirtatious. Not that I'd intended to – well, not really. I was so confused over my intentions. But deep down, I knew there was no way I could actually be with Sebastian. Even if he was a dreamboat and I admired the hell out of him, he was off-limits. Or rather, I was very much off-limits to him.
“So umm – this is one of your favorite places?” I asked, looking around the restaurant.
It was a high-end restaurant, the type of place you'd except celebs to frequent. And that's when my eyes fell on a familiar face. I nearly choked on my drink as soon as our eyes met.
“What is it?” Sebastian asked, but he didn't have to wait for my answer because Jessica marched over to us, her face red as she started yelling at us from across the room.
“How fucking dare you, Sebastian? Bringing another girl to our sushi place?” she screamed, scowling at me.
I took her outburst to mean she didn't recognize me. We'd met before, but she seemed like the type who wouldn't remember someone she considered beneath her unless it somehow benefited her, anyway.
Sebastian stood up, hands in the air in a surrender pose. “Listen, Jess, it's not like that. She's my assistant. ”
“Assistant? You never had a fucking assistant before,” Jessica said, standing across from Sebastian with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Her black dress clung to her every curve, her cleavage was showing, almost too much so, and her blonde hair was in a high ponytail that flowed down her back. She towered over me at the table in her stilettos and I couldn't have felt more awkward if I'd tried.
Seriously, I could not understand what Sebastian had ever seen in her; not at all. But I guess he was a typical man, going for the hot blonde in the high heels and tight clothes. I looked down at my hands, trying to avoid the stares from other diners in the restaurant.
“Seriously, Sebastian? Our place? Our restaurant?” she fumed. “And you bring this little tramp.”
“Hey!” I said. “That's the pot calling the kettle black, Jessica.”
“How do you know my name?” she asked, staring down at me, her face a mask of rage.
“Because we've met before,” I said. “I'm Chuck Maddox's daughter.”
She looked momentarily stunned, but then picked up right where she'd left off. “Going after your buddies' daughters now? Like 'em young, do you?”
“Jess, if you'd just shut up long enough for us to explain, you'll see how ridiculous, and embarrassing, you're being. Not that I owe you an explanation or anything.”
“No, I guess you don't, asshole,” she said. She picked up a glass of water from the table and threw it in Sebastian's face. “And to think, I stopped by to reminisce about you and the good times we had. And I find you here with your jailbait little tramp in our place. What a fucking jerk.”
She started to turn and leave, tears in her eyes. And of course, everyone in the restaurant watched the show unfold. Surely, they thought the worst of us because it looked bad. Really bad. Sebastian sat back down, but my blood was boiling. No one had ever accused me of being a tramp before, and of all people to throw around such accusations, Jessica had no right.
“Jessica,” I called out, standing up and facing her.
She walked back toward me, hands on her hips, a face darkened by rage, and looked ready to fight. Though I doubt she'd risk breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails by actually throwing a punch.
“Listen, believe what you want,” I said, “but Sebastian is a good man. He offered me this job as his assistant as a favor to my father – my dead father, mind you – and his best friend. Nothing more, alright? So, go ahead and throw your little tantrum, because you're the one looking like a fool here, not us. We're enjoying a work lunch, which is something people who have jobs do sometimes. Not like you'd know.”
I sat back down in my seat without another word, and the entire restaurant remained quiet. It felt good to get all of that off my chest. Sebastian smiled at me, shaking his head as if I'd surprised him. Hell, I'd surprised myself with that little outburst. But I'd be lying if I said it hadn't felt good.
Jessica might have said something back but I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy staring into Sebastian's eyes, trying my hardest to not break out in laughter over everything that had just happened.
It didn't work. We both started giggling like idiots at our fancy sushi lunch. Jessica made her way out of the restaurant in a huff. Sebastian and I had our moment and it felt like we were the only two people in the entire restaurant for the rest of our lunch.
“Bali, huh?” my mom said as we sat down for dinner that night. “Seems a little fast, don't you think?”
“Well, I am his assistant,” I said with a shrug. “I'd say it's not too strange for me to accompany him on business trips. It just so happens his business takes him to some exotic places. It’s a nice little perk for me.”
“I suppose so,” my mom said, pursing her lips.
My mom and I looked a lot alike. Sometimes, I imagined I'd grow up into an older version of her, right down to the way she wore her hair pulled back into tight little buns. But now, as I grew into my own, I realized that while we might look alike, we were totally different women.
“I'm just so grateful for this opportunity,” I gushed. “To work for Sebastian? To go to Bali and wherever else this job might take me? I never imagined this for myself. It's everything dad would have wanted for me.”
My mom sipped her wine and listened as I continued to talk about the job. Every once in a while, she'd nod her head or smile and say, “That's nice,” between bites of her kale salad. But was she really listening? I couldn't be sure. She wasn't interested in this life. The business world had been my father's thing. My mom was simply meant to be a housewife.
And since dad's passing, she seemed lost; her sense of purpose gone. That was why I spent so much time with her, reminding her that she still had me. And yes, that meant talking about my life, even when it was clear she wasn't entirely interested in all the little details. Not the way dad would have been at least.
“Sounds like you and Sebastian really hit it off,” mom commented, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” I said, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “He's fantastic. I've always admired him, but now that I get to see him every day at work, I see why he and dad were such good friends. He's a great guy, and smart too.”
“Uh huh,” mom said, putting her wine glass down and staring at me for a long time. “So, you admire him? Is that all?”
I was taken aback by her bluntness. “What are you getting at?”
“I'm just wondering if your childhood crush might cause some problems, Violet, that's all.”
“It was nothing but a childhood crush, mom,” I said, feeling myself blush even more now that it was out in the open.
My crush on Sebastian growing up had been obvious. I literally wrote his name all over my notebooks with hearts around it. Hell, even he knew I had a thing for him at the time, but I prayed to God he'd forgotten all about that.
“And yes, I admire him,” I said. “In a business sort of way. There's nothing more to it. He's giving me a chance to get my foot in the door in this industry and I'm appreciative of that opportunity. That’s all it is.”
That was a lie. I did feel more than just admiration for him, but I sure as hell wasn't going to tell my mother that. Truth be told, I craved him in a way I couldn't explain or say out loud. It was my little secret. My childhood crush had never gone away, it had merely blossomed into a grown-up crush; one that was a little more serious, even if it was still very much unrealistic.