CHAPTER FIVE
OLIVIA KING
Sebastian’s question throws me for a loop, but I recover quickly and simply shake my head in response.
I swear that his blue eyes light up at this newfound information.
“Your turn. I want to know everything. How did you become this tech genius?”
His relaxed position in the chair is disarming. He looks thoroughly relaxed and in control.
Meanwhile, I’m fidgeting under his steady gaze.
His low voice is strong and clear when he answers my question.
“Well, it certainly didn’t happen overnight, that’s for sure. I left Tennessee and moved to Silicon Valley right after graduation. I never wanted to go to college, as I’m sure you remember. “
I nod in agreement, remembering how much he loathed it. He was so incredibly smart but hated the institution of school and always vowed that high school was it for him.
“The plan was to move to California and find an internship with a startup in the Valley. It wasn’t as easy as I thought and I ended up flipping burgers and sleeping on a holey couch at my friend’s place until something came available at Google. I worked for pennies, basically, but I was so hungry for knowledge that I didn’t even care.”
I smile because that sounds just like Sebastian.
“I interned there for two years before I moved on to a junior position at Twitter. There’s where I met my business partner, Malakai. After working side by side for a few years, we developed an app together that we knew would change social media for years to come. After working sixteen-hour days, we’d meet up at my place and pore over consumer data and trends. I coded while he handled the other logistics.”
Mesmerized by his story, I push my plate aside and lean my elbows against the table giving him my undivided attention.
“Then five years ago, we launched Discover Travel. It was a rocky start, but we found our footing through the chaos. Navigating such a saturated digital market is hard as hell but I think we’ve managed pretty well.”
“I’ll say,” I say and Sebastian smiles.
He’s so fucking hot.
How come I never noticed in high school?
My head was so deep in books and my plans of the future that I failed to realize how gorgeous my classmate was.
“I’m really, really proud of you,” I share, extending my hand across the table to touch his.
Currents of electricity surge through me at the contact and I try not to yank my hand back in shock.
Never have I ever felt such a palpable connection with someone.
“Thanks,” he intones seriously. “That means a lot coming from you, Olivia.”
The timbre of his voice when he says my name makes me giddy, but I mask the reaction with a small smile of my own.
“I don’t know why, I’m sure you hear it every day!”
The ways he’s focusing on me is unnerving and I want to shift the attention back to him.
He doesn’t let me off the hook so easily.
“It means more coming from you.”
The gravity of his words settle on me and my chest constricts at the serious expression on his devastatingly handsome face.
“You know, it nearly crushed me when you turned down my offer to prom,” he says out of the blue.
Confused, I stare at him as my eyes widen. “What?”
“Senior prom. I wanted to go with you but you turned me down.”
A frown is on my face as he shares this tidbit.
“I did?”
I’m honestly having trouble recalling this. I’d never gone to prom. Though I’d had every intention to before my father crushed me with his stinging betrayal.
I specifically remember learning that I wouldn’t be going to college in the middle of prom season.
“Yep,” he says easily. “I finally got up the courage to ask you one Friday during art class and you said no. Something about it not being a good time for you. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that you couldn’t just tell me to my face that you didn’t want to go with me.”
Memories come flooding back and I remember that day in the art room as if it was yesterday.
“Oh, my God.” I clasp a hand over my mouth.
“Coming back to you now?” he asks with a teasing smile.
“You have to believe me, Sebastian. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go. I just couldn’t. I’d just found out that I wasn’t going to college because my dad had lost my entire college fund due to his gambling habit.”
This makes him sit up straighter.
I shake my head and continue. “I would have gone with you in a heartbeat, but the timing was shitty. I was even on the prom committee, but quit once I found out about my dad. I just didn’t want to do anything anymore. I was crushed.”
“Olivia, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
It’s his turn to reach out and place a comforting hand over mine.
I relish in the warmth of his touch.
“You have no reason to apologize. How could you know that my father was a selfish bastard?”
He looks contrite before shaking his head. “Still…”
I shrug, wanting to lighten the mood. “It’s in the past. Let’s leave it there.”
This has been my motto for a while. It got me through community college, the breakup with Jordan and I have no doubt that it will continue to serve its purpose.
Sebastian lets out a loud breath, before leaning in to me.
“Okay. Enough of the serious shit, what are you planning to do with the money?”
The somber mood is lifted and I smile, grateful for the reprieve.
“Well,” I start, taking a sip of my Diet Coke. “I’m finally going to nursing school. I started my application as soon as I got the phone call telling me that I won the competition.”
Sebastian is smiling at me. Butterflies dance in my stomach at the beautiful sight.
“That’s great, Olivia!” his voice is booming and full of pride.
I can’t explain just how that makes me feel but warm fuzzies blanket me, relieving the weariness I’ve become accustomed to feeling.
“I’m going to buy a house and settle all my debt. Invest a portion of it, then the rest is going in the bank so I can travel.”
It had been fairly easy to determine what I was going to do with the million dollar prize: invest in myself and make up for all the years I’d lost.
“That sounds like a great plan, Liv.”
Hearing my old nickname fall from his lips is downright dizzying. I’m not even going to examine why his approval means so much to me.
“Thanks to you,” I murmur lowly.
Out of nowhere, a pessimistic thought enters my mind.
“Did you pick my submission when you recognized my name?” I ask, suspiciously.
His face is impassive but he shakes his head emphatically.
“No, I had no idea it was you. My team narrowed it down the top ten submissions before they left them on my desk. The names weren’t on the stories I read. They were just numbered one through ten. I picked yours because it moved me.”
His words seem sincere so I don’t push the issue any further. Grabbing a luke-warm fry, I push it into my mouth for lack of anything else to do.
“Are you tired, Olivia?”
Yes, exhausted.
But there’s no way I’m going to admit it. I don’t want our night to end. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in ten years and he’s leaving soon.
“No,” I lie.
Sebastian’s tone is confident and clear when he decides, “We’re going dancing.”