times—clubs, parties—but he’d never behaved like that toward me. I don’t know what got into him last night.”
Alexander ran his fingers through my hair. “He was probably jealous when he saw you dancing with me. Forget him.” He gently held my chin, leaned in, and kissed me on the lips.
My cell rang. I stretched to take it from the wooden beach table. From the display, I saw it was Sebastian.
Dammit…
Alexander frowned in disapproval. I put the phone on speaker to show him I had nothing to hide from him and ensure he didn’t get the wrong impression and think I had a sexual relationship with him.
“Sebastian, what do you want?”
“Alexia, I’m sorry about yesterday.” He got directly into it.
“Your behavior was, and I’m putting it mildly, disgusting. I was so embarrassed.” I was furious with him, so I took the liberty of saying as much. “You should be careful how much you drink.”
I knew it wasn’t my place to admonish him, but thinking about his behavior yesterday… I had built up momentum. He’d put me in an uncomfortable position in front of everybody, though the one that mattered most was Alexander. He had no right to try to kiss me and make me feel bad.
“Now you’re going to read me the riot act too?”
“Get it together, Sebastian. You have everything a person can dream of—a great, prestigious job in your family’s business and you can’t complain about a lack of money. You have—”
“Alexia, dammit…” He interrupted me. “I like you. I don’t want to hide it anymore,” Romer barely whispered.
Alexander slightly tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow as if to say, I told you so.
“Sebastian, I…” After a moment’s silence, I continued. “I don’t feel the same.”
“I know, and I have no chance, right?” His voice was sad.
“Please, don’t let this ruin our friendship. I’ve never given you a reason to get the wrong impression.”
Or maybe I had subconsciously?
I hurt him, but what else could I do? To me, he was just a friend, and I’d never thought he might have stronger feelings for me. I believed whenever we joked about something and he hugged me, it had been just a friendly gesture. How had he managed to hide it so well that even Lily hadn’t noticed? Otherwise, she would have told me.
“Okay, I understand. Will you at least agree to go to lunch with me this week?”
“Fine. Is Friday good for you?”
“Yeah. See you on Friday, then.”
“Bye.” I began pulling the phone from my ear.
“Wait, Alexia…”
“I’m listening.”
“I really am sorry about last night. I promise it will never happen again.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “I forgive you. Have a nice day, Sebastian.”
“You too. Bye.”
I hung up the phone while Alexander stared deeply at me.
“This is what I meant. You’re a beautiful woman, Alexia, and I don’t believe there’s any man who wouldn’t want to get into your bed. Which is why I was surprised you’ve been with so few. I didn’t want to offend you. As you can see, Romer has a crush on you. However, I don’t understand why you agreed to meet him for lunch. You’re only pouring oil on the fire.” He looked tense.
What? I felt confused. It was obvious he didn’t like my agreeing to meet with Sebastian. But that couldn’t stop me from doing it. I couldn’t let him keep me away from my friends. “What do you think I should’ve done?”
“Romer showed his cards. What’s the point in going out with him?” He pursed his lips tightly.
“I can’t just cut him off and never see him again. We’ve known each other for years, since I’ve known Lily. He’s my friend,” I tried to explain.
“You cut him off when you told him you don’t feel the same.” His icy-blue stare was piercing.
“This doesn’t mean I’ll stop seeing him,” I snapped.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“I can already sense you’ll make me nuts.”
Suddenly, he picked me up as if I were light as
Alexander ran his fingers through my hair. “He was probably jealous when he saw you dancing with me. Forget him.” He gently held my chin, leaned in, and kissed me on the lips.
My cell rang. I stretched to take it from the wooden beach table. From the display, I saw it was Sebastian.
Dammit…
Alexander frowned in disapproval. I put the phone on speaker to show him I had nothing to hide from him and ensure he didn’t get the wrong impression and think I had a sexual relationship with him.
“Sebastian, what do you want?”
“Alexia, I’m sorry about yesterday.” He got directly into it.
“Your behavior was, and I’m putting it mildly, disgusting. I was so embarrassed.” I was furious with him, so I took the liberty of saying as much. “You should be careful how much you drink.”
I knew it wasn’t my place to admonish him, but thinking about his behavior yesterday… I had built up momentum. He’d put me in an uncomfortable position in front of everybody, though the one that mattered most was Alexander. He had no right to try to kiss me and make me feel bad.
“Now you’re going to read me the riot act too?”
“Get it together, Sebastian. You have everything a person can dream of—a great, prestigious job in your family’s business and you can’t complain about a lack of money. You have—”
“Alexia, dammit…” He interrupted me. “I like you. I don’t want to hide it anymore,” Romer barely whispered.
Alexander slightly tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow as if to say, I told you so.
“Sebastian, I…” After a moment’s silence, I continued. “I don’t feel the same.”
“I know, and I have no chance, right?” His voice was sad.
“Please, don’t let this ruin our friendship. I’ve never given you a reason to get the wrong impression.”
Or maybe I had subconsciously?
I hurt him, but what else could I do? To me, he was just a friend, and I’d never thought he might have stronger feelings for me. I believed whenever we joked about something and he hugged me, it had been just a friendly gesture. How had he managed to hide it so well that even Lily hadn’t noticed? Otherwise, she would have told me.
“Okay, I understand. Will you at least agree to go to lunch with me this week?”
“Fine. Is Friday good for you?”
“Yeah. See you on Friday, then.”
“Bye.” I began pulling the phone from my ear.
“Wait, Alexia…”
“I’m listening.”
“I really am sorry about last night. I promise it will never happen again.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “I forgive you. Have a nice day, Sebastian.”
“You too. Bye.”
I hung up the phone while Alexander stared deeply at me.
“This is what I meant. You’re a beautiful woman, Alexia, and I don’t believe there’s any man who wouldn’t want to get into your bed. Which is why I was surprised you’ve been with so few. I didn’t want to offend you. As you can see, Romer has a crush on you. However, I don’t understand why you agreed to meet him for lunch. You’re only pouring oil on the fire.” He looked tense.
What? I felt confused. It was obvious he didn’t like my agreeing to meet with Sebastian. But that couldn’t stop me from doing it. I couldn’t let him keep me away from my friends. “What do you think I should’ve done?”
“Romer showed his cards. What’s the point in going out with him?” He pursed his lips tightly.
“I can’t just cut him off and never see him again. We’ve known each other for years, since I’ve known Lily. He’s my friend,” I tried to explain.
“You cut him off when you told him you don’t feel the same.” His icy-blue stare was piercing.
“This doesn’t mean I’ll stop seeing him,” I snapped.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“I can already sense you’ll make me nuts.”
Suddenly, he picked me up as if I were light as
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