Sebastian took care of the check and we left the restaurant knowing that we would see each other again very soon.
Chapter Six – Getting to Know You
The next week Sebastian returned on Monday and we made plans for Tuesday evening. Work was super busy, working in the corporate office was a completely different world for me, I had more meetings than I had ever had when I was at the hotel, and I loved every single minute of it. Monday night I tried on what I was going to wear to dinner at least five times like a crazy person. I wanted to look perfect for him and I was excited and nervous at the same time. It was so weird to me that we had fallen into this kind of easy relationship so quickly, one that I never saw coming. He told me that we had to remain discreet about us and I agreed, but I knew that I wouldn’t put up with being a secret for too long.
I rushed home after work, quickly got ready and ran downstairs to meet the car that was waiting for me. He had a car pick me up at 6:30 that evening and I met him at a restaurant that was, once again, across town. This time it was a seafood restaurant. I stepped out of the car and my black strappy sandals clicked on the pavement as my blue strapless dress flowed in the wind around my knees as I walked into the restaurant. My long waves caressed my arms as the breeze in the doorway blew through my hair. Sebastian was already seated and was waiting for me when I got there. He looked gorgeous in his casual white shirt and black slacks and my belly did a little flip as he smiled at me. Is it possible that he gets even more gorgeous every single time I see him?
He stood up when I walked over to him and kissed me on the cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Oh my gosh, I feel like a teenager!
“Were you swamped today?”
“Nothing more than normal, we are doing our best to be over prepared for Brazil in a couple of weeks.”
“I have no doubt you’ll be ready, I have heard very good things about your ideas Elena, people are impressed.”
That made me feel good. “I appreciate the confidence you have in me Sebastian, it means a lot.”
“Well, you’re proving yourself and I expect perfection so you deserve my confidence.”
We ordered our food and the conversation continued to flow.
“Are your brothers perfectionists like you?”
“My brother Shane is the mirror image of me, he works hard, he wants his hotel to be flawless and he knows how to ask for help when he needs it. He is taking over Blu Sierra Chicago in a couple of months and I just know that he will be incredible and take that hotel to a different level.”
“You really believe in him, huh?”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy, hard worker and just like my mom. I trust him with my life. If he’s not sure about something he always asks to make sure that he will be making the right decision. He doesn’t just wing it and hope for the best like my brother Spencer.”
I could see that he was irritated when he said Spencer’s name and I was curious to find out why.
“It seems kind of obvious that you are closest to Shane, so what’s the deal with you and Spencer? Do you guys not get along?”
“Spencer is family and I love him and will be there if he really needs something but I do not like him as a person. We don’t have any kind of relationship outside of work and I prefer it that way.”
“Why?”
“Four years ago I was engaged to someone and a month before we were supposed to get married I found Spencer in bed with her. All our lives he has been competing with me and that was the final straw. He wanted what I had and he basically took it, so I can’t trust him. He has always been like that since we were kids.”
“Why do you think he’s like that?”
“I’m not sure, he’s been a screw-up all of his life, from getting kicked out of prep schools to countless run-ins with the cops. My dad was always calling in favors for him because he always got in trouble. Honestly, I think he has been looking for our father’s approval and he just hasn’t been able to get it. Dad is pretty vocal about how he feels about each one of us, Spencer is at the bottom of the list and I am at the top. I think it’s because I am the first born, I always succeeded and did what I was supposed to do, I didn’t challenge authority and I have been so successful with the hotel that that makes my dad proud. Spencer has always been the black sheep, irresponsible and lazy. Blu Sierra New York would have failed if dad and I hadn’t stepped in to save it. We gave Spencer an ultimatum that he would lose his job and every cent of his trust fund if he didn’t get his act together. That was two years ago and he has been doing well with the hotel ever since.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect you to say that, Spencer sounds like a handful. What happened with him and the girl? Are they still together?”
“No, he dumped her after we broke up. I think his goal was to ruin my life but I realized that’s what he wanted and I didn’t give him the satisfaction.”
“But Sebastian, it had to hurt when you found your fiancé in bed with your brother. How did you get over it?”
“My mom was really there for me, so was Shane and my friends. I decided that she wasn’t the right person for me because someone who really loves me would not do that to me. So in the end I know that I’m better off without her and I am happy that I didn’t marry her. I also decided at the time that I didn’t want to settle down with anyone and I just wanted to go out and date around, and that’s what I did. When I met you, you changed everything for me. I can’t explain it, but the second I saw you I was intrigued, and then I learned more about you and wanted to know even more.”
“What are you saying? You’re not the playboy you were just a few weeks ago?” I was half joking, half not.
He looked at me and held my gaze. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Thankfully our food arrived at that moment because I was completely tongue-tied and didn't know what to say to him for a few seconds. Was he telling me that meeting me changed him and he only wanted to be with one woman? That was crazy, he had known me for less than one month!
“If you’re feeling this way, why can’t anyone know that we’re dating?”
“Are we dating?” An amused grin turned up his mouth.