Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Ari seemed to come to some conclusion only he was privy to.
“He has a heavy burden to bear, miss. Please don’t give up on him.” And with that bizarre comment, he tipped his head to her, returned to the vehicle, and left without another word.
Somewhat unsettled by the strange interaction, she turned towards her building with a heavy heart. She needed to find the words to let Sebastian know she wouldn’t be submitting a proposal after all. It wasn’t the most professional way to handle their situation, but she couldn’t work with him now.
The best she could hope for was that he would forgive her and not ruin the reputation she’d been building for herself in this very cutthroat business.
Ginny greeted her with a smile and told her she’d left her messages on her desk.
Giving her a strained smile, Serena replied, “Thanks, Ginny. Something’s come up that I need to sort out this afternoon. Please hold my calls. Take messages, and I’ll get back to everyone tomorrow.”
Ginny gave her a curious look, but all she said was, “Will do, Serena.”
Taking a seat at her desk, Serena opened her email account to begin composing an email to Sebastian when she noticed one from him in her inbox. She stared at his name for a long moment before curiosity got the better of her and she opened it.
From: Sebastian Marino [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 04 October 2019 15:53
To: Serena Callum
Subject: Poor Behaviour
Importance: High
Serena,
I regret that our parting was so abrupt this afternoon. My call was of a rather personal nature, and I fear it has left me quite out of sorts. Please accept my apologies for having been less than a gentleman. I would be grateful for an opportunity to correct this oversight with dinner sometime soon.
Sincerely,
Sebastian
Sitting back in her chair, Serena contemplated the email on the screen of her laptop. It seemed she’d read the situation so wrong. Clearly, her emotions had clouded her judgment, and she’d read more into the situation than there was. But he’d blown hot, then cold. She wasn’t wrong about that. She was so confused. Deciding to hold off on replying for the moment, she marked the email as unread.
On a whim, Serena collected her things and headed for the door. It was rare for her to leave the office before the end of the workday unless it was to meet with clients or suppliers, but she suddenly had a hankering for the feeling of sand between her toes. There was very little to beat the therapeutic value of a long walk beside the ocean. The ebb and flow of the tide soothed a chaotic mind like little else. Just the balm needed to soothe a turbulent soul.
13
Serena
Serena leaned back against the front door she’d just closed behind herself. Letting out a huge sigh, she let her eyes roam the open space of her home. The inviting room never failed to welcome her, no matter how lousy her day had been. Today had been somewhat of a roller coaster ride, and she was grateful it was finally over.
The walk on the beach had done her a world of good, the lapping of the waves on the sand both hypnotic and soothing. It helped to quiet the mind, stop the constant brain chatter, and let one to just be. The vastness of the ocean, stretching as far as the eye could see, allowed her to put her problems in perspective. Nothing seemed quite as bad when she had time to absorb the peace of her surroundings.
Sebastian’s behaviour had bruised her ego, no doubt about it. But to be fair, she’d been a willing enough participant. And if she was being honest, she had noticed that the call he’d taken while she was with him seemed to have upset him more than he’d been willing to admit. In the heat of the moment, she’d been too busy being hurt and pissed off to realise that she’d overreacted.
His email had caught her off guard. Sebastian seemed to be a proud man, not the type to apologise. To anyone. But she was glad he’d reached out. Perhaps all was not lost after all.
Pushing away from the door, Serena head for her bedroom. She still needed to do a little work this evening, but a quick shower and a light supper would further perk her spirits up. A good night’s rest would also improve her mood.
Sitting down at the desk in her home office, she pulled her laptop out of its bag and powered it up. She needed to answer Sebastian’s email and get some work done. She had a gala to plan and not much time to plan it in.
Serena mulled over how to answer Sebastian’s email. After today, she’d come to realise that a balance needed to be struck between business and personal. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, ride another emotional roller coaster like that day had been.
While she wished things could be different, it was important to protect herself from repeating the way she felt earlier. She just needed to find the right words. After staring at the screen for long minutes chewing her lip, she finally put fingers to keyboard and dashed off a response.
From: Serena Callum [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 04 October 2019 19:06
To: Sebastian Marino
Subject: RE: Poor Behaviour
Importance: High
Sebastian,
Thank you for your email. I understand regarding the phone call and hope that the news wasn’t too dreadful. About dinner, let me check my schedule, and I’ll get back to you soonest.
Sincerely,
Serena.
Before she could change her mind, Serena hit the send button. That done, she settled in to work on Sebastian’s project. Losing herself in work always brought her an escape. Loneliness, issues she didn’t want to think about, they all disappeared when she lost herself in work. She could get so absorbed in what she was doing time would just fly by.
True to form, Serena glanced up at the clock on the opposite wall and realised she’d been at it for hours. Far more than she’d intended. At least she had a solid outline as her reward, but now her body protested the fact that she hadn’t moved in those hours. Definitely time for bed.
Saving her work, she shut down her laptop and headed for sleep. Tomorrow was another day.
14
Sebastian
For weeks, Sebastian had been feeling restless. As his father’s health continued to deteriorate, it felt as if there was an ever-tightening noose around his neck. Nobody was saying it, but the expectation was that when his father eventually passed on, he would return to Italy and run the family empire from there.
That had been his original plan too. But that had been before he’d met the delectable Serena. Since he’d met her, he’d found his desire to return home dwindling rapidly; the timing couldn’t have been worse.
His pacing threatened to wear a path in the carpet, and quite frankly, he was sick of his own company. Making a decision, he strode across the living room, calling for Ari.
When he got no answer, he went in search of the man. Finally, he found him in his own office at the back of the apartment.
Coming to his feet, Ari asked, “Did you need anything, sir?”
“Please bring the car round front, Ari. Tonight, I feel a need for a change of scenery.”
“Yes, sir.”
The trip was made in silence, as Sebastian’s mind continued to churn with uncomfortable thoughts.
Serena made him feel things he never had before. Not even Gabrielle had engendered such deep feelings, and he’d been stupid enough to think she was the one. Ms Callum made him yearn for things he wasn’t sure he understood.
Maybe a couple of drinks and the company of others would give him respite from his thoughts. It would certainly provide a distraction.
As always, the queue to get into Inferno was long. The club was his pride and joy. A solo venture into the business world that reflected Sebastian and his ability to be successful out from under the Marino corporation’s shadow. He’d always believed that Marino International was his father’s legacy, and while
he was now heir apparent, it would never be truly his. Inferno was a completely different matter. From conception to execution, he’d been involved in every step of bringing his vision to vibrant life.
Unlike the night Sebastian had gotten his first glimpse of Serena at the bar, tonight the music brought him relief. Giving the bouncer a smile in greeting, he entered the club, stopping to take in the sights and absorb the atmosphere.
The club heaved with life and energy, beckoning to him, drawing him in.
Sebastian made his way to the bar, nodding and smiling in greeting when he saw a familiar face. He waited his turn, looking around him as he did. When he reached the front of the bar, he ordered a shot of Patron before returning his attention to the dance floor. It had been an age since he’d let loose, and it suddenly appealed to him immensely.
Throwing back the shot, he headed upstairs to the VIP section. He’d have a better view of the floor from there.
Standing at the railing, he saw a woman with dark hair dancing in a group. She was short and curvy, long hair piled on top of her head. She looked familiar. Excitement stirred in Sebastian’s veins. He was sure it was Serena.
He watched the woman like a hawk for what seemed an eternity. Suddenly, he felt like joining her on the dance floor. Taking one last look, he prayed she’d be exactly where he last saw her before making his way down the stairs to find her.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted her pretty much in the same spot he’d seen her in from upstairs. He fitted his big body in behind her smaller frame and rested his hands on her hips. For just a moment, it seemed she would turn around, and he braced for the impact of those endless green depths in her eyes. But, at the last minute, it seemed, she changed her mind.
Her friend leaned forward and said something to her. With all the noise, he couldn’t hear what she said, but he recognised the appraising look she gave him.
They bumped and grinded like that through a number of song changes, Sebastian losing himself in the rhythm and just the sheer bliss of being with Serena. It calmed his mind and allowed him respite from his thoughts.
After a long while, the friend spoke into Serena’s ear again. This time she nodded, stopped, and turned to him.
Sebastian went rigid with shock. That wasn’t his Serena.
The woman he’d just had his hands all over was a complete stranger. A beautiful stranger, but a stranger, nonetheless. Most definitely not his Serena.
Pulling his hands away and holding them up, he backed away from her slowly.
“My apologies, miss. I meant no harm. I thought you were someone else.”
“Sorry, I’m not who you thought I was, but I can be anyone you want me to be.” She batted her false eyelashes at him and gave him a sultry smile.
He looked into the woman’s upturned face. Briefly, he considered taking her home and allowing her to entertain him for a while. Get out of his head for a time. Grabbing her, he pulled her smaller frame up tight against his. The feel of her in his arms felt wrong.
Smashing his lips to hers in the hopes of silencing the voice in his head telling him this wasn’t Serena, Sebastian kissed her roughly. She moaned into his mouth. The sound was wrong. The feel of her lips on his was wrong.
Sebastian pulled away. Took a step back. Then another. His eyes moved over the face and body of the woman standing before him. And it all just felt wrong. Turning on his heel, he made a beeline for his office. He could call Ari to collect him from there, without having to fend off his new friend.
“Wait, where are you going?” he heard the woman call after him. It spurred him to go faster. He felt like an idiot.
In the sanctuary of his office, Sebastian took his phone out of his pocket and dialled Ari’s number. Running a tired, frustrated hand over his face while he waited for the call to connect, he cursed himself for being all kinds of foolish. God, how much of an idiot could you be over a woman? Mooning over a woman sucked.
15
Serena
As the elevator whisked Serena up towards her office, she ran over her appointments for the day in her head. She’s gotten some good ideas down for the Marino International event the night before, and she was keen to get started. It would take a little finessing, shuffling some things she’d intended working on, but there was nothing terribly urgent today.
As soon as she walked into the offices, Ginny came to her feet with an easy smile. It wasn’t unusual for her to follow Serena into her office to plan out the day. Today, however, she seemed extra eager.
Stepping over the threshold, Ginny hot on her heels, the first thing she noticed was an enormous crystal vase filled with the most exquisite roses standing on her desk. She turned to Ginny, eyebrow raised in enquiry. Laughing at the look on Serena’s face, Ginny opened her mouth to answer just as the phone rang, and she went over to answer it from Serena’s desk.
Serena watched in fascination as expressions chased over Ginny’s lovely face. She found herself intrigued about the conversation as her assistant certainly seemed to be quite engaged. Ginny’s eyes came to hers.
“Yes, of course, sir. She’s right here. Just a moment, Mr Marino. I’ll put you right through.” Pushing the hold button, Ginny grinned at Serena, holding out the receiver before announcing rather unnecessarily, “Mr Marino for you.” Grinning, she continued, “I’ll go get us some coffee while you take the call.”
Serena took a moment to compose herself. Her heart was beating fast, like she’d been running. Pushing the button, she answered the call.
“Sebastian, good morning.”
“Do you like the flowers, cara? Please accept them as a small token of apology. Yesterday ended somewhat abruptly. Not at all how I envisaged the afternoon would go.”
Serena cringed at thoughts of the day before. Clearly, she’d overreacted and was quite ashamed of herself.
“Thank you, Sebastian. They’re beautiful. I hope today is a better day? You seemed quite upset yesterday. Not bad news, I hope?”
“My mother phoning to update me regarding my father. He is gravely ill. The news is not good. But I didn’t call to talk of sad things. I was wondering about that dinner. I’d like to see you again, and I did promise to make it up to you.”
Looking over at the vibrant blooms, Serena felt a frisson of excitement at seeing Sebastian again. Why did this man make her yearn for things she never had before? Serena had been focused on her career, getting ahead. In her mind, there was plenty of time for marriage and family. Now, this man had her wanting it all – marriage, children, the fairy-tale happy-ever-after.
She felt such attraction for this man that went beyond just the physical. But it was more than attraction. There was something about Sebastian that evoked deeper feelings.
“Serena?”
Jolted from her thoughts, Serena realised she’d yet to answer him.
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m still here. I’d like that very much. What did you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise. I’ll send Ari to collect you. When would suit you?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve got some things coming up. Give me a moment to check.”
Consulting her diary, Serena gave Sebastian a date. Unfortunately, the date clashed with his schedule. After some back and forth, they finally settled on a date.
“I look forward to it, bella. Ciao.”
And with that, he was gone. Serena looked at the phone in her hand and shook her head. She had never met anyone quite like him. Maybe that’s what the appeal was.
Putting thoughts of Sebastian out of her mind, she called Ginny back into her office to get her workday started. She had a gala to plan, and time stood still for no woman. But she couldn’t resist the grin of anticipation that spread across her face at the thought of seeing him again.
16
Sebastian
Hanging up the phone, Sebastian swung his chair around to take in the magnificent view of Table Bay he had from his office in the heart of Cape Town’s central business district.
His mind still on Serena, he idly watched as the harbour tugs brought a passenger liner in to dock in Cape Town Harbour.
While she hadn’t said it in so many words, he knew his actions and lack of attention the previous afternoon had hurt her. It pained him to know he’d caused her unhappiness. For the first time in memory, and quite possibly ever, he was concerned with a woman’s feelings.
And wasn’t that the kicker? Playboy Marino, as the press had dubbed him, letting emotions rule his actions. Once again, the vulnerability he’d felt the day before washed over him. What the hell was he doing mooning over a woman like a lovesick teenager? Hadn’t he learned the hard way that women couldn’t be trusted? They never showed their true selves until it was too late.
But every time he thought back to how awkward and distant she’d been the previous day, after his phone call, his gut twisted. Intuitively, he knew Serena was different. In his circle, she was something of a rarity. Principled and honest. No matter how cynical he’d become over the years, it was clear for all to see.
And now that cynical man wanted to apologise. Swinging his chair back around, Sebastian reached for his desk phone to call the temp secretary in. He had plans to make. Something for after the gala. That way he could make it up to her and thank her for all her hard work.
He smiled in anticipation. He couldn’t wait.
17
Serena
The ballroom of the hotel was like a scene out of a fantasy.
Twinkling fairy lights provided an enchanting contrast to the dark backdrop of the secret garden theme Serena had gone with for the adults that night. Her team had done an amazing job of making her vision come to life. Illuminated foliage, flowers, and cut-outs of night creatures complemented the seating and table centrepieces. She was thrilled with how beautiful it all looked.
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