Caitlin was really special—a breath of fresh air. “And she’s mine,” Sebastian thought with great satisfaction.
Now more than ever, he was keen on pursuing a relationship with her. With a short laugh, he just realized that his best friend pulled through after all. He had unwittingly given him the best birthday present ever.
Letting out a belly laugh that startled Nicholas, Sebastian clapped his back. “As it appears, I owe you big time, brother.”
“It certainly appears that you do. It took you awhile to realize it.” Nicholas chuckled. He certainly would not be shy in rubbing that little fact in Sebastian’s face every chance he gets.
* * * *
Hours later, Sebastian was on his way out when he got a call from his mother. In a way, he was expecting it. Sooner or later, she was bound to read the newspaper. Either that or one of her socialite friends saw it fit to inform her.
“Sebastian, what is this I’ve read in the paper today?” Audrey Avery asked her son with forced casualness.
“Ah, it’s nothing, Mom. A girl fainted and I had to take her to the hospital.” Sebastian answered, feigning nonchalance. The last thing he wants is to have his mother come sniffing into his affairs right that moment.
“Well that’s a new one.” Sebastian could imagine one of her eyebrows hiking up. “I assume this is not just an ordinary girl you met off the streets?” she proceeded.
Inhaling deeply before he answered, “I don’t know a lot about her, mother. In fact, I just recently met her. But if you really care to know, I am hoping it will turn out to be something special.”
There was silence on the other line for several seconds. He knew he had probably caught her mother off guard. Growing up, he had not given real interest in women, except for some passing fancy here and there. But as a mother, Audrey made it a point to keep tabs on her sons’ affairs. And now that she only had Sebastian to look after, she would no doubt become more protective.
Sebastian could not blame her. In fact, he did not resent her for it. Neither had Shawne. Their mother was one of the rare women who find it difficult to show her affection, even for her loved ones. When she was married to their father, she was dubbed as the ‘ice princess’ and for good reason.
But while Audrey may not openly hug or profess her love for her husband and sons, they have come to depend on her in so many ways. She always has a way of making her family feel her presence even she was away on a trip or off jet-setting with her friends. They all have come to love her for her quirky ways. The thought made Sebastian smile. He wouldn’t want it any other way.
After a taut silence, Audrey shifted the conversation to a more neutral subject, “When will you come and visit me and your dad? You have been remiss of your duties, son.” She chided softly.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve been busy. How was your trip?” Sebastian deftly changed the subject.
Shawne’s death had been a huge blow to their family. And unlike typical families who instinctively sought solace from either, they had somehow retreated and preferred to lick their wounds in private.
His dad had plunged himself knee-deep in his business. His mother chose to take off and embarked on a yoga retreat in India, which left Sebastian to wallow in his misery and drown in alcohol every night…until he met Caitlin. Indeed, theirs was not the conventional family. Sebastian absently wondered as he listened to his mother talk about her trip to India.
“Ahh…but enough of that. I want to see you. I’ve missed you, Sebastian.” Audrey’s voice was thick with emotion. In a rare moment, Sebastian felt guilty.
“I miss you too, Mom. I’ll try to come and visit you one of these days, okay?” Sebastian said in an effort to pacify her.
“How about dinner next Saturday then? I’ll call Cynthia and have her block off your dad’s schedule.” Audrey was subtly persistent.
Sebastian was about to give out a noncommittal reply but stopped when he caught the anticipation in his mother’s voice. She must be growing lonely, he thought.
“Okay, you know what? Let’s have dinner next Saturday. I’ll be there, I promise.” Sebastian chuckled. In all his years, he had never learned to say no to his mother, just like Shawne and their father.
“Okay great. I’ll tell Chef Evans to prepare all your favorite dishes.” Audrey said with a hint of satisfaction. “And oh, Sebastian?” she proceeded, “Why don’t you bring along the girl in the newspaper so we can meet her.”
Ahh… He’d walked into one of Audrey’s traps again—one he doesn’t care to get out of. Once she had her mind on something, everyone knows better than to stand in her way. “I’m not making any promises about that. As I’ve said, I just met her,” Sebastian still trying to fake nonchalance.
“Ahhh, I’m sure you will be able to convince her. You never did tell me her name.” Audrey said.
“It’s Caitlin, Mother.” Sebastian responded dryly.
“All right. We will see you and Caitlin next Saturday.” Audrey said with an air of finality.
Pity his mother had no interest in business. She would have always kept the upper hand in any negotiation or argument without batting an eyelash, Sebastian thought sardonically.
Now that he had compromised himself and dragged Caitlin into a family dinner, he would have to find a way to get in touch with her and somehow find a way to convince her to go with him to New York next Saturday.
Chapter Fourteen
Caitlin always looked forward to Sunday dinners. It’s the only time of the week that all three of them could meet at the dinner table.
Her mother has been working two shifts to keep up with the bills and pay off some of the debts they had incurred. Upon her mother’s insistence, Caitlin only takes care of the groceries and the rest goes to her college fund.
In the middle of their familiar family banters, Caitlin’s phone rang. She did not recognize the number, but she somehow had an idea who it was. All day, she had been keeping an ear on the phone—hoping for Sebastian’s call yet dreading it at the same time.
Standing up and signaling her mom to excuse her, she answered the call while walking up to her bedroom. Trying to sound ever so casual, “Hello? Katie here.”
“Katie, it’s me.” It was Sebastian’s voice on the other line.
“Uhmm, yeah. How…how are you?” Caitlin was struggling to sound casual despite the furious beating of her heart. Despite the fact that she had slept with the man twice, he still has the power to make her feel flustered—even on the phone.
“I got your number from Shannon. I hope you won’t be mad at her. You could say I was insistent.” Sebastian chuckled softly.
“Ah, yeah. No biggie.” Caitlin replied, sinking onto her bed.
“Katie, I’m calling to invite you to dinner. I understand we didn’t really meet in a normal setting, but I would really like to get to know you.” Sebastian said, his voice sounding firm and oh-so-masculine on the other end of the line.
“Uh, when?” Caitlin asked, unsure how to answer. She had never really had any relevant experience when it came to dating so she would have to fumble her way through this.
“Any day of the week would be great. In fact, tonight will be great, if it isn’t too short a notice.” Sebastian said, turning on his charm full force. He knew he had an unfair advantage over Caitlin, but he intended to use every favor he had on his side to win this girl.
“I’m actually having dinner with my family right now. If you want I can meet you up for coffee in say, an hour?” Caitlin suggested.
“Sure thing. I’ll swing by to pick you up.” Sebastian said.
“Ah, okay. I’ll SMS you my address.” Caitlin said, her eyes frantically going through her wardrobe. She hadn’t really picked her clothes with dating in mind so she would have to make a few improvisations.
“Okay, see you then.” Sebastian murmured, his voice sending shivers down her spine.
After the call, Caitlin took a quick shower and rummaged through her closet. She was trying to
tamp down the panic welling inside her. After spending ten frustrating minutes going through her limited choices, she finally settled on a dusty pink top, which showed off her collarbone and a hint of cleavage, dark leggings and boots. She put on a bonnet and mittens then bundled herself up with a thick woollen jacket.
Not exactly an impressive ensemble but with the cold weather, it would have to do. She made a mental note to ask Shannon to accompany her shopping one of these days.
Half running down the stairs, Caitlin called out to her mother, “Mom! I’m going out for a couple of hours.”
“Where are you going? You don’t have to work tonight, right?” Amanda stepped out from the kitchen, still wearing her apron.
“She’s going on a date!” Caleb chirped loudly from the living room. Caitlin’s cheeks flushed in response. She wasn’t prepared to tell her family she was seeing someone, at least when nothing was really official.
“Katie? Is it true?” Her mother’s curiosity was piqued.
“Ahhm…” Her brain scrambling for some noncommittal response.
“Katie’s got herself a boyfriend.” Caleb’s sing-song voice rang out loudly over the noise of the TV.
“Don’t be a dick, Caleb.” Caitlin responded, sounding exasperated. Sometimes, her brother could be just plain annoying. Turning to her mom, “It’s nothing, mom. I am just meeting a new friend.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang, which instantly made Caitlin’s heart race. She was waiting for Sebastian to pick her up but she certainly hadn’t expected him to come knocking at their door.
Squaring her shoulders, she walked straight to the door with the full intention of stepping out as soon as she opened it. She immediately collided with Sebastian’s chest. At that instant, her senses fired up at the familiar smell of his perfume.
“Hey, easy. You okay?” Sebastian chuckled as he held her steady. When he looked up, he saw a woman a few meters away, looking curiously at them with a small, polite smile.
Holding Caitlin by the waist, he smiled to Amanda and introduced himself. “Good evening, ma’am. Judging by the uncanny resemblance, you must be Caitlin’s mother.” Smiling widely as he stepped forward and proffered his hand.
“Ah yes, I’m Amanda and you are?” Caitlin’s mother shook his hand and smiled in response.
‘He’s Katie’s boyfriend.” Caleb responded. At the sound of his voice, Sebastian’s gaze was pulled to a teenage boy in a wheelchair looking curiously at him.
“Caleb, I swear I’m going to kill you one of these days.” Caitlin said menacingly.
Chuckling, Caleb moved forward and offered his hand, “Aww… Katie, we both know you won’t. I’m Katie’s brother, Caleb.”
“What’s up, bud? My name is Sebastian Avery.” Sebastian was enjoying the exchanges.
“So? Are you her boyfriend?” Caleb asked bluntly.
“Caleb, that’s enough. You’re embarrassing Katie, young man.” Amanda chided but still smiled.
“Well, if she would have me, I would consider it a great honor to be her boyfriend.” Sebastian replied, winking at Caleb. When he turned to Caitlin, she was already blushing profusely.
“C’mon, let’s go. Bye, Mom.” Caitlin muttered, nudging him towards the door.
Turning to Amanda, “Ma’am, it was a pleasure finally meeting you. I’ll have her back before midnight. And I’ll see you around, bud.” Sebastian lightly clapped Caleb’s shoulder.
Sebastian was still smiling when he opened the car door for her. “You have a wonderful family.” He said as he slid down into the driver’s seat.
“I’m not so sure about that.” Caitlin replied, rolling her eyes. She still could not get over Sebastian’s reply to Caleb’s question. Just a month ago, her life had been pretty boring. Sebastian had managed to turned it upside down.
“You’re so cute when you blush, do you know that?” Sebastian teased, pinching her left cheek before starting the car. “Okay, so, where do you wanna go?”
“I don’t have anything particular in mind, so you choose.” Caitlin responded, acting nonchalant. Inside, she was a jumble of nerves. The small interior of the car made her acutely aware that they were alone.
“Well, I haven’t had anything since lunch so I’m starving. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to a Mexican restaurant me and my brother used to frequent, Tia Maria’s. Ever been there?” Sebastian said, hiking up a brow in inquiry. He didn’t know why or when it started, but mentioning Shawne’s name seemed easier now. Somehow, he was slowly starting to come into terms with the reality of his death.
“Not really. Which part of town is it?” Caitlin said. She also loved Mexican food.
“Just several blocks from here.” Sebastian replied offhandedly.
As he manoeuvred through the streets, Caitlin had time to observe him from the corner of her eye. She noticed he was quite muscular. His forearm looked taut and buff, a clear sign he is athletic or perhaps he constantly works out.
Parking was a breeze since it was Sunday. Tia Maria’s was a large, homey restaurant that was frequented by many locals. As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a smiling woman, Caitlin assumed was Tia Maria.
“Hijo! It’s been awhile, come in, come in. I have a table ready for you.” The woman smiled widely as she hugged Sebastian.
Looking around, the room was packed. But like Caprice and no doubt with other restaurants, Sebastian enjoyed VIP treatment.
“Ahh, this is the first time you bought a chica, si?” Tia Maria teased. Apparently, Sebastian is treated like a part of the family; every staff they met smiled or waved at him.
“Muy bonita, Tia. Her name is Caitlin and this is the famous Tia Maria, the woman so famed for her beauty, her food only comes in second.” Sebastian said proudly, putting his arms around Caitlin.
Tia Maria laughed, tapping Sebastian’s cheek fondly. Turning to Caitlin, “Hello Caitlin. I have to say in all the years Sebastian have visited us, this is the only time he brought along a girl. You must be pretty special to him.” She said in stilted English.
Caitlin could only smile warmly in response, blushing profusely.
“That she is, Tia. That she is.” Sebastian replied, seemingly unaffected by the attention they were attracting.
Their food was served to them in a few minutes. Sebastian explained that diners there do not order with a menu but are instead served whatever is the restaurant special is for that evening and every dish is always a crowd pleaser.
In the next couple of hours, they enjoyed sangria, quesadilla, along with a variety of Mexican dishes that were bursting with many flavors.
Over dinner, the two conversed freely. They talked about their schools, Caitlin’s future plans as well as Caleb’s condition. Nicholas had been right about the reason behind the deal he made with Caitlin. She had done it for her brother.
Sebastian had never believed in luck and fate. But that night, he was just thankful he met this special woman, even their first encounter was not really conventional. He would not have it any other way.
Caitlin’s communication with her father had also blossomed. She found it easier to open up and speak her mind. She appreciated the fact that despite his busy schedule, Gordon found the time to call her once a day and ask her how her day was.
That same week, Gordon had had a quick stopover in New Jersey and met up with her in his hotel. He explained that he would be on his way to New York early the following morning. They enjoyed dinner at the hotel and talked about mundane stuff, along with Caitlin’s plans for Christmas.
She had never spent Christmas out of town. Her father shared his hopes of gathering his daughters, along with Amanda and Caleb, to spend next Christmas out of the country, preferably somewhere tropical.
Despite herself, she could not hide her excitement. It felt like for the first time in years, she had managed to break free from all the problems that had hounded them in the past years. In just barely two months, she’d gained a father and a boyfriend at almost the s
ame time. How cool was that? Caitlin had never been happier.
Caitlin could not believe what was happening. Over the next few days, Sebastian never failed to show up to take her to work and fetch her after. They would often spend a couple of hours drinking coffee or enjoying a light dinner before her shift started.
He would pop in for several minutes to either give her something to eat or bring a bunch of flowers, much to the delight and amusement of Shannon.
She finally had the chance to tell Shannon the details, her feelings including her own reservations with what was happening. Shannon chided and told her not to over think it and just simply savor the moments she has with Sebastian. If it lasts, then well and good. If it doesn’t, she would experience her very first heartbreak. Either way, she would come out better and wiser. Sound advice coming from Shannon, Caitlin mused.
As so she did just that—enjoyed every moment with Sebastian. Despite the fact that they had gone to bed twice, Sebastian had never made any advances, except for an occasional kiss. Caitlin had to admit, she was getting a bit frustrated with his restraint.
Caitlin seemed to blossom with the attention she was getting from Sebastian, even her family and colleagues were quick to point out. Shannon came to visit Wednesday afternoon with clothing she claimed no longer fit her. Caitlin had mentioned she wanted to go shopping for clothes with Shannon but given the odd hours they kept at work, it was difficult to find the time.
She was just grateful to have Shannon in her life. In so many ways, she was the sister she’d never had. Caitlin no longer hesitated to confide anything to her, including the fact that Sebastian has not initiated any physical contact with her except for a kiss every now and then.
Shannon laughed out loud when Caitlin mentioned it and told her to try and make the first move instead. Despite her initial shock at the creative suggestions Shannon gave, Caitlin thought she might have to make the first move. She had seduced Sebastian in the past, she could easily pull it off again if she really put her mind to it.
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