Fated Encounter

by Lesia Reid

Sebastian and Joey were seated at the table in the breakfast nook having PBJ sandwiches and orange juice. They were engaged in conversation and only paused to greet her as she passed them to get to the door leading to the garage and the laundry machine. Deana never thought of the garage as such, it was her work shed and right now it had the sweet odors of pine and cedar wood.

  “Need a hand?” Sebastian asked.

  “No.” She turned on the lights and stepped into her private world. She had debated putting off the laundry, but that would mean putting off something else and it would be a chain reaction that would have her exhausted and playing catch up at the end of the week.

  The thing that would suffer most was her private time with Joey in the evenings, and that was not an option.

  Deana separated the laundry into five loads, loaded the first then went back to the kitchen to join her son and Sebastian. She filled a glass with orange juice and sat beside Joey and across from Sebastian.

  Sebastian liked the way she smelled. He did not miss the soft delicate scent of perfumed bath soaps wrapped around a unique feminine scent. He smiled at her as she pulled a half sandwich from the pile of four they had on a plate between them. It was a stunning sight to see the two together. Mother, a beauty with dark mysterious eyes; boy, a future heartbreaker for young damsels.

  It struck him how close the two were. Even in their attitude now there was an intimacy of mother and child, best friend and best friend. He did the math in his head as he looked at them together. She must have had Joey in the mid-teens. It was risky at any age to raise a child on your own, but it must be damn near impossible for one so young to raise a child alone. Maybe there was family or child support, but still the burden of a child could be weighty.

  “I thought we had some cold cuts,” Deana said.

  “PBJ is okay,” Sebastian said.

  The sandwiches were Joey’s favorite and Deana suspected he had talked Sebastian into it.

  “Well, I see that you have at least made yourself at home. I was prepared for a later showing.”

  “I had some time on my hands. I figured if you were home and busy, I could hang with Joey, and then both of us would be out of your way. If you weren’t home, I would have been disappointed and sulky.”

  “Sebastian wants us to go to Denver with him next weekend,” Joey said. By the sound of his voice, Deana knew he was dying to say this the moment she’d stepped into the room. “We’ve never been to Denver, can we go?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Deana said.

  “I told you the answer was no,” Joey said to Sebastian. “You owe me five bucks.”

  “You can discount those five bucks,” Deana said. “There will be no gambling in the house.”

  “It was a bet,” Joey said.

  “A bet is a game of chance and a type of gambling,” Deana said. “Shame on you, Sebastian.”

  “Guilty,” he said.

  “Now that you’ve both spoilt your appetite, what do we do?” Deana asked.

  “Have dinner with me,” Sebastian suggested. “Sorry, home-cooked meal tonight.”

  “I didn’t say it couldn’t be home cooked.” He had a nice smile. She found herself watching the way his mouth formed the words when he spoke. Yes, she decided, the mouth was all.

  “You mean you don’t give the help the weekend off?”

  “For your info, the help does have the weekend off and we don’t refer to her as the help. Her name is Marla and she doesn’t cook. I will be your chef tonight.”

  “You? Cook?” she said as if it was the strangest thought in the universe..

  “I thought you didn’t know anything about me,” he said. “You don’t look like the man who cooks.”

  “Well, I know how to open a can,” Sebastian said.

  “Okay, Sebastian, dinner it is,” Deana said.

  “Good, then I think I should leave soon. I have a few things to pick up at the grocers. By the way, you have a beautiful house.”

  “You should thank Joey for that, he chose the colors.”

  “Really?” Sebastian said.

  “Yes,” Joey said. “I like bright colors. They make you want to smile and they are fun. My friend Trevor likes our house because he says all the rooms look fun. And I helped Mom paint; only I couldn’t reach the top. Once I got paint in my hair trying to use the brush with the long stick.”

  “You guys did the work yourselves?” Sebastian asked.

  “Mostly Mom because I go to school,” Joey said.

  “It looks so professional,” Sebastian said.

  “Thank you,” Deana said.

  “With skills like this you should consider becoming a mother- and-son interior decorating business,” Sebastian said.

  Deana was kneading the base of her neck again. It was the same gesture the boy used before. So much alike, Sebastian thought. He liked Deana, and Joey. The boy was humorous, intelligent and a great conversationalist. Perhaps if he were in his life in the future, he would suggest public speaking or politics. Now the thought dawned on him, he would like to have them both in his future.

  “I am going to run and leave you two,” Sebastian said, getting up. “I am looking forward to dinner later. I’ll pick you and Joey up at six thirty.”

  “Okay,” Deana said, getting up to walk him to the door. “So I get to see your game room?” Joey asked.

  “Sure,” Sebastian said.

  Joey waved good-bye as Deana followed Sebastian out of the kitchen. “Thanks for having me,” he said. “I had a great time with Joey.” “I should thank you for the entertainment.”

  He bent and kissed her quickly on the lips. Deana was surprised and didn’t have time to react.

  Sebastian almost cursed his cowardice. He wanted to pull her in his arms, explore every corner of her mouth, taste her and breathe the scent of her. But there was Joey and he was not certain how the boy would take his mom being kissed by another man— that wasn’t his father.

  Chapter 4

  “No you cannot take your video games.” Deana was arguing with Joey for the better part of an hour. He didn’t want to wear his button down shirt, and he wanted to take video games to play after dinner. They were launching into the twelfth minute of the current battle when the doorbell rang.

  “Please,” he pleaded.

  “No and stop pouting. Look who’s at the door. Don’t open it, just look through the window.”

  Deana swore under her breath as she grabbed her purse. This date was making her nervous. Added to this, she had never been on a date accompanied by her son. She shook her head now, wondering why she had accepted.

  “Mom, there’s a stretched Hummer in the driveway.” If Grand Turismo had him pouting, the sight of the vehicle in the driveway made his smile stretch from ear to ear.

  “Let me see.” She made her way to the door on the second ringing of the doorbell. A man dressed in a full black suit was standing on her doorstep.

  “May I help you?”

  “I’m here for Deana and Joey Lang,” the man said.

  “I’m Deana Lang, but I’m afraid I did not ask for limousine service,” she said.

  “Mr. Torrance wishes me to escort you to his house,” the man said. “I am Angus. I will be your chauffeur this evening.”

  “Sebastian rocks!” Joey was already out of the house heading towards the car.

  There was no point in Deana refusing the ride. She locked up and followed the driver to the limousine. Joey almost dived across the back seat once the door was open. The glee in her son’s eyes caused her to laugh and she wanted to cry at the same time. This was his first time in a limousine and just watching his excitement gave Sebastian brownie points, even if she didn’t know the man well.

  The house was a huge sprawling affair on the beach. Deana had passed this house several times and thought it a small luxury resort. Now, as she got out of the limousine and surveyed the landscape, she wondered in awe. Nothing she’d researched about Sebastian prepared her for this. She’d gotten mos
t of her information from Genie and Thelma, and the little she was able to get from newspapers were of the dozen or so charities Torrance sponsors and his mother Alexis Torrance, a socialite.

  He greeted then on the small stairs leading to the house. He was casually dressed in slacks and a button down shirt that was rolled at the sleeves. He timidly kissed her cheek and shook hands with Joey.

  “You rock, Sebastian,” was all Joey said. He looked at the large house and Deana could see the awe and wonder in the boy’s eyes.

  “My friends are not going to believe I was here. They won’t even believe I was in a Hummer limousine. This is so cool.”

  “Well, if we ask nicely Angus can take you to school on Monday?” Sebastian asked. “That would be a picture.”

  “That would be super cool,” Joey said.

  “You cannot promise him that,” Deana said.

  “Of course, I can. Come on inside. Dinner is almost ready.”

  The living room took her breath away. It was huge. The high vaulted ceiling and marble floor tiles were dazzling in there own right. Add the expensive chandelier and exquisite art collection and she felt she must have stepped into an art museum of sorts. She wanted to explore the many rooms and take a look at the architecture. Even Joey was quiet in admiration. “Dinner will be ready in another ten minutes,” Sebastian said.

  “How about if I show Joey to the entertainment room and you and I can have a quick pre-dinner drink?”

  Deana nodded and Sebastian disappeared with Joey in one of the adjoining rooms. She felt like a kid in Buckingham Palace. She gingerly walked around making sure she did not touch anything. Such beauty and extravagance, she thought. She was eying a riveting painting of the French Riviera when he entered the room again.

  “So you like art?” He was by her side. “I didn’t think the selections on your wall were random, though I didn’t recognize the artist.”

  “You wouldn’t. She’s not famous.”

  “She’s very good.”

  “Maybe,” Deana said.

  “Who is she?”

  “Nobody,” Deana dismissed the question. “I used to paint in high school. My teacher said I was very good, but I never quite developed the skills. Oh, we brought dessert.”

  She handed him the small box she was carrying. He took it from her hand and led her towards the kitchen. The distance to the kitchen from where they stood in the living room was almost twice the length of her house. He opened the box and removed a cheesecake. It was a triple choice cheesecake— raspberry, chocolate and blueberries.

  “Thank you,” he said. “You didn’t have to.”

  “It’s nothing,” she said. “I always have extra when I make them for the diner.”

  “You make the cheesecake at the diner?”

  “Yes. Before Joey, I wanted to be a chef. Actually, I wanted to be an artist, I had no talent for that, but I had a knack for pastries. Now, it’s a hobby and well, it helps to bring home a little extra money.” She felt foolish discussing money when she was standing in a house as grand as this. This man must not know what it is like to spend hours at a task that will only reap a few extra dollars each week. For some unexplained reason she hated Sebastian Torrance. Maybe not so unexplained, she thought. He reminded her of Joey’s father. Rich, arrogant and didn’t know what it was to work hard one single day of his life. Men like him only knew how to take what they wanted.

  “You are very good at it,” he said. He was stirring a pot on the stove and adding pasta to a huge pot of boiling water. He even cooks Italian, she thought.

  “Merda!” She couldn’t help herself.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “Is something wrong?”

  “I have to go,” Deana said. “I shouldn’t have come.”

  “What have I done?” He stopped stirring and looked at her.

  His huge blue eyes were not smiling now. They were sincere in their concern and she hated that even more.

  “Where’s Joey? We have to go.”

  He removed the pot with the pasta and placed it in the kitchen sink. She looked around the kitchen, anywhere to avoid his eyes. The kitchen was fully equipped and twice the size of her master bedroom.

  “I have a few errands I forgot to run,” she said. “We must go.” “What have I done to offend you? Please, don’t go.”

  His voice lacked the arrogance of Antonio. His poise though, exuded confidence and strength. She could feel the power of the man. She had genuinely upset him. He was concerned about this mood swing. Okay, maybe she should have dinner and never see him again. Joey had been talking of nothing else but a rematch with this man. She should endure the night if only to see her son happy.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I feel so foolish. I had a few things that were not quite settled before we left.”

  “Let’s have some wine. It will help you to relax.”

  They dined on a screen patio overlooking the ocean. In fact, the pillars supporting the patio were beneath the water. Several times Deana had to scold Joey to have him eat rather than be lost in the scenery. She had to concentrate not to get lost by it all either.

  “I want to hear all about Deana and Joey Lang,” Sebastian said.

  “I’m eight years old,” Joey said. “I’ll be nine in three months. I am the man of the house.”

  “Right you are,” Sebastian grinned.

  “Is this where you live every day? Do you live by yourself?” Joey asked. “This is my house and I live by myself, most of the time.”

  “Why do you need such a big house?” Joey asked. “Don’t you get lost? Aren’t you afraid someone will hide in one part of it and you cannot find them?”

  Sebastian wished the mother was as chatty as the child, but he was enjoying this interlude with the young man. It was teaching him things about the mother and the boy.

  “Well, my family builds houses and a lot of them on the beach, so as a show, we build a big one so everyone can say, hey I want a house like that, and Torrance Construction is good. In fact, my father started building this house and I finished it when he died. And no, I don’t get lost, but I suppose if I was a boy only eight, I would get lost.”

  “Almost nine,” Joey corrected.

  Sebastian smiled. Joey was a bright boy. He could see the swell of pride in the mother.

  “None of my friends hide here,” Sebastian continued. “They would have to find the kitchen at some point and I love the kitchen.”

  “My mom makes great cheesecake,” Joey said. “We brought one for you. But you should try her baked Alaska or banana spider or you should try her tiramisu. No one makes tiramisu like my mom. The bakeshop at the mall pays her to make a lot of their stuff, which is good, because now Mom goes to school in the evening. She’s got the paper to be a chef but she wants her own place. They teach her how to run a business at school.”

  “I think that is enough, Joey,” Deana said. “I’m sure Mr. Torrance doesn’t want to hear about Mom’s little cakes.”

  “Unfair,” Sebastian said. “I want to hear about Mom’s little cakes.”

  “She made tiramisu for the mayor’s party,” Joey continued. “My best friend Trevor loves to come to our house because mom makes the best cookies.”

  “Is that so?” Sebastian asked.

  “Yes. When you come back to our house, you should have cookies, we always have a jar or two. Only, we don’t have regular milk we drink soymilk. I am finished, can I go back to playing my game and will you play one with me before we leave? And, is the limo really picking me up for school Monday—that would be so super awesome cool?”

  “I’ll play one game with you and yes, the limo will pick you up on Monday morning.”

  Joey shouted a quick hooray and bounded off the patio, through the kitchen and disappeared to wherever the entertainment room of the house was. Deana sat in shock. She should have stopped the conversation a long time ago, but she was busy working up a hate- mobile for Sebastian. Hard as she tried, it was difficult to hate him when he made
her son so happy. To think they only met a few days ago because she had to work on her day-off.

  “So, are you finished throwing daggers at me?” he asked. “No. How could you promise him a limo to school? He will be so disappointed when you don’t show up.”

  “I intend to have Angus pick him up. He’s a kid. It’s not nice to make broken promises especially to one so bright and young. So tell me what is really bothering you.”

  “I know so little about you,” she said. “If I knew this about you, I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Why? Do you hate the ocean?”

  “No. But as far as you and I go, we could be from two different planets. I am a simple cashier in a diner.”

  “Why don’t you get to know me before you decide if you hate me?” Sebastian asked. “Forget the house, forget Torrance Construction. Think about Sebastian, and don’t say merda. I know what that means.”

  “I don’t want to know you,” she said. “I know men like you. Flashy and tries to impress, then once you have your way you’re gone. I don’t want you hanging around my son and giving him things he will yearn for. Things I will not be able to provide for him. He’s a happy well-adjusted boy with his one parent who loves him. He doesn’t need anyone else in that equation.”

  “You mean you don’t need anyone else in that equation.” She sparked his anger. This was the first woman he had tried to wine and dine in a long time. First woman by any memory he was willing to chase, yet she was telling him she would not give him the time of day. She wasn’t even willing to know the man behind the things she saw.

  “I’ll play with your son, and then I will have Angus take you home. I will keep my promise to him, what time does he need to be at school.” “You don’t have to do it. I will explain to him.”

  “You will explain nothing to him. I made a promise. I will keep it. If that doesn’t figure in your little hate generator, suck it up and deal with it. Deal with me.”

  “I don’t have a hate generator. And I do not want to deal with you.”

  “Then we are at an impasse because like it or not I want to get to know you and I like your son and would like the opportunity to know him better also.”