by Jackie Lau
And then they had lots more fun.
That Sunday, after recovering from her pretend illness, Amber went to dinner at her parents’ house and imagined, with fresh horror, living next to her family. Her horror magnified when Ah Ma tried to get everyone to tell her what sixty-nine was.
Yep, no way in hell would her family ever learn about her and Sebastian.
Besides, if her family found out, his family would know, too...and they wouldn’t approve of her. They’d thought she was too wild ever since she’d given their daughter a “dirty” book in high school. And telling them that she and Sebastian weren’t actually together wouldn’t make things better.
Yes, sleeping with him was worth it, but they needed to be careful.
Chapter 5
Sebastian was in the car with Amber, which was, in all honesty, not somewhere he’d expected to find himself. But when he’d texted to ask if Wednesday would work, she’d suggested he come over at six so they could do something first. As in, before sex.
“Where are we going?” he asked again as they drove east out of Stratford, passing through the village of Shakespeare.
“Oh, you’ll see,” she said airily.
He grunted. He liked to know what he was doing in advance.
Amber was wearing work clothes: gray dress pants, a checkered vest, and a white collared shirt. He’d never seen her dressed up like this before, and it made him even more desperate to get her naked. Except, even though this “relationship” was supposed to be casual sex, they were heading out of town.
“Zach has a girlfriend,” Amber said. “Jo MacGregor. She was a few years above you in high school.”
The name was familiar, but Sebastian didn’t remember this woman.
And the mention of Zach caused a pang of discomfort.
They’d been close friends when they were younger, but they’d drifted apart when they went to different universities, though they’d still seen each other from time to time. Then Sebastian had gone out west for med school, and he hadn’t really kept in touch with anyone in Ontario except his family.
He’d planned to text Zach once he was settled in Stratford.
But then he’d started seeing Amber.
“How’s Zach doing?” he asked.
“You haven’t spoken to him since you got back?”
“No. I feel a little awkward about it. It’ll be weird to talk to him without saying anything about you and me. I’ll call him, though. Just not yet.”
“He’s doing well,” Amber said. “Teaching science at our old high school—you knew that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Jo is the first girlfriend he’s had since his broken engagement. I’m glad he’s moved on.”
Sebastian nodded, and they slid into silence.
Where on earth were they going? They’d been in the car for thirty minutes now.
Finally, they pulled up to a plaza in Waterloo, near the universities. When they got out of the car, Amber grabbed his hand and led him to the right, then seemed to realize they were holding hands and let go.
He felt a momentary disappointment but pushed it aside.
And then he saw the bubble tea shop.
He wasn’t accustomed to bursts of joy, but there it was.
It was partly because he was going to have bubble tea for the first time since he’d moved across the country, but also because Amber had gone out of her way to take him here.
Maybe it was more the second than the first; he didn’t examine it too closely.
Before she reached for the door handle, she turned back to look at him.
“Should I not have taken you here?” she asked. “You mentioned missing bubble tea, and I thought...well. I hadn’t had it in a while either, and there’s a pan-Asian restaurant in Stratford that serves bubble tea, but it’s not very good. My friend Roxanne lives in Waterloo and we come here sometimes—it’s my favorite tea shop in Waterloo. Of course, there aren’t nearly as many here as in Toronto or Vancouver, but this one is good, trust me—”
Sebastian jerked her away from the door, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and kissed her. She squeaked in surprise, but she started kissing him back almost immediately, her arms winding around his neck. One of her hands slid through his hair, and that felt good, too, but not as good as her lips and her tongue stroking his.
“Woo-hoo!” someone shouted.
Amber and Sebastian jumped back from each other. There were a couple teenagers standing nearby. Were those kids even old enough to be in university? Were they drunk, despite it being before seven on a Wednesday evening?
Sebastian took Amber’s hand and pulled her inside.
“Sorry for kissing you in public,” he mumbled.
Her cheeks were a little pink. Perhaps she was a touch embarrassed—or maybe that flush was just from his kissing skills—but she didn’t seem too bothered.
He’d kissed her because he’d wanted her to stop babbling...
And because he’d simply wanted to kiss her.
They ordered their bubble tea, and he handed over a twenty-dollar bill before Amber could get her wallet out.
“Hey!” she said. “You’re not allowed to pay.”
“Why not?
“This isn’t a date. We’re friends. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
“I’m not. We took your car, so I’m paying.”
“Fine, fine,” she muttered with an exaggerated frown.
They took a seat by the window, next to some kids wearing University of Waterloo sweatshirts. Geez, he felt old. The people around them were all in their late teens and early twenties, and he was the grumpy old guy.
Though he was sitting with the prettiest woman in the tea shop.
“I can’t believe you got banana milk tea.” She gestured to his cup.
He took a sip and got a tapioca pearl and mango jelly along with the milk tea. “Why not? Banana is delicious.”
“Ugh. You were probably one of those kids who liked getting sick so you could have that stupid banana-flavored medicine.
“Amoxicillin.”
“Yeah. That.”
“I wouldn’t say I liked being sick, but if I was, I always hoped I’d have to take it.”
She shook her head, as though he was hopeless, but in an affectionate way. “I only like cooked banana. Banana bread, for example, is delicious. But that? Not for me.”
Amber had ordered taro milk tea with tapioca, and she looked cute with her lips wrapped around that straw.
She also looked cute in that vest. He’d suddenly developed a massive thing for vests.
“If I remember correctly,” he said, “my parents told me you work at the Stratford Festival.”
“Yeah. In marketing.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s perfect for me. I always wanted to work in the arts, but not actually performing. I had a few jobs in Toronto after I graduated.”
“I didn’t know you lived in Toronto.”
“For a couple years. Did whatever work I could get—which wasn’t always related to my degree. A lot of temp stuff.”
“Did you like Toronto?” he asked.
“I enjoyed being there, but I didn’t want to live there permanently. I guess after growing up in a small town, the big city was a bit overwhelming. My current life suits me just fine.”
He was glad she had a career she enjoyed. Not everyone managed that—especially not by the time they were twenty-six. He liked his, but it was stressful at times, especially now that he was running his own practice.
It had been barely a month, though. It would get easier.
But he’d had to give bad news to a patient today, and that was always tough.
Yeah, he’d really needed this time away from home tonight. He felt awkward thanking Amber for it, but he reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
She looked a little baffled.
His phone rang and he checked the display. “It’s my mom.”
&nbs
p; “It’s okay, you can get it,” Amber said.
He picked up the phone. Probably best to answer, as she might keep calling otherwise.
“Hi, Mom,” he said. “I’m kind of busy right now, so if you could keep this short, that would be good.”
“What are you doing? Are you still at work?”
“I’m out with a friend.”
“Which friend?”
“Not someone you know.”
Across the table, Amber laughed, apparently amused that she was a “friend,” even though she’d called him that just ten minutes before.
“Come over for dinner tomorrow,” Mom said. “I will make your favorite, but I need you to take down the Christmas lights.”
“Surely that’s not a rush. Christmas was three weeks ago. Can I come on the weekend instead? Another couple days won’t hurt.”
His mother clucked her tongue. “Tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. But why can’t you or Dad take down the Christmas lights?”
“Your father could break his neck. He is getting old. Do you want that on your conscience?”
“No, of course not.”
“Tell me who this friend is. I heard a woman’s laughter. Is this friend a girl? Do you already have a new girlfriend?”
“That’s just someone sitting at the next table.”
“Why are the tables so close together? What kind of place are you at?”
“A bubble tea shop,” he said.
“In Stratford?”
“In Waterloo.”
“Why did you drive all the way to Waterloo on a work night?” she demanded.
“Look, Mom, I really have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He set down his phone and massaged his temples.
“You are such a pushover,” Amber said.
He shrugged. “After years of being out of the province and only visiting once a year, I’m now less than an hour away. I feel like I owe them. I can let myself be pushed around a bit, but I draw the line at moving in next door.”
“Why did you go so far away for med school?”
“I didn’t get into any med schools in Ontario.”
She nodded. “I know it’s competitive.”
He was glad he’d gone to the other side of the country—it was nice to experience something different. But now he was back home. Not Ashton Corners, but close.
He’d always intended to work in a small town. Some towns found themselves without a doctor when theirs retired. At least in southern Ontario, the towns weren’t too isolated, but still.
Amber gestured at his toque, which was sitting on the table. “Is it strange experiencing winter again after living in Vancouver?”
“I kind of missed winter, actually.”
“You freak of nature. You like winter?”
“I like having four seasons, though I’m not a big fan of hot summer days. Winter is better.”
“Ugh, what is wrong with you?” she teased.
When they finished their bubble tea, it was well after seven.
“So, uh.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Time to head back to Stratford?”
“Let’s grab something to eat in Waterloo first. There’s a good Taiwanese fried chicken place near here, or there’s a sandwich bar that does pretty decent banh mi. Which would you like?”
“Fried chicken.”
“I was hoping you’d say that, but I figured I’d better give you an option.” She grinned.
He had a large piece of crispy fried chicken for dinner. Hardly healthy, but that was okay. He would eat well tomorrow.
Even though this was not a date, as she’d made clear, he couldn’t help wanting to put his hand on her knee. In fact, he couldn’t help feeling like they were teenagers on a first date, unable to afford anything fancier than fast food.
It’s just lust, he told himself.
Lust and friendship. Yes, that’s what it was.
She popped another piece of popcorn chicken in her mouth, and he shifted in his seat. Goddammit, what was it about seeing Amber Wong in work clothes, eating fried chicken, that made his pants so tight?
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Why do you think something’s wrong?”
“You’re glaring at me.”
“I’m not glaring at you.”
“You are.” She gave him a look.
“Fine. Maybe I was. You’re just so...” He gestured toward her helplessly.
“I’m what?”
“Cute,” he said accusingly. “In a grown-up way, of course. The way you eat popcorn chicken seductively...it’s cute.”
“I’m not trying to be seductive! I’m just eating.”
“Sure, sure.”
Maybe she wasn’t trying, but he seemed to find everything she did seductive.
When they got back to Stratford, it was nine o’clock. He appreciated that she’d taken him out for bubble tea, and they’d had a good time together, but his body had been ready to jump her three hours ago.
Though he’d been itching to remove that vest for hours, now that he had the opportunity, he decided to leave it on.
Sebastian carried her to the bedroom and set her down on the edge of the bed. He sat down behind her, his legs outside of hers, and kissed up and down the side of her neck as his hands roamed over her chest—on top of her clothing. For now.
When she writhed against his cock, he unzipped her pants, then slid his hand inside her panties, finding her warm and wet for him. He brushed his fingers against her clit; she inhaled sharply.
He captured her mouth in his. Unlike their last kiss—in front of a bubble tea shop, of all places—this one was private.
“You taste like fried chicken and banana,” she murmured.
“Sounds delicious.” He pressed his erection against her back. “I think you like bananas after all, don’t you?”
It was horribly lame, but she burst into gratifying laughter.
And now, it was time for her to make other noises.
He got off the bed and knelt before her. He pulled off her pants, then the pink underwear underneath.
As he set his mouth to her, he looked up. She was still wearing her white shirt and that sexy vest, like she was a professional career woman, but her head was tipped back, her lips parted in pleasure, and it was so hot.
He finger-fucked her roughly as he rolled his tongue over her clit, savoring her taste. He took his cues from her sounds. They got louder, and he worked her with his fingers and mouth until she was shrieking out and shaking for him.
When she had come down from her orgasm, he stood up and shifted her up the bed so her head was on the pillow. Then he finally unbuttoned her vest and tossed it on the floor, along with her shirt and bra. Now he had full access to her breasts. He cupped one in his hand and plucked the nipple with his fingers before setting his mouth to it.
She squirmed.
He slid two fingers inside of her as he continued to suck her breast.
She squirmed some more.
“Yeah, that’s good,” he said. “You like my fingers in your pussy, don’t you?”
He glanced up to see her nod, and then he kissed her mouth, giving and taking as much as he could before sliding down her body so his mouth could join his hand.
His cock was rock hard, and he refused to pay it any attention, wanting to focus on her. Wanting to get her ready to take him.
Amber came again. She was quieter this time, but she shook and gripped the comforter.
“Sebastian,” she groaned. “Please.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“You know what I want.”
“Amber...” he said sternly.
“I want your cock.”
Fuck. Not long ago, she’d been driving him around, wearing her proper work clothes, and now she was naked in bed and begging for him.
He reached into her bedside table and pulled out the box of Magnums that he’d tossed in her basket the day they met. After rolling on a condom, he
slicked himself with lube, then placed the tip of his cock at her entrance.
“Just tell me if I need to stop,” he said.
She nodded, but this time, with lots of preparation, he was able to push inside without much difficulty.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
God, she felt amazing, so tight around him. He started moving slowly, using his whole body to coax little sighs from her lips, to make her feel as good as he could. He kissed her neck, her mouth, her earlobe. She was wearing pearl studs to match her work outfit, and he found that hot, too.
She arched up, wrapped her legs around his thighs, and took him even deeper.
“Amber, I’m not going to...”
He touched her clit, and they both shuddered together as he rammed into her with a few quick strokes.
He collapsed on his back next to her, head spinning.
“That was incredible,” she said, curling up against him.
He put his arm around her and held her close.
Yeah, it had been a pretty incredible night.
Chapter 6
When Sebastian arrived at his parents’ house on Saturday morning, there was already a box of food by the door. No doubt this was for him to take home.
Half the fridge was likely also full of food for him, even though he’d seen them just two days ago. He’d barely had to do any grocery shopping in the last month—except for the time he’d run into Amber.
“Sebastian,” Dad said, coming up the stairs from the basement. He was carrying a giant package of toilet paper. “This is for you, too.” He placed the toilet paper beside the box. “There was a sale.”
Mom hurried to the door. “Don’t take off your boots yet!”
Sebastian, unfortunately, had already removed a boot.
“Aiyah.” She clucked her tongue. “Okay, put it back on. You need to buy some lightbulbs.” She gestured to the light fixture in the front hall. “It is burnt out, and your father bought the wrong ones.”
There was a small hardware store on Main Street. Sebastian headed there right away. When he walked out of the store, purchase in hand, his phone buzzed and he reached for it.
The text was from Amber. Sonata.
His blood pumped quickly as he pictured her wearing that sexy little vest and pearl earrings...and nothing else. He’d never been turned on by the word “sonata” before.