AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I smile, taking a seat opposite him. "No arguments from me. Counting calories is overrated."
The waiter approaches, and Seb orders a bottle of Barolo, Vietti, 2017 vintage, not even flinching at the cost. I know my friend's net worth is in the millions if not billions, and he's not shy about spending when he wants to.
"So, how's life treating you?"
Seb shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "Same old, same old. Trying to keep ahead of the competition and keep the family out of trouble."
Seb’s family own the Regis hotel chain, with hotels around the world. He’s a damn fine lawyer who specialises in “fixing” problems before they occur.
He’s in London to finalise the settlement of a luxury property in Knightsbridge. The property belonged to the Regis family, but they sold it to settle a debt years ago. Seb has been working tirelessly to win it back for as long as I’ve known him. It sounds fascinating, I can tell he’s deeply invested in it.
"Rather you than me. All that litigation would drive me fucking insane."
"It's not so bad. My work is rewarding, and it keeps my mind sharp," he says, tapping a finger to his temple. "But enough about me. I was sorry to hear about your dad."
I nod. "Yeah, it's been rough."
"So, what's the plan with Sutherland's?" he asks, knowing my heart has never been in the family business.
I take a sip of my wine, stalling for time. I don't want to ruin our reunion by unloading all my emotional baggage on him. But when he raises an eyebrow, I know I can't avoid the question.
"Profits have been down, so I've had to step in temporarily. I've been working undercover at the store, trying to get to the bottom of what's gone wrong," I say, giving him a brief rundown of the situation. "I've identified some major issues that need to be addressed, one of which is the store manager." I pause, taking another sip of wine. "And then there's Eva."
"Eva?" Seb echoes, looking intrigued.
I nod, a smile tugging the corners of my mouth at the mention of her name. I recall her sweet scent and the way her curves pressed against me when we kissed."Yeah, Eva, one of the sales assistants. She's amazing, Seb. Smart, beautiful, funny. She has all these amazing ideas for the store."
"So what's the problem?" Seb asks.
I sigh. "We, uh, kissed, but I couldn't let things go any further without telling her who I was. Fixing the store's issues suddenly seemed less important than risking her trust."
"How did she take it?"
"Badly. Accused me of spying on her and her colleagues and questioned every word out of my mouth since we met."
"I can understand why she feels that way," Seb says honestly. "To her, it probably seems likeeverythingwas a lie."
I nod, taking another sip of wine. "Exactly. The plan was to go in, do what needed to be done, and get out. But meeting Eva has changed everything."
Seb leans forward, his expression serious. "Changed, how?"
I take a deep breath. I'm not used to baring my soul, even with Seb. "Because I'm falling for her. Hard."
Seb nods like he already knew what I was going to say. "I've never seen you like this. For what it's worth, you did the right thing, my friend. Building a relationship on secrets and deception is doomed from the start."
I blow out a breath."I think I may have destroyed any chance at a relationship with her. Until last week, she thought I was just another sales assistant working on the shop floor with her. Her knowing I'm the owner of Sutherland's puts barriers between us."
Seb leans back in his chair, considering me. "It doesn't have to. You're still the same person. It's not like you went in there and pretended to be someone completely different."
I sigh. "I just don't want to hurt her. She's been through a lot in her life, and I don't want to be another person who lets her down."
"Being honest about who you are isn't letting her down. It's respecting her enough to hand her the power. She could've blown the whistle on the whole thing, but she didn't. That has to count for something," Seb points out. "Just keep being yourself and give her time. If what you feel for each other is the real deal, she'll eventually see what a catch you are, chubby boy," he finishes with a smirk.
I burst out laughing, enjoying some banter with my friend. "Fuck, it's been too long," I say, raising my glass in a toast and taking a swallow. "What about you? Anyone special?”
“Yes. Aria and she’s very special. But after listening to your brave admission, I see I have some work to do if I’m going to win her over.”
Seb doesn’t offer any more information, and I know better than to push my friend when it comes to matters of the heart and personal issues. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.
