Hired, page 13
Almost as smooth as the bartender himself, who ended his sales pitch with a wink to Nordin. “You know him?” Hadley asked when the bartender was out of sight.
Nordin shrugged. “We’ve had sex a few times. He’s fun.”
“He looks like it.”
Nordin bent in with a devilish grin on his face. “He has a Prince Albert piercing that, I swear to god, makes me see heaven every single damn time.”
Hadley almost choked on his whiskey. “Good to know.”
Not that he would ever act on it. Nordin, Lagan, and he had a strict bro code and always stayed away from each other’s lovers. Sure, it had happened a time or two they’d had sex with the same guy, but never on purpose.
“Hadley?”
Oh god. He’d know that voice anywhere. He spun around. Sebastian’s eyes were wide as he took Hadley in, and hot damn, he looked delicious in a pair of tight, black pants and a formfitting button-down that highlighted his chest and biceps. Hadley swallowed. “Good to see you, Mr. LeClerc.”
Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. “We’re back to Mr. LeClerc again? Pretty sure we passed that station a long time ago. And who is this?” He nicked his head at Nordin.
Nordin rose from his chair and extended his hand, flashing a toothy smile. “Max Williams. I’m an art restorer and dealer. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. LeClerc.”
Max Williams? What the actual fuck? Hadley kept his face blank, though, not wanting to betray his confusion.
Sebastian shook Nordin’s hand. “Call me Sebastian,” he mumbled, then looked at Hadley again. “Am I interrupting?”
Nordin laughed a little too loud as he put a hand on Hadley’s ass and squeezed. “We were just getting to know each other a little before we…you know…head upstairs.”
Hadley coughed, hiding his face behind his hand. What on earth was Nordin doing, pretending they were about to hook up? Not to mention that he was acting like he was drunk, which Hadley knew for a fact he wasn’t. He’d have to trust Nordin had a reason. He’d never rat him out.
Sebastian’s face grew tight. “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?”
Before Hadley could even answer, Sebastian took his elbow and steered him away toward a dark corner of the bar. “What the fuck are you doing with that obnoxiously slick dude?”
Hadley pulled his arm from Sebastian’s tight grip and rubbed at the sting. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t tell me that’s your type. He’s drunk and way too loud.”
Hadley crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. “I wasn’t aware I needed your permission to hook up with someone.”
Sebastian made a frustrated noise. “You don’t, but it’s my duty as your boss and your friend to warn you that you’re making a mistake. He’s not good enough for you.”
“Oh, is that so? And you’d know this, how?”
“God, don’t you have eyes? He’s so fucking slick you won’t even need lube.”
“Well, that’s a plus in my books. Saves us a step.”
“You can’t be serious. You deserve better than that.”
Why did that make Hadley’s heart go all weak? It shouldn’t. Nothing about this caveman behavior should be cute, and yet he found it strangely sweet. Not that he would let Sebastian know that. The man couldn’t ever be allowed to have the upper hand. “I think that’s for me to decide, don’t you agree? I didn’t judge you for sleeping with that dumb-as-a-rock twink either, now did I?”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “You can do so much better.”
“You mean like you?” Hadley didn’t even know where he found the guts to say it, but the words just flew from his lips.
The sound Sebastian made was close to a growl, heat smoldering in his eyes. Hadley stepped back instinctively, but Sebastian’s hand shot out and curled around his neck, then yanked him forward. He stumbled against him, but Sebastian held him up, claiming his mouth with demanding lips. Hadley opened up for him before he realized it, and then their tongues met, and he was a goner. He stood on his toes as Sebastian plundered his mouth, taking and taking until Hadley moaned, almost shaking with the need for friction.
With a raw grunt, Sebastian released him, though his hand remained around Hadley’s neck. His chest was heaving as much as Hadley’s, and the knowledge that the kiss hadn’t left Sebastian unaffected either was a small consolation.
Sparks still flew between them, Sebastian’s gaze burning into Hadley’s, and he couldn’t look away. “Sebastian,” he whispered when his boss just stood there, staring at him.
Sebastian let go of his neck and swiped Hadley’s wet mouth with his thumb. “Let him try to match that.”
Hadley held on to the wall for support as Sebastian walked away. That had been… Wow. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been kissed like that, if ever. He took a moment to compose himself, untucking his polo shirt so it would cover his erection, which wouldn’t wane. When he got back to the bar, Nordin smiled like a cat who’d spotted a goldfish. “You’re welcome.”
He shot him an exasperated look. “Shut up.”
What the hell had just happened?
14
He shouldn’t have kissed him. A day later, Sebastian still couldn’t figure out what had come over him to kiss Hadley like that. Fuck, it had been the hottest, most passionate kiss of his life…but why? What was happening between them that got Sebastian this heated?
Every weekend, he hooked up, and he’d been with bed partners who were much more attractive than Hadley. He’d fucked models and TV stars, even a social media celebrity or two. Men who were considered to be among the most beautiful, and yet none of them had ever affected him the way Hadley did. When he’d seen that slimy asshole’s hand on him, that tacky way he’d squeezed Hadley’s ass, his vision had gone red. Why the hell would Hadley hook up with someone like that?
Okay, that Max guy was good looking. Sebastian had to give him that. He had that classic bad boy look, with deep-lying very light blue eyes, a jaw so sharp it could cut glass, that perfect-length stubble, and, of course, a rather attractive body. Tall, muscles in all the right places, that type. Yes, Sebastian had studied him in more detail than he should have. So sue him. He’d wanted to know what the hell Hadley was doing with that guy. He might’ve been hot, but god, he was such a slick asshole. Was that Hadley’s type?
Then again, who Hadley slept with was none of his business, now was it? Hadley had rightly pointed that out, and the comparison he’d made with the twink whose face Sebastian couldn’t even remember anymore had been a fair one. Yet he’d kissed him in some kind of jealous hissy fit that he didn’t even recognize from himself. He didn’t do jealousy because he didn’t do commitment or feelings or any of that stuff. He fucked, end of story. And yes, he wanted Hadley. Badly. Something about him drew Sebastian in.
Well, he’d have to learn to restrain himself because he couldn’t lose him. He’d be damn lucky if Hadley even showed up for work come Monday after that kiss. The only thing Sebastian had going for him was that they had been outside the office. And that Hadley had kissed him back. Eagerly. And that he’d been as hard as Sebastian. Okay, so maybe he had three things in his favor, but still. Would it be enough for Hadley to pretend it had never happened?
God, he hoped so. The thought of not seeing Hadley anymore was devastating. He’d gotten too used to him in the office, the way Hadley took care of him and made it possible for Sebastian to get so much more work done. Fuck, he’d grovel if he had to. Give him another raise, perhaps? Not that Hadley seemed to care that much about money, even though he had admitted he could use it. Sebastian would do whatever he had to to make him come back.
Decision made, some of his stress slid off him as he navigated the traffic on his way to his parents for their monthly family dinner. Usually, Deborah's husband, Derwin, joined them as well, as well as Ashley and Finn, but both kids were a little under the weather, and so Derwin had stayed home. Other people might complain about the tradition of a family dinner and see it as an obligation, but Sebastian looked forward to it. He could let his guard down with his family, and that meant a lot to him.
After his father had retired, his parents had moved into a small but exclusive neighborhood, and Sebastian felt they had made an excellent choice with their house. It was luxurious without being too grand for just two people, and the best news was that it was all on one floor, guaranteeing they'd be able to stay there, even as they grew older.
Not that he wanted to think of his parents as old. Hell, his father had only just turned sixty, and his mom was fifty-eight. Hopefully, they had many good years ahead to enjoy life together. They loved traveling and made a trip at least every other month, whether to Napa for a few days or on a cruise to Hawaii. They were, as Sebastian’s father put it, living the good life, and Sebastian couldn’t be happier for them.
The front door was open for him, as it always was, and his sister’s voice drifted in as she told an animated story to his dad, who responded with booming laughter. The delicious smell of meat roasting in the oven wafted into the hallway. His mom loved cooking and always made an effort to put something special on the table for their family nights. Sebastian hung his jacket in the hallway, then walked into the open kitchen, which was connected to the living room.
“Hi, Mom.”
When she hugged him, the last of his stress seeped away. The special power of mom hugs was never to be underestimated. “Hi, sweetheart. So happy to see you.” When he let go, she cupped his cheeks and studied him. “You’ve lost weight.”
He shrugged. “A little. It’s been busy, and I don’t always take the time to eat.”
She clicked her tongue. “Do better, Sebastian. Take care of yourself.”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ll try, Mom.”
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
A quick peek told him he’d been right about what she was making. Prime rib, mashed potatoes, and some kind of casserole. Green beans, probably.
He hugged his dad, kissed his sister, then joined them on the couch. “How are the kids?”
Deborah sighed. “Cranky. It’s nothing serious, a mere head cold, but they’re feverish and are using Kleenex like it’s free, so I thought it best not to bring them.”
“Much appreciated,” Sebastian said. “I’m way too busy at work to deal with a cold right now.”
“Vitamin C and peppermint oil,” Deborah said with a straight face. “If you just take those daily, you’ll never have a cold again.”
“Is that so?”
“According to my neighbor, it is. She’d heard the kids were sick and brought me some peppermint oil. The stuff reeks like you wouldn’t believe.”
Sebastian’s father frowned. “Did you use it?”
“Fuck, no. The last thing I need is for my house to smell like I squeezed out toothpaste everywhere.”
“That whole essential oil business is just such nonsense. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with using it if you like the smell, but none of the claims about medicinal benefits have been scientifically proven.”
Sebastian and Deborah shared a look, and he could barely hold back a smile. His father was known to climb on his soapbox for topics like this, and Sebastian wasn’t above riling him up a little. “No? I thought that stuff worked, much like homeopathic medicine.”
“Now you’ve done it,” Deborah said under her breath.
Sebastian’s father sat up straight in his chair. “The levels of actual plants in homeopathic products are way too low to have any effect. The evidence that those remedies work is razor thin, and studies have found the risk of possible harmful effects much higher. Some products contain heavy metals, for example, that could cause serious harm.”
“Sebastian, stop goading your father. Timothy, dear, you should be able to recognize by now when your son is playing you like a fiddle. Dinner is ready.”
Sebastian grinned as he got up, and his smile got only wider when his father slapped the back of his head. “Insolent brat.”
“You make it too easy, Dad.”
They sat down at the dining table, which could seat all of them, even if they were complete. It took up a lot of space in the small dining area, but Sebastian’s mom had made it clear the tight fit was worth it to her, as she valued being together so much.
“Dinner looks wonderful, Jacqueline,” his father said.
“It does. Thank you for cooking, Mom,” Deborah added.
“Yes, thank you, Mom,” Sebastian said. His mother and sister both looked at him with identical expressions of surprise. “What?”
“You don’t usually say ‘thank you,’” Deborah said.
Sebastian frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t usually say ‘thank you,’” she repeated. “You may comment that something is to your liking, but you rarely add a thank-you.”
He looked for help at his mom, but she nodded as she served him a plate. “It’s true. You’ve copied that from your father, unfortunately.”
What? His father cringed a little, then cleared his throat. “Yes, well, erm… Your mother has made it clear on multiple occasions I don’t appreciate her enough with words. I mean, I’m grateful for everything she does and has done, but I’ve been remiss in telling her.”
“Words matter,” his mom said calmly. “I can’t read your mind, so you’ll have to tell me.”
“You’re like Dad in the sense that words aren’t your love language, but that’s different for Mom and me,” Deborah said.
“What the hell is a love language?” Sebastian asked and took a bite of his food.
“They’re ways in which we prefer to express and receive love. Not just romantic love but love in general. For Mom and me, words of affirmation are important, and hearing a thank-you is part of that.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but what are the other four?”
“Acts of service, which is another one Mom and I share, gifts, quality time, and…” Deborah looked at their mom. “Help me out, Mom. Which one am I forgetting?”
“Touch. Physical touch.”
“Right, touch.”
Sebastian took another bite from the succulent prime rib as he let that information sink in. Were they right? Didn’t he say “thank you” a lot? Could he remember saying it to anyone? Heat crept up his cheeks when he couldn’t. Had he even said it to Hadley once? He’d truly been grateful for the hard work Hadley had done, but had he told him as much? He didn’t like this new insight at all.
“So if you had to take a guess, where do I fall?” If he was going to feel like an idiot, he might as well face the whole truth and get it over with.
“I wanna say gifts? You bought me a car for my birthday just because you could. What do you think, Mom?”
“You’re very easy with your money, but part of that is also because you’re not attached to it. Aside from your house and your car, you spend little on yourself.”
Sebastian thought it best not to mention the hotel room he had on standard reservation every weekend. That was a luxury his mom didn’t need to know about. “I do like buying gifts for others. It’s much more fun when you can afford it.”
“But I think your main one is time,” his mom said. “You have so little of it, and you make the time only for those you love and value, like us.”
“Is that a bad one?” he asked hesitantly.
“None of them are better or worse than others. It’s just that if you express your love through gifts and time, but my primary way of receiving it is through words, I still won’t always feel you love and appreciate me. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. More thank-yous. Noted.
Luckily, his mom and sister dropped the subject, chatting about his niece’s gymnastic lessons that were going well. “She wants to do cheerleading,” Deborah said with a pained expression.
“Cheerleading? Where on earth did she get that idea?” his mom asked.
“There’s been this Netflix series that followed a college cheerleading team, and it’s led to a big boost in the sport’s popularity.”
“Sport?” Sebastian asked. “Are we calling this a sport?”
“At the level they do it, yes. We’re talking about girls who can do backflips, tucks, twists, flips, you name it. A full-on tumbling routine. And then you have the girls who are being thrown into the air and perform all kinds of choreographed stunts.”
“And Ashley wants to do that?”
Deborah nodded. “She’s been talking about it nonstop. Derwin and I are considering letting her join so she can see if she likes it. Her gymnastics coach said she has talent.”
Sebastian grinned. “I have to admit it would be a strange karmic twist to see your daughter become a cheerleader, considering you were the moodiest teenage goth on the planet.”
She flipped him off, which only made him laugh more.
“How’s your new assistant working out?” she then asked, and damn, her payback was swift.
Sebastian sighed. “I see the news has done the round already.”
Deborah pretended an innocent look. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
His father held up his hands. “All I mentioned was that maybe this time you'd found somebody who’s staying.”
Sebastian took another bite of green bean casserole to give himself some time to formulate his answer. “He's working out well so far. Better than anyone else has, and he's only been here two weeks.”
Deborah's eyes widened. “That's high praise coming from you.”
“He's managed to work through thousands of emails this week.”
He braced himself as he took another bite. As delicious as it was, he had to force himself to keep eating. For some reason, he wasn't hungry. Maybe he had snacked a little too much. Or it was that queasy feeling in his stomach he'd been having lately. Stress, probably.
“Thousands of emails?” That was his father. “What do you mean thousands of emails?”
“I had a bit of a backlog with email.”
“So you mentioned, but to me, there’s a vast difference between having a bit of a backlog and a couple of thousand.”
Nordin shrugged. “We’ve had sex a few times. He’s fun.”
“He looks like it.”
Nordin bent in with a devilish grin on his face. “He has a Prince Albert piercing that, I swear to god, makes me see heaven every single damn time.”
Hadley almost choked on his whiskey. “Good to know.”
Not that he would ever act on it. Nordin, Lagan, and he had a strict bro code and always stayed away from each other’s lovers. Sure, it had happened a time or two they’d had sex with the same guy, but never on purpose.
“Hadley?”
Oh god. He’d know that voice anywhere. He spun around. Sebastian’s eyes were wide as he took Hadley in, and hot damn, he looked delicious in a pair of tight, black pants and a formfitting button-down that highlighted his chest and biceps. Hadley swallowed. “Good to see you, Mr. LeClerc.”
Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. “We’re back to Mr. LeClerc again? Pretty sure we passed that station a long time ago. And who is this?” He nicked his head at Nordin.
Nordin rose from his chair and extended his hand, flashing a toothy smile. “Max Williams. I’m an art restorer and dealer. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. LeClerc.”
Max Williams? What the actual fuck? Hadley kept his face blank, though, not wanting to betray his confusion.
Sebastian shook Nordin’s hand. “Call me Sebastian,” he mumbled, then looked at Hadley again. “Am I interrupting?”
Nordin laughed a little too loud as he put a hand on Hadley’s ass and squeezed. “We were just getting to know each other a little before we…you know…head upstairs.”
Hadley coughed, hiding his face behind his hand. What on earth was Nordin doing, pretending they were about to hook up? Not to mention that he was acting like he was drunk, which Hadley knew for a fact he wasn’t. He’d have to trust Nordin had a reason. He’d never rat him out.
Sebastian’s face grew tight. “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?”
Before Hadley could even answer, Sebastian took his elbow and steered him away toward a dark corner of the bar. “What the fuck are you doing with that obnoxiously slick dude?”
Hadley pulled his arm from Sebastian’s tight grip and rubbed at the sting. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t tell me that’s your type. He’s drunk and way too loud.”
Hadley crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. “I wasn’t aware I needed your permission to hook up with someone.”
Sebastian made a frustrated noise. “You don’t, but it’s my duty as your boss and your friend to warn you that you’re making a mistake. He’s not good enough for you.”
“Oh, is that so? And you’d know this, how?”
“God, don’t you have eyes? He’s so fucking slick you won’t even need lube.”
“Well, that’s a plus in my books. Saves us a step.”
“You can’t be serious. You deserve better than that.”
Why did that make Hadley’s heart go all weak? It shouldn’t. Nothing about this caveman behavior should be cute, and yet he found it strangely sweet. Not that he would let Sebastian know that. The man couldn’t ever be allowed to have the upper hand. “I think that’s for me to decide, don’t you agree? I didn’t judge you for sleeping with that dumb-as-a-rock twink either, now did I?”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “You can do so much better.”
“You mean like you?” Hadley didn’t even know where he found the guts to say it, but the words just flew from his lips.
The sound Sebastian made was close to a growl, heat smoldering in his eyes. Hadley stepped back instinctively, but Sebastian’s hand shot out and curled around his neck, then yanked him forward. He stumbled against him, but Sebastian held him up, claiming his mouth with demanding lips. Hadley opened up for him before he realized it, and then their tongues met, and he was a goner. He stood on his toes as Sebastian plundered his mouth, taking and taking until Hadley moaned, almost shaking with the need for friction.
With a raw grunt, Sebastian released him, though his hand remained around Hadley’s neck. His chest was heaving as much as Hadley’s, and the knowledge that the kiss hadn’t left Sebastian unaffected either was a small consolation.
Sparks still flew between them, Sebastian’s gaze burning into Hadley’s, and he couldn’t look away. “Sebastian,” he whispered when his boss just stood there, staring at him.
Sebastian let go of his neck and swiped Hadley’s wet mouth with his thumb. “Let him try to match that.”
Hadley held on to the wall for support as Sebastian walked away. That had been… Wow. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been kissed like that, if ever. He took a moment to compose himself, untucking his polo shirt so it would cover his erection, which wouldn’t wane. When he got back to the bar, Nordin smiled like a cat who’d spotted a goldfish. “You’re welcome.”
He shot him an exasperated look. “Shut up.”
What the hell had just happened?
14
He shouldn’t have kissed him. A day later, Sebastian still couldn’t figure out what had come over him to kiss Hadley like that. Fuck, it had been the hottest, most passionate kiss of his life…but why? What was happening between them that got Sebastian this heated?
Every weekend, he hooked up, and he’d been with bed partners who were much more attractive than Hadley. He’d fucked models and TV stars, even a social media celebrity or two. Men who were considered to be among the most beautiful, and yet none of them had ever affected him the way Hadley did. When he’d seen that slimy asshole’s hand on him, that tacky way he’d squeezed Hadley’s ass, his vision had gone red. Why the hell would Hadley hook up with someone like that?
Okay, that Max guy was good looking. Sebastian had to give him that. He had that classic bad boy look, with deep-lying very light blue eyes, a jaw so sharp it could cut glass, that perfect-length stubble, and, of course, a rather attractive body. Tall, muscles in all the right places, that type. Yes, Sebastian had studied him in more detail than he should have. So sue him. He’d wanted to know what the hell Hadley was doing with that guy. He might’ve been hot, but god, he was such a slick asshole. Was that Hadley’s type?
Then again, who Hadley slept with was none of his business, now was it? Hadley had rightly pointed that out, and the comparison he’d made with the twink whose face Sebastian couldn’t even remember anymore had been a fair one. Yet he’d kissed him in some kind of jealous hissy fit that he didn’t even recognize from himself. He didn’t do jealousy because he didn’t do commitment or feelings or any of that stuff. He fucked, end of story. And yes, he wanted Hadley. Badly. Something about him drew Sebastian in.
Well, he’d have to learn to restrain himself because he couldn’t lose him. He’d be damn lucky if Hadley even showed up for work come Monday after that kiss. The only thing Sebastian had going for him was that they had been outside the office. And that Hadley had kissed him back. Eagerly. And that he’d been as hard as Sebastian. Okay, so maybe he had three things in his favor, but still. Would it be enough for Hadley to pretend it had never happened?
God, he hoped so. The thought of not seeing Hadley anymore was devastating. He’d gotten too used to him in the office, the way Hadley took care of him and made it possible for Sebastian to get so much more work done. Fuck, he’d grovel if he had to. Give him another raise, perhaps? Not that Hadley seemed to care that much about money, even though he had admitted he could use it. Sebastian would do whatever he had to to make him come back.
Decision made, some of his stress slid off him as he navigated the traffic on his way to his parents for their monthly family dinner. Usually, Deborah's husband, Derwin, joined them as well, as well as Ashley and Finn, but both kids were a little under the weather, and so Derwin had stayed home. Other people might complain about the tradition of a family dinner and see it as an obligation, but Sebastian looked forward to it. He could let his guard down with his family, and that meant a lot to him.
After his father had retired, his parents had moved into a small but exclusive neighborhood, and Sebastian felt they had made an excellent choice with their house. It was luxurious without being too grand for just two people, and the best news was that it was all on one floor, guaranteeing they'd be able to stay there, even as they grew older.
Not that he wanted to think of his parents as old. Hell, his father had only just turned sixty, and his mom was fifty-eight. Hopefully, they had many good years ahead to enjoy life together. They loved traveling and made a trip at least every other month, whether to Napa for a few days or on a cruise to Hawaii. They were, as Sebastian’s father put it, living the good life, and Sebastian couldn’t be happier for them.
The front door was open for him, as it always was, and his sister’s voice drifted in as she told an animated story to his dad, who responded with booming laughter. The delicious smell of meat roasting in the oven wafted into the hallway. His mom loved cooking and always made an effort to put something special on the table for their family nights. Sebastian hung his jacket in the hallway, then walked into the open kitchen, which was connected to the living room.
“Hi, Mom.”
When she hugged him, the last of his stress seeped away. The special power of mom hugs was never to be underestimated. “Hi, sweetheart. So happy to see you.” When he let go, she cupped his cheeks and studied him. “You’ve lost weight.”
He shrugged. “A little. It’s been busy, and I don’t always take the time to eat.”
She clicked her tongue. “Do better, Sebastian. Take care of yourself.”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ll try, Mom.”
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
A quick peek told him he’d been right about what she was making. Prime rib, mashed potatoes, and some kind of casserole. Green beans, probably.
He hugged his dad, kissed his sister, then joined them on the couch. “How are the kids?”
Deborah sighed. “Cranky. It’s nothing serious, a mere head cold, but they’re feverish and are using Kleenex like it’s free, so I thought it best not to bring them.”
“Much appreciated,” Sebastian said. “I’m way too busy at work to deal with a cold right now.”
“Vitamin C and peppermint oil,” Deborah said with a straight face. “If you just take those daily, you’ll never have a cold again.”
“Is that so?”
“According to my neighbor, it is. She’d heard the kids were sick and brought me some peppermint oil. The stuff reeks like you wouldn’t believe.”
Sebastian’s father frowned. “Did you use it?”
“Fuck, no. The last thing I need is for my house to smell like I squeezed out toothpaste everywhere.”
“That whole essential oil business is just such nonsense. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with using it if you like the smell, but none of the claims about medicinal benefits have been scientifically proven.”
Sebastian and Deborah shared a look, and he could barely hold back a smile. His father was known to climb on his soapbox for topics like this, and Sebastian wasn’t above riling him up a little. “No? I thought that stuff worked, much like homeopathic medicine.”
“Now you’ve done it,” Deborah said under her breath.
Sebastian’s father sat up straight in his chair. “The levels of actual plants in homeopathic products are way too low to have any effect. The evidence that those remedies work is razor thin, and studies have found the risk of possible harmful effects much higher. Some products contain heavy metals, for example, that could cause serious harm.”
“Sebastian, stop goading your father. Timothy, dear, you should be able to recognize by now when your son is playing you like a fiddle. Dinner is ready.”
Sebastian grinned as he got up, and his smile got only wider when his father slapped the back of his head. “Insolent brat.”
“You make it too easy, Dad.”
They sat down at the dining table, which could seat all of them, even if they were complete. It took up a lot of space in the small dining area, but Sebastian’s mom had made it clear the tight fit was worth it to her, as she valued being together so much.
“Dinner looks wonderful, Jacqueline,” his father said.
“It does. Thank you for cooking, Mom,” Deborah added.
“Yes, thank you, Mom,” Sebastian said. His mother and sister both looked at him with identical expressions of surprise. “What?”
“You don’t usually say ‘thank you,’” Deborah said.
Sebastian frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t usually say ‘thank you,’” she repeated. “You may comment that something is to your liking, but you rarely add a thank-you.”
He looked for help at his mom, but she nodded as she served him a plate. “It’s true. You’ve copied that from your father, unfortunately.”
What? His father cringed a little, then cleared his throat. “Yes, well, erm… Your mother has made it clear on multiple occasions I don’t appreciate her enough with words. I mean, I’m grateful for everything she does and has done, but I’ve been remiss in telling her.”
“Words matter,” his mom said calmly. “I can’t read your mind, so you’ll have to tell me.”
“You’re like Dad in the sense that words aren’t your love language, but that’s different for Mom and me,” Deborah said.
“What the hell is a love language?” Sebastian asked and took a bite of his food.
“They’re ways in which we prefer to express and receive love. Not just romantic love but love in general. For Mom and me, words of affirmation are important, and hearing a thank-you is part of that.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but what are the other four?”
“Acts of service, which is another one Mom and I share, gifts, quality time, and…” Deborah looked at their mom. “Help me out, Mom. Which one am I forgetting?”
“Touch. Physical touch.”
“Right, touch.”
Sebastian took another bite from the succulent prime rib as he let that information sink in. Were they right? Didn’t he say “thank you” a lot? Could he remember saying it to anyone? Heat crept up his cheeks when he couldn’t. Had he even said it to Hadley once? He’d truly been grateful for the hard work Hadley had done, but had he told him as much? He didn’t like this new insight at all.
“So if you had to take a guess, where do I fall?” If he was going to feel like an idiot, he might as well face the whole truth and get it over with.
“I wanna say gifts? You bought me a car for my birthday just because you could. What do you think, Mom?”
“You’re very easy with your money, but part of that is also because you’re not attached to it. Aside from your house and your car, you spend little on yourself.”
Sebastian thought it best not to mention the hotel room he had on standard reservation every weekend. That was a luxury his mom didn’t need to know about. “I do like buying gifts for others. It’s much more fun when you can afford it.”
“But I think your main one is time,” his mom said. “You have so little of it, and you make the time only for those you love and value, like us.”
“Is that a bad one?” he asked hesitantly.
“None of them are better or worse than others. It’s just that if you express your love through gifts and time, but my primary way of receiving it is through words, I still won’t always feel you love and appreciate me. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. More thank-yous. Noted.
Luckily, his mom and sister dropped the subject, chatting about his niece’s gymnastic lessons that were going well. “She wants to do cheerleading,” Deborah said with a pained expression.
“Cheerleading? Where on earth did she get that idea?” his mom asked.
“There’s been this Netflix series that followed a college cheerleading team, and it’s led to a big boost in the sport’s popularity.”
“Sport?” Sebastian asked. “Are we calling this a sport?”
“At the level they do it, yes. We’re talking about girls who can do backflips, tucks, twists, flips, you name it. A full-on tumbling routine. And then you have the girls who are being thrown into the air and perform all kinds of choreographed stunts.”
“And Ashley wants to do that?”
Deborah nodded. “She’s been talking about it nonstop. Derwin and I are considering letting her join so she can see if she likes it. Her gymnastics coach said she has talent.”
Sebastian grinned. “I have to admit it would be a strange karmic twist to see your daughter become a cheerleader, considering you were the moodiest teenage goth on the planet.”
She flipped him off, which only made him laugh more.
“How’s your new assistant working out?” she then asked, and damn, her payback was swift.
Sebastian sighed. “I see the news has done the round already.”
Deborah pretended an innocent look. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
His father held up his hands. “All I mentioned was that maybe this time you'd found somebody who’s staying.”
Sebastian took another bite of green bean casserole to give himself some time to formulate his answer. “He's working out well so far. Better than anyone else has, and he's only been here two weeks.”
Deborah's eyes widened. “That's high praise coming from you.”
“He's managed to work through thousands of emails this week.”
He braced himself as he took another bite. As delicious as it was, he had to force himself to keep eating. For some reason, he wasn't hungry. Maybe he had snacked a little too much. Or it was that queasy feeling in his stomach he'd been having lately. Stress, probably.
“Thousands of emails?” That was his father. “What do you mean thousands of emails?”
“I had a bit of a backlog with email.”
“So you mentioned, but to me, there’s a vast difference between having a bit of a backlog and a couple of thousand.”
