Vindictive #4

9. red

Samuel's name popping up on my phone screen makes me lunge for my bed to grab it in time. I answer the second my hand gets hold of the phone and bring it to my ear.

"Samuel?"

"Milan," He purrs over the line, slow and deliberately. "I'm throwing a little party tonight. And before you say no, you should be aware that there will be many potential clients in attendance."

My finger twitches. "What's the occasion?"

"Aujourd'hui, c'est mon anniversaire!" Samuel sounds amused. "Strange how little we know about each other, hm?"

"Strange indeed."

"Tell me you'll come. You know my night won't be complete until I see you..."

I try and fail to fight the smile on my lips. "Yes. I'll come."

"Wear red. I love you in red. I'll even pretend your coming for me and not the clients."

"Oh, Samuel. You know better." The smile doesn't leave my face. "Happy birthday, mon cher."

He laughs. "Au revoir!"

Sighing, I hang up and drop the phone before walking into my closet. Seeing as it is Samuel's birthday, I decide to indulge in his request and search for a red dress. A knock on the door startles me.

"Come in!" I call distractedly, thinking it was Gaia or Jag since Gary had left sometime earlier. I take a dress hanging from the rack and pull it off, examining its length and style. Eh. I put it back.

"Going somewhere?"

I spin around. "Sebastian!"

"Didn't mean to startle you," he says apologetically.

"I—no. You didn't. It's fine." I reach for another dress and pull it down. I've had it for a while, but I can't recall ever wearing it. I don't know why. It's gorgeous. Simple, but sexy. I move towards the tall mirror and hold it up against me.

"It's beautiful," Sebastian offers.

"I know." This is perfect. "Did you need something?"

He clears his throat. "I felt I should apologize to you."

I face him, my eyebrows knitting together. "Apologize?"

"I made assumptions about you. False assumptions based off of previous experience. It wasn't fair to you. I shouldn't have insinuated that—"

"That I was sleeping with your father for money?" I turn back to the mirror. "You don't need to apologize. It's not like I can afford a dress like this on my own."

He doesn't respond.

I walk across the carpet to the rack of shoes. "Your wondering why I'm living with him, and why he'd even pay for a fancy dress like this if I'm just working for him. If there's no sex involved, what's with all the benefits. Right?"

Sebastian's silence is answer enough.

"Believe me. There's more risk than reward," I murmur as I examine a pair of gold ones.