Best Friends Don't Sleep Together - A.H. Series #1

Chapter 12

"I really, really shouldn't be here ..." I giggled as Sebastian leaned me on the sofa.

He smiled gently. "I couldn't let you walk with that ankle."

I stupidly slipped and twisted my ankle while we were walking. Third date, and I'm already making a fool of myself. "I'm sure it's fine." I half blushed, embarrassed of my clumsiness. The date had barely started, we haven't even eaten yet, when I tripped and fell. Luckily, Sebastian caught me. It would have been a really romantic moment, hadn't we been in the middle of a busy street, and you know how New Yorkers can be.

"It's swollen," Sebastian told me, gently caressing my foot after having removed the shoe, "I'll get you some ice." He didn't wait for me to agree, just placed a pillow under my foot, and headed to the kitchen. That gave me time to look around.

The living room was big, full of windows, except for one wall. Even without standing up from the huge sofa, I could awe at the mesmerizing sight of Soho's skyline. On the side of the entrance, there were a couple of other doors, one of which led into the kitchen. There were also stairs that presumably would bring to the bedrooms. This whole place makes my cozy apartment look like a shoe box.

Sebastian returned a few seconds later, a bag of ice in one hand, a bottle in the other. He grinned, coming to sit beside me. "Ice calls for champagne, it goes without saying."

"We haven't even eaten yet." I chuckled.

"Oh, I can fix that." He claimed, putting the bottle on the coffee table. "I'll whip something up."

"You cook?" I may have sounded more surprised than I intended to, but it was also because I winced a little when he placed the ice on my ankle.

Sebastian chuckled. "I get by."

"I can see that." I hinted at the fancy room we were in. "I didn't know gardening paid so well."

"Who said I'm a gardener?"

"When we met, you were in Mrs. Woods' garden." I thought about it for a moment. "Then again, I also saw car grease on your jeans, so maybe you're her ... mechanic? She looks like the kind of rich person that would have a whole garage of cars she doesn't use and a personal mechanic she doesn't need." I laughed to myself.

Sebastian fainted a smile. "I am more of a ... jack of all trades, so to speak."

"Meaning?"

He slid closer to me, enough to smoothly leave an arm on the back of the sofa, right behind me, as if he were hugging me – and in fact his face did come really close to mine. "Meaning I do anything and everything Mrs. Woods requires."

"Does that pay enough to afford this place?" I inquired. "I mean, even only the living room is the size of my whole apartment, I can only imagine the rest."

Sebastian half smirked, inching closer, enough to graze my skin when he spoke: "I'm sure you'll get a chance to see the whole place soon enough."

That sounded way too alluring even for me to miss the innuendo. I had to do my best not to giggle like a silly girl. I licked my lips, eyeing his – they were so close and so inviting, it was difficult to resist. My mouth parted slightly as Sebastian smiled. Before I could find the courage to lean in enough to finally kiss him, he pulled back. Cue the booing in my head.

"Why don't you watch some TV while I prepare dinner?" He suggested, standing up.

I didn't even speak, I merely nodded, still too inebriated by the whole situation. I don't know what perfume he uses but it feels made to confuse my senses. Or I'm just so rusty when it comes to this type of thing, that I get easily carried away. While Sebastian headed back to the kitchen, after having turned on the TV for me, I made myself more comfortable on the sofa. The ice seemed to be working, my foot hurt less.