Inheritance

Chapter 18

Roaming aimlessly around empty cubicles, I ended up stopping in front of the hollow entryway to the staff lounge. The few employees I had encountered up to this point seemed too busy to interrupt, compelling me to rethink the decision to accept my uncle's offer. Leisure time was a must in any job I took on. 

The lounge was a stark contrast to how I envisioned the archetypal staff break room. There was a pool table on one end of the room, several bean bags laid out near the side dwelling, a row of game machines uniformly aligned along the back wall, and a fancy kitchen with a full-set of appliances. 

After analyzing the complete layout of the space, I settled on the fact that it fell nothing short of lively. Allured by its peculiar design, I entered the lounge and plummeted down onto one of the first bean pouches I made contact with. Arranging myself into a comfortable position, I allowed my eyes to shut temporarily. 

But, my mind seemed to drift back to the sequence of events that took place earlier between Kendall and I. I knew that I could no longer allow myself to get caught up in his whimsical veil of charm. It was only a matter of time before I grew too attached to what was sure to be the initiation of a very toxic relationship. 

What happened between us wasn't right, nor was it fair to Caleb. Each time Caleb and I hung out, I found myself intuitively comparing the way he spoke, how he made me feel, and even the simplest of his mannerisms to Kendall. 

There was no domain where Kendall didn't prevail.

Even so, I planned to end whatever kind of baneful relationship was budding between Kendall and I, as it was doomed to end tragically. Particularly for me. As far as I knew, he was still intimately involved with Patricia. And as much as I despised her right now, it wasn't fair to her either. 

My mundane existence had become much too complicated for my liking, ever since Austin had found his way back into my life. Perhaps, there was still a chance for us to be friends.

"Ah, I guess those bean bags actually were a good addition." A sultry southern voice relayed from a distance not too far away. My eyes fluttered open, trying to locate the origin of the sound.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." The southern voice spoke again, but this time lower in pitch.

From around the corner, a man with blonde, wavy hair revealed himself. He was dressed rather casually with a bleached vintage jacket and a white t-shirt tucked into brown trousers. Black leather boots lathered his feet. On anyone else, the outfit would have been questionable, but on him it somehow worked.

"No, you're fine. I was definitely doing something I shouldn't be."

"Sebastian. And you are..?" He responded, as a friendly smile appeared on his oval-shaped face.

"Sasha." I said, standing up to greet him in a much more professional manner.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sasha." He swiftly grabbed my hand, bringing it up to meet his lips and kissing it gently. Taken aback by the unexpected chivalry, I merely stared back at him in awe while he gallantly strode through the room.

"I'm a creative director, in case you're wondering. In fact, I helped come up with most of the designs in this lounge. A bit eccentric, but I think change is good sometimes. You like?" He turned around, momentarily checking to see if I was following along.

So, he had been the one responsible for creating the unconventional look of the space.

"I love it. A bit quirky, but it's a refreshing contrast from the standard tones of the rest of the building." A smile adorned his face at the chime of my remark.