WORK IN PROGRESS: Dinner Disasters: Sebastian and Layana

Chapter 3 (Layana): New Beginnings

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

Sebastian caught the lamp, then he hurled it to the ground. I actually couldn't believe I'd done that; I was not feeling like myself lately and that was something I never would have done.

"Whatever you're trying to make out of this, it's not what you're thinking."

"Really? And what am I thinking, Sebastian?"

"That I'm having a motherfucking affair!" he yelled. "You're thinking I'm cheating on you! You, Layana! You think I could ever cheat on you?"

I shot up from the couch and went nose to nose with my husband. "Given the evidence? Hell yeah, I think you could cheat on me. In fact, I think you have been cheating on me and you finally got caught tonight -- on the anniversary of the first day we met, as a matter of fact. How ironic is that?"

Right before my eyes, his shoulders slumped and a look of such anguish crossed his face that I thought Sebastian was going to start crying. This man who never cried looked seconds away from dissolving into tears.

"I feel like shit about that, Layana. The best day of my life and I missed it because I was so caught up in finally getting this deal done. I'm sorry for missing our anniversary."

"Save it, Sebastian. You just admitted to having dinners and lunches with her and you looked guilty as hell."

"That doesn't mean guilt, Layana!" he shouted. "It means as you asked about shit I realized it looked and sounded bad to you. It means I was maybe guilty of bad fucking judgment, but in no way was I having an affair with her. So don't even try to turn it into that."

"Me? You think I want to turn it into that? That I'm the one trying to turn it into something because I'm suddenly so bored with my life that I need a new hobby? You're the one going out with her behind my back!"

"I told you every fucking time I had a business dinner. And I never, not once, lied about it."

"You also, never once, told me all those business dinners were with a hot, single female who looked like she wanted to lick you up faster than ice cream melting down the side of a cone on a hot summer day."

"I also never told you when I had dinner with single men. Am I fucking all of them, too?"

"And why do you even know she's single?"

"Because I talk to the potential partners as we work on deals!" he exploded, thoroughly frustrated. "Renee's single. Yes, I know that. So is Avery, so is Tom and so is Paul. Roger's married. So is Arnie and so is Millie. I've got a busy fucking social life if I'm fucking all of these people I've been working on deals with whose marital status I happen to know because it comes up in the course of motherfucking conversations."

"So, do you drink wine with all of them? Toast new beginnings? Do they all know your marital status?"

"Yeah, they all know I'm happily married and crazy in love with my wife. I sometimes have one glass of wine if we celebrate a new deal at dinner. Never more. Not a fan of wine, so I rarely even finish it but I think that's better than drinking whiskey so I can keep a clear head and never embarrass myself in front of potential partners or partners. And if they raise a toast, I'll toast. It's part of doing business, Layana."

"How about ignoring my texts and calls?"

"I normally have my phone on silent when I'm doing business, Layana. The one time I haven't, you weren't feeling well, so I kept it out in case you called and needed something. But most business people I know don't take calls during negotiations or business dinners and I consider it rude. If you're reading this anywhere but on Wattpad, this book has been stolen from the author, groveltohea. If they constantly take calls or answer texts or even look at their phones while we're talking business, that's a sign that I might not want to do business with them."