Sweet Caroline

#48 Slave for you

"Everyone knows the words to that song!" he protests. "Besides, that's not the same as dancing to I'm a slave for you and you know it."

"I don't know anything!" I smile at him before turning my attention back to the stove. "How about you make yourself useful? Grab some plates and get those buns out of the oven."

"Wow you move fast," Sean replies teasingly. "You've only been with Nathan for a little while and you've already got buns in the oven?"

We share some more easy banter while we prepare breakfast, killing time until Nathan gets down as well. Sean isn't fully dressed yet, walking around barefoot in only sweats and a T-shirt. It makes me feel more at ease than I would have if he'd been in a suit like Nathan usually is.

"You really love him, don't you?" Sean asks suddenly, his tone serious.

I take a deep breath before turning around to meet his gaze. Here we go. "Yes, I do."

He nods. "Good. Nathan is one of the best men I've ever met. His marriage to Elise was a total and complete shitshow and I've been hoping he'd finally move on ever since he got divorced. The fact that you're here, in his home, dancing in his kitchen..." He smiles, his dark eyes sparkling. "He's serious about you. The way he talks about you... He's already imagining you living here, I can tell. I just hope you don't turn out to be a complete and total bitch like Elise."

My heart swells at Sean's words. If his best friend can tell that Nathan is serious about me, that means that I am reading all the sings right. I'm not imagining things. The fact that I am in his home means something, to both of us.

"I know that I haven't exactly been doing a great job at making a stellar first impression," I say, trying to find the right words. "I just want you to know that I think Nathan is the most amazing person I've ever met, and I will never treat him the way Elise did. I can't promise I'll never hurt him, because I'm only human and I fuck up sometimes, but I can promise to never do it intentionally. He deserves the best and I will try to give that to him."

Sean nods. "He does. And you're not doing all that bad, Caroline. I've got a feeling that what I see is what I get with you. I don't believe for one second that you planned anything that happened last night or this morning."

I grunt. "No shit, Sherlock."

He laughs loudly. "Exactly. Nathan hasn't told me too many details about you, he likes to keep some things to himself, but he did tell me that you are honest and that you speak before you think. I can already tell he's right about that. I like that. He needs that after everything he's been through."

Sean is right about that and he doesn't even know about the paternity test. Sean has no idea just how fucked up Nathan's relationship with Elise was. "Don't you..." I hesitate and fidget with my hair for a moment. "Don't you mind that I'm way younger than he is?"

Sean lifts an eyebrow at me. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not!"

"Does Nathan mind?"

"No."

"Then why does it even matter how I feel about it?" Sean asks genuinely. "Since you asked... no, I don't mind. Nathan told me that you might lose your job if your relationship with him gets out. That tells me all I need to know. You love him. You can't stay away from him. And if what he told me is true, you're the one who urged him to throw caution to the wind. He said you even were the first one to tell utter those three magical words. You don't play games. I want someone like that for him, no matter her age. Besides..." He's the one to hesitate now. "I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but Nathan has always wanted a big family. He hates that Rose doesn't have siblings. The chances of that dream coming true is a lot bigger with someone your age than with someone his own age."

"I know," I say, surprising him.

"Oh," Sean releases, his eyes widening. "You already talked about that, didn't you?"

"Yes." I don't say anything else, knowing that this is not a conversation I want to have with anyone other than Nathan. Things are already moving so goddamn fast with him. I am not going to discuss a potential pregnancy with his best friend, who I just met.

Sean opens his mouth to say something, but his phone buzzes. He glances down just when Nathan walks into the living room, smiling at me.

"Thank God," Sean says, looking up from his phone at me. "The in-laws are gone."

"In that case I take it you're going home after breakfast?" Nathan says, startling Sean, who didn't hear him come in. Serves him right for scaring me.

"Yeah, I've got some making-up to do with Jill," Sean grunts, putting his phone down again. "I hate how worked up we both get when her parents are in town. It's a miracle that those two demons managed to raise such a sweet woman."

"I'd love to meet her sometime," I say honestly. "Maybe..." I glance at Nathan, who nods at me with a smile. "Maybe you could come over sometime for dinner?"

"How about you come to our place for dinner tonight?" Sean offers. "Easier to do it at our place, with the kids and all. Although Jill is probably too tired to cook..."

Nathan slaps a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then we do it the way we always do once the in-laws are finally gone. I bring Chinese food and you put a bottle of Jill's favorite chardonnay in the fridge. We'll pig out and watch a movie."

"Sounds good. Now let's have breakfast, shall we?" Sean proposes.

I agree and pile their plates with eggs and bacon. The two men scarf it down like they haven't eaten in weeks and I smile to myself as I take a few bites myself. I need coffee more than I need food right now, after the night Nathan and I had. Even though this wasn't how I envisioned meeting Nathan's best friend, I guess it turned out alright. Sean accepts me and that's all that matters.