Working in the family company wasn't something that Blake really liked, but did it anyway, especially since he had to keep up appearances.
'What would people say, if the heir to the company wasn't showing his face at work?' Was the main rhetorical question that his father would throw at Blake, whenever he spoke up about his own wishes.
For the last three weeks, the company was working on an expansion of their distribution and Blake was trying to get more involved, rather than just sit there in the meetings as a pretty face.
He knew people already thought he was there because of his father, which was true, but Blake was proved himself to be more than just a pretty face.
Whilst at university, he completed a double-major, half of which was financial business, to appease his tyrant of a father, and he'd learnt a few things.
Not all his suggestions or decisions were agreed upon, since his father apparently knew better, but Blake didn't care about it much. As far has he was concerned, he was still trying and proving his worth.
Late in the evening, Blake had finished a long day of work but instead of going back to his parent's place, he was heading to Sebastian's.
Whenever unsure on a decision, Blake would turn to his mates for advice.
It was clear that Sebastian was quite successful in his company, Roman ran his company well, and Diana was expanding her father's gym. They were always great help and there was no way in hell Blake would turn to his father.
Sebastian had lent Blake one of his company case-study files, to study from, one that related to an expansion.
Blake knocked on the door to Sebastian's place, after already being let into the building.
The door opened not long after, with Sebastian stood there in a casual attire. Something, that rarely ever happened.
"Hey, man," Blake smiled.
"Hey. Come in," Sebastian gestured, opening the door wider for Blake to walk through.
He then held out the folder. "Just came here to return this."
Sebastian nodded, taking it from Blake's hands and then walked towards the coffee table to place it on.
"Did it help?" He asked.
"I think so," Blake replied. "I showed my father and some of the other guys, a presentation of how we could go about the expansion. He didn't dismiss it. That's probably as close as we're going to get to acceptance."
There weren't many moments that David Campbell had openly expressed happiness at Blake's decisions. Not saying anything at all, had become a more positive response now.
Sebastian frowned at Blake's words. "Why don't you tell your Dad that this isn't want you want?"
Back at University, and even in high school, Sebastian had always known Blake to be more creative and have very different aspirations, than to lead the family company.
"Disagree with David Campbell? Heavens, no. My mother would be clutching her pearls," Blake joked.
There was a time where Blake did tell his parents what he really wanted to do, but that led to an ugly argument. It was also partly the reason he moved out.
That argument led to him not talking to his parents for weeks, and only after his mother came to him in tears, and emotionally blackmailed him, did Blake finally relent.
"Fuck off," Sebastian said with a smile. "I mean it, though. You're not happy doing this."
"It's too late now, Seb." Blake shrugged. "It's not all bad, I'm still learning and someday I'll take the reins," he then added with a smiled.
"But you're not happy," Sebastian stated.
"I will be," Blake replied.
Before Sebastian could say anything more, Mia walked out of Sebastian's room and into the living room, where the two guys stood.
"Thought I heard your voice," she said and walked into the room, her hair still dripping slightly from her shower.
"Mia," Blake grinned at her, and she smiled, walking closer towards him to give him a hug. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
Laughing at his words, Mia hugged him tightly, as Blake also put his arms around her.
"Easy there," Sebastian warned him.
Ever since the engagement, he'd become a lot more protective over Mia, something she found quite funny and liked to tease him on.
"Well, he isn't wrong," Mia shrugged, with a cheeky smile on her face.
Sebastian smiled at her. "That he isn't," he replied.
The three then sat took a seat on the sofa, with Blake sitting across from Sebastian and Mia.
"Will you be staying for dinner?" Mia asked Blake.
"Well, if you're going to twist my arm," he then said with a smile on his face.
Sebastian muttered something under his breath, and whilst Blake couldn't hear it, he grinned anyway. He was shameless when it came to free food.
"So, how come you're here tonight?" Blake looked towards Mia.
Sebastian wrapped arm around her. "Because she loves me," he said, as if that were the only reason needed.
"I didn't want to be alone," Mia responded, causing Blake to laugh and Sebastian to scowl, nudging her shoulder. "Chloe is at Mason's tonight and so I came over here," she added.
Blake nodded at her words, but then realised Mia didn't just live with Chloe.
"What about Nicole?" He asked, wondering where she was in this whole scenario.
"Oh," was all Mia could say to that. She didn't know how to tell him the news.
Mia knew that there was no real obligation for Blake to know about Nicole's project in Milan, however she knew that he did sort of like her.
It'd been a few days since Nicole had left, and Mia was still at a loss on how to tell Blake. She didn't want to hide it but then she didn't know how to tell him either.
"Um, Nic's not here," Mia told Blake.
"I'd hope not," he then laughed. "She'd have killed Sebastian by now."
Mia looked to Sebastian, who nodded at her. She told Sebastian about Nicole's move, but at the time he told her to wait, due the project Blake was handling.
Sebastian figured there was a lot on his plate already, it might just be better to let Blake handle one thing, and then later tell him about Nicole.
Blake's laughter died down when he realised the other two weren't laughing with him. He then looked more serious.
"Uh no, as in she's not in the country," Mia then said.
Her words took him by surprise.
"Oh," Blake responded to that, since it wasn't what he was expected Mia to say at all.
"She's in Milan," Mia carried on. "Nic works at a fashion magazine and there was this opportunity for her to go to Milan, so..." she trailed off, realising say that she took the job, was a bit redundant right now.
Blake remembered Mia had mentioned Nicole working at a fashion magazine before, and so he wasn't too surprised that Nicole would get some great opportunity like this. She was always so impeccably dressed for everything from what he'd noticed, and so it just made sense.
What felt odd, was that she'd just gone. It was like one minute she were here and then poof, she was gone.
"How long?" He then asked Mia.
"Could be up to a year," she told him, a frown on her face as she did.
'She's gone for a year and didn't say a word,' Blake thought.
Blake knew he wasn't exactly anyone significant to Nicole, nor did she have any obligation to inform him of the happenings of her life, but even a little something would have been nice.
"I'm sorry," Mia apologised looking at the saddened expression on Blake's face. "I wanted to throw her a big going away party and all, to tell everyone properly. But Nic said she had so many things to sort out and before we knew it, she was going."
There was a long discussion between three girls about a party they could throw, and have everyone get together, to send Nicole away properly, but she didn't seem to want that.
It was weird to both Chloe and Mia, that Nicole didn't want a going away party, since as far as they knew, she always liked the spotlight, and this would be a great way for that.
However, the leaving party ended up just being the girls ordering a takeout, and having some drinks instead, like a night-in m at university.
It was still a great night, but now Mia was left with this feeling that Nicole maybe should've told everyone properly herself.
"It's fine," Blake said and then cleared his throat. "Not like she had to stay or anything," he chuckled.
It was true and he knew it. Yet he still felt a tug in his chest at the news.
Blake didn't know if it was because she was gone, or because he couldn't flirt with her anymore. It didn't really make any sense to him, but he couldn't do anything about it either.
It was funny, Blake was so sure that Nicole felt a little something for him at least, but this move clearly was a wake up call for him, that he was just reading into things.
Just some fun, that's all it probably was.
Sebastian and Mia shared a look with each other and then back to Blake, who was just sitting in silence.
"Will you stay for dinner?" Mia then broke the silence, a tentative smile on her face. "We can even discuss the whole dessert-bar idea for the wedding," she tried to coax him.
Blake looked at the expression on her face and smiled back.
"You had me at dinner," he told her.
Mia grinned widely. "Perfect. I'll whip something up," she said excitedly, rushing over to give Blake a hug and then heading into the kitchen.
Her frantic actions, had Blake chuckling to himself and he then turned back towards Sebastian.
"You got a good one, Seb," he told him.
Sebastian smiled, his eyes still in the direction Mia had rushed off into. "I know," he said.
He then looked to Blake, the smile turning into a more serious expression.
"You sure, you're good?" He asked.
"Yeah. Of course," Blake grinned back, but then it faltered under Sebastian's gaze, who saw past the front he was putting on.
Blake sighed. "Can I ask you something?"
Sebastian let out an amused breath. "Surprised you're asking before asking, but go ahead."
"How did you know Mia was 'the one'? You know, like she was it for you?" Blake asked Sebastian.
The question definitely had him a little surprised, since that wasn't something that he thought Blake would ask, but understood where it was coming from.
"I didn't have this one, big moment, where I suddenly realised it. It was more of a gradual thing," Sebastian explained.
"She didn't suddenly look at me and I realised that it was her all along or anything. There were little things that just had me thinking about her, until I felt like I couldn't stop. Every thought started to be about her," Sebastian chuckled.
He then continued. "I remember the first time I took her to lunch and we spoke, like really spoke. It was so easy, effortless, I thought how I'd never had this with someone before. There was even a time were we were stuck in the lift together. It was only for a few minutes, and its' so corny, but I thought if I was going to be stuck with anyone in a lift, I'd want it to be her."
Blake laughed. "You're right. That's fucking corny."
"Trust me, I know. But she makes me like that, all weird and fuzzy inside. I knew I loved her through all the little things, but I really knew it, the night of that party where she stood up for herself. Someone so brave and strong, so caring and sweet, it wasn't hard to fall for her," Sebastian explained.
"Now, every time she even turns just to look me, I'm a goner," he smiled.
"You're that whipped?" Blake asked.
He'd never had that with anyone, and barely understood it. Even with his ex-girlfriend at university, Blake didn't really have these kinds of thoughts with her.
Of course, he knew it was different for everyone, and not everyone in a relationship was like this, but still, Blake realised he didn't have that defining moment or moments.
"When you're with your person, it happens," Sebastian laughed, referring to being whipped.
He wasn't ashamed of it, but rather took pride in it.
Before Blake could say anything, Mia came back into the room, a jar in hand. She gave it to Sebastian, who instantly opened it for her, leading to Mia say she'd loosened it for him in the first place and was just checking if he could open it.
Blake noticed how Sebastian's demeanour would change around Mia, a lot more carefree and happy.
He then remembered the first time Mia came into Sebastian's office to have that meeting with him, to be his assistant and how he vowed not to fall for.
Blake almost wanted to laugh at how wrong they both were. Truth of it was that they had no idea what they were about come across, when Mia stepped into that room.
Hearing Sebastian talk about Mia now was a complete flip on what he used to say, it was quite amusing.
"Fine. You win," Sebastian's voice snapped Blake out of his thoughts and he looked back to the couple.
"I know," Mia grinned as she walked back into the kitchen, with a now opened jar in her hands.
Blake looked on as Sebastian shook his head but still had on a smile on his face, a look of an idiot in love.
It had him thinking that there was someone that caused this look on his face, not of love, but something similar, only it wasn't going to happen anymore.
'Maybe I should grow some fucking balls and stop pining,' Blake thought to himself.
"You good, man?" Sebastian asked him.
"Never better," Blake grinned back.
***
Honestly, the chapters with Blake talking to Sebastian and Mia are among my fav. Purely because it's so sweet - even if I am the author and these are my characters and words.
So, Nicole left without telling Blake. That's gotta hurt a little.
I wonder you readers of Back to You, caught that little 'opening of the jar' bit, between Sebastian and Mia.
Let me know if you recognised it.
Next Chapter: a little time skip
Hope you like the read :)