by Kate Harre
Oddly offended, Emilia shot him a look filled with disdain. ‘Trust you to resort to gutter talk.’
Stacey giggled and climbed out of the SUV with a hurried thanks. Emilia flung open the passenger door and slid out as gracefully as you can when you’re wrapped in a sheet. She pondered slamming the door closed but then remembered Seb hadn’t had to come and pick her up.
Reluctantly, she turned back and looked at him. He was staring at her, but she couldn’t read his eyes through the dark lenses of his sunglasses.
‘Thank you for coming and getting us,’ she said, as genuinely as she could manage. ‘I really appreciate it.’
He nodded. ‘Have fun. And Emilia… if you need me to pick you up, call my mobile and I’ll come and get you.’
‘Thanks, but I’ll be fine.’ She closed the door gently and headed towards Stacey, who was waiting for her at the side gate. They flashed their invites to the security guard on duty and he waved them through.
‘What was that all about?’ Emilia hissed, as soon as they were clear of the guard.
‘What?’ Stacey’s voice was too innocent.
‘You know exactly what!’
Stacey shrugged. ‘You two strike sparks off each other. It’s obvious there’s something going on between you, even if neither of you has figured out what it is yet.’
‘That’s so not true!’
‘And he’s good for you,’ Stacey continued with satisfaction. ‘You say what you really think to him, not the sugar coated stuff you give to everyone else. Justin would have an apoplexy if you spoke to him like that!’
‘Exactly! Seb and I are horrible to each other. I would never speak to Justin like that because he’s my boyfriend and I care about him.’
‘You’re too good for Justin, Em. I wish you could see that.’
‘Justin is the guy every girl wants, Stace. I can’t believe he even noticed me, let alone chose me to be his girlfriend.’
With his golden looks, charismatic personality and old-school money, Justin had been the undisputed king of the school. When he’d first taken an interest in her, Emilia had been dazzled by his flattery and attention. She had willingly become the perfect girlfriend, always by his side, never stealing the limelight. It was only recently she’d begun to notice how self-centred and needy he was. But if sometimes she felt a little trapped, she refused to dwell on it. She was lucky to have him; lucky someone so special wanted her. And when they went to Stanford University together in the Fall, everything was going to be perfect.
‘That’s what he wants you to think. But it’s not true.’ Having said her piece, Stacey moved onto a safer topic. ‘So, do you think we’ll be able to play tennis in these ridiculous outfits?’
*
Seb watched the girls pass through the security gate and disappear from view. Pulling out his mobile, he called a mechanic friend who owed him a favour and arranged to meet him back at Emilia’s car in half an hour.
On the drive back to where he’d picked the girls up, he contemplated the scary observation Stacey had made about Emilia and him. She wasn’t wrong, at least not from his end. He’d known within an hour of meeting Emilia that she was going to cause him all kinds of grief, so he’d done his best to stay away from her as much as possible. His relationship with David made that difficult sometimes, but he’d made it his mission to ensure she never saw anything good in him.
He could have kicked himself earlier when he’d inadvertently admitted he thought she was beautiful. It had slipped out. Not so surprising considering his brain kind of turned to mush when he was around her. It was just his testosterone taking over though. He wanted to sink his hands into that gorgeous mass of chestnut hair and devour her lush lips, but that was all. Feelings had nothing to do with it.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to realise the effect she had on him and she didn’t think enough of herself to even contemplate her attraction. He was grateful, too, for the boyfriend, who prevented Seb from foolishly acting on his attraction to her. Although the guy was a first class jerk and Seb had never been able to understand what Emilia saw in him. That Justin hadn’t come to her rescue today proved his point. What kind of guy would leave his girl stranded on the side of the road for some other guy to take care of? If Emilia were his, he’d have been there like a shot, thrilled at the chance to rescue her.
His mind shied away from the direction it was heading. He wasn’t capable of saving anyone, not even himself. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he was relieved to see Aiden’s Ute pulling up behind him.
Three hours later, Emilia’s car was good as new and parked in the driveway of her house. Seb sat for a while taking in the details of the outside façade of the Delcourt residence. He had a thing for old homes and theirs was one of his favourites. A three storey Georgian, it sat regally at the front of the property. When David had bought it, he’d hired an architect who specialised in genuine period restorations, trying to remain as faithful to the building’s historical context as possible. Seb was familiar enough with the inside of the house to know the restoration had been successful. It was a subtle blend of modern features and appliances with the old world charm and character of the Georgian period.
Since David still wasn’t home, Seb made his way back to his apartment. He tried to focus on ESPN. But he was restless and distracted. He prowled around the apartment, unable to get the idea out of his head that Emilia needed him tonight… which was ridiculous. It had barely been dark for half an hour, the night was still young and there was absolutely no reason for him to be concerned.
He checked his phone again, but there was no message from her asking for a pick up. And there wouldn’t be, he knew. If he hadn’t answered her home phone today, she never would have called him for help. They didn’t have that kind of relationship, because he’d made sure they didn’t.
As midnight approached, Seb had had enough of himself. He tossed the TV remote down, gathered up his keys and wallet and headed down to the underground garage. He’d go and sit outside the gates at the Halvorsten’s and wait. Emilia wouldn’t need to know he was there, but at least he’d be able to watch out for her and make sure she got safely into a taxi. Then he should be able to go home and stop thinking about her.
