The Wedding Plan

Chapter 16

'I've come to terms with it. Most days, at least. I'm still getting used to it.'

'I don't think you should feel like that.'

'And why is that?'

'Yes, it was given to you. But if you look back, you can see how much you improved the company. How far you have taken it. You did that. You could've ruined it, and yet you didn't.'

'You should listen to your own words.'

She showed him a timid but honest smile.

'Changing the subject. So, since you are going to spend so much time with me, I'm assuming you don't have a boyfriend. Otherwise, I doubt he would be pleased with this situation. At least I know I wouldn't be if I had to share you with another man.'

Eleanor turned as red as tomato and almost spit out her drink.

'Is work taking that much space in your life that you don't have time to meet new people, or is it a personal choice?'

'Personal choice.' She hid her face with the mug as she tried to drink another sip.

'Really?'

She nodded. 'I just want to focus on myself and work.'

'But aren't you depriving yourself of other things?'

'What other things?'

'Love for an instance.'

'Look who's talking.'

'Fair enough,' he said with a smirk. 'But you are younger than me.'

'You are not that much older. Besides, I don't see any gray hairs yet. You still have time. Not that there is a right time for it.'

'Just don't make the same mistakes I did just because of a career. It's not worth it, trust me on that.'

'But wouldn't be easier for you to date someone? Instead of asking a stranger to attend a wedding with you?'

'It's not that I don't want to date, it's just that I don't have the time or the patience right now to do it. I don't think that I would be able, as of right now, to commit to someone and to give them the attention that they deserve. There's no point in doing it if I won't be able to do it properly.'

'But,' she stopped herself from saying the rest.

'If you are going to ask about the gossip that tends to surround my name, I'll only say this. Don't believe in everything you read.'

She nodded and showed him a timid smile.

'My life has been a mess since I replaced my dad, believe me when I said that I'm not in the right mind space to date right now.'

Eleanor looked at nothing as she held her mug with both hands.

'Aren't you lonely, though?' she asked out loud, without noticing it.

Sebastian blinked a few times. Is it that obvious? He questioned. And why does she keep on bringing tough subjects?

'Sometimes.'

She raised her head, and her eyes met his. She got immediately flustered when she realized he had answered her.

Their conversation went towards a dangerous road. Both had issues they were working on, and now they knew about each other's troubles. That brought them closer, but also made them feel vulnerable, and neither of them knew how to deal with that.

'Have dinner with me tomorrow.'

'Why?'

He wanted to say, because I don't feel lonely around you, but that felt too corny, inappropriate, and out of character, so he went for a more logical explanation. Well, logical was only an appropriate word due to their odd circumstances.

'I want to know more about you. I mean, I need to know more if we want this to work.'

'Sure. Where do we meet?'

As he predicted, she assumed that his explanation was a reasonable and a normal excuse for them to meet, thanks to their situation.

'I'll be out all day in meetings, but I'll have a car picking you up.'

'That's unnecessary.'

'Eleanor. It's the least I can do, please.'

They both looked at the plate and there was only one cookie left. They had been eating them nonstop without even noticing it.

They smiled at each other, and both reached for it at the same time. Sebastian grabbed her hand. As Eleanor felt the warmth of his hand around her, she could not help but to notice how big his hand was compared to hers. But even so, he grabbed her gently as her hand fitted perfectly in his.

'Come on. Be a gentleman and give me the last one.' She looked away in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

'Playing the gentleman card? Fine, you can have it.'

Eleanor meticulously broke the cookie. She tried to make both halves as symmetrical as she could.

'We should go back to work.'

She gave him his half of the cookie.

He sighed, as he would much rather spending the afternoon at the café in her company.

'Yes, we should.'