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She walked back toward e, and looked ready to fight Though I doubt she'd risk breaking one of her perfectlya punch

“Listen, believe what you want,” I said, “but Sebastian is a good man He offered me this job as his assistant as a favor to my father –o ahead and throw your little tantru like a fool here, not us We're enjoying a work lunch, which is so people who have jobs do sometimes Not like you'd know”

I sat back down in my seat without another word, and the entire restaurant reet all of that offhis head as if I'd surprised him Hell, I'd surprisedif I said it hadn't felt good

Jessicaattention I was too busy staring into Sebastian's eyes, tryingthat had just happened

It didn't work We both started giggling like idiots at our fancy sushi lunch Jessica made her way out of the restaurant in a huff Sebastian and I had our moment and it felt like ere the only two people in the entire restaurant for the rest of our lunch

“Bali, huh?” ht “Seems a little fast, don't you think?”

“Well, I a “I'd say it's not too strange for me to accompany him on business trips It just so happens his business takes him to some exotic places It’s a nice little perk for me”

“I suppose so,”her lips

My row up into an older version of her, right down to the way she wore her hair pulled back into tight little buns But now, as I grew into ht look alike, ere totally different women

“I'ushed “To work for Sebastian? To go to Bali and wherever else this job ined this fordad would have wanted for me”

My mom sipped her wine and listened as I continued to talk about the job Every once in a while, she'd nod her head or smile and say, “That's nice,” between bites of her kale salad But was she really listening? I couldn't be sure She wasn't interested in this life The business world had beenMy mom was simply meant to be a housewife

And since dad's passing, she seeone That hy I spent soher that she still hadabout my life, even when it was clear she wasn't entirely interested in all the little details Not the way dad would have been at least

“Sounds like you and Sebastian really hit it off,”an eyebrow

“Yeah,” I said, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks “He's fantastic I've always adet to see hiood friends He's a great guy, and smart too”

“Uh huh,”attime “So, you admire him? Is that all?”