Page 15 of The Interview

From my boss.

My heart did a weird little skip at the sight of his name, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. Not that calls from Sebastian were bad. They just always contained work.

Please don’t call me back to work. Please don’t call me back to work.

“Hello, sir?”

“Kaylan! Excellent! I’m so glad I reached you. Are you okay?” Sebastian’s panicked voice filled the car.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied slowly. “Is everything okay with you? Do you need me to return to the office?” I winced, biting my bottom lip.Why the fuck did I say that?

“No! No! Everything is fine here. In fact, I’m sending people home. Don’t want them out in this snow.” His voice had returned to its normal light and breezy. “I was just talking to Byron, telling him about how I set you up on a date for Valentine’s Day. He’s very upset with me.”

Kaylan dropped his face into his hand while resting his elbow on the car door. Oh, Lord. Only Sebastian’s assistant Byron had the power to make that man sound wounded. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was the assistant and who was the boss between the two of them.

“Anyway, Byron was telling me I put you in danger by setting you up with this complete stranger. Especially since we know nothing about this Cupid matching system.Hmm…I wonder if I could buy the company and take apart the software. There have got to be other applications for matching people up. If I just?—”

“Sir,” I interrupted. Sebastian could ramble on for hours when a new idea struck him, and I didn’t have hours. I needed to get moving soon, but I was afraid to start for Hyde Park until I knew what he wanted.

“Oh! Right! I’m just calling to make sure that you’re okay, and I didn’t inadvertently place you in the hands of a murderer.”

“No, sir. Arden is not a murderer or a rapist or some otherwise questionable personage threatening my body,” I answered.

“Excellent. That’s very good to hear.” There was a long pause that made my heart squeeze. Air rushed out of me as Sebastian continued, his voice softer and pitched higher. “So…how did the date go? Do you like him? Is he nice? Handsome? Funny? Does he appreciate how smart and efficient you are?”

I caught my laugh behind my teeth and converted it into a low chuckle. It was unlikely Arden appreciated my efficiency the way Sebastian did.

“Arden is very nice and handsome. We had a wonderful date at Krohn Conservatory. He’s a freelance graphic designer and has a great sense of humor. We share many of the same interests.”

“Yes! That’s great! Are you going to see him again? You should have asked him out for dinner! I know many great places. I can call and make you a reservation now.”

What he meant was that he’d shout for Byron andhewould make the reservation, but I appreciated Sebastian’s support and enthusiasm all the same.

“Thank you, sir. Actually, I’m about to grab some takeout before heading to his place.”

“Oh, ho! Going to his place. That—” Sebastian broke off and there was another voice in the background that sounded like Byron. “Yes, yes. You’re quite right,” Sebastian murmured to Byron. “Kaylan, I’ll let you go so you can continue your date. Byron has asked that you text either me or him later this evening so that we know you are home safe.”

My heart stuttered. Sebastian could be flighty and impulsive, but he cared about his employees. I was damn lucky to have this job.

“Yes, sir. I will.”

“Have a wonderful night!” Sebastian crowed and ended the call.

Yes, it’s going to be a very wonderful night.

6

ARDEN

The house wasn’ta total wreck, thankfully. Not the cleanest, either.

After tossing my coat across the couch, I attacked the bedroom. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Kaylan was sending out “fuck me” vibes, and I didn’t want to let him down. That would be rude.

With the bedroom presentable—and maybe condoms and lube placed within easy reach—I tackled the rest of the house. I tossed dirty clothes into the laundry room, chucked dirty dishes into the dishwasher, and ran a rag over the most noticeable surfaces to get rid of the worst of the dust. I’d just given the main rooms a quick spritz of air freshener to remove any old stale odors the second the doorbell rang.

The air freshener was unnecessary. As soon as Kaylan stepped into the house, the delicious scent of pizza sauce and melted cheese wrapped around me. When I dipped my head to steal another kiss, I was blessed with the alluring woodsy scent of Kaylan’s cologne. That was the best combination.

“Hi,” I murmured against his neck.

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