Page 33 of King of Clubs

I had so many questions. So many reasons to stay.

And at that moment I was really glad that I'd called Andy because for a second, I wondered if maybe she was happy to see me too.

Marlee

Chapter Twelve

Hightailing it to my room, I grabbed the wall to avoid tripping over the open suitcase and raced to the mirror.

Shit. Shit. What in the unexpected dinner date was happening?

Hair – luscious as all heck, if I did say so myself – check.

Face – no stray snot or leftover sauce from lunch – check.

Outfit – a little daggy given I wore them to work, but could be worse – check.

Praise be for those small wins because not much else was going for me right about now.

“You had the entire elevator ride to share that little piece of information, Arnabelle, but instead, you spent the time gushing about your new fucking eyebrow gel,” I mumbled as I swiped my finger under each eye and coated my lips in some clear balm.

The only thing saving her from imminent death, was as we walked away from the table she'd told me he invited himself over. Adding that Andy hadn’t ever seen him go out of his way for any other woman before. Both insights which sent my heart thumping quickly in my chest.

And of course before knowing this, I’d gone and blabbered about my day like an excitable child who'd just been gifted their very first toy. I needed to shower, get changed, perhaps put on a bra which pushed the twins up rather than the $4.50 grocery store disaster I was wearing. But dinner was literally ready, so looking at myself one last time and hoping he didn’t mind eye bags, I headed back to the dining table, saggy, sad bra included.

Schooling my features into a mask of indifference, hoping that my giddiness didn't reflect on my face, I headed for the only empty space at the table. The seat right next to the man of the hour. The man who starred in every single one of my dreams since the game last weekend and with the way he was assessing me now, probably would again tonight.

Arna, in the way only a best-friend could, began chattering the second I sat down.

“So Marls, did the new doorman ask you out again or has he finally taken the hint?” She continued eating, not looking up from her plate and I felt Sebastian still next to me.

This bitch.

Putting the salad tongs down, I tried to telepathically tell her I was going to bite into every single piece of liquorice she had in the cupboards. “He actually did. I said no, but I did tell him my name was Arna, sooooo–”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence, my giggles breaking free when Andy’s eyes widened and he choked on his beer. Arna patted him on the back, sheepishly looking my way and calling me a cow, which only made me laugh more.

Sebastian began eating again but I felt his eyes on me and glanced towards him. Amusement laced his expression and while his brows were scrunched, his smile was genuine.

Conversation came easy and I found myself enjoying listening to Seb talk about Nexus. It sounded like the club kept him fairly busy, which made sense. It was one of the more popular places for nightlife and while he was humble in his boasting, he’d mentioned being tired more than a couple of times.

Arna’s phone rang, halting our conversation, Queeny’s name filling the screen and she excused herself from the table.

“Tell Nan I said hi and I'll send her those pictures later,” I called to her retreating form as Andy eyed me with a raised brow.

“Don't ask,” I added. We all knew how hilariously outlandish Queeny was and Andy's face only cemented his assumption that sending pictures to her was never going to be of anything even remotely appropriate. He was of course correct, but I wouldn't confirm nor deny. Queeny was the matriarch of us all and we were her dutiful servants. It would also be self-incriminating to elaborate further given the pictures in question were coming from his phone and were of the unknowing man sitting beside me.

All of which I kept hidden behind spoonfuls of dinner. Thankfully, they moved to talking about what Jay was up to since his retirement. Conveniently allowing me the perfect opportunity to really take Seb in under the guise of listening. I nodded when I felt it was polite, but I was more focused on the way his deep brown facial hair lined his jaw and how large his biceps looked in the long sleeve black shirt he was wearing.

I wondered if I would be able to smell the heady scent that had haunted my being if I leaned in a little closer. If his arms would contract if I gripped his forearms. I occasionally glanced towards Andy so I didn’t give total creep vibes, but I was finding it harder and harder to look away from Sebastian.

I spent my entire hour with Suzie this week discussing what happened at the Hearts game and she was particularly keen to unpack why I hadn’t automatically agreed to dinner let alone reached out in the days since, especially when I’d stated emphatically that I was interested.

To her. Not him. I wasn’t an entirely new woman just yet.

Suzie encouraged me to message him and listened patiently when I expressed fears around trust and the cycle of abuse. She also listened while I rambled about the things I’d heard Andy recount which only attested to someone who was trustworthy and loyal. I recognised the strength I was gaining each day and realised being near Sebastian gave me a determination to start over. I didn’t understand why he was able to get me to want things out of my comfort zone, but he did. And it was something I was keen to explore.

Being around him also made me feel things I hadn’t ever felt and I gazed down to where our thighs were touching, how slight my legs looked next to the thick thighs he had tucked under those pants. I thought about the olive hint to his skin highlighting how pale I was despite trying to chase the sun whenever I could. The buzz which ran through me when his hand accidentally grazed my own or the very noticeable bulge which was casually staring at me from under the table.

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