Page 27 of The Bitter Rival

Feeling my ire rise, I make my way to the bar for a drink to shift my mood.Damn, Sam. Looking over the oversized kitchen island at the steaks, I add some seasoning and place them back inside the fridge next to a salad my chef had previously prepared to await Nick and Kat. Reaching for some foil, I wrap the potatoes and head toward the grill.

Sipping my scotch, I relax into the Adirondack chair by my outdoor kitchen and look around. I’m damn lucky to have this life. I have everything a thirty-seven-year-old could ask for. A nice home, a nice car, a great job, and the ability to travel wherever I like. So why had this recent sojourn to Bali left me feeling more flat than the trips of the past?

“Anybody home?”

Jumping to my feet, I turn and see Nick and his bride at the front door. “Come on in. You guys never need to knock.” Greeting Kat with a kiss to the cheek and a slap to Nick’s shoulder, I usher them inside. Walking behind them toward the great room, I notice they’re holding hands.Could anyone really have that kind of relationship with someone, still wanting all of that after the honeymoon ended?

“Spuds are on the grill. There’s a salad in the fridge, and I’ll throw the steaks on in about ten to fifteen. You want a beer?”

“Sure, I’ll take one,” Nick answers. Turning behind him to peruse the fridge, he asks Kat what she’d like.

“Oh, I’m sticking with water. I think I’ll have enough alcohol later.”

“Just don’t overdo it,” Nick scolds. “I don’t need to hear tales about the Dirty Librarian at work next week.

Almost choking on the sip of scotch that has just landed on my tongue, I look to the two in front of me for clarification. “Um, what’s that?”

“Let’s just say the nickname Katarina’s friends have given her for the way she dances isn’t that far off the mark,” Nick explains to Kat’s chagrin.

“Okay, okay. It’s not that bad.” Kat crosses her arms, bright pink cheeks reflecting her embarrassment. “How was Bali?”

“Ah, I see what you did there,” I tease. “It was beautiful. It was exactly what I needed. You’d love the resort.”

“Well, after hooking us up with the resort in Antigua and Barbados for our honeymoon, I’ll take your word for it. You know how to travel,” Nick replies.

“So, Sebastian. When are you going to start taking someone with you?” Kat asks coyly.

“What do you mean?”

“These places are gorgeous, tropical destinations. So romantic. And you go alone.”

“I go to relax and get myself centered. If I brought a woman, I have a feeling I’d feel the complete opposite.”

“Why is that?” She prods.

“Katarina. I’m not relationship material. And the older I get, the more set in my ways I am. I haven’t been in a relationship with a woman in twenty years.”

“Don’t you ever get lonely,” she asks, leaning into Nick and resting her cheek against his shoulder.

“Sure, sometimes.” I take another sip of my scotch, wondering how this conversation became about me. “I get what I need and move on. It’s all I’m capable of. Besides, who needs to ruin a relaxing, tropical getaway worried about entertaining someone else? I can find the cure to loneliness anywhere.” I wink.

Kat rolls her eyes and shakes her head before reaching for her water.

“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit, Bas. You’re not your parents,” Nick bites back. There’s a hint of irritation in his tone. “I hate to see you give up before you’ve even tried.”

“Has there ever been anyone you thought you could date?” Kat asks, taking a sip from her water and watching me with bated breath.

“Maybe when I was young. But, that ended badly, and so I chose not to repeat that mistake in the future.”

“Awe, come on, Sebastian. You said it yourself. It’s been twenty years. Don’t you think you could give it another try?” Kat pushes.

How had this conversation even started? “Sure. If I find someone worth taking the risk, I’ll let you know,” I toss back cynically. “Now, do me a favor and grab those steaks, will ya?”

Fortunately, the evening’s conversation moves away from my love life, or lack thereof, and instead on lake living, Grace’s development, and my idiot brother. Apparently, Nick and Kat had unknowingly met him when visiting my family’s vineyard on a date some time back. Kat laughed at the memory of that evening, explaining how she thought I’d picked up a side hustle when she saw him. “The resemblance between the two of you is unbelievable.”

“It’s getting that time,” Nick announces, looking at his watch. “I’ve got to get Kat to the club. You still up for another beer?”

“Hell yeah. Why don’t I get Charlie to drop Kat off so you can kick back?”

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