Page 14 of Perfect Night

Before he could offer a rebuttal, the waiter arrived with their drinks and took their food order. Sebastian hadn’t looked at the menu, but it was a French brasserie, so he couldn’t go wrong with steak. Twice in as many days, but he needed protein, and Bex didn’t need to know. She was on some red meat crusade at the moment, but it didn’t stop her from eating other animals.Sebastian had enjoyed taking her husband out to a steakhouse. It was like a dirty secret between them, although Martin would be in far more trouble than Sebastian if Bex found out.

“I think I just lost my soulmate,” he blurted out.

A huge grin appeared on Patrick’s face.

“What’s his name?”

“Charlie, and he’s twenty-seven.”

“Hot!”

“Really?”

“What do you expect me to say? I was with the same man for ten years. I have to live vicariously through my friends, and you’re the only one who’s still single.”

“Thanks for that. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I won’t see him again.”

“Why not?”

“He left before I woke up.”

“Brewer’s droop?”

“Excuse me? I fucked him three times.”

Of course, that was the exact time the waiter appeared to replenish their water glasses. He gave a slight smirk but didn’t comment. The noise of the water pouring into the glass was unbearably loud in the deathly silence. Sebastian looked up at Patrick, who was struggling not to crack up laughing, which he did as soon as the waiter left.

“It’s not funny.”

“Oh, it is. I’ve known you thirty-seven years and never seen you this flustered. You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I know it’s stupid after one night, but I’ve never had that instant connection with anyone.”

“Even ‘he who must not be named’?”

Sebastian smiled at the reference. He thought about his time with Brandon. Not the horrific way it ended, but the start, when things had been amazing.

“Honestly, I don’t think I ever felt this way about him.”

“Fuck. Have you told Bex?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, she’d be out buying a hat. What am I supposed to do?”

“I know better than anyone that you can’t ignore it. Tell me about him. You can leave out the ‘three times’ part. I can fill in the gaps myself when I’m alone later.”

“You’re an arsehole,” Sebastian said, smiling. Patrick shrugged, unbothered.

Sebastian then told Patrick all about his night with Sebastian. How they’d met, and everything until he’d woken up alone.

They enjoyed their lunch. The steak was perfectly cooked, and with their stomachs satisfied, Patrick had a suggestion.

“What time is your flight tomorrow?”

“Midday, why?”

“Let’s go out tonight, to the bar where you met Charlie.”

“Why? You hate going into Soho.”

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