Page 19 of The Prices We Pay
Thoughts of my past flood my mind on my way to Vittori Enterprises. No matter how many good memories of my past I try to conjure up, the bad ones are right behind. Always casting an ominous cloud over everything good in my life.
It’s not until I walk into my office and see my new laptop sitting on my desk that my racing mind changes gears.
Walking over to it, I find a yellow sticky note stuck to the front of it.
Let Clara know when you’re ready for me. I’m just down in Luca’s office.
-Seb
I pull my glasses out of my bag and set them on top of my head before walking toward my door and peeking my head out. Down the hallway, I see Clara animatedly talking to someone on the phone. She must see me out of the corner of her eye because she shoots me a beaming smile and rushes whateversorry sap it is off the phone. “Hey, sweetie! I didn’t even see you come in!”
“Morning. It’s all right. You looked pretty busy anyway.”
She rolls her eyes at her phone as if it were an actual person, and I can’t help but laugh. “Nothing I can’t handle.” I didn’t doubt that for a second. “You ready for Sebastian? He mentioned that he’d be getting your new computer set up today.”
“Yeah, I’m ready for him.”
She stands from her desk before clapping her hands together. “Oh! Did you see your new coffee bar?”
I peek my head back into my office and look to the other side of the room. Sure enough, there’s a full coffee bar, complete with everything I would need to make the perfect latte and some snacks. As promised, she had the alcohol removed yesterday while I was in my meeting with Elizabeth, for which I was entirely grateful. Looking back at her, I smile softly. “Thank you, Clara. You really are the best.”
“Remind Mr. Vittori of that, will you?”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I will.”
“You go get settled, sweetie. I’ll send Sebastian down to you in just a minute.”
Before I can thank her for what must have been the hundredth time since I’ve met her, she spins and saunters into Luca’s office, her wide hips swaying with sass as she goes.
I fucking love her.
Before the door has a chance to close, I spot Luca sitting at his desk. His dark eyes lock with mine. My skin heats under his gaze, just as it did last night when he found me still working on the floor of my office. I don’t know what the three of them were up to, but I didn’t buy their paintballing story for a second.
But it also wasn’t my place to ask. If they wanted me to know, they would have told me. And honestly… the less I probably know about their personal lives, the better.
Neither of us looks away from one another. Our stare-down only breaks when the door to his office closes.
Not even three minutes later, just as I’ve gotten comfortable at my desk, the closest thing I’ve seen to a real-life Ken doll knocks on the open office door. Sebastian’s bright smile quite literally feels like it brightens up the room.
“Morning. You ready for me?”
I’m honestly not sure.
“Yup! Want a cup of coffee or anything?” I point to the coffee bar across the room.
“I already had one, but I can make you something while you set up a username and password. Like anything particular?”
“You know how to make a latte?”
He shoots me a bemused look. “Joe, if there’s one thing you should know about me, I’m good at just about anything.”
His wink practically gives me heart palpitations, but I cover it up with a laugh. “Cocky much?”
“Not cocky. Just… competent.” He makes his way toward the coffee bar while I try, and fail, not to stare at his ass in the black slacks he’s wearing. When he turns to look at me, I quickly avert my eyes and open my laptop. “Any particular flavor?”
I look back over at him, willing the blush to dissipate from my cheeks. “Vanilla would be amazing. Clara put some oat milk in the fridge.”
The last thing I need is to be sitting next to a man who looks like that while my stomach tries to digest dairy.
