Page 49 of Mr. Aster
“I like this side of you,” I said bluntly. “You should go out with Jim more often and constantly drink tequila.”
“I like feeling like this,” he answered. “I haven’t felt this loosened up in quite some time. I don’t think it was really dinner or the booze,” he said, staring at his glass. “Maybe you and your parents are just affecting me.”
“Ah,” I chuckled. “So, our hippie ways have helped you soften up some?”
“I might even name my next child Darcel,” he laughed. “Seriously, where did the name come from?”
“Since you and I are getting along, and you seem a bit genuine about being nice for the first time since I’ve met you, I’ll answer.”
“Go on,” he said, smiling as if I had some unique reason my mom had named me after a monkey she’d adopted in Asia.
“Well, the reason for the name is far more embarrassing than the name itself.”
He licked his lips in humor, and I shouldn’t have felt anything when he did, but I found the gesture highly attractive.
“My mom was living in Thailand after pretty much running away from home,” I said, eyeing him and making sure he wasn’t going to smart off. “So, after meeting my folks, you can understand why both were considered black sheep in their families?”
“Right, I wasn’t going to ask about their families, but more so how your mother came up with the name?”
“Why do you care so much?” I asked, wanting off this topic.
“Because you hate it so very much, and frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever met or heard of anyone with the name. Darcy, yes, quitecommon. But Darcel? No. Usually, people’s personalities match their names, but you seem quite the opposite of your name.”
“Because I don’t see it as my name,” I answered.
“What made your mother choose it?”
I inhaled deeply, knowing I would regret this, but unable to resist because of the handsome, lighter expression of the man sitting across from me. Everything was attractive about him right now—his humor, his intrigue with my stupid name, all of it. It was not a side of him I’d seen or believed could exist.
I tipped back the last of the tequila, sighed, and stared at him. Our eyes locked, and his were filled with humor. “Allow me to pour you another glass because part of me believes this story will never be told unless you are half-drunk.”
“That’s the damn truth,” I answered, holding my glass for him to pour more booze into it and more for him.
“Take a shot, and then just let it fly,” he laughed.
I did, feeling it go straight to my head, giving me the liquid courage to spit it out.
“If I tell you this, and you laugh?”
“Oh, I’m quite confident I’m going to laugh because I’m already finding it humorous to watch these cute expressions play out on your face in fear of telling me.”
I strummed my fingers on the rim of my glass and tightened my lips in concentration, “Fine. My mom named me after a monkey. She adopted it in Thailand and couldn’t bring it back to the States when she had to move back home.”
Sebastian’s reaction was not what I expected from a man known for being stiff and rigid. He’d spit his drink back into his glass and was wiping the moisture from his chin with the back of his hand, lost in the most joyous laugh I’d ever heard.
I sat in silence, holding back a smile as Sebastian tried not to howl with laughter. But the harder he tried to contain himself, the harder he laughed. Tears streamed from the corner of hiseyes as he tried to catch his breath, and I was shocked the man was so lost in humor.
“It’s notthatfunny,” I said, laughing at his reaction.
“No,” he said, shaking his head and making a solid effort to silence his humor, “it’s not.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to compose himself. “Oh, my God. Wow. You’re named after a fucking monkey?”
“If youeveruse this against me? Ever…” I paused, watching him laugh more and starting to regret telling him, “I will cut your dick off.”
He gathered himself well enough to arch a sexy eyebrow at me. “Oh, isthatthe excuse you need to finally do what you’ve wanted since you met me?”
“Perhaps. I think you know me well enough by now to know that I’m always a step ahead of you to ensure you don’t fuck with me.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” he said, and though he didn’t laugh, I could see the effort not to was written all over his face. “A monkey? Was your mom high or something?”
