Filed to story: Once Upon a One Night Mistake Book PDF Free by Simone Shirazi
“I’ll take that as a no.” He sighed, shaking his head as he tapped something on his phone. He snuck a few disbelieving glances in Taliana’s direction as he lifted it to his ear and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. “Jude, I know you just left, but I’m going to need you to go shopping later… No, not for me, for Stick Girl. She’s a mess.”
“Hey!”
Sebastian ignored her protest. “Just make sure you pick out a few nice things for her, all right? I think she wears a size-” He paused, taking a moment to look her over. “Jesus, I don’t think she’s any bigger than a size zero.”
“I’m a two, actually,” Taliana huffed.
This time he rolled his eyes but relayed the correction to Jude before hanging up and turning back to her. “Look, if you’re going to be posing as my girlfriend, you have to dress well.”
“I? do dress well.”
Sebastian didn’t buy it. “From what I gather, when you’re not wearing a uniform, you dress like a disaster.”
Taliana wanted to tell him he was wrong, but unfortunately, what he said was true. “Asshole,” she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t see why I have to change the way I dress.”
He let out an annoyed groan before looking back to his phone, taking a moment to scroll through it before shoving it into her hands.
“That’s my family,” Sebastian revealed as Taliana focused on the photo on the screen. “As soon as they discover I’m dating someone new, they’re going to want to meet you. It doesn’t matter that this is fake. Plus, they need to get the message that Blair and I are done for good.”
“Okay…” She shrugged. “So?”
“So, you’ll have to seem like a girl I’d actually date and someone who would fit in with us.” He motioned to the impeccably dressed, aristocratic people in the photo. “You can’t do that if your normal attire consists of sweatpants and grease-stained t-shirts.”
Had he been through her closet or something? “But they’re? comfortable .”
“Save it, Stick Girl.”
Taliana pouted and looked back at the picture. Sebastian was easy to pick out with his trademark smirk and mysterious glint in his dark blue eyes. To his left was a haughty preteen who must have been one of his sisters, and on her lap was a precious little girl. “I didn’t know you had sisters.”
His lips curled into a fond smile. “Lacey and Eleanor.”
Taliana’s gaze then went to the devastatingly handsome boy on Sebastian’s right. His colorful outfit stood out amongst the sea of navy, but he wore it well. If that wasn’t enough to alert her to the fact he was absolutely dripping with confidence, the smirk he wore was just an added bonus. It was, in fact, the same smirk Sebastian had, making them look eerily similar. The two could have easily passed for twins if it hadn’t been for the older sibling’s brown eyes and wavy hair.
“You two look so much alike,” Taliana said. “No wonder Blair went after him.”
Sebastian seemed less than amused by the comment. “Watch it.”
“At least I’m not taunting you about it,” she shot back. “I could say so much more if I wanted to get you back for what you did to me.”
“You already did,” he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes so she could see the cut. “And you didn’t have to say a single word.”
Taliana couldn’t help but smirk. “I mean, they do say actions speak louder than words.”
The look he gave her said it all.
“Yeah,” she laughed. “I hate you too.”
15
Love Overboard
Taliana had seen a fair share of boats in her short seventeen years, but nothing compared to Oakley White’s massive yacht.
Though she and Sebastian were standing a good distance away from the chrome-and-white monstrosity, it was clear this thing could probably hold half of Trinity’s student body. Whoever this guy was, he obviously had tons of money.
“Impressive, right?” Sebastian said, glancing at Taliana as she took in the sight in front of them. “I’ve been to plenty of parties on this thing and all of them were amazing. I promise you’ll have fun tonight.”
“I’m guessing this kid knows how to throw a party then,” she murmured in awe, still staring at the aptly named
Big Bertha . “Don’t tell me this is his boat.”
“Of course not,” Sebastian scoffed. “It’s his father’s, but Oakley is the only one who uses it.”
“How do you even know him?”
“He went to Trinity, graduated two years ago, and now he’s off at Georgetown University, so don’t be surprised if there are college kids here.”
“Maybe I’ll get to hit on some cute older guys,” Taliana joked, tugging on the hem of the red dress Jude had shown up on her doorstep with that afternoon.
Sebastian gently knocked her hand away with a scowl. “Stop doing that. It’s annoying as hell.”
“So are you,” she shot back, knowing it was a weak insult, but she was too nervous to come up with anything better. “Do you know exactly who’s going to be here tonight?”
Sebastian shrugged.
“Okay, to be more specific: do you think
Blair is going to be here?” Taliana wasn’t exactly keen on running into her tonight. Or ever again.
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” he grumbled, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “She has connections to everyone in this city.”
“How?”
“Through her father. Amir knows a lot of important people because of his business. They all prefer to stay on his good side, so they’re quick to do things for his daughter.”
Taliana couldn’t help but snort. “That sounds like something out of a bad mob movie. I thought the Persian mafia was all make believe.”