Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
The observant Dominic noticed the tension in his boss’s frame.
Attempting a redirection, he said, “Boss, we’re going to run late for the lunch meeting.”
“Cancel it,” Sebastian said, eyes never leaving the pavement.
“Reschedule.”Dominic wisely chose silence over protest.
He made the call, uttered an appropriate apology, hung up, glanced back.
Sebastian was still staring out the window.
The pair on the street weren’t in a hurry. Looked like Finnigan was escorting her back to her office.
“Dominic,” Sebastian said.
“There’s a restaurant there. Get out. Order takeaway. Quick.”The car pulled over.
Dominic, still not entirely sure what Sebastian was plotting, did as told.
Five minutes later, he returned with a paper bag and several unanswered questions.
“Gino, circle round. Beat them to Nyx Collective.”The driver took a side street.
In under a minute, they were parked in front of her building.
Sebastian stepped out with the takeaway bag.
People recognised him instantly. A few brave souls made tentative moves, hoping for a word, a handshake.
But Sebastian’s body language screamed “leave me the hell alone.”He was.
A few minutes later, Eleanor and Finn appeared.
She froze. Surprise gave way to confusion as she walked up.
“What are you doing here?”The impeccable suit and the paper bag looked incongruous.
“I’m bringing you lunch, sweetheart.”She blinked.
“What?”Her eyes, already big, widened to comical proportions.
“It’s a surprise, honey.” He slid an arm round her waist, pulling her close as he turned to Finn.
“Hello.
A polished smile accompanied his outstretched hand.
“You must be Finnigan. My wife talks a lot about you. Says you’re a great lawyer.”Finn blinked like a mudskipper suddenly tossed onto land. He hesitated, then shook Sebastian’s hand.
“Uh… yeah. Hello.” His gaze darted to Eleanor.
“Wait… you’re married?”Eleanor squirmed. Sebastian’s arm didn’t budge.
“Yeah,” she muttered.
“Sort of.”Sebastian smoothly cut in, “Been a while now, actually.” Forty-eight days and counting.
He held Finn’s gaze. The edge in his look wasn’t even trying to hide.
Eleanor threw him a quick, questioning glance.
Finn looked like he had a thousand questions.
“Honey?” Sebastian prompted.
“Aren’t you going to do the honours?”
“What? Oh. Right.” She cleared her throat.
“This is Finn Carter, college friend, also the lawyer who helped me with my case. And this is… Sebastian Laurent. My, um, husband.”Sebastian lifted the takeaway bag.
“T’d have brought more if I knew you were joining us.”
“That’s fine,” Finn managed.
“We’ve eaten.”
“We?”
“Elean and I just had lunch.”
“Oh, I see.”Silence.
The three of them stood in an awkward tableau, with pedestrians thronging around them.
Finn looked at Sebastian’s arm still firmly locked around Eleanor’s waist, then read the message in his eyes.
Realisation dawned.
He’d missed his chance.
“I need to get back to the firm,” he muttered.
“We’ll get that coffee some other time, Elean. Nice meeting you, Mr Sebastian.”
“You too, Mr Carter,” Sebastian said.
Eleanor nodded, distracted.
“Take care.”Once Finn was gone, she turned to him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Bringing you lunch, like I said.”
“You never do that.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”People were staring. Eleanor squirmed out of his arm. This time, he let go.
“I’ve eaten.”
“I heard. Bad timing on my part. My meeting was nearby. I thought we could share a meal.”
“You haven’t eaten?”
“No.”
“Well.” She pointed to the bag in his hand.
“Go ahead.” She glanced around.
“Do you want to come up to my office? Or there’s a coffee place across the street.”
“Is that the place where you planned to “get coffee” with Mr Carter?”
“What? You mean he said… Oh, um, I don’t know, maybe this is the place he meant, or some other place. I didn’t get the chance to find out.”
“Would you like to?”
“Like to what?”To find out. From Mr Carter”Eleanor squinted at him.
“You are acting weird.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Well.” He took her hand and began walking.
“It’s crowded here. La “And a car’s not crowded?” She huffed, but followed him anyway.
“To find out. From Mr Carter.”Eleanor squinted at him.
“You are acting weird.”
“Am 1?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Well.” He took her hand and began walking.
“It’s crowded here. Let’s get in the car.”
“And a car’s not crowded?” She huffed, but followed him anyway.
The car wasn’t crowded at all.
Gino and Dominic had long since made themselves scarce.
Sebastian sat with the takeaway bag beside him. He lowered the temperature in the car until the faint flush on Eleanor’s cheeks subsided.
The windows had a tinted glaze to protect them from prying eyes.
Eleanor removed a bottled water from the minifridge and drank “Is this Carmen’s cooking?” she asked, eyeing the box suspiciously “Yes,” he said absently. A few water droplets had dribbled down her chin. She was licking her lips.
She looked at him.
“You really didn’t have to bring me lunch. There are plenty of places to eat around here. And it’s not exactly on your way.”It wasn’t. Not even close. It was a forty-minute detour with traffic and a minor detonation of his schedule.
But Sebastian hadn’t been thinking logically when he’d spotted her with Finn Carter. Logic had left the building the second he saw that man’s hands on her shoulders.
“I happened to be nearby,” he lied smoothly.
She shrugged.