“Awesome! As for shopping, if you can’t think of a store, let’s go to my favorite. Is that cool?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sending you the address right now.”
Chapter 45
Lucienne
Sebastian takes me on a gorgeous picnic in Napa for our second date. I tilt my head to feel the warm sun and the cool breeze. The silky green backless halter top and pale blue jeans Yuna and I picked out during our shopping spree are perfect for the outing.
“That feels so good,” I whisper, then lie back on the blanket.
“I’m still shocked you’ve never been up here.”
“Never had any time.”
He pops a small piece of camembert into my mouth. It pairs well with the dry Riesling. Out of the ten different vintages, I think this one’s my favorite. He seems to notice, because he pours me more of it. Then he lifts my head and slips his knee underneath so I can prop myself up enough to sip the cool wine.
It puts my head on his lap, and my heart does another weird cartwheel, but I decide what the hell. It feels too good and comfortable, and I don’t want to move, especially when he’s massaging my scalp. He has a surprisingly gentle touch that melts away all the tension and helps me relax.
“This is the first time I’ve really had time to just do what I want,” I say. “I struggled for so long, like one of those salmon swimming upriver. Except at the end, I had nothing to show for it.”
“That’s Bianca’s fault.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t getting tired. You’re going to go all the way with her lawsuit, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He hesitates. “Do you want me to call it off?”
“No. You should do what you want. I’m not going to worry about what happens to her. Life’s too short.”
“I’m making examples of the three—her, Roderick and Darren. After this, nobody’ll screw with you at Peery Diamonds.”
“Why do you want me back there? You don’t need me to get Hae Min’s cooperation.”
“This isn’t about them. It’s about you.” He picks up my hand and kisses the fingertips. The soft brush of his lips sends shivers all over my body. “I like seeing you relaxed and happy, but I also like seeing you fulfilled through your work. I want you to be in charge of Peery Diamonds if that’s what you want. I want you to have a chance to do everything you want to do there without someone getting in your way.”
He just knows,I realize, my belly fluttering. I never said a word, but he knows.
“If you decide that being the CEO isn’t what you want after all, then of course you should pursue something else. And I’ll be behind you one hundred percent. But you shouldn’t have been forced out like that. Everyone deserves a fair shot. I want you to have yours.”
“What if I tell you that I don’t want to be the CEO at all? Then what?”
He shrugs. “Then nothing. I’ll work with Karen and Hae Min myself. You can do”—he waves a hand in the air—“whatever.”
“And Bianca? And Roderick and Darren?”
“I imagine they’ll end up in jail. They need to pay for what they did.”
Then I realize something else. “What happened to Karl and Vonnie?” They should’ve been the first to pound on my door, not Bianca.
Sebastian smiles. “Karl doesn’t have the bandwidth to bother you, since the casino he owes money to is anything but happy. Apparently, the owner is furious, especially since Karl tried to hit on his baby sister. As for Vonnie, I’m guessing it’s a combination of not wanting to honor the bet she lost and seeing what I’m doing to her father. If she so much as looks at you wrong, I’m going to destroy her, and she knows it.”
His tone contains a firm finality—all the drama involving those two is permanently over.
“All those people are trash in your life, Luce,” he adds. “Let me take them out for you.”
“What if you throw out all my trash and tidy up my life, but I don’t invite you back in?” I say, curious precisely what he’s expecting in return. I just can’t believe he’s doing all this just to get me back.
