“Good for you,” the blond-haired man replied.
Tom gaped at them. “Do you twoknoweach other?”
Both his mother and the blond-haired man looked up at him.
“Why darling, how rude of me,” Marnie said. “This is Sebastian, one of your wedding planners. Of course, you missed him yesterday because of your little mishap.”
Sebastian.Something that felt a little like unease ran through Tom, the hint of a memory pushing up, and he paused.
“Little mishap,” he repeated slowly. “You mean, when the plane I was flying crashed out of the sky.”
“Don’t dramatize it, Tom,” his mother replied with a sigh. “Gliding a light plane into a field is hardly ‘crashing out of the sky’.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you.” Sebastian stood, extending a smooth hand towards him. Tom took it, shaking it liberally.
“My, my,” Sebastian said, “that’s a strong arm you have there, isn’t it? You must be a healthy, fertile type. Are you?”
Tom stared at him. Did this man honestly just ask him if he was healthy and fertile? “I’m, um, sorry?”
Sebastian gave a small laugh. “No, goodness me, how rude I am today.”
“It’s fine,” Tom replied, relaxing slightly. “I just—”
“I’m talking through a mouthful of coffee. Do forgive me. I asked, are you the healthy and fertile type?”
Tom waited for the punchline, because this man could not beserious. “I’m going to go and get Sasha,” he said by way of reply.
“You’ve got about an hour before brunch, darling,” his mother said. “The salmon has been freshly smoked.”
“Salmon, what a lovely choice,” Sebastian said smoothly. “Very good for the prostate, is salmon. Just in case you have any trouble in that area, Tom. Do you? Have trouble in that area?”
“I’m going to take a shower and get Sasha,” Tom said again. He turned to his mother. “And then we’re going to talk.”
* * *
At brunch, Sasha threw her arms around Sebastian like they were the best of friends, before taking her seat next to Tom and helping herself to a large glass of water.
“No food for me today,” she said easily. “I want to be skinny for my first fitting with Luis De León.”
“You’re already a rake, darling,” Sebastian gushed. “But have some wine, if nothing else. It’s your wedding dress, which is worth celebrating.”
“I will, but not too much, I don’t want to get woozy,” Sasha replied, and Tom watched as Sebastian filled her glass.
“A little champagne now and then is good for the body and soul, I always say,” Sebastian replied, before his eyes drifted from Sasha to Tom. “Unless you have some form of erectile dysfunction?”
“No,” Tom answered shortly. “And I will take a glass. A large one.”
“Large, just like you,” Sebastian remarked. “How did a man like you come from a tiny thing like your mother?”
Marnie smiled. “Well, his father was a tall man.”
“Ah, that would explain it.”
Tom sat back, watching Sebastian cut his fish into small pieces on his plate.
“So,” Tom cleared his throat. “You’re the wedding planner?”
“One of them,” Sebastian replied easily. “Ari’s gone to pick up Luis for Sasha’s dress fitting. He had some car trouble on the way here.”
