“But don’t you have…” I grasp around for the right words. “I don’t know, plants that need to be watered? A cat that needs to be fed? A girlfriend that needs to be…” I trail off, realizing I kind of backed myself into a corner with that one.
“Oh please, finish that sentence.” Seb’s face is curled into a lascivious grin.
I swat at him. “But seriously.”
“Seriously,” he repeats. “No plants, no cat, no girlfriend—except a fake one, apparently.” I swat him again, but this time, he grabs my hand, pressing a kiss to it before placing it back in my lap. It feels much the same as when his lips were againstmine earlier today—soft, familiar, but devoid of the electricity that used to crackle between us. Back then, a kiss from Sebastian could set my whole body on fire. Now, it was just a pleasant warmth, a comfortable ember instead of a raging inferno.
“Honestly, Sybil,” he continues, “I don’t even really have an apartment right now. My place in Tokyo is on a long-term sublet, so I was planning to crash on my buddy’s couch back in New York for a bit. But this”—he slides down the headboard, nestling into one of the fluffy down pillows—“this is much comfier.”
I give his shoulder a hard shove. “Oh no. Don’t even think about it.”
He closes his eyes, a dreamy smile on his face. “Shh… it’s sleepy time.”
“It’s barely eight a.m.”
“Fine, fine.” He pulls himself up and off the bed. “Guess I should go back down to the lobby and get myself a room of my own.”
“You didn’t even book a room?” I’m all for winging it, but even I draw the line at arriving at a destination without booking accommodations first.
Seb waves a dismissive hand, apparently completely unbothered that he hasn’t secured a place to sleep tonight. “I’m sure they’ll have something. If not, I’ll figure it out.”
Those four words are classic Seb. Classic me, too—especially back when we were together. Seb and I were always “figuring it out.” Half the time, things worked out as perfectly as if we had planned them. The other half? Well, we came away with a great story to tell our friends.
Seb begins to walk toward the hotel room door, and I follow alongside to see him out.
“How long are you staying for?” I ask when we reach the threshold.
“I guess it depends.” He pauses, leaning his back against the frame of the open door.
“Depends on what?”
“On how long my services are needed.”
“Services?”
“As your fake boyfriend,” Seb clarifies. His alley-cat grin is back.
“Oh.” I laugh, looking away. “You don’t have to—”
“Come on, let me have my fun. How long is what’s-his-name going to be here?”
I roll my eyes. “I know you know his name. Jamie said he’s leaving tomorrow.”
“Great. I’ll stay until then too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Two days at one of Hawaii’s top resorts, servicing a beautiful woman? Sounds like paradise.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “There will be no servicing of any kind.”
“Are you sure? Don’t you want to make things convincing for Jimmy?”
“Jamie. And no. I mean, yes, I do. If you don’t mind pretending—”
“I don’t.”
“—but just, like, holding hands and stuff. If we happen to run into them—”
