Sebastian looked at his wristwatch and saw it was past 12 pm already. “She should be on her lunch break soon.” He said to himself, staring at the entrance. He heaved a sigh and thought of waiting a few minutes longer. He had promised he wasn’t going to bother her, and he was going to stick to his promise.
He rested his head on the steering and closed his eyes. His stomach grumbled, and he hugged his belly, shutting his eyes tight.
“I haven’t eaten, Stephanie. Please step out.” He prayed silently.
All of a sudden, he heard a knock on his car glass, and he raised his head to see Stephanie. She stood in front of his door with her arms folded under her magnificent twin orbs. He wound down the glass with a large grin on his face.
“What are you still doing here, Sebastian?” She asked before he could utter any words. “Ermm… I was waiting for your lunch break so that I can have lunch with you.”
“Sebastian, you should go back home, okay?” She responded, and he shook his head. “No, Stephanie. Please, just a few minutes. I'm starving, and I won't eat until you have said yes to me. Please can you have lunch with me?” He asked, staring at her face. She looked away and saw her friend, Daniella, grinning stupidly at the entrance of the company.
Sebastian looked in the direction Daniella was, and when he saw her. She quickly looked away. He looked at Stephanie, and he saw she was communicating with Daniella using her eyes.
“I won't waste your time. She can come with us if that is what you want.” Sebastian added, praying she would say yes. She heaved a sigh and looked at him. “I’ll be coming with you because you have been waiting here since morning, and it will be cruel of me to turn you down... But Daniella is coming too. We planned lunch together, and I can't leave her out now.” Stephanie told him.
“Sure!” He bounced his head happily. “I don't mind at all. Thank you,” He uttered, and Stephenie smiled feebly. She looked at Daniella and waved at her.
Daniella’s eyes widened as she saw Stephanie wave and hurried to where they were standing.
“Sebastian, this is Daniella, my good friend. Daniella, Sebastian, my friend.” Stephanie uttered. “Nice to meet you, Daniella.” Sebastian stretched his hand forth to her, and she took it. “Nice to meet you too, Sebastian,” Daniella replied.
Stephanie looked at the screen of her phone and saw it was almost 12:30 pm. “We have to leave now. We have thirty minutes for lunch. We wasted almost thirty minutes already.” She said to them, and Sebastian bobbed.
“You should hop in then.” He grabbed the back door handle and pulled it open so they could enter. Daniella took the lead, while Stephanie followed behind her.
“Won’t you love to sit in the front?” Sebastian asked her, still holding the door to himself. “It’s no different, Sebastian. I'll stay here with Daniella.”
Sebastian bounced his head as he closed the door. He hurried to the driver’s seat and hopped in too. He ignited the engine and drove out of the company’s compound, stealing glances at Stephanie through the interior mirror.
“His car is so cool!” Daniella whispered into Stephanie’s ear, and she nodded. “Yes. But why are you whispering?” Stephanie replied in a whisper, making Daniella giggle.
“I don't know.” Her cheeks reddened as she spoke. Stephanie raised her brows when she noticed her friend was beginning to blush. “What’s going on in that head of yours, hun?” She muttered in Daniella’s ear, and she chuckled. “Can’t you see how handsome he is? Damn, girl! He is so hot.” Daniella responded in Stephanie's ear, making her scoff.
“What are they talking about?” Sebastian thought to himself, after taking another look at them to see them murmur things to themselves.
“Is that why your cheeks are so red? C’mon, can't you control yourself?” Stephanie raised her upper lip as she glared at her.
“How are you not attracted to him? You don't find him attractive? Only his Cologne that I perceive is setting my womanhood on fire!” Stephanie's mouth parted in surprise after seeing how swept off her feet her friend was by Sebastian's beauty. She gulped and looked at Sebastian, who had his eyes on the road. She took a minute to grace her eyes with his outstanding face side profile.
His ivy league with a deep side part haircut matched perfectly well with his neatly shaved golden brown 3-day stubble beard. Right above his beard was a horizontal mild scar of about one inch.
“How did he get that scar?” She thought as she shifted her gaze down to his torso. The white long sleeve shirt he wore was a bit free on his body, so she wasn't able to see features of his torso. She looked at his arm and saw he rolled up his sleeve to his elbow joint. His spotlessly clean forearm was adorned with his veins, making it look attractive. As he gripped and rolled the steering, more veins popped out of his forearm.
Stephanie stared blankly at his arm for minutes before she came back to her senses.
Her eyes fell on the interior mirror, and she saw Sebastian was also staring at her. They locked their direct stare for some seconds before Stephanie looked away.
*
They got to the nearby restaurant, and Sebastian drove in. He parked his car in the designated area and switched off the engine.
He climbed out of the car, and before he could open the back door for the ladies, Stephanie had already opened the door.
“You don't have to be a gentleman all the time,” She uttered, and he smiled widely.
“I want to be a gentleman for you.” He responded, and Daniella’s eyes widened in great excitement.
“Aren’t you two so cute?” She placed her palms on her chin, grinning widely. “Stop.” Stephanie rolled her eyes at her, and she stopped immediately.
They got into the restaurant and picked a table for four next to the door. They sat and in a few minutes, a waitress approached them.
“What would you like to have?” She asked with a contagious smile which made all of them smile too. “Errmm... Pizza. I'll take the Chicken Cutlet Pizza.” Daniella uttered, and the waitress wrote it down in her small notepad.
“And you?” She looked at Stephanie. “I’ll take the same thing. Thank you,” Stephanie responded. The waitress turned to look at Sebastian, and before she could ask him, he nodded. “Make it three,” He said, and she bounced her head. “Give me a few minutes, and I'll be back.”
She walked away, and Daniella kept her eyes on her. “She is pretty.” She uttered, and Stephanie nodded. “Yes, she is.”
There was an awkward silence among them. Sebastian kept his alluring stare on Stephanie, Stephanie lowered her head so as not to make eye contact with him, and Daniella looked at the both of them suspiciously “Something is going on between these two.” She thought to herself.
“Sebastian,” Stephanie called and raised her head to look at him. She saw him staring at her, and this made her gulp. “Thank you for the gifts. I’m sorry I am just mentioning it. Princess could have never been so excited. Thank you,” She added with their gaze locked.
“You don't have to thank me. I'll do anything to make Princess happy. She is my baby.” He responded, and Stephanie chuckled.
“We are all grateful. But, can you please not send any more gifts? I don't want to feel indebted.” She lowered her head as she spoke, and Sebastian nodded.
“I’ll stop sending gifts and bothering you only on one condition,” He replied, making her raise her head. “A condition? What condition?” She arched her brow.
“Have dinner with me tonight. I promise you after that dinner, and you still don't want me around you, I'll let you go. I won't bother you anymore. I'm making this promise in front of your friend. She will bear me witness.” He said to her, Stephanie’s heart began to palpitate in fear after she heard Sebastian’s condition. She wasn't sure why, and so she questioned herself. “Why am I scared? Is it because he wants me to have dinner with him? Or because if I don't go, he will stay away from me? Or, I just don't want him to stay away anymore.”
She heaved a sigh and bounced her head. “Deal.”