Page 14 of Bid For Me
He raises a hand in greeting as he spots me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I make my way over to him, feeling out of place in this setting but determined not to show it, and he stands as I approach.
“Good morning, Elle. You look stunning as always,” he says smoothly, gesturing for me to sit down.
I narrow my eyes at him but take the seat, arranging my Chanel-clad self primly at the formica table.
“What’s this all about, Seb? You better have a good explanation for dragging me out here,” I say, not bothering with pleasantries.
Seb chuckles and signals for the waitress to bring us some menus. As she walks over, pencil tucked behind her ear and order pad in hand, Seb leans back in his seat, all casual charm. The waitress just eats it up, flirting up a storm with him, before walking away with more sway in her hips than she had on the way over here.
“Let’s just say I wanted to talk somewhere a bit more...down to earth. Away from all the champagne and caviar,” he replies cryptically.
I raise an eyebrow at him, then glance at the laminated menu in front of me. The selection is basic – eggs, pancakes, burgers – nothing like the gourmet meals I’m used to. I bet Seb chose this place thinking I’d freak out and throw a fit. But the joke’s on him because Candy and I used to go to an old diner a bit like thisone when we were younger. We’d stuff our faces with pancakes and syrup and Freak Shakes, with zero regard for calories or our complexions.
The waitress returns five minutes later. We place our orders, Seb going for a classic bacon and eggs, me reluctantly opting for a fruit salad to keep up appearances, and both of us opting for orange juice and black coffee. Then there’s an awkward silence between us.
“The photo?” I prompt him after a beat.
He sighs, pulls out his phone and unlocks it, before handing it to me.
“Be my guest, you do the honours. I doubt you’d trust my word anyway.”
“Ah, but your word is your bond, remember?” I snark, flicking back through our messages to delete the offending image.
If something like that got out, my reputation would be ruined, and my family would be disappointed. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they’d disown me or anything dramatic like that, but they’d definitely make their displeasure known. I can do without any more lectures, thank you very much.
I quickly check Seb’s camera roll, but discover that he never saved the image, which surprises me.
Satisfied, I lock the screen and slide the phone back over to him with a nod.
Seb clears his throat and leans in, his expression more serious now. “Elle, I wanted to talk to you about last night,” he starts, his eyes searching mine for a reaction. My heart skips a beat at the mention of last night, memories of heated and harsh words exchanged flooding back.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever Seb has to say. “What about last night?” I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Seb runs a hand through his perfectly styled hair, looking almost nervous for once. “I know things got...intense between us,” he begins carefully, “and I just wanted to apologise for my part in it. I shouldn’t have said some of the things I did.”
I raise an eyebrow in surprise. Sebastian Sterling-Knight, apologising? This is definitely a first. But there’s a sincerity in his eyes that I can’t ignore. Is there more to him than just the charming playboy façade he wears so well?
“I appreciate that, Seb,” I reply softly, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders at his words. Maybe this unexpected brunch atThe Ok Dinerwas Seb’s way of showing me a different side of himself, away from the glitz and glamour of our usual hangouts.
Seb smiles at me, a genuine smile that reaches his eyes. “I value our…friendship, Elle. And I don’t want one stupid argument to ruin what we have.” His words are simple but they hold a sincerity that warms my heart, though I wouldn’t go as far as to say we were friendsper se.
I nod, feeling a genuine smile tugging at my lips. Maybe thereismore to Sebastian than his fuckboy billionaire bad boy reputation. But that doesn’t change the fact that there’s still the matter of the auction…and the contract hanging over our heads.
“I appreciate that, Seb, I do. But where do we stand with the…auction?” I can’t bring myself to say the wordcontractout loud. It sounds so…seedy.
“It’s complicated, Elle.”
“So uncomplicate things for me, Seb. I thought it was pretty simple. You paid for a…date with me, and should have cashed that in last night. If you’d done what was expected, we would both be going our separate ways by now.”
“I’m not going to fuck you in some sex club, no matter how classy and upmarket it is.”
“I don’t need hearts and flowers, Seb. I literally just wanted one night with someone who knew what the…what they were doing.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrow, his expression becoming more and more intense as he leans over the table towards me, voice low, and says, “And what do you think I know about? I’m not a fucking amateur, Elle. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
My pulse quickens as a mix of anger and arousal courses through me. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have him take control in a more intimate setting. But I don’t dare let those thoughts show on my face.