Page 81 of Season's Schemings
Is this the “other option” that Seb was hinting at last night? Is there another contract that would allow Sebastian to get his own green card, and if so, was he planning on telling me about it?
“It’s especially ideal given that Sebastian’s work visa expired so suddenly last month.” Mr. Plumlee fixes me with alook.
It’s a look I do not like.
Defensive, I put my hands on my hips and glare at the pair of men. “Should Roger havereallydisclosed all of this? Isn’t there such a thing as client confidentiality?”
They both laugh indulgently, like I’m a petulant child demanding candy. “Sure there is, Maddie,” Richard says. “But there’s also such a thing as basic research in the public record.”
“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say. I wish Seb was here—he always knows what to say.
“I find it…. interesting that you two tied the knot so quickly when Sebastian was having visa trouble,” my stepdad adds. And I know now, for a fact, that I didn’t imagine the emphasis on the wordhusbandbefore—he just did the exact same thing with the wordinteresting.
He’s lawyerspeaking me. Accusing me without uttering a single accusatory word.
He’s good at it, too. No wonder he brings in the big bucks keeping white collar criminals outof jail.
Mr. Plumlee is looking at me knowingly. “Interesting, indeed,” he echoes with a smug tone that tells me Adam’s going to be hearing all about this.
Maybe he alreadyhas.
But honestly, I really don’t care what he thinks. What any of them think.
And on that, I really don’t want to listen to another word they have to say.
I have a husband to find. A husband who’s done nothing but be loyal and kind to me. Who defends me and supports me, but also helps me stand on my own two feet and face the people who’ve hurt me.
And I realize I don’tneedSeb to be here with me right now with all the right things to say. Because he’s already taught me how to stand up for myself. For us. And our marriage.
Which is very, very real to me. And I know it’s real to him, too… whatever the damn paperwork ends up looking like.
I look up sweetly at the man I’ve been calling “Dad” for most of my life. “Actually, Richard, what’sinterestingis that you have a totally loveless marriage, and so you assume that everyone else must, too. But guess what? I love Sebastian.”
Saying the word out loud makes me feel shaky. But it’s the damn truth, and I’m here to speak my truth. All of it.
“And Paul.” I turn to my ex’s dad. “What’s alsointerestingis that your son had a totally loving relationship that he abandoned to chase someone who could further his career. And so you must assume that the next man I fall for would be a self-serving narcissist, too. But Sebastian’s nothing like Adam.” I smile. “Thank the Lord. So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and Screw You Very Much.”
With that, I skip away into the crowd, feeling two sets of shocked eyes fixed on my back—which bears the name Slater, of course.
Fa la la la la la la la la,indeed.
* * *
Later, Seb is shaking with laughter as I recount my run-in with Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
“You absolute badass,” he cackles. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”
“Too bad. You’re just gonna have to imagine it, instead.” I smirk across at him. We’re in his SUV, driving home from the game, and I’m really glad that my story seems to have lifted his spirits. He’s only mentioned losing the game in passing.
“In my mind, it’s all very sexy—you laying down the law like that.” Seb glances at me, his eyes suddenly heated.
“I feel like everything in your mind goes back to sex.”
“What can I say? I’m a red-blooded male with an extremely sexy wife who looks extra sexy right now in my jersey.”
The ridiculous words are laced with both teasing laughter and a certain gravely heat that makes my stomach swoop. My husband, the charmer with the arsenal of spine-tingling flirty comments… and I love every damn second of it.
I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything more.