‘I’m a regular customer there,’ he said. ‘They always keep a table or two free for regular patrons,’ he lied. The truth was that he’d made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. It would be the most expensive lunch he’d ever had. But it would be worth it. It already was, by the excited look on her face.
A happy Sebastian tucked into the rest of his sandwich whilst Ruby unpacked her shopping bags.
‘Are you going to come with me to visit Zack tomorrow?’ he asked her as he ate.
‘No. Haven’t you heard? The news about his attack is out. It was on the midday news.’
Sebastian swore, then sighed. ‘I suppose it was too much to expect to keep it quiet for long.’
‘Every man and his dog will be trying to interview him,’ Ruby said.
Sebastian laughed. ‘I don’t like their chances. He won’t even do media for the show. Its success comes mainly from word of mouth.’
‘They’ll still try. And all his work colleagues will be visiting. So no, I won’t be going in with you. Sorry.’
‘I’ll have to go. Keep the vultures at bay.’
‘I have things to do, anyway. Present wrapping mostly. I’ve organised to go over to see Liam and Oliver tomorrow night so we can catch up and exchange presents. Oh, golly,’ she exclaimed. ‘I just realised I forgot to buy wrapping paper, and gift tags. Truly, my head’s not screwed on properly today. Janice said I was off with the pixies and she’s right.’
Sebastian could only hope that might have something to do with him.
‘Could you buy some wrapping paper for the presents I bought for Mum at the same time?’ he asked.
‘Yes, of course. I’ll wrap them up as well.’
‘You’re a life-saver. What would I do without you?’
‘You’d have Georgia,’ she said dryly. ‘Or Gloria. Or Janice.’
‘Not the same as you,’ he said warmly.
‘Flatterer,’ she said, but with a smile on her face. ‘I think you’ve been spending too much time with Zack. His charm is beginning to wear off onto you.’
Sebastian tried not to feel offended. ‘I’ll have you know I can be charming when I want to be.’
She laughed. ‘Perhaps I just wasn’t there at the time.’
‘Charm can be shallow,’ he pointed out, quite seriously. ‘Far better that a man be decent, and sincere.’
She stopped what she was doing and smiled at him. ‘It’s all right, Sebastian. You don’t have to change for me. I like you just the way you are.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHRISTMAS EVE FINALLY CAME, the last few days having given Ruby some hope that her relationship with Sebastian might develop into something permanent. She didn’t go so far as to imagine love and marriage yet, but who knew? Sebastian was certainly a different man nowadays compared to the rather rude individual she’d first met and who’d been determined not to have a woman in his life ever again after the death of his wife.
The man who took her to bed every night was not that man. Not even remotely.
She dressed carefully for her lunch with Sebastian. She didn’t wear the red dress—that was reserved for Christmas Day—but another pretty dress she’d picked out recently, teamed with wedged sandals in a neutral colour. She left her hair down, her only jewellery a gold pendant her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. Her make-up was subtle, her perfume equally so.
Sebastian had gone to visit Zack as usual, catching the ferry in so he could have a drink at lunchtime and not be over the driving limit. She was catching a ferry too; the service from Mosman was very good. Ruby had never been to Cafe Sydney before but she knew it was on the top floor of the Customs building, just across from the quay, only a short walk from the ferry terminal.
Ruby did her best not to overreact to Sebastian’s invitation but it was impossible not to feel both excited and, yes, positive. That he was taking her out in public was a big step. It was a proper date, not like the other day when they’d stopped off at some small coffee house in the city. Ruby had looked up Cafe Sydney on the Internet and it was one of the places to be seen in Sydney. The dining was superb, and so was the view of the bridge and the harbour.
Given its popularity with the rich and famous, they could easily run into people he knew. What would he say to them? she wondered. Would he introduce her as his housekeeper, or as his date?
Only time would tell, she supposed, her stomach aflutter with anticipation.
The weather was wonderful, neither too hot nor too windy. And not a sign of rain or the storms that often plagued Sydney at this time of year. Ruby stepped off the ferry right on twelve-thirty, which meant she would be a few minutes late, even later when the lights turned red, stopping her from crossing the road. As she waited, she sent Sebastian a text saying she was nearly there. He answered That’s okay straight away, which brought a sigh of relief. The lights eventually turned green but Ruby still hurried across to the Customs building and there was another minute or two delay because the lifts were busy.
It was a slightly flustered Ruby who was shown to their table at a quarter to one.
Sebastian was already there, looking handsome and sinfully sexy in designer jeans and a blue top, the same colour as his eyes. He stood up when she arrived, like the gentleman he was, and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek before telling the hovering waiter to give them a few minutes before ordering.
‘Sorry, I’m late,’ she said on sitting down. ‘If I’d caught the previous ferry I would have been too early.’
‘It’s perfectly all right, Ruby. And may I say you were worth waiting for? You look utterly gorgeous.’
‘Oh,’ she said, even more flustered now. The way he was looking at her, if she didn’t know better she might think he was in love with her. Only then did she glance away from his eyes at her surroundings, her heart beating like mad. ‘Oh, my goodness, what a wonderful view,’ she said. It looked even better in reality than in the photographs online, especially from their table, which was out on a balcony. ‘And what a wonderful place. This is one of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever had. Thank you so much, Sebastian.’
‘My pleasure,’ he said, and poured her a glass of champagne from the bottle that he’d obviously already ordered.
‘The trouble is, I feel extra guilty now about not buying you anything for Christmas.’
She had tried, but what did you buy a seriously rich man who already had everything he wanted? She didn’t dare buy him clothes. Sebastian only wore designer brands, which were out of her reach, financially. Buying presents for her brothers had been easy compared to Sebastian. He was just impossible!