I growled at him, causing him to laugh and lean forward to kiss me before pulling away once again. “You know, on second thought, I’m pretty damn curious about what this ‘do whatever it takes to convince me’ might entail. Hmm, maybe I should rescind my acceptance and say I need to think about it instead. That might—ack!” he yelped, when I scooped him up and marched toward the bedroom.
Seb wrapped his arms around my shoulders and his legs around my waist. “Does this mean your next chapter can wait for a little while?”
I nipped his neck in warning. “This means that I’m going to both convince you and show you what I do to naughty schoolboys who think they can tease their elders.”
“Oooh, I like the sound of that,” Seb said.
After that, neither of us said much of anything for the next few hours.
19
David
“Are you ready yet?” Seb hollered from downstairs for at least the third time.
I smoothed my tie in the mirror and then grabbed my jacket off the chair, shrugging into it as I turned to leave. On the lounge chair in the corner, I spotted Seb’s discarded gray sweatshirt and on the dresser, a stack of his books. In the couple of months since Seb moved in, he’d managed to fill in all of the empty spaces. I smiled, straightened the books, and emerged from the bedroom. “I’m coming already, where’s the fire?” Seb was the one always dangerously close to being late. It wasn’t like him to be so impatient.
I found him texting furiously in the living room. When I cleared my throat, he glanced up distractedly. “What? Oh, no fire. Just, our reservation is in fifteen minutes.” He bit his lip, and I wondered if he was anxious on my behalf. My heart softened. That would be just like Seb, sensitive soul that he was.
“Don’t worry—even if The Plato Experiment is a flop, I promise we won’t starve to death.”
His gaze flew to mine. “What? No, I’m not worried about your book. I read it, remember? If you don’t break into one of the Kindle bestseller categories then something is seriously wrong with people.”
His optimism was like a balm to my own frayed nerves. No one mentioned how stressful launching your first self-published book could be. Part of me still wished I’d gone with a pen name, but both Seb and my editor had advised against it. “What’s the point of a pen name if you’re writing in the same genre? You want your audience to be able to find your book easily,” Seb had told me, a point echoed by my editor.
“I’m not holding my breath for any bestseller categories, but I am glad that you’re taking me out to dinner to celebrate. I’m looking forward to a lovely evening with just the two of us, the perfect way to commemorate my first foray into self-publishing.”
Something odd flashed over Seb’s face. His gaze skittered away from mine and he ducked his head. “Right. The two of us. Well, I didn’t want you to sit at home brooding. Even if brooding is kind of your thing.”
“Go ahead, keep it up. I’m keeping track.” I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at him.
Seb called my bluff by wiggling his eyebrows at me suggestively. “Oh, trust me, I’m counting on it. Now come on, the Uber’s here. Let’s go before we’re late.”
“Impudent pup.” I shook my head as I followed him out the door.
The Uber dropped us off in front of the wine restaurant Seb was treating me to, called Hey Syrah. An outdoor patio sparkled under tiny, twinkling white lights, and a low, sweeping fire crackled down the middle of one of the seating areas. Oddly, there wasn’t a single person outside. Maybe the patio was closed for some reason. Too bad, because the space looked inviting and intimate. Perfect for sharing a romantic, celebratory dinner with Seb.
Seb paused a few steps from the door, fingers flying over his phone again. I frowned. “Is everything all right? You’ve been on that thing nonstop all day.”
He finished whatever he was texting and then shoved the phone back in his pocket. “Sorry, minor work crisis. I think it’s just about settled though. Ready?”
Now he bounced on the balls of his feet, like a nervous kid. “Am I ready to walk through a door? Yes, I think I can manage that. What on earth has gotten into you, anyway? You’re acting bizarre.”
His cheeks flushed. “I don’t know…I guess I’m just excited? For you? Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
He marched to the door and I followed, frowning. It wasn’t like Seb to be cagey. Was he having problems at work that he didn’t want to tell me, because he was afraid his news would ruin my day? Whatever it was, I’d pin him down over dinner. We were a team. His needs were just as important as mine.
Seb reached the door first but waited until I was right there to open it. “After you,” he said, sweeping his hand toward the interior.
My eyes took a few moments to adjust to the change in lighting, and in that time, all hell broke loose.
“SURPRISE!”
Multiple voices shouted the word at the same time, while white flashes exploded nearby. I jumped and blinked rapidly at the bright lights filling my vision, making the room explode in laughter.
I peered at the smiling crowd full of familiar faces and my heart sank. “What the—-Seb? Did you plan this?”
This, of course, being a surprise party. For the book that I’d wanted to celebrate in private.
“I did! Happy release day, David! I know your book is going to be a big success!” Seb bounded over and hugged me, which I returned more from shock than anything. He released me and stepped back, beaming. “What do you think? Be honest, were you surprised, or did you have an idea?”
I scanned the room and horrifyingly, there were copies of my book cover, blown-up and plastered on the brick walls. Little centerpieces at the tables had miniature versions, and there, on a table by the wall, sat a stack of pristine paperbacks. And, Lord please, no—but yes. There was a giant sheet cake with my book cover on it. “Oh, trust me, this is all quite a surprise.”
I didn’t have time to say more because a bunch of my friends and colleagues swarmed around me, patting me on the back and congratulating me. Brian Hattersly was there, and his cousin Sean, and a few other people from the club. Neil and some older friends. Seb had been industrious, I’d give him that. How had he found all of these people?
I kept a smile on my face but as the evening wore on, it grew tighter and tighter, until a couple of hours in, I mostly sipped my wine and let everyone else talk.
“So how do you think the book will do? Do you know how many copies you’ve sold yet?” Harry was far from the first to ask me such a question, but my hand clenched my wine glass a little tighter each time I heard it. My smile felt rubber-band tight, like it might pop at any moment. This. This was exactly why I’d wanted to keep a low profile. I hadn’t been monitoring my sales but for all I knew, I hadn’t sold a single copy.
“No idea. I’m busy working on my next contracted book. Either way, it was fun to write.”
I’d also given some version of this reply multiple times.
A waiter approached me with a tray of appetizers, and I gladly took a few. The food was good at least, so I might as well make the most of it. Seb had gone to a lot of effort. That part, at least, warmed my heart.