SAVANNAH
It wasn’t Carter sitting in the backseat when I slid into the car in front of our office building. It was Rafael.
“Good evening, Savannah.” His voice was cultured and smooth.
“H-hi. Good evening. Carter didn’t say—”
“Are you surprised?” He smirked playfully. I felt his gaze on me, but I refused to look. Rafael looked charismatic, as always. He could even put on a sack and would still look impeccable. He was draped in a blue three-piece pinstripe suit, an expensive watch, and custom oxford shoes. It was incredible how he managed to look pristine from carrying the company’s most demanding and challenging position.
I instantly became highly conscious of how good he smelled. I breathed him in, welcoming his mild spicy, and musk perfume that I’d missed after we parted that night in front of my brother’s house last week.
Lust sparked on my skin. Images of me on his lap, sucking his tongue, and his long-fingered hands on my bare back instantly appeared in the back of my mind. I’d go crazy if he kissed me on the spot, but I shrugged it off immediately before he noticed.
What the heck was this intense sexual tension surging between us?
“I supposed I am. He tricked me.” He could’ve told me the truth that his older brother was coming instead of him. I would’ve prepared my sanity prior to the meeting.
“Disappointed?”
“No!” I denied swiftly, finally looking at his impeccable features. Damn. Why did he have to be so hot? “No... It’s fine. Part of the job.”
One side of his mouth curled up. “That’s good, then.”
“But what if Sofia’s there? Or Edward?”
His hand glided up to mine and then brought it to his mouth. His soft, supple mouth dabbed my skin. Had a wet feeling that when his mouth left my hand, I felt a touch of abandonment.
Oh my God. What was he doing now? He was never this bold, this confident, and flirty... Was he kissing me? What’s going on?
He beamed. “Would you want me to knock his teeth for you?”
My eyes widened. “W-what?”
“You’re with me,” he murmured. “Nothing to worry about.”
I quickly pulled back and cleared my throat because I was too close to choking.
“Sir?” His driver called but never bothered looking behind. “Shall we go?”
Rafael shifted from his seat and straightened his shoulders. What was he possibly thinking? He seemed so relaxed and carefree, unlike the last time I saw him. Right now, he had Carter’s natural gentleness. The Sebastian brothers really must’ve similarities. It made me wonder about his other two siblings. I was suddenly interested in knowing his personal life.
“Yes, Eddie,” he answered flatly to the driver. Eddie then revved up the car, and the luxurious vehicle produced a smooth engine sound.
***
I didn’t remember much of what happened when we arrived at the restaurant with a private dining room. The waiters were talking in Spanish, which I didn’t understand much. I did hear that Mario guy should serve the food inside immediately upon our arrival.
The Estrella couple arrived only a few minutes after us. Sofia’s parents. Fortunately, she wasn’t there with them, so the tension in my chest had somehow lessened. But another younger man, who liked a spitting image of Emilio, came with them. It was his younger brother, Jacob, Sofia’s uncle.
Emilio introduced both of his companions to us as we shook hands. Jocelyn, his wife, was an American from California, which answered Sofia’s origins that we hadn’t found out before. I only realized how secretive she was when we were in high school.
Sofia’s father seemed like a man of virtue. He was polite for a wealthy man, even when we were younger than him. Jocelyn had the sweetest smile. I could see a lot of Sofia in her features than in Emilio. She was also blonde, petite, and looked younger than her age. I was sure they were already in their early fifties but only looked in their mid-forties. And Jacob seemed like an approachable guy when he shook our hands. He had a nice smile on his face when he greeted us.
After the introduction, Emilio invited us to sit.
“Come, come. I’m delighted you made it this time,” he said to Rafael in a distinct English accent as the Estrellas perched at the long mahogany table. “We didn’t get the chance to meet at the party. I can see now why. Because of you.” He glanced at me and beamed. “You are Savannah, right? Carter told me about you. You are his executive assistant, right?”
“Uh, yes, Mr. Estrella,” I answered.
“And you are Rafael Sebastian’s girlfriend, too. I saw it in the news.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“What’s wrong, Hija mia?” Jocelyn asked sweetly.
“Y-yes. It’s me in the news,” I admitted. What did I just say? I glanced up at Rafael, who didn’t even falter. Did he know about this?
“Well, congratulations.” Emilio clasped his hands together. “I always believe it is destiny how people meet. My first encounter with my wife, Jocelyn, is rather fateful. I won’t be able to forget how lucky I am; I met her that day.” He grinned, looking back and forth at Rafael and me.
“I don’t know how many times we told people that story,” Jacob interjected, resting his chin on his palm. He looked at us. “They met because of me. I was still a child playing with a blue balloon in front of a church. The balloon flew from my hand, but Jocelyn snatched it right back, but she fell out of balance. Emil caught her, like their dancing cha-cha-cha. How romantic, isn’t it?”
“We like cha-cha-cha.” Jocelyn giggled, patting her husband’s shoulder fondly. “I was visiting a friend in Mexico that week, and we went to the church. I was only twenty. Thank goodness for the balloon!” She grinned at Jacob.
“See? Destiny, right?” Emilio said. “How about you? How did you meet?”
“At the airport,” Rafael and I answered simultaneously.
“Jinx.” Jocelyn chuckled. “A nice spot to meet someone new. That’s nice. What happened, then?” she asked curiously.
I couldn’t help but smile. “It is indeed fateful. We bumped into each other and dropped our phones...”
“But she picked up mine,” Rafael finished. “We met again to return our phones. I think that’s how it started. Right, love?”
What are you doing? I screamed mentally. My cheeks heated. I reached out for his lap to tap his knee, to let him know he shouldn’t be saying that, or these people would believe we were really in a relationship. I didn’t have a good feeling about it. It might get us in trouble if they found out we weren’t a couple. However, Rafael caught my hand and held it tight.
“Oh, we can even make that story into a movie.” Mrs. Estrella crooned dreamily. “Isn’t that right, darling?”
“Si, mi amor.” Emilio leaned over his wife and kissed his cheek. He was so fond of her, which was truly admirable and surprising. Their eyes had no hint of pretense—only passion and love. At their age, affection usually faded as years went by. At least, that was what I realized in my failed marriage.
“Oh, speaking of movies,” Emilio went on. “I heard you got the franchise for The Zion’s Code Trilogy.”
But before Rafe could answer, our dinner arrived. Two waiters pulled a trolley inside and began serving a full course of classic American and Mexican cuisine on the table. Everything looked colorful and glistening against the dining room’s light. One of the waiters uncorked a bottle of champagne.
“I already ordered on top of my reservation. I hope you don’t mind,” Jacob said. “If there’s something else you like, we can tell them.”
“This is plenty,” Rafe said. “Thank you.”
“How about you, señorita?” Jacob asked me.
“Everything looks good. This is fine.” I smiled at him. I then yanked my hand back but leaned into Rafe’s ear instead. “Hey, they might misunderstand us.”
“Relax. We didn’t say anything about us,” he whispered back.
“But we didn’t deny it either.”
“I’ll tell them later. Don’t worry.” He winked at me.
I nodded. I sat properly, then put the linen napkin on my lap.
“Let’s begin the feast,” Emilio announced. We then started putting food on our plates.
“About your question,” Rafe continued. “Yes, I have the movie franchise for The Zion’s Code Trilogy.”
“Those are my favorite novels! This is exclusive insider information, isn’t it?” Jacob stated, then licked the sauce on his thumb.
“It is,” Rafe confirmed.
“And Sue said you plan to release it with us as your debut film on PeekFlix. Is that right?”
“Yes, Jacob. If we close the deal.”
“Damn.” He pierced a forkful of meat and popped it in his mouth. Jacob seemed like a good eater. “I hope this can finally make up your mind, Emil. Zion’s Code will be the next The Lord of the Rings. Mark my words.”
Mr. Estrella laughed. “Is it? But how did you get the franchise?” he asked Rafael.
“With quite a painful negotiation with the author and publisher. There’s another studio interested in the franchise. Unfortunately for them, I’m ten steps ahead,” Rafael explained confidently and then ate his first bite.
“That’s how business is,” Emilio said, wiping the excess food from his mouth. “If you are dawdling in a fast-moving industry like ours, giant companies will step on you. But I admire your keenness on this, Mr. Sebastian. Sue and my team are very impressed with your plans. They think your company will fit what we are looking for.”
“How about what you think? If Jacob is fine with it, then it must be good. You always trust his gut. This is a closed deal, isn’t it?” Jocelyn asked her husband. It seemed she was also interested in joining Sebastian Entertainment.
“Oh, mi amor. There are terms to consider, too,” Emilio said. Of course, as the founder, he always had the final word. We’d already anticipated that.
“But I’m fine with it,” Jacob said, beaming.
Emilio grinned, but there was no pressure or intimidation in his expression. “We will see about that. We are here tonight to get to know Rafael Sebastian and his lady. He’s one of the giants in the Americas. I hope you don’t mind, Rafael.”
“I don’t.” Rafe lifted his champagne glass and took a graceful sip. “It’s only natural to know a potential business partner.”
“How about having a few drinks this evening, si?” Emilio looked at his wife and brother.
“Of course. We know we can’t stop you anyway.” Jocelyn smiled lovingly at her husband. “Savannah.” She gestured a hand at me, so I moved closer.
“Yes, Mrs. Estrella?”
“My husband is just delighted to meet Rafael. He’s not just saying it, but he is a fan of his dad,” Jocelyn whispered.
I laughed softly. “Really? That’s good news, right?”
“Your boyfriend didn’t tell you? His dad and Emilio have met before. They’ve become drinking buddies after meeting for the first time.”
Rafael’s not my boyfriend! God, I knew she would misunderstand. Carter also should’ve briefed me that their dad knows Emilio. “I guess he forgot.”
What? That’s your answer, Savannah? Why don’t you just tell her he’s not your boyfriend?
Jocelyn’s eyes glimmered. “Why don’t you and I have a little chat there while the boys speak?” She pointed to the black leather couches in the living room. “And please, call me Jocelyn.”
“Sure, thank you, Jocelyn. Would you like to drink anything as well?”
“A cocktail would be nice.”
A drink with Mrs. Estrella wouldn’t be that bad, right? At some point, I’d almost forgotten Jocelyn was Sofia’s mother and her daughter’s new boyfriend’s ex-wife. What would she think of me if she found out the truth and I didn’t tell her?
Well, she didn’t have to know...