The Wedding Plan

Chapter 10

As for Sebastian Crain, things were not looking much better. Leaned against the couch, sitting on a soft rug with his laptop on the coffee table, he tried to do some work that had been left behind, but a certain young woman had infiltrated his thoughts all weekend and refused to leave despite of all his attempts to cast her out.

Why did she say yes? This question haunted Sebastian all weekend and now he was muttering on it again, looking at the blank wall with his eyes tired from staring at the laptop screen for so long.

He knew that his proposal was irrational and impulsive. That nothing made sense about his request, and yet, there was something about Eleanor that made it impossible for him not to ask. He wanted to know more about her. He felt drawn to her, to her innocence and to the kind essence that she transmitted.

Besides, Sebastian was happy that he had found her again. After that clumsy accident where they first met, he thought of the coffee girl often and even called Montgomery and asked for her more than once. He never got a call back and eventually buried that day in his mind, since the only good thing from that day was meeting her. Everything else he wanted to erase from his head.

Sebastian looked at her phone number on his phone. He wanted to talk to her. It was late, but a phone call wouldn't hurt. She might not even pick up the phone. He said to himself. It will probably go to voicemail.

Eleanor was asleep when her phone rang. With sleepy eyes, she looked at the screen. It took her a while to read the name on it. Sebastian Crain. It must be about work. She thought. But then she remembered Sebastian had never called her about work, and she also realized that he was calling from his personal phone number and not his work number. Why do I even have his personal number? She wondered as she rubbed her eyes.

'Hi,' he said, surprised as soon as she picked up the phone, even though he was the one who call he did not expect her to answer. 'I hope I didn't wake you. If I did. I'm sorry.'

'No,' — she yawned — 'I wasn't asleep yet.'

He smiled as heard her sleepy voice. 'Are you free tomorrow?'

'I have to go to work tomorrow,' she said, as if this wasn't already a known fact to Sebastian.

He chuckled. She clearly was still drowsy from her sleep.

Sebastian felt bad for waking her up, but he was glad that he got to hear her voice.

'What are you doing during lunch time?'

'I don't know yet. Going to the cafeteria, probably. The food there is pretty good,' she said, followed by another yawn. 'Is this a survey? You aren't planning on shutting down the cafeteria, are you?'

Sebastian laughed at her genuine concern about the company's food.

'No. I promise I won't do such a thing.'

'Good. It's nice to know that.'

'Well, I know that you really like the food at the cafeteria. But can you have lunch with me tomorrow? I promise that I'll take you somewhere with food as good as the cafeteria.'

Suddenly she felt wide awake and got up and sat on the bed in an instant. Sebastian Crain was asking her to lunch. Am I still a sleep? Am I dreaming? She wondered. But soon she remembered their agreement, and that ended her delusions. They needed to get to know each other. They needed to pretend they were a couple.

'Are you still there, Eleanor? Or have you fallen asleep?'

'No. I'm still here.'

'Good.'

'I'm not going anywhere.'

'Neither am I.'

Even though there was nothing but silence for a few moments, neither one of them hung up the phone call. They stayed still, with the phones against their ears. For a few seconds, it seemed as if they were in the same room, side by side.

'Right, what about lunch tomorrow?' Sebastian finally said something.

'What about it?'

'Are you free?'

'I am.'

'Great. See you tomorrow, then.'

'Good night, Sebastian.'

'Sweet dreams, Eleanor.'

Sebastian hoped that she would visit his dreams, or maybe he could go to hers. I'll see you in my dreams. What about you? Will you see me in yours? He wished he had ended the phone call with that.

He shook his head and brought himself to reality. What am I thinking about? He grumbled.

With her head on the pillow, Eleanor looked at the ceiling. What just happened? As random thoughts loomed around her brain, tiredness quickly took over her and she felt asleep. And as she dreamed, Sebastian was there, standing right beside her with his usual smirk and lonely eyes. Not even while she slept, she could get rid of him.