Bound by Christmas

Chapter Twenty: Kiss

Thousands of revelers gathered on Paseo de la Reforma, watching the street concert and anticipating the New Year.

I stood next to the stage with Felix, trying to blend into the background —which was difficult to do with the bodyguards surrounding us. When Sebastián and I had arrived, the event organizers took one look at our joined hands and assigned a security team to me. I'd originally tried to refuse, but Sebastián had insisted that I would need them. Noticing the worry in his eyes, I'd reluctantly agreed. But, after seeing the size of the crowd, I was glad to have the protection.

We'd landed in Mexico City the previous day and had spent some time exploring Chapultepec Park, which was conveniently close to our hotel. Sebastián had used a baseball cap and sunglasses as a disguise, but he was still spotted by some fans and had stopped for photographs. It was very awe-inspiring to watch the way he had interacted with his fans. I was thrilled to see Sebastián show them so much patience and kindness. It was also very apparent that Sebastián was loved and respected in his home country.

As I watched Sebastián and Barbara walk onto the stage and approach the host, I couldn't help but remember the conversation we'd had the previous week.

Six Days Ago

On Christmas morning, I woke up in Sebastián's bed for the very first time. He had asked me to sleep over so we could spend the remainder of the holiday together, and I agreed after he promised to sleep in a separate room. I had expected to sleep in the playroom but —when it was time to call it a night — Sebastián had led me into his bedroom. Once I noticed what he was doing, I was left stunned. I didn't know whether to be grateful for his willingness to let me in or if I should be bitter about him taking so long to do so.

As I made my way out of the bed, I studied the room and noticed how simple and underwhelming it was. It was decorated with dark wooden furniture and gray walls, but it lacked any character. He didn't have any photos, artwork, or decorations. There was nothing in his room that expressed his personality. I had hyped up the idea of seeing his room for so long and was left slightly disappointed.

Rolling my eyes at my own thoughts, I made my way into his en-suite bathroom and prepped for the day. Before I could finish getting ready, Sebastián entered the room and found me in front of the bathroom vanity trying to brush my hair with my fingers.

"Good morning, Jenna. How did you sleep?" he asked softly.

"Really good," I said with a small smile. "You?"

"Fine, but it was difficult to stay away from you knowing you were a few doors down the hall."

"Well, thank you for giving me some space."

"Sure," he mumbled, rubbing his neck. "Jenna, there is something you should know. It was bugging me all night long and I don't want you to think I was keeping it from you intentionally."

I straightened my head and looked at him, worried about what he had to confess. "What is it, Sebastián?"

"You should know that Barbara will also be attending the New Year's special. The network wants us to use the opportunity to promote our telenovela. I thought you had a right to know just in case it was something you wouldn't want to deal with. If you change your mind about accompanying me on the trip, I'll understand. But, please know that we won't be spending any time with her outside of the event."

Why hadn't I considered that before? If Sebastián was invited to a network event so he could promote his new series, Barbara would have been invited too. Was it a deal breaker for me? Would I be able to handle seeing her again, interacting with Sebastián as I stood to the side?

I nodded, knowing that if I wanted to have a healthy relationship with Sebastián I had to come to terms with the fact that he would be around female colleagues. "Okay, Sebastián. Thank you for letting me know. I'll still come on the trip, but I need you to keep things very professional with her."

"That's not a problem, Jenna. I've given you my promise and I intend to keep it. I'll always keep things strictly professional with all of my female co-stars."

As the crowd turned suddenly silent, I was brought back to the present moment. Noticing the rapt attention of the audience, I turned toward the stage and saw Sebastián answering a question from the host. I tried to figure out what had caused such a stir but he was speaking in Spanish, and I was struggling to understand.

I tugged on Felix's sleeve, trying to get his attention. "What's happening, Felix? What is Sebastián saying?" I asked when he finally faced me.

"Well, umm," Felix cleared his throat and shook his head. "Jenna, the host asked Sebastián if he plans on kissing Barbara when the clock strikes midnight."

"What?" I shrieked.

"Shh," Felix hushed. "Sebastián wasn't very pleased with the question."

"What did he say?"

"He pretty much said that Barbara is a wonderful actress but she is only his co-star and nothing more. Then, he apologized to the audience if his actions led them to believe anything else," Felix stopped translating and focused back on the stage.

I was getting more and more impatient as I watched Sebastián answer another question. When he finished talking, Barbara looked like she was brewing with annoyance but the crowd started to cheer. "Felix!" I hissed. "Don't leave me hanging. What did he say?"

"Umm, Jenna...the host asked him if he wanted to find someone in the audience to kiss since he wasn't dating Barbara. Sebastián said he didn't need to find anyone. He already knew who he wanted to kiss —if she would allow it."

"Oh wow," I breathed. Did Sebastián just tell thousands of people he wanted to kiss me? As I watched Barbara answer some questions, I started to tune out.

Sebastián was all in with us and wasn't afraid to make it public. But, I really needed to work on myself. He didn't deserve to be with someone who was always on alert, waiting for him to screw up again. The truth was that Sebastián's actions had brought out some of my deepest insecurities. I didn't want to be in a codependent relationship, constantly fearing abandonment. It was only fair to share my concerns with him.

The rest of the night passed in a blur as I watched different artists perform. Before I knew it, the crowd had started the countdown to the New Year.

Once the audience was counting down the last seconds, Sebastián rushed off the stage and made a beeline for me. When he reached me, he cupped my cheek. "Jenna, will you let me kiss you?"

I nodded and —as the sky lit up with fireworks—Sebastián's lips found mine.