Folded Fondant ~ Sebastian

Ramen and Revelations *Part 25*

I stood in the middle of my office. Glaring at my phone. That didn't go so well and I couldn't help feeling like I've been here before.

There were two calls I forced myself to make and initiate. Two that made me feel all kinds of awful in their own way. One was because I hated to seem like I was only reaching out to ask for a favor. And the other because the recipient gave me a serious case of indigestion.

My uncle had been gracious when I shot him a quick text, requesting he call me when he had a moment. Not a whole five minutes later my phone rang and hurried out of the room like my pants were on fire. Little Lia didn't need to hear this. In the end, we spoke briefly. Catching up on the business, how the fallout has been with my cousin, and I made promises to come over for dinner soon. My relationship with my father was strong. He was an incredible person and had inspired me to follow the path I had set out for myself. But admitting to my uncommonly good luck, I also had an incredible relationship with my uncle. He was also inspiring, generous, and treated me like his own son.

It that aspect, I had two of what some didn't even have one of. Case in point, Lia. Where I had a loving family, opportunity, privilege, and two very amazing role models; she had only half of a parent and one that couldn't even manage to do that. Which brings me to why I texted my uncle. It helped that he was in a position to be able to fix what I deemed broken. Of course, his words were that by calling him and offering my assistance in a delicate matter, I was the one really doing him the favor.

No names were uttered, and I didn't even give him the details of how I knew, but I shared the information and established an ally that I would need more than ever if I were to pull this off. Too cryptic? Possibly. But you'll understand one day.

Call number two? Now that's a different story. Every minute wasted on Guin's manipulating soured my good mood for days to come.

Only one person ever got under my skin during a call and she was the only person I could humor to do it again. That she was sitting out in the living room and it was where I longed to be. This person tried to get under my skin and she attempted it every time we spoke. Needless to say, I was not up to be humored in this case.

Guin was tiring and trying. Like many of my sister's friends and acquaintances, she lacked an important tether to the ground and had no sense of reality. To her, the lifestyle she leads, the status she kept, was her end all be all. She was an unfortunate stereotype of the wealthy socialite. Not to say they are all like that, certainly not. There are plenty socialites I've kept in contact with that are if not humble, then generous. Even kind and considerate.

Guin was not one of those people. I try not to mingle with that crowd, it only gets me hot around the collar while I suppress my temper. But seeing that a lot of that crowd have come to be my clients, the glitz and glam wasn't exactly avoidable. Problem is I'm never in the mood to be glitzed or glammed.

I stopped pacing in my office and stared out my window. Watching the sun glint off of the lake in the distance. It was another unseasonably warm day. The sun was shining and the wind didn't make your eyes water for a change. The kind of day that should be spent out and soaked in. I wanted to enjoy it. I wanted to go out with Pints and appreciate the day for what it was.

Why am I couped up in here when she's out there? My expectations are always only to be around Lia. Nothing more. But fuck me if it doesn't fire up every one of my dopamine receptors when her and I talk. Shorts has started to open up, to trust. Which is absolutely vital to me being able to help her.

My friend—now roommate—was full of surprises. And on a day like this, I was ready to discover something new. So I tucked my cell away and shuffled down the hall. Accepting the sensation of being reeled in by an unskilled fisherman. Or fisherwoman as it happened to be.