6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

The early days of my business, of course.

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“Sebastian?” she asked, tilting her head to the side like an adorable little puppy.

She smiled at me, showcasing her dimples and causing me to remember how sweet and innocent she'd always looked as a little girl. That managed to shush the thoughts in my brain right away.

“Yes?” I asked and cleared my throat.

“Is everything okay? You're awfully quiet?”

“Yes, sorry, I didn't sleep too well last night.”

“I can see that,” she said. “Everything okay with you and Jessica?”

She sat back in the chair, as if taking her place as an armchair psychologist, and closed her notebook, looking at me with genuine concern in her eyes.

“We broke up awhile back,” I said. “So, there is no ‘me and Jessica’. Not anymore. I'm just trying to sweep out the last remnants now.”

I swore she knew that already but then again, there had been so much going on in her life, how could I expect her to remember my relationship status? It's not like it was the most important thing on her plate – not with her dad's long, terrible battle with cancer before dying and all.

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” she said.

Though she didn't really look all that sorry. Not that I was surprised. Very few people liked Jessica, and that had included Chuck and Angela, Violet's parents. They'd all thought she was wrong for me and would be nothing but trouble. Boy, had they been right on the money about that one.

“No, it's for the best,” I said. “She wasn't a good fit for me.”

Violet bit her lip, as if she was holding herself back from speaking her mind.

“Go on, spill it,” I said. “I can tell you're dying to say something. We have no secrets in this office, okay?”

Well, aside from my secret thoughts about your amazing ass, but that's beside the point, I thought to myself.

Violet looked down at her hands, then back up at me. “I really don't think it's my place to say anything.”

“Speak your mind, Violet,” I said with a laugh. “You didn't like Jessica, I get that. Not many people did.”

Violet laughed along with me, but she was obviously uncomfortable and was trying to find something nice and positive to say. That was the thing with Violet, she always had something nice to say about anyone. She probably could have found something nice to say about Hitler if you gave her enough time.

“Well, I just never understood what you saw in her, that's all,” she said. “I mean, you're rich, successful and attractive, you could be with anyone. And yet, you chose a clingy, blonde gold digger.”

“Wow.” Okay, so maybe she didn't have a nice word to say about everyone. “That was blunt.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, Sebastian,” she said, covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me. “I should have kept my mouth shut. That was really out of bounds.”

“No, not at all,” I said and gave her a rueful grin. “Everything you said is true, Violet. I mean, except for the attractive part. I'm not that vain.”

“Oh come on, Sebastian,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You know you're hot.”

Now it was my turn to look surprised. I stared back at her, mouth agape, as I tried to find the right words to thank her for the compliment without sounding like a creepy old man who took it as something more.

“Thank you? I guess,” I said, a nervous chuckle escaping my mouth before I could stop it.

There was an awkward silence that seemed to linger forever, as Violet stared down at her hands, wringing them in her lap and I stared at her, trying to think of something to say to break that silence and put us back on more comfortable footing. Trying, but failing.

“I just keep putting my foot in my mouth every time I open it, don't I?” she asked with a sheepish smile.

“No, not at all Violet,” I said. “It's okay. We're close enough that we can joke around like that and know it means nothing.”