Author's note: These stories are a bit of a departure for me. They're the adventures of Sebastian, but I've tried to tell them from both sides. Sebastian is a rather promiscuous young man who's exploring his sexuality. He doesn't have preferences; he likes everything, and everyone: men, women, those on the fringes of those narrow definitions, those completely outside them, those who just don't know and those who just like to explore certain avenues of entertainment that are a little, shall we say, outside the vanilla.
I'm saying this because I'm well aware that not everyone likes everything. So please, please check the category of the story before you read, it may well not be to your liking.
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He likes her. She looks a little severe, haughty even, but he can see a sparkle in her eyes that excites him and he's decided to persue it.
It's one of mother's business dinner parties and she's made it a three line whip so the whole family are there, including grandmother. Actually, grandmother wants to be there, the only one who does: she enjoys the company, the safe male company and the different conversation.
There are three guest couples. His mother has a business interest in one from each, two of the men and one of the women. She's wooing them into investing in some scheme she's involved in. It's a scheme Sebastian hasn't the slightest interest in beyond the fact that mother's business acumen is what pretty much pays for their life here.
Although, to be fair to the other members of the family, it was grandmother who'd provided the seed money for his mother's business ventures, and who'd paid for the house. His older sisters are all supporting themselves these days and he's well down the road of doing the same for himself.
But it's mother who's got them this far and they'd had a very good life getting here.
She'd held quite a few of these dinners over the years. The dining room, and the house, are perfect for these things and always impressed the type of people mother wanted to impress. And she always got the same, very good, caterers in to do the food, service and clearing up. Again, all to impress.
Anyway, as long as he was sitting next to someone interesting and the thing didn't drag on for too long he generally got into it. Tonight he was enjoying himself.
He was finding Celia Cantwell particularly interesting.
Mrs Cantwell is the woman his mother has the interest in, so she'd seated Sebastian next to her and told him 'to be nice to her'. So he's being nice. He's always 'nice'.
Mr Cantwell is seated on the other side of Sebastian and he'd chatted to them both for the early part of the dinner but Mr Cantwell is now turned towards his grandmother and giving her his full attention.
Leaving Sebastian to 'be nice' to Mrs Cantwell.
He did enjoy calling the women at these things Mrs 'Whatever', they were nearly always quite a bit older than he and it always gave him a bit of a tingle to talk to them like that, it made him feel like Benjamin to Mrs Robinson.
And Mrs Cantwell was well worth talking to. She had an interest in women's fashion, particularly the history of it. Sebastian loved fashion, especially women's, and had had a brief dabble at being a designer but had quickly realised that it was never going to work so he was now going down a very different route. But he still had the interest.
Tonight Mrs Cantwell is wearing a 50s inspired bright red, narrow waisted, A-line dress with a high collar and wide belt. It was even made from taffeta, he wondered if it was vintage.
She had the figure for it and it suited her.
He'd turned fully towards her, giving her his undivided attention.
She fascinated him: she's apparently an astute, successful and, occasionally, ruthless businesswoman but it's that sparkle in her eyes that's catching his breath.
He took a big chance on the sparkle.
And touched the crisp fabric of her dress under the table.
Celia didn't particularly want to be there tonight. She'd never really enjoyed these, small, more intimate dinners, there wasn't any way of escaping once you'd had enough, you just had to sit through it.
She did however, know that they were an essential part of business, especially her type of business.
She was a self made businesswoman who'd built her little empire through, amongst other things, attracting investment. These days she's the one doing the investing.
She'd spoken to Evangeline Kastelano a few times over the phone, had obviously studied her proposal and done quite a lot of research. She'd already decided that she was going to invest and how much, so hadn't intended on accepting the invitation but, after looking at Mrs Kastelano's house online, had had a twinge of curiosity and had come along anyway.
Then she'd arrived and wished she hadn't. She couldn't see anyone she wanted to sit next to. She knew the other two investors and their partners: they were as boring as bat-shit. She had two daughters of her own and really didn't want an evening of more girl on girl conversation. Sitting next to Evangeline would inevitably end in talking business, again not in the least bit desirable. That left the grandmother or the young son. The grandmother would probably start pitching for her daughter so that left the boy. But, on consideration, she didn't suppose she'd have much choice in the matter.
She really wished she hadn't come.
She was sitting next to Sebastian.
And he defied all her expectations. He was articulate, funny and interesting. She was actually having a good time.
He's also interesting to look at. With his neatly cut deep, black hair and honey-brown eyes that are being impossible to ignore. His olive skin is flawless, his voice light and mellow, instantly soothing and his teeth a pure white.
What she's finding rather intriguing is that, if she hadn't known he was Sebastian: the only son and youngest member of the family: if she hadn't known any different; if she'd just met him on the street, if she'd then been asked the question, she wouldn't have been able to say if he was a boy or a girl. Just looking at him she really couldn't pin it down.
Androgynous was probably the right word, but it certainly didn't suit him.
He was both handsome and beautiful.
And smelt wonderful. She was finding him a little intoxicating.
She wasn't generally attracted to men. She usually found them annoying. She glanced passed him at the back of her husband's head. Her marriage was a convenience, an arrangement. He'd needed an ornament, a plus one. She'd needed money. She'd tried and tried to get funding for her first business venture but men always seemed to want something in return, something she wasn't prepared to give.
Then she'd found Richard. He was a relatively successful businessman who regarded himself as a bit of a player but needed someone more permanent on his arm, someone who looked good but didn't want too much.
She wanted a big loan.
They both got what they wanted.
