An Uninvited Guest

Victoria arrived at the office just after six o'clock in the evening. She had gone to the hospital first, but the nurses told her that Rowan had already been discharged. So, her next best guess was that he was at the office. She hurried inside, hoping to find him there.

"Mr. Rowan," Victoria called out as she entered his office, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rowan's head shot up from his laptop, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of her. He had missed her so much. But he couldn't let that show.

Within seconds, Rowan's eyes scanned over Victoria, noticing how her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. His gaze lingered on the rise and fall of her chest, his mind instinctively making note of her rapid breathing.

Rowan swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing with the force of his emotions. "God," he thought, "she must have run all the way here." The idea that she was so eager to see him made his heart swell with pride and joy. He felt a rush of affection for her.

"Mr. Rowan, are you alright?" Victoria asked, her voice tinged with worry as she approached him. "Why would you work at a time like this?" She knew that he needed to rest, that his health was more important than anything else right now.

"Did you just call me Mr. Rowan?" Rowan interrupted her with a teasing smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he laughed, the sound filling the room.

Victoria's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, and then she realized her error. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. "I know I'm supposed to call you Rowan, but I was so worried about you and my mind was racing. I didn't even think about it."

A playful smile spread across Rowan's face as an idea struck him. "There's no excuse for what you did," he said, teasing her. "You'll just have to accept your punishment with grace and dignity." He kept his tone light, hoping to make her laugh.

Victoria: "...."

"Punishment?" she asked, her eyes dancing with uncertainty. Wasn't she too old for that stuff and besides her offense wasn't so serious as to amount to a PUNISHMENT, she thought to herself.

Rowan's face grew serious, but there was a pleading look in his eyes. "Let's go out to dinner," he said, his voice soft and hopeful. He wanted to spend some time alone with Victoria, to get to know her better. Maybe this could be the beginning of something special. But first, he had to win her over.

"Sure," Victoria accepted thoughtlessly.

As much as she tried to rationalize her feelings, Victoria couldn't come up with an answer. Why was she giving this amazing man a chance when she knew it wouldn't work out in the end? Was it out of pity? Or was she simply being selfish, using him as a way to forget about her ex?

She couldn't answer any of these questions, no matter how hard she tried.

.

.

Rowan gestured for Victoria to enter the restaurant ahead of him. "After you, my lady," he said with a flourish, and Victoria couldn't help but laugh.

"What a gentleman," she said, giving him a playful smile. They both chuckled as they walked inside.

Victoria noticed that the restaurant was completely empty, except for the two of them. She knew that Rowan must have called ahead and asked the restaurant to clear out, so they could have some privacy.

It was a kind gesture, and she couldn't find it in herself to be annoyed about it. In fact, she found it rather sweet. They sat down at a table, and the waiter came over to greet them. "Good day, Mr. Rowan," he said. "Good day, Miss Victoria."

Victoria was taken aback. How did the waiter know her name? She wondered. But she didn't ask. Instead, the waiter simply smiled at her, as if reading her mind.

He clearly knew what she was thinking. "It's a pleasure to have you both here," the waiter said, smiling warmly. "What would you like to drink?"

Victoria quickly scanned the menu, though she already knew what she wanted. Victoria opened her mouth to speak, but Rowan beat her to it.

"We'll both have lemonades, please," he said, looking at Victoria and giving her a knowing smile.

It was true that Victoria loved lemonade before. He couldn't remember when he had learned that about her, perhaps in their past.

Victoria looked over at Rowan weirdly and then, she simply nodded and smiled at the waiter, who headed off to fetch the drinks.

The waiter returned with the drinks and set them down in front of them. "Will you be ordering food?" he asked, and laid a menu on the table. "We have everything you could imagine. Just let me know what you'd like when you're ready, and ring this bell."

He pointed to a small silver bell on the table. Then, he turned and walked away, leaving them to their thoughts.

Rowan took a sip of his lemonade and looked over at Victoria. She was still staring at her drink, looking dazed.

Suddenly, the door of the restaurant burst open, and Sebastian strode in, accompanied by his bodyguards.

He marched over to the table, dragging a chair from another table and plopping it down next to Victoria and Rowan.

Victoria looked up at him in surprise, her mouth agape. She couldn't believe he had just barged in like that.

Rowan's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing in anger. What was Sebastian doing here? This was supposed to be a quiet dinner with Victoria, not a chance for Sebastian to show off.

Then, Sebastian casually sat down as if he belonged there, grabbed Victoria's glass and gulped down the lemonade in one long gulp.

He smacked his lips and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then turned to Rowan and Victoria. "Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully. "Glad I caught you! I'm feeling a bit peckish, so I thought I'd join you for dinner. What's on the menu tonight?"