CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

S ebastian

Luke grabs my hand, and we rush into the inky night. Snowflakes flutter down, settling on the snow-covered sidewalk and somewhat less snow-covered street.

“Stop!” Clark shouts, appearing at the door.

I swing around. “I am no longer employed with Seeking Mr. Right .”

“I’ll make sure you’re no longer employed anywhere!” Clark’s face is red, and he looks like he’s trying to form his own type of energy.

Luke’s steps falter, and his look is anguished.

“Totally worth it,” I say to Luke, and I slink my arms around his neck.

“Are you sure?”

I give him my most solemn nod, though I’m pretty sure my eyes are dancing. The only thing I feel in my heart is happiness and calm.

“I’ll figure it out,” I say, and I’m certain I will. The money I earned as host helps, and I have a feeling I’ll have new opportunities.

“Besides, I’m not really looking for a job in Hollywood,” I say.

He turns to me, and his eyes glisten. “Oh yeah?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Maybe something in Massachusetts?” His voice is hopeful.

I give a casual shrug. “I mean I do really like Lobster Benedict.”

“I have an excellent recipe,” he says. “I haven’t written it down though, so you’ll need to stay here.”

“Guess I better do that.”

We stare at each other.

And smile.

“I think we better walk faster,” Luke says.

“Smart man.”

Luke snorts, and we fly down the sidewalk, hand in hand. A few cars glide slowly down the street, but Christmas Eve isn’t a high traffic time. The air is still as snowflakes flutter around us, filling the air with their sparkling shimmer.

We arrive at Luke’s townhouse and walk up the stairs to his apartment. Christmas music wafts into the hallway, and Luke grins.

“Guess it’s party time. Ready, Sebastian?” He extends his hand, and I take it.

“Anywhere with you.”

His eyes flare, then he sweeps me into his arms, and kisses me. He pushes me against the wall, or perhaps the door, because the texture changes. Then the door swings open, and cheering sounds.

“It’s the happy couple,” Troy’s voice says. “Congratulations.”

Luke and I stop kissing, and someone thrusts mulled wine into our hands.

“I didn’t know you were having a party,” I say to Luke.

“It was a Seeking Mr. Right watch party,” Troy says. “It’s still playing on the TV. You’re all over the news.”

“Did we shock you?” Luke asks, and I note the slight tremble in his voice.

“Why do you think we wanted to sign you up for the show?” Noah asks. “You were obviously obsessed with Sebastian!”

“He was?” Dmitri’s brow furrows.

“Noah called it,” Troy says.

“I won the pool!” Noah exclaims happily, and Finn wraps his arm around his husband’s neck and smooches him on the cheek.

“I don’t see how,” Dmitri grumbles. “It was huge surprise.”

“Not really,” Troy says.

Dmitri glowers. “Oskar, tell me you were surprised.”

“I was surprised?” Oskar says obediently.

“Say it with conviction.”

Oskar rolls his eyes, but his lips swerve upward, and he gives Dmitri the sort of happy glazed look that often comes after certain beverages.

“I was surprised,” Oskar says with somewhat more force.

Dmitri shakes his head, then he stands behind Oskar. He places his hands on Oskar’s middle. “This is diaphragm. Speak from there. Loudly. And...” Dmitri takes Oskar’s right hand and begins to wave it around like Oskar is a conductor. “Go.”

“I was surprised!” Oskar waves his hand dutifully, speaking with way more force than I’m accustomed to.

Then Oskar dissolves into giggles, and Dmitri’s eyes soften.

“Good job,” Dmitri says. “See, I was not alone.”

Oskar stops giggling. “You should probably tell them congratulations.”

“If they’d told me before I would not have bet fifty dollars on Flora,” Dmitri mutters.

“Sorry, Dmitri,” Luke says lightly.

“Is tragedy. I will forgive you though.” Dmitri gazes at me. “Though Oskar would have been better match. Smarter.”

“Hey!” Luke says.

“Oskar went to Harvard. You went to...?”

Oskar scrambles from Dmitri’s arms, as Luke defends his honor.

“I’m glad I’ll be seeing more of you,” Oskar says. “Not everyone needs to be a hulking hockey player around here.”

“You know, I used to think I hated jocks before I came here,” I confess.

“You?” Oskar giggles. “Hard to believe.”

I laugh, surrounded by my new friends, and I’m sure this will be the first Christmas of many. I can hardly wait.

Luke pulls me into his arms.

“Did you convince Dmitri that you are a better match than Oskar?”

Luke shakes his head mournfully. “He was oddly firm about that point.” He strokes my cheek. “But I got what really matters.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Totally.” Then Luke pulls me into his arms, and we dance in the kitchen to Christmas music as people cheer around us.