Page 28 of Kill Shot
A Dinner to Remember
Seb
Seb desperately hoped that everything would go smoothly tonight.
There was no real reason to think that anything might go amiss, but even if the food, music, and atmosphere was perfect, there was still no predicting how the first meeting of Nico and his father would go.
Seb dearly wanted the two men to get off on the right foot, but there was no way to guarantee that.
The graduation dinner was to be hosted at his house, for obvious reasons. It was certainly big enough, and a small part of him did want to show off to his friends. He knew that it was a little vain, but could he really be blamed?
All told, it was really just going to be his dad, Nico, and half a dozen of his classmates that were graduating alongside him, including Jenny and Tom, and a few of his cousins from his mother’s side of the family.
Right on cue, Tom rounded a corner and nearly collided with Seb.
“Woah, looking good there,” Tom said with an approving nod. “But where’s the bathroom? This place is disturbingly big.”
“Just down that hall, second door on the left,” Seb said with a big grin.
With that, Tom loped off, waving and gawking in equal measure as he went.
There hadn’t really been an official start time for the evening, so his guests had been trickling in one after another for the past few hours. Mostly, they were just fascinated to see his house and wanted to enjoy the luxury for as long as they could, and he certainly didn’t blame them for that.
However, that had ultimately left Nico as the last one yet to arrive. Dramatic, but also nerve-wracking.
“Come on, no need to be nervous, buddy,” Jenny said, clapping Seb on the back and gently swaying back and forth. She’d clearly indulged in the open bar already.
“Oh, I’m not nervous at all,” Seb said with a laugh that sounded anything but confident.
Jenny clicked her lips and rested her head on his shoulder. “But I get it. I’d definitely be nervous if I was you, considering how hot I’ve heard your boyfriend is. One of us might steal him. Unrelated, but does he swing both ways?”
Okay, how did she know that Nico would be coming? The only person he’d said anything about Nico to was Tom. Not that he cared word was spreading around about Nico; it wasn’t like Seb was trying to hide him either.
Seb patted her on the head as though she was a child. “You know, Tom was just over here. I think he went that way.”
“Did he now?” Jenny giggled, already pulling away from Seb and heading in the indicated direction. She was so very easy to distract when she got like this. In fact, she’d probably been hunting for Tom before she’d gotten sidetracked with Seb.
But before Seb could take a moment to catch his breath, he heard the doorbell ring. One of the guards was going to answer it, of course, but Seb still hurried to be there.
Would it be Nico? What would he be wearing? Would he be impressed with the suit that Seb was wearing for the evening? Or would he think that it was too gaudy and ostentatious?
His fears grew more and more nonsensical until there wasn’t room for any thought at all. There was only the opening front door, the pounding of his heart, and the burn in his lungs as he held his breath.
“Hello, sir,” the guard said as he opened the door. “Might you be Mister Gutierrez?”
“Right on the money,” Nico’s familiar voice said as he stepped into the entryway.
Seb had always thought that Nico looked cool, collected, and put-together, but he only now realized that he’d never seen the man truly cleaned up.
In a tight-fitting dress shirt that emphasized his broad chest, with his hair gathered back into a bun, and an expensive watch upon his wrist, Nico was the most beautiful creature that Seb had ever seen.
And from the look on Nico’s face when he saw Seb, he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it. Then again, how could Seb possibly be expected to keep a straight, stoic face when confronted with one of Nico’s roguish grins?
Seb really was just a few inches away from leaping into the man’s arms and kissing him on the spot.
One would think that he’d have mastered the art of distance and decorum given how often they met in public with his guards watching, but his present struggle was just a testament to how overwhelming the attraction was.
“Someone looks good for their big day,” Nico said, his voice softer than usual, after taking a long, admiring look up and down Seb’s body. It felt like nothing more than being undressed right there on the spot.
But before Seb could respond, Nico’s gaze flicked past him to focus on something over his shoulder. Just for the briefest of instants, Nico tensed, but then relaxed so quickly that Seb thought he might be imagining things.
“So this is the Nico I’ve been hearing so much about,” Pablo said as he settled a hand on his son’s shoulder.
“And I take it you must be Seb’s father. Pablo Altamirano, was it?” Nico looked almost completely at ease, but Seb could read all the little tells that spoke to just how tense and ready to explode the man really was.
“That’s right,” Pablo said, and Seb knew that if he turned, he would see an equally guarded expression on his father’s face.
Part of him knew that he should be concerned by just how combative the men were on their first meeting, but he couldn’t help feeling a little amused that he was probably the only person in the entire world who knew both of these men well enough to track this exchange.
And besides, it would probably be fine. Weren’t the first meetings between boyfriends and fathers supposed to go like this?
A little jealousy here, a little testing the boundaries there?
They were fighting over him, in a sense, and even though Seb knew how childish that sounded, he was still a little pleased at being the object of their little tussle.
After a few years, they’d surely all look back and laugh about it over a big family dinner.
Sighing in bliss, Seb took one man in each arm and guided them towards the dining room. He was completely oblivious to the side-eyed glares they shot at one another over his head, and he was very nearly whistling a tune when they finally reached the scene for the evening.
Dinners at their home were rarely fancy affairs.
Usually, they tended to use a small, intimate corner of the massive dining room while the rest was used by the staff.
It helped make the space feel a little less lonely and desolate, since there was no way they could possibly make it feel full and lively with anything less than a few dozen guests.
Tonight, they were going all out. There were no less than five long tables fully furnished for the feast, and several rounds of hors d’oeuvres had already been served.
One entire table was for Seb, his friends, his father, and Nico. The rest of the tables were for the guards, staff, and a few of Pablo’s close friends and business partners that had been chosen to fill out the numbers.
But Seb had eyes for nobody but Nico. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he couldn’t help but wonder if his boyfriend would see him as a little more mature after tonight.
Would he be one step closer to standing on equal footing with a man that was so worldly, sophisticated, and grizzled that it made Seb nearly swoon on a nightly basis?
“Very impressive,” Nico murmured, leaning over so that only Seb could hear him. Only Seb could feel that hot breath on his ear, scorching his cheeks and turning him redder than a cherry tomato.
“It is, isn’t it?” Pablo mused, his tone unnaturally calm, as if he was forcing himself to sound completely at ease. It would seem that perhaps Seb hadn’t been the only one who could hear Nico.
But that was normal, wasn’t it? Isn’t it normal for a boy’s father to get a little stiff and uncomfortable when they see their son’s lover whispering into his ear right in front of them?
Tom and Jenny were already seated at the table, and their eager waving gave Seb an excuse to hurry over to them, leaving Nico and Pablo alone. Perhaps they could exchange a quick word, smooth over any ruffled feathers, and this evening could move along without any further strife.
At least, one could hope.
“Oh my God, is that your boyfriend?” Jenny gasped, her eyes impossibly wide. Even if nobody had heard her, it would just take a single glance at her face to read her every thought.
“Damn, good job, Seb,” Tom added with a nod of approval. It was a testament to just how distracted he was that he didn’t even flee away from Jenny’s teasing touch on his arm.
Introductions were made, with Nico giving Tom a firm handshake and even going so far as to elegantly kiss Jenny’s hand. Predictably, that made her squeal with glee, and every time Seb looked her way after that, her eyes were shining with awe.
Pablo sat at the head of the table, with Seb on his right and Nico on his left. That left the two able to stare at each other for the whole of dinner, and while Seb had planned things out to end up specifically like this, all the fantasizing in the world could not compare to the real thing.
It was right out of a fairy tale, and Seb could barely even take his eyes off Nico to enjoy an appetizer or two while they waited for the main course.
Nico, naturally, sipped on wine and charmed everyone with rare smiles that contrasted beautifully with his normally stormy looks. Each and every person at the table felt like they were being shown an exclusive, precious glimpse of the real man.
Everyone except Seb’s dad. Pablo alone did not burst with enthusiasm, and his nods of acknowledgement were accompanied by tight smiles.
But then it was time for the dinner to truly begin and for meals to be served. Seb could think of nothing but how happy he was going to be, seeing everyone eating around the same table. Maybe at some point, they could even invite Caroline over.
He thought nothing of it when his father rose to his feet beside him. In all likelihood, he was just going to give an order, but then he raised his glass and cleared his throat.
“I know that it’s a bit out of character for me, but I’d like to give something of a toast tonight,” Pablo said as the room fell silent. Every eye was on him, from his friends to his employees and his own table.
Seb burned with embarrassment, knowing exactly what his father was about to say. However, his embarrassment was nothing compared to just how much he was overflowing with love. He really did have the best dad in the world.
“My son, you have made me prouder than any father in the world. You’re such a kind and loving soul, and in the past few years, you’ve finally been able to discover your calling.
I know that we’ve had our disagreements over the years, but we’ve always come through even stronger than before.
You really are the best son that a father could ask for. ”
Seb had to blink away his tears to look at Nico, but his boyfriend wasn’t looking at him at all.
Instead, his attention was solely on Pablo, and for just an instant, Seb thought he saw something dark and monstrous in that stare.
But then it was gone, and Seb was quite sure that it had just been a product of his own overwrought mind.
“Just know that what I do, I do out of nothing but love for you,” Pablo continued, and Seb felt a terrible sense of foreboding.
He opened his mouth to protest, not even knowing exactly what he was protesting, but his father silenced him with a single determined look.
It was an expression that Seb had only seen a few times before, and it was so serious that he instantly knew not to disobey.
Even if he’d tried, he wouldn’t have been able to speak up.
And then his father turned his attention to Nico, and the skin at the back of Seb’s neck prickled. He understood exactly what was about to happen. Disaster was approaching, but he could do absolutely nothing to stop it.
“I know who you are,” his father said softly, so that only their table could hear it. “I know exactly who you are, you son of a bitch, and I won’t let you or your family ruin my happiness yet again.”
There was an expression on Nico’s face that Seb had never seen before. It was a hatred that he had never before thought possible, not on Nico. It was a passionate fury so full of loathing that it was almost comical, but there was nothing funny about the situation.
Pablo cleared his throat and raised his voice. “But I don’t want you to apologize to me. I want you to apologize to my son, who you’ve ruthlessly used to get close to me. You toyed with his heart, and I can forgive a great many things, but that is not one of them.”
Seb could not believe what he was hearing. His head whipped around so fast that he saw stars, but when he looked to Nico to hear his protests, to see the anguish of a man falsely accused, he instead saw only cold rage.
Nico wasn’t denying it. Nico wasn’t saying that it was all some sort of misunderstanding, that his father was mistaking him for someone else, not even that this was just a case of overprotective parental jealousy.
No, Nico didn’t say a single word as he continued to stare hatefully at Pablo. He didn’t even turn to look Seb in the eye.
Why wasn’t he saying anything?
But Seb already knew. With every thunderous heartbeat in his ears, he grew more and more certain of the terrible truth.