Second Chances Under the Tree?

CALLIE

I gripped my phone tightly, pacing back and forth in my tiny living room. My heart was racing faster than the snowstorm brewing outside. This was it. Tonight was the night.

Without overthinking it, I hit Sophie's name in my contacts and she picked up after the second ring.

"Callie?" she answered. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Sophie, I can't wait anymore, and besides, it's just 9 p.m," I blurted out. "Tonight is the night."

"What are you even talking about?" Sophie asked with a groan.

"I'm confessing!" I replied, feeling a surge of excitement coursing through me. "I'm going to tell Ethan how I feel."

There was a long pause on her end.

"What?" Sophie finally said.

"I've been holding it in for too long," I explained, clutching the phone closer to my ear. "And I just know he feels the same way. He's probably just scared I'll turn him down or something. But I'll make it easy for him. I'll tell him first."

Still no response from Sophie. The silence stretched awkwardly, and I frowned.

"Sophie?" I called out, glancing at the phone screen to make sure the call hadn't dropped. "What's with the weird vibe? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly, though her voice sounded strained. "Are you... sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure," I said, walking toward the window. "I mean, why wouldn't I be? This is Ethan we're talking about. You know how long I've been crazy about him."

Sophie sighed. "Well... good luck, I guess."

"Guess?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "That's it? No pep talk? No 'you've got this, Callie, you're amazing, and Ethan would be lucky to have you'?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sophie said, her tone lighter now. "You're amazing, Ethan would be lucky to have you, blah, blah. Just don't overthink it, okay? Go for it."

"Thanks, Soph," I said, grinning. "You're the best. I'll call you after and tell you how it went!"

I stood outside Ethan's building and knocked on the door, my heart thudding loudly in my chest.

A moment later, Ethan's maid opened the door. "Miss Callie," she said. "Come in, it's freezing out there."

"Is Ethan here?" I asked as I stepped inside.

"Yes, he's in the parlor," she replied, gesturing down the hall.

"Callie," Ethan called out, as he sighted me.

Without thinking, I crossed the room and hugged him tightly. "Hi," I said, smiling up at him.

But something felt off. His arms felt hesitant around me, and when I pulled back, he wasn't really smiling.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yeah, yeah," he said quickly, gesturing for me to sit down. "What's up?"

I hesitated, studying him for a moment before brushing aside my unease... "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you."

"Oh?" he asked, sitting back and folding his arms. "What's that?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words froze on my tongue as movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned, and my heart stopped.

Sophie stepped out of his bedroom.

She was dressed casually in one of Ethan's oversized hoodies, her hair tied back.

"Sophie?"I asked, my voice trembling. I stood up, stumbling back. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

She looked at Ethan, then back at me, waiting for him to explain.

"Callie," Ethan began. "We didn't want you to find out like this, but..." He glanced at Sophie, who nodded slightly, encouraging him. "Sophie and I... we've been seeing each other. Secretly. For a while now."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe as the world spun around me.

"What?" I whispered, barely able to get the word out.

"We didn't want to hurt you," Sophie said softly, stepping forward. "But we felt it was time you knew."

I shook my head, staggering back another step. "You... you've been seeing each other? Behind my back?"

"Callie, I'm sorry," Ethan muttered. "We didn't plan for this to happen, but..."

"Stop," I snapped. "Just... stop."

My eyes burned with tears as I looked at them. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real.

"You're heartless," I spat at Sophie, as my voice trembled. She flinched, but I didn't care. "You knew I was coming here tonight. I told you everything, and you still couldn't warn me?"

"Callie..." she started, but I cut her off.

"No," I snapped, shouting at the top of my voice. "Don't even try to explain. I told you I was going to confess my feelings to Ethan. I told you how much he meant to me, and you sat there, quiet, pretending like you didn't know anything. How could you?"

Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't bother wiping them away. I turned my gaze to Ethan. "And you," I muttered. "I thought you liked me. The way you treated me so kind, so caring. I thought... I thought it meant something. I thought I meant something."

Ethan's brow furrowed as he took a step toward me. "Callie, wait. You've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood what?" I demanded, throwing my arms up. "That all of this was just in my head? That I'm some pathetic girl who got it wrong?"

"No," he said, his voice annoyingly calm. "That's not what I mean. I care about you deeply, Callie. But not in the way you're thinking. I've always seen you as a sister."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. A sister.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "A sister? Really? That's why you were always checking in on me, making sure I was okay, being there when I needed someone? You don't treat someone like that unless they mean more to you."

"That's exactly why I did all of that," Ethan replied. "Because I care about you, Callie. You're family to me."

Family.

The word echoed in my mind, increasing the ache in my chest. I couldn't breathe.

"You're unbelievable," I whispered. I looked back at Sophie, who stood rooted to a spot. "And you. You sat there, listening to me pour my heart out about Ethan over and over again. How many times did I tell you? How many? And not once, not once...did you tell me the truth."

"I didn't know how to..." Sophie began, but I cut her off with a bitter laugh.

"You didn't know how to tell me?" I said, my voice rising. "You didn't know how to be honest with me? That's rich. Some friend you are."

I felt like I was suffocating. My chest ached, my vision blurred with tears, and my legs felt weak.

"I can't... I can't do this," I choked out, backing toward the door.

The freezing air hit my face as I stepped outside, but I barely felt it. I took a deep breath, inhaling the icy air until it burned in my lungs.

No. I wasn't going to cry over them. Not anymore. They weren't worth my tears.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, opened my browser, and typed into the search bar: Male escort services near me.

I hit enter and scrolled through the results until one caught my eye: "Discreet. Professional. Satisfaction Guaranteed."

Perfect. Exactly what I needed.

Tonight, instead of drowning in heartbreak caused by people who didn't care about me.

I was going to get fucked by a stranger.

CALLIE

I arrived at the VIP section 112 of the club where we had agreed to meet, my heart pounding harder than the bass shaking the walls. I paused at the door, smoothing down my dress as I glanced inside.

And then, I saw him.

He sat casually on the couch, sipping a drink. His appearance took me by surprise- too refined, too elegant, and way too good-looking for someone in his line of work.

"Get it together, Callie," I whispered, straightening my back and summoning a confidence I didn't feel as I walked toward him.

"You're late," he said, raising his head to meet my gaze with those gorgeous brown eyes.

Ignoring the formality, I sat into the seat across from him and crossed my arms. "Let's skip the small talk."

His brows lifted slightly, but he didn't reply.

"I didn't come here for pleasantries," I continued. "I came here for one thing. So let's get to it."

He gave me a surprised look, but I didn't care.

Reaching for the zipper of my dress, I tugged it down, and it slid off my shoulders, leaving me in nothing but my matching lace bra and panties.

His drink halted midway to his lips as his eyes widened in shock.

"I'm all yours," I whispered, standing tall in front of him. "So, let's get started. Now."

He stared at me for a long moment, his drink still frozen halfway to his lips. Then, as if coming to his senses, he placed the glass on the table and stepped closer.

Slowly, he slid his arms around me, lifting me effortlessly and setting me down on the table. His eyes locked on mine for a brief second before he leaned in, and his lips touched mine.

The kiss was soft, gentle, and not rushed. Heat coursed through me as his hands trailed along my back, drawing me closer and anchoring me to him.

My breath hitched as his fingers expertly traced the edges of my bra. With a flick, he unhooked it and threw it to the ground.

"Oh, you're so sexy," he muttered, cupping my breast with his hands while his tongue drew circles on my nipple.

My hand found its way into his pants, and I gasped when I felt his dick- it was huge.

"Can you come have me now?" I said, feeling my pussy dripping already. I was so turned on at this point.

He didn't say a word. He just kept his eyes locked on mine, slowly pulling off my panties before unhooking his pants and pulling out his dick.

I won't lie, I had never seen a dick this big before. Well, I had only seen one a long time ago.

He then dragged me closer and went deep into me. I let out a loud moan, biting my lower lip to keep myself from screaming too loudly.

He kept thrusting slowly at first, then increased his pace. My head wanted to explode from the pleasure I felt.

The way he kept staring at me while he fucked me made the pleasure even more intense. Who was this guy?

I got down from the table and put my dress back on. What did I just do? Oh, I really enjoyed it.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked as I zipped up my dress.

He smirked, clearly amused by the question. "Well, I...."

Before he could finish, the door burst open, and a woman stormed in. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded, glaring at me.

I blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"I said, who are you, and what are you doing here?" she repeated. "This is my client. I was running late, and...."

"Your client?" I asked, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

"Yes. Mr Sebastian," she said, gesturing toward the man who now looked far too entertained for my liking.

My eyes widened in horror. "Wait a minute. This isn't VIP section 112?"

"No," she snapped. "This is 121. Didn't you check the damn sign?"

I turned to Sebastian, my face heating with humiliation. "You knew, didn't you? You knew I was in the wrong room!"

He raised his hands in mock surrender, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his face. "I tried to tell you," he said calmly. "But you were... persuasive."

"You're unbelievable!" I screamed at him. "Why didn't you stop me?"

He leaned back against the couch. "Would you have listened?"

I opened my mouth to argue but realized he was right. I'd been too focused on taking control to let him get a word in.

"You... you're despicable!" I spat, grabbing my bag. "I can't believe this."

I glared at him, as my hands trembled. "You're the worst kind of man," I continued, trying my best to keep my voice steady. "Sitting there like some smug, arrogant bastard while I made a complete fool of myself. You could've tried harder to stop me!"

He didn't budge. Instead he sat there with that smirk on his lips and that alone fueled my anger.

"You think this is funny?" I snapped. "You're pathetic. A joke. You probably get your kicks from letting women embarrass themselves, don't you? Does it make you feel powerful? Does it?"

Sebastian's calm demeanor didn't waver. "Are you done?" he asked, his tone infuriatingly calm.

"No, I'm not done!" I shouted. "You're a slimy, self-serving creep who doesn't deserve a shred of decency. And your name? Sebastian? What are you, a third-rate romance novel villain?"

His lips twitched, like he was holding back laughter, and I lost it.

"Don't you dare laugh!" I pointed a finger at him. "You don't get to laugh, you smug bastard. You're nothing but a low life."

Sebastian folded his arms, leaning back casually. "Feel better now?"

I let out a frustrated growl, grabbed my bag, and stormed toward the door.

"You'll regret this," I muttered, throwing a final glare over my shoulder. "Mark my words, Sebastian, you'll regret this."

He didn't respond, just watched me leave with that maddening smirk still on his face.

********************

SEBASTIAN

The next morning, I sat in the office that would officially become mine today, leaning back in the oversized leather chair and trying to focus on my coffee instead of the mountain of work that awaited me.

First day as CEO of this branch. I still wasn't thrilled about it, but my father's word was law.

The door opened, and Lucas strolled in like he owned the place. "Morning, Mr CEO," he said, grinning as he sat in the chair across from me. "What's with that smug look? Did the promotion come with an extra dose of arrogance?"

I smirked, swirling my coffee. "Let's just say I had an interesting night."

"Oh?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Do tell. You don't usually look this entertained on a Monday morning."

I couldn't help the grin spreading across my face as the memory surfaced and, I told him everything.

Lucas stared at me like I'd just told him the wildest story he'd ever heard. "You let her go off on you? You? The guy who doesn't take orders from anyone?"

I shrugged, a grin tugging at my lips. "It was... refreshing. I don't think I've ever let a woman order me around like that. But then I really wish I could see her again."

Lucas shook his head, still grinning. "You're insane. You're never seeing her again, though. So snap out of it. You've got bigger things to deal with... like running this branch."

I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "Don't remind me. Did my father really have to transfer you to another branch? I could've used a familiar face here."

"You'll survive," Lucas said, waving me off. "Besides, you've got a top-notch assistant coming your way. She'll make life easier for you."

"Is that so?" I muttered, taking another sip of coffee.

Lucas nodded. "She's efficient, smart, and not the kind to let you slack off. She should be here any minute."

Before I could reply, a knock sounded at the door. Lucas grinned, gesturing toward it. "That's her now."

I turned toward the door as it opened, and when I saw who walked in, my coffee cup nearly slipped from my hand.

It was her.

The woman from the club.

And judging by the way her eyes widened when she saw me, she recognized me too.

CALLIE

I closed my car door, glanced up at the sleek glass building that housed my workplace, and took a deep breath to collect myself.

Then, my phone buzzed in my bag. I hesitated, already seeing Ethan's name flashing on the screen.

The first instinct was to ignore it. After last night, the last thing I wanted was to hear his voice. But then I thought better of it. I wasn't about to let him think I was sulking. Sure, I was still hurt, but I needed to keep my composure.

The phone buzzed again. With a sigh, I picked it up. "What is it, Ethan?"

"Callie," he started. "I just... I wanted to say I'm sorry. About last night. I should've told you the truth earlier."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm over it."

"Really?" His voice was filled with disbelief. "Because..."

"Ethan," I interrupted, trying to keep my tone light. "It's fine. I've got work to get to, so if that's all..."

"Wait," he cut in. "There's something else you should know."

What now?

"My stepbrother," Ethan said, "he's taking over as CEO of your branch. Starting today."

"What?" The word escaped before I could stop it.

"He'll be your boss," Ethan continued quickly. "I thought you should know ahead of time. Just... be prepared, okay?"

"I've got to go, Ethan," I said, cutting him off. "Thanks for the heads-up."

I adjusted my hair in the reflection of the building's glass doors and checked my makeup for any smudges. Professional. Composed. That's what I needed to be. With one last deep breath, I pushed open the door to my new boss's office, the smile on my face carefully rehearsed.

And then I froze.

Sitting behind the desk, looking all too relaxed and smug, was him. The infuriating bastard from the club. The man who let me make a complete fool of myself just to amuse himself.

My heart dropped. My stomach twisted. Oh. My. God.

Ethan's stepbrother was my new boss.

Lucas, my former boss, stood by the desk. "Callie! Welcome, dear." He gestured toward the devil himself. "Meet Sebastian, the new CEO of this branch."

Sebastian's eyes widened as he saw me. He knew exactly who I was. The same shock that hit me had clearly hit him too.

But just as quickly as the surprise appeared, he masked it, his expression changing into a composed smile.

The smirk. Of course. That damn smirk.

"Callie," he said smoothly, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure."

Pleasure? I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to return the handshake. His palm was warm, and I hated the way my stomach fluttered at the contact. Get it together, Callie.

"Likewise," I managed to say politely.

Lucas, unware of the tension in the room, clapped his hands. "I knew you two would get along. Callie, you're going to love working with Sebastian. He's sharp, efficient, and a great leader."

I bit back a snort. Oh, I'm sure.

Lucas glanced at his watch and smiled apologetically. "I'd stay and chat, but I've got another meeting to get to. I trust you'll settle in just fine, Callie."

Before I could protest, Lucas strode out of the office, leaving me alone with him.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening as he studied me. "Well, isn't this a small world?"

"Unbelievable," I muttered, shaking my head. "Of all the people in the world, you had to be my boss."

"Fate has a sense of humor," he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. "But don't worry, Callie. I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"Fine?" I shot back, narrowing my eyes. "You humiliated me last night."

"Correction," he said smoothly, "you humiliated yourself. I merely... let it happen."

I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came. My cheeks burned with frustration and embarrassment.

Sebastian tilted his head, his smirk deepening as he let his gaze sweep over me. "I have to admit, this is... unexpected," he said, with an amused tone. "You're the famous PA Lucas wouldn't stop raving about? The one who keeps everything running like clockwork? Wow, i'm shocked."

I crossed my arms, refusing to let him rile me up. "Sorry to disappoint you," I shot back. "But I guess you'll have to deal with it."

"Oh, I'm not disappointed," he said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Just... surprised."

"Why?" I snapped, annoyed by the condescension in his tone. "Because I don't fit your idea of what a competent professional looks like?"

"Not at all. I'm just surprised someone who can command a room like you can would... let things get so out of control last night."

The nerve. My fists clenched at my sides, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Sebastian, since you're my boss now, let me make one thing clear: I'm here to do my job, not relive awkward encounters. So if you can manage to keep things professional, we won't have a problem."

Sebastian leaned forward, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Actually," he said, "I do have a problem with it."

I froze. "What are you talking about?"

He crossed his arms, his smirk vanishing. "You're fired."

It felt like the ground was yanked from under me. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said coldly. "You have a few hours to pack your things and leave."

I let out a shaky laugh. He had to be joking. "You're not serious."

"I am," he said, his voice devoid of any humor. "Completely."

My heart hammered in my chest. This wasn't happening. My eyes burned, but I blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Sebastian... I'm sorry if I've come across as unprofessional. If that's the case, I sincerely apologize. I... I need this job. It's all I've got."

He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.

"Please," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

Still, no response.

Realizing I wasn't getting anywhere, I forced myself to stay composed even as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I turned and made my way to the door.

Just as I reached for the handle, he called out my name. "Callie."

I froze, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Slowly, I turned to face him.

"I won't fire you," he said, leaning back in his chair. "But only on one condition."