“Lee says you speak several Arab languages, too.”
“Plus Italian and French,” I added.
Sebastian looked slightly embarrassed. “Well, yeah, I can speak Arabic, but I don’t read it well.”
“Could that be something for you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I thought maybe I’d look into some paralegal studies. I’ve kinda been helping out a neighbor who’s got immigration problems.”
“You didn’t tell me about that idea, Sebastian?” I said, delighted that he was planning ahead.
“I haven’t decided anything yet, Caro, I’m still thinking about it.”
“Well, there’s plenty of time – you don’t have to decide now.”
“No, I can just continue sponging off you,” he said, quietly.
He was still refusing to touch his disability pay checks, and the money was collecting dust in his bank account.
The conversation died away, my friends staring everywhere but at us.
“Sebastian, no,” I whispered, really upset.
“It’s what all your friends are thinking, Caro,” he said heatedly. “I can see it in their eyes.”
“Don’t assume you know what I’m thinking,” snapped Jenna.
“I agree,” said Nicole, evenly. “Because I was actually thinking that nearly dying in the service of your country earns you the right to have some time off – and if my friend is having as many orgasms as she says she is, you must be doing something right.”
Sebastian looked startled, then amused.
“Is that what she said?” he murmured, glancing over to me, before fixing his gaze on Nicole.
“I’m paraphrasing, of course,” replied Nicole, meeting his eyes.
Sebastian shrugged. “She taught me everything I know.”
Jenna chuckled, and Alice laughed out loud.
“Don’t mind me,” I said, my face glowing beet red.
“Later, baby,” said Sebastian, taking my hand and grazing my knuckles with a kiss.
There was a knock at the door, which was a welcome interruption to my public embarrassment.
“I’ll get it,” said Sebastian, pulling himself out of the chair.
Nicole’s eyes followed him across the room, then she turned to smile at me and winked.
“You and I will be having words,” I hissed at her.
“Just telling him the way it is, Lee. He didn’t seem to mind: I don’t know, is he the kind of guy who keeps score, because I dated a musician once who used to make a note of my orgasms in his diary, not that he could even tell which ones were faked.”
“I’ve never faked one,” I batted back at her.
“God, I hate you!” she said.
I was half-listening for Sebastian’s voice at the front door. When he switched from English, I guessed who our new visitor must be.
Nervously, Atash made his way into the room, smiling at my friends, while they turned to stare, giving brief, puzzled smiles back.
“Hi, Atash,” I said, and quickly introduced them to him.
He smiled again and nodded politely, but looked uncomfortable.
“We’ll be next door,” Sebastian said to me.
Then he steered Atash into the kitchen, where I heard him filling the kettle to make the horribly sweet tea that was traditional in Afghanistan, while they chatted away.
“What language is that, Lee?” said Alice. “Is that Arabic?”
“No, that’s Dari. Sebastian says it’s related to Persian not Arabic. He speaks Pashto, too,” I added, proudly.
They looked suitably surprised, and I was pleased that Sebastian had had a chance to impress them with something other than his looks – or his hot temper. I knew that had been bothering him.
“With those language skills, I’m surprised Military Intelligence didn’t snap him up,” continued Alice.
I didn’t answer, but couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Oh,” she said, knowingly, and swapped a look laden with significance with the others.
And then I heard Sebastian’s laughter coming from the kitchen: a long, loud, joyous laugh. I thought my heart would stop.
“Lee, are you okay?” said Jenna anxiously. “You look…”