The Deal Part 2

Stella's POV

"Keep in mind that I'm only here for a short time."

"Seize the opportunity while you still have it, Stella." She clings to the fridge door and turns to face me. "Oh. Can I come back the next day and cook again?"

"That's great with me as well. Would you like to gain me some weight?"

"Of course not. By the way, didn't I tell you about it that there are two culinary students from the department and I selected to attend by some of New York City's wealthiest people, and we are going to cook for them."

"Wow. That's not what I'm getting from you. I am so proud of you, Carla. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Stella." Sour cream and other condiments are placed in the refrigerator's vacant spaces with a smile on her face. After that, she walks over to the oven and messes with the heat settings before walking off.

"You will have an amazing career soon. I feel it. Even if you've merely worked as a chef's assistant, you've already earned your place." I told her.

"Stella, thank you so much." She scoops out what looks to be scone batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet from one of the containers she brought with her. "Okay, can we go back now to the super-rich hot neighbor?"

"There isn't much more to say." Keeping my words brief and to the point.

"Um… Has he asked you out?"

"What? Not at all." I said while raising my right eyebrow.

"Because for the simple reason that it appears that he has an interest in you."

"No, he isn't."

"You're at the very least in his sights."

"He's annoyed by these cats, especially to Luca, and if he doesn't stop, my ass will be on the line." Seeing Luca, Tucker, and Luna lying up on the floor next to me, I can't help but smile. Luca whimpers and lifts her chin to look at me, her eyes widening with the sight of me.

"But I think that's not the case," as she places the baking dish in the oven. "Can you picture a super-rich hot guy doing something like that for you? And don't attempt to persuade me that it was just nothing."

"Please accept my apologies, but I have no idea." I rise to my feet and begin to walk away with a sigh and a shake of my head. I won't reveal that I have a crush on Sebastian already. "I'll be right back. I'll get my notes upstairs."

She grinned and started making some little sausages as she worked in the kitchen. "Okay. Take your time."

As soon as I walk upstairs, I pick up my notebooks.

"Stella! I don't see Luca here! Come in down immediately!" Carla yelled from the kitchen.

Alarm bells start ringing in my head, and panic sets in. Crap.

The only way I can figure out what's going on is to stick my head out the sliding door that's wide open.

I saw Luca running from the perch on top of the glass partition that separated Sebastian's area from the rest of the building.

"Luca! come back here, please." I order, grumbling under my breath.

Sadly, I don't expect Sebastian to be home tonight. When I saw him at work, I had the feeling he was working on something important. The awkwardness stems from the fact that he is currently on the opposite side of the barrier, with Sebastian at his feet.

"You owe me now, little pet-sitter," with an arrogant half-smile.

"Um... Mr. Miller. I'm sorry but he hasn't done anything wrong, so don't worry. I'd want to meet him at the front door if that's okay."

He nods his head a little bit. "You're more than welcome to come and pick up your cat," he says. "But your apologies, on the other hand, will be insufficient. Not this time. Furthermore, I made it clear that you would be held accountable if your cat did it again. I wasn't just chatting with myself when I said you'd be punished."

I uncomfortably fold my arms across my chest as I wait for him to approach the balcony railing.

"What are the odds? How much does it cost?" I inquire. "I'd like to know what I owe you, please. As a side note, I hope you realize that I'm not wealthy."

There is a sense of him moving his gaze along the length of me that he can see. "You've got a lot, little pet-sitter," he adds with a smile.

"I don't," I reply. "For the two weeks that Alice has paid me to stay here, the money has already been spent. I'm now repaying my college student loans."

While we are talking, Sebastian's brother suddenly shows up. "Why are you out here when we have things to do?" he shouts, pausing briefly when our eyes contact for a brief moment. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello. I'm Stella."

After that, he returns his focus to his younger sibling. In the meanwhile, he says, "So, uh, I think I need to leave; I'll talk to you upstairs… in your office," and walks away from Sebastian with a smile on his face.

"I'll be right there." Sebastian's grin spreads across his face, and he looks back in front of me. "Hey, Stella, come to the entrance and get your pet, and I will be thinking about your payment next time."

He offers me his phone in a friendly gesture, pulling it out of his pocket and unlocking it. So, he tells me to enter my phone number. I nodded and entered my phone number, and then I passed the phone back to him. "Please pardon me if I disturb you again, but honestly, I can't afford to pay much, and I don't own anything; therefore, it's futile to suit me."

While returning to his front door, he says firmly, "You'll pay what I tell you," and walks back while waving his right hand. "I'll get back to you, little pet-sitter," he said.