WORTHY by Evie Matthews Page A

him.
    “Caleb, I swear I’m going to kill you one of these days.” Caitlin said menacingly.
    Chuckling, Caleb moved forward and offered his hand, “Aww… Katie, we both know you won’t. I’m Katie’s brother, Caleb.”
    “What’s up, bud? My name is Sebastian Avery.” Sebastian was enjoying the exchanges.
    “So? Are you her boyfriend?” Caleb asked bluntly.
    “Caleb, that’s enough. You’re embarrassing Katie, young man.” Amanda chided but still smiled.
    “Well, if she would have me, I would consider it a great honor to be her boyfriend.” Sebastian replied, winking at Caleb. When he turned to Caitlin, she was already blushing profusely.
    “C’mon, let’s go. Bye, Mom.” Caitlin muttered, nudging him towards the door.
    Turning to Amanda, “Ma’am, it was a pleasure finally meeting you. I’ll have her back before midnight. And I’ll see you around, bud.” Sebastian lightly clapped Caleb’s shoulder.
    Sebastian was still smiling when he opened the car door for her. “You have a wonderful family.” He said as he slid down into the driver’s seat.
    “I’m not so sure about that.” Caitlin replied, rolling her eyes. She still could not get over Sebastian’s reply to Caleb’s question. Just a month ago, her life had been pretty boring. Sebastian had managed to turned it upside down.
    “You’re so cute when you blush, do you know that?” Sebastian teased, pinching her left cheek before starting the car. “Okay, so, where do you wanna go?”
    “I don’t have anything particular in mind, so you choose.” Caitlin responded, acting nonchalant. Inside, she was a jumble of nerves. The small interior of the car made her acutely aware that they were alone.
    “Well, I haven’t had anything since lunch so I’m starving. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to a Mexican restaurant me and my brother used to frequent, Tia Maria’s. Ever been there?” Sebastian said, hiking up a brow in inquiry. He didn’t know why or when it started, but mentioning Shawne’s name seemed easier now. Somehow, he was slowly starting to come into terms with the reality of his death.
    “Not really. Which part of town is it?” Caitlin said. She also loved Mexican food.
    “Just several blocks from here.” Sebastian replied offhandedly.
    As he manoeuvred through the streets, Caitlin had time to observe him from the corner of her eye. She noticed he was quite muscular. His forearm looked taut and buff, a clear sign he is athletic or perhaps he constantly works out.
    Parking was a breeze since it was Sunday. Tia Maria’s was a large, homey restaurant that was frequented by many locals. As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a smiling woman, Caitlin assumed was Tia Maria.
    “ Hijo! It’s been awhile, come in, come in. I have a table ready for you.” The woman smiled widely as she hugged Sebastian.
    Looking around, the room was packed. But like Caprice and no doubt with other restaurants, Sebastian enjoyed VIP treatment.
    “Ahh, this is the first time you bought a chica, si ?” Tia Maria teased. Apparently, Sebastian is treated like a part of the family; every staff they met smiled or waved at him.
    “ Muy bonita , Tia. Her name is Caitlin and this is the famous Tia Maria, the woman so famed for her beauty, her food only comes in second.” Sebastian said proudly, putting his arms around Caitlin.
    Tia Maria laughed, tapping Sebastian’s cheek fondly. Turning to Caitlin, “Hello Caitlin. I have to say in all the years Sebastian have visited us, this is the only time he brought along a girl. You must be pretty special to him.” She said in stilted English.
    Caitlin could only smile warmly in response, blushing profusely.
    “That she is, Tia. That she is.” Sebastian replied, seemingly unaffected by the attention they were attracting.
    Their food was served to them in a few minutes. Sebastian explained that diners there do not order with a menu but are instead served whatever is the restaurant special