A Night of Desire

"Seth..." River Sterling started to say, but stopped when he saw Seth Quinn on the phone. From his gentle tone and affectionate expression, it was obvious who he was talking to.

In the past, he would have tactfully made a quick exit and even closed the door behind him so as not to disturb Seth and Clara whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Besides, back then, he wouldn’t have just barged in without knocking in the first place.

But now... damn it, he was so bored, lonely, and miserable that he was about to go crazy!

So, not only did he not leave, but he plopped right down on the guest sofa.

Seth Quinn’s words slowed for a beat. He glanced at the dejected-looking River Sterling on the sofa, then turned away to continue his conversation.

River Sterling watched Seth, sighing to himself. ’He really missed the old days. Back then, Poppy hadn’t run away, Linden was still full of spirit, Seth hadn’t met Clara, and Chase Childs hadn’t yet fallen in love for the first time.’

’After work, the guys could all meet up at The Tuberose. They’d drink, sing, chat, and just hang out for hours on end.’

’But now? Poppy was gone, Linden was a wreck, Seth was madly in love, and Chase Childs had a crush of his own.’

’Among all of them, it seemed he was the only one still stuck in the same place, completely unchanged...’

’Oh, wait, he had changed, too. Without his friends around, he couldn’t even muster the energy to chase girls anymore.’

While he was lost in thought, Seth Quinn finished his call with a few final words. He stood up, walked over to River Sterling, and sat down on the small sofa next to him. Though his expression was as cool as ever, his voice was tinged with concern. "What’s wrong?"

River Sterling looked up, uncrossing his legs. "Done already?" he asked, a little surprised. Seth Quinn nodded slightly and leaned back into the sofa.

"Seth, you should just give me more work," River Sterling sighed. "I’m going to die of boredom otherwise."

Seth Quinn regarded him calmly, appearing to give it some serious thought before he spoke. "It’s been quiet lately; there isn’t much work to give you. As for *You Are My Eternal Love*, the project you’re supposed to be following up on, too much has been going on recently, so Clara still hasn’t had the chance to meet with the author."

River Sterling waved a dismissive hand. He was anxious about it too, but he knew rushing wouldn’t help. First Seth had been injured, and then Clara had returned to the set for filming. She obviously hadn’t had time to meet with Rhys Ryston.

"What about Linden? He didn’t come in today either?" Seth Quinn asked.

He had only heard about the situation between Linden Jennings and Poppy Vance from River Sterling after returning to the company himself. And since his return, Linden Jennings had been skipping work frequently.

’Before, even though Linden was in such low spirits, he’d insisted on coming in to hold down the fort. He was probably afraid River Sterling couldn’t handle everything alone. Now that I’m back in charge, he must feel he can finally spend all day looking for Poppy Vance.’

River Sterling threw up his hands, a tragic look on his face. "Why else do you think I’m bored out of my mind!"

He sighed. "This is exactly why I always say love is nothing but trouble. Once a man falls into it, he’s doomed beyond redemption."

"Just look at Linden. Look at the mess he’s become for Poppy’s sake. He was never as handsome as me, of course, but you had to admit he was refined, energetic, and had a distinguished air about him, right?"

"And now? He’s completely dejected, with no life in him at all. He’s become sloppy and unkempt, letting himself go completely. All he does is drive around all day looking for Poppy Vance. Hey, what do you think will happen if he can’t find Poppy and just ends up a total wreck in the process? What then?"