SimoneI felt shaky after my brunch with Michael. On the one hand, I was grateful he still wanted to try having a relationship. On the other hand, I had no idea what to do about Rob. I was falling for him, too, and there was no way both guys would keep being cool about what was happening. I'd be forced to choose eventually. That's how these situations always played out in movies.I had to bite the bullet and call Rob. He sounded shocked to hear from me, and especially surprised when I asked him to meet me for coffee. We agreed to meet at a little place not far from his office.He was already there when I arrived, sitting with his back to me. I noticed his hands were clenched around his drink, and I remembered what it was like when we met for the first time. This coffee shop was much cozier than the last, and they actually believed in flavored syrup. He still looked just as nervous, though.My heart sank because he probably thought I was going to end things with him. Maybe I was
SimoneI woke up the next morning feeling strange. Not good or bad, just strange. Because only in a strange, parallel universe could I be sleeping with two billionaires who were both totally okay with it.I got dressed for the day, remembering that I'd have to go to another broker's open tonight. I picked a nicer outfit than my usual style and put my hair into a complicated braid. I focused on my appearance because it was easier than focusing on my love life. It still felt completely surreal.When I got to the office, Mandy eyed me suspiciously."You look… strange," she said."I know, right?" I answered. I was glad my best friend was perceptive enough to pick up on this new dynamic."I think you look like a fugly slut," Crystal called from the back of the room. Just when I was getting used to not seeing her."F*ck you too, bitch," I said in a fake nice tone.Mandy pulled me over to the side out of Crystal's earshot and spoke quieter. "Seriously, what's different?" Mandy
SimoneIt wasn't the first time I felt like I was walking into the office with my tail between my legs, but it was definitely the worst time. I'd had bad days and frustrating days, but today I felt ashamed. I'd really messed up last night, causing a scene at Kelly's open. It was rude and unprofessional.The first thing I did was stop by Kelly's office with a bouquet of flowers. She smiled widely."I know why you're here, but it's totally unnecessary," she said. "I haven't been that happy since the day I saw my positive pregnancy test.""How long ago was that?" I asked.Her hand instinctively reached for her belly. "Twelve weeks?" she said, unsure. "But twelve weeks in pregnancy time is like three years. Watching Crystal have her ass handed to her was one of my top ten moments since joining the firm.""So I didn't ruin your opening?" I asked, relieved."Not at all," she said happily. "If anything, you added a little entertainment. Everyone couldn't stop talking about it. S
NickF*ck me. What the hell was going on with me lately? Maybe it was the toxic relationship with Lulu, but I was officially a crazy person. Who fell for their real estate agent? Besides Michael Hightower and Rob Christianson, that is.I wouldn't call it being jealous of them, but the fact that she was with both of them meant that I had no shot in hell with Simone now. Why hadn't I met her first? If I had, there would just be me. I actually wished I'd met her in a normal way and didn't have to use the ruse of business to get to know her.I did need a new place though. Lulu was making my life hell since I ended things. I needed to put at least a few miles between us for my mental well-being. I probably should've done the same with Simone, but with her, all I wanted to do was get closer.I also wasn't ready to see her at the house when I pulled up. Obviously, I knew she'd be there, but I wasn't prepared for how f*cking good she looked. It wasn't fair the way she was making me suf
SimoneI turned off my phone when I got home. I knew what would happen. Rob or Michael or Nick would call, and I couldn't deal with any one of them right now. How could I be so stupid? I'd fallen for three of my clients, and that just wasn't okay.I crawled into bed without eating dinner and covered my head. I wished I could just stay there forever, and never have to deal with the mess I'd created.When I woke up the next morning, I felt raw. I didn't want to move or think, but I knew I at least needed to check in with Mandy. If I didn't show up to work without calling, she'd send a whole SWAT team here to check on me.I was glad I'd turned off my phone, though. I had so many notifications, it made me want to scream."Don't worry," Mandy had texted, "This is all going to blow over."What the hell was she talking about? Was there something else in the news now? Shit, I really couldn't take any more.Rob had called a few times and left messages. Michael had called once and
SimoneI took a deep breath and stared at the phone in my hand. There was nothing to do but dial Nick's number and get it over with. When the story of Michael and I leaked a few weeks ago, the basketball player had been fine with it. Even Rob had been fine with it. Nick was probably used to stories about him in the tabloids, but I still didn't like the idea of having to call him and tell him it was my fault.There was nothing left to do but do it."Hello?" Nick said in a sultry voice. It sounded like he'd been sleeping."Hi," I answered miserably, suddenly feeling very emotional.The last few days had been an emotional rollercoaster. I had no more false cheer to spread around."Simone?" he asked.I could hear the sound of rustling. He was definitely in bed, which made me feel way hotter than it should have."Hi," I said again, feeling lame. "I'm sorry I've been MIA. I just needed some time to process everything that's been going on."He chuckled deeply. "It does seem
SimoneI was sitting at my desk sifting through new listings when a voice said, "Excuse me, are you Simone?"I looked up to see a tall, attractive black man standing in front of me. He was looking at me with a shit-eating grin that I couldn't quite decipher."Well, damn, I see why Michael is so obsessed with you," he said.I immediately blushed, hoping none of my co-workers were listening. I looked around, and thankfully they were all busy. A couple girls looked the man up and down appreciatively, but otherwise ignored us."I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked lamely, feeling called out."Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I'm being rude as hell."He sat down at the chair in front of me and held out his hand."The name is Alfred. I'm Michael Higtower's best, and only, friend."I laughed at this, and immediately felt at ease."Simone Carter," I answered, giving him my firmest handshake, though his hand swallowed mine up."Oh," he smiled. "I know! You've got my boy in a tailspin. I'v
SimoneAfter the showing, Michael decided to ride with me back to my place. It had been a while since we'd been together, and this felt like the perfect opportunity."Hey," he said softly to me as we sat on the couch together."Hey," I whispered back, moving to lay against his chest.He kissed the top of my head and held me against him."I've missed you," he said. "Everything's been really crazy lately.""I know," I sighed, twisting around so I could look at him. "And we haven't had a chance to talk about… things.""Things," he echoed. "What things should we talk about?I swallowed hard, not even sure how to begin the conversation. It was one thing when there was just Rob. In fact, the last time we'd talked about it, Rob was only a maybe. Now he was becoming a more permanent fixture, and I had to be clear with Michael about it."Well, there are you and me things," I started, then took a steadying breath, "And there are me and Rob things."I felt him nod."And," I