Opposite Attraction

by Bernadette Marie

  When they were finished eating Curtis began to gather plates. If nothing else, his mother had taught him to be a gracious guest, even in the home of his sister.

  "Curtis, let 's talk in my office, " Zach had finally said as if he hadn 't noticed him helping Regan clear the table.

  He exchanged glances with his sister who only nodded and brushed him away with her hand.

  Zach was already pacing the small office when Curtis walked in.

  "Shut the door, " he said and Curtis did so.

  There was an uneasiness in the room. It wasn 't something Curtis had felt since his father had wanted to know how the gash on the car door happened. In hindsight, Curtis had hoped that was the last time he 'd have been so uncomfortable in the presence of another man.

  Zach continued to pace the room.

  "What did you want to talk about? " Curtis finally broke the silence.

  Zach turned toward him, scrubbing his hand over his face. "I received a phone call before dinner and now I 'm torn between my commitment to my family, my loyalty to my friend, and the benefits to my company. "

  Curtis narrowed his eyes on Za1ch. "All that said I assume this is all about Pierpont Oil? "

  Zach shrugged. "It 's all about Simone. "

  Curtis decided that was worse, but at least it made sense as to why he was sitting there like a child about to get a beating.

  Zach finally sat in the chair that faced Curtis. He clasped his hands together and looked up at him.

  "How did you know she was pregnant? When did she tell you? "

  "She didn 't. " Now Curtis was up on his feet pacing the room. "I walked in on her and Sam doing an ultrasound. "

  "And that 's it? Then what? "

  "Then what? Then I showed up at your office and she crashed the car. "

  Zach sat back in his chair. "She didn 't tell you any of this before? "

  "No. " His temper was rising. "Listen, I know the princess is your dearest friend and I realize I have strained that relationship. I 'm sorry. "

  "My question to you is what are you going to do about it? "

  Curtis felt his jaw tense and the heat under the collar of his shirt rose. "Me? Why is this my responsibility? "

  "Because it 's your baby. " Zach had stood and as Curtis turned they were now eye to eye.

  "Be logical for just one moment. " He took a step back. "If she came here to tell me she was having my baby why didn 't she just do that? Why play all these games? Why get a job? Why get an apartment? She 's pulling us both along, Zach. "

  "She wouldn 't do that. "

  "Really? She 's yet to be very straight forward with me about anything, except when she told me I was just one of many men she 'd had on that yacht. "

  For the first time since Curtis had met Zach he actually feared him when he turned to the office door and released the curtain that would shield the glass on the French door, effectively blocking out the world. When Zach turned back1 toward him there was a fire in his eyes and Curtis was sure one of them were going to walk out of that room with a black eye. Worse yet, he was sure it was going to be him.

  "I 've been around enough to see you work your way with the ladies. I 've seen you string out Cynthia for years. "

  Curtis held his hands up in defense. "Now wait, that 's our agreement. "

  "No matter your agreement, at what point in your adult life have you gone to bed with someone with intentions of waking up with them for the rest of your life? "

  Curtis opened his mouth to speak only to close it again without an answer.

  "I don 't care what she 's done in the past. Simone Pierpont is not a vindictive brat. She might not be wise in the ways of the world beyond her front door, but she was trying. "

  Curtis would have had to agree if Zach had given him a moment to chime in, but instead he continued his verbal assault.

  "If she says this baby is yours then I have no reason to doubt her. "

  "You talked to her? You actually talked to her and she said that? "

  "She was the phone call I took before dinner. "

  "And she said that the baby is mine? "

  Zach nodded.

  Curtis could feel the blood begin to drain from his face. Though the thought that the baby might be his had crossed his mind it had never seemed logical until Zach said it.

  The image on the screen of the baby flashed in his mind. He 'd been drawn to it as if he 'd known the unborn, unseen baby.

  Suddenly he felt the need to sit down, as if the weight of his body could no longer be supported by his legs. The change in Regan 's appearance had made him think of Simone immediately. If that was his baby, he was missing out on everything.

  And to hell with it, if it wasn 't his baby -well it could be. The point in it all was he was in love with Simone. He 'd been in love with her since the moment they 'd danced at Carlos 's wedding. Nothing had changed, no matter how upset he was with her.

  Not once in his life had he thought about settling down with anyone. Curtis Keller was a doctor and that was all. But there was more to him, and he knew that now. He wanted to love one woman for the rest of his life. To wake in Simone 's arms every morning and fall asleep in them as well was exactly what he wanted.

  Pangs of guilt washed over him when he thought about her going through her pregnancy alone. That should be something they did together. He had to get to her.

  He stood to tell Zach his plan. He had to get to Paris, but the realization hit him, what if she turned him away, again?

  Did it matter?

  "She 's miserable, Curtis. " He walked toward him and rested his hand on Curtis 's shoulder. "She 'd rather be here and have you hate her, than to be there and miserable. "

  Curtis looked at his brother-in-law and thought hard about what he was about to say. "I don 't hate her. I love her. "

  "I was banking on that. " He turned and picked up the phone on his desk. "I can 't believe Simone Pierpont wants to live in that dump of an apartment and work for the government, but she does. I 'll call Mary Ellen and get her a plane ticket. "

  Curtis swallowed hard. "Someone should be there for her, don 't you think? Fly to Paris I mean. "

  Zach smiled. "I think she 'd appreciate that. "

  Chapter Sixteen

  Simone 's decision had been made and the phone call placed. She was leaving Paris for good and this time she wasn 't going to let her father have a say with how she lived her life.

  She 'd had a job and that had given her more pride than the name Pierpont ever had. Even though she might not have that job anymore. She 'd find another.

  Standing in front of her father 's desk in his office, Simone still felt like a child. He looked her over, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

  "You will be back. You do not have what it takes to be a common working woman. You and your baby will suffer. "

  Simone stood with her arms 1to her side, her designer maternity dress showing off her growing stomach. "This is what I want. "

  "And you will pay greatly for it. "

  "I want my child to have both of his parents near him. That is important. "

  He tapped his fingers against his arms. "I am disappointed in Zachary for letting you get involved with that doctor. This is a big mistake. "

  "Zachary had nothing to do with this. " How could he even think such a thing?

  "How long, Simone? How long before you are back on my phone begging me for my money again? "

  Her heart squeezed painfully. "That is not what I have done. "

  "No? You think there is more to it? "

  "I wanted my family. "

  His lips pursed as if he didn 't understand her need. That was usually how it went. He thought about his money and his empire long before he took his daughter into consideration.

  Just as she took a breath to give her father a piece of her mind she could hear a commotion in the hallway. Her father stood from behind his desk.

  "Sir, you can 't go in there. " The housekeeper 's voice echoed do
wn the hall.

  Simone 's heart thumped in her chest. He 'd come. He 'd come for her. He 'd come for them.

  "Let me into the office. " His voice was muffled.

  He did love her. He wanted them. She was ready to cry. Curtis Keller had come for her.

  Simone 's hands shook and she clenched them as the door to the office opened. The housekeeper stepped inside.

  "I told him "

  A moment later he walked through the door. Simone sucked in a breath, let it out slow, and turned toward the door to see her savior 's face.

  Her father stood from behind his desk. "Zachary Benson, I do not have time for childish games. "

  "Monsieur Pierpont, it 's not a game, " he said as he walked into the room, not even offering his hand for her father to shake. Zach looked at her. "Are you okay? "

  She couldn 't speak, she could only nod.

  Her father walked around the desk to face Zach. "She is always playing games. Now they have caught up to her. Look at her. I am disgraced. "

  Zach did look at her, and he smiled. "She is beautiful. "

  Her father chuckled. "You cannot always rescue her when she is mad at me. "

  "I always will. She is as close as I have to a sister. I will always protect her. "

  "And you think I am a threat to her? "

  "No, sir. I don 't mean any disrespect. But she 's a grown woman, having a child. She deserves some respect for that. "

  "I blame you. " Her father 's finger came up in accusation. "You involve her in these common people and now she has disgraced my name. "

  Simone 's hand slipped into Zach 's and he gave it a squeeze. "I 'm very proud of this child she carries. You couldn 't find a better family to be born into. "

  "Her family should have been good enough. Someone who was of the same cloth as her. "

  "I think she 's done just fine. " He shifted his yes to her. "C 'mon. You are part of my family. You have always been part of my family. "

  He started toward the door, her hand still in his.

  "Zachary, if you leave with my daughter I will no longer help fund any of your builds. "

  Zach stopped and turned. "Again, I mean no disrespect, and you have been of great help over the years, but my firm is doing well. I will be fine without your investments. "

  "You are hurting yo1urself. I have an investor in Nashville. "

  Zach 's hand tightened around hers and she wasn 't sure he knew how hard his grip was. "I will never build for any organization that deems Alexander Hamilton as a worthy investor. "

  Her father 's lips pursed. "Simone, if you walk away you do not come back. "

  "Good bye, father. " She released Zach 's hand and walked out of her father 's office for the very last time.

  Somewhere over the Atlantic Simone finally felt as though she could breath. Zach had sat very quietly in the first class seat next to her.

  For the first hour of their flight back to America she was sick to her stomach. The second hour her hands shook until she tucked them under her to keep them still. She 'd tried to sleep for the next few hours, but it was no use. She couldn 't rest, there was a new world ahead of her again, and this time there was no turning back. There was also the realization that she sat next to Zachary on a flight back to the states and not Curtis.

  Zach waved down the flight attendant. "Can I get a bloody Mary and a cup of tea for my girl? "

  The flight attendant nodded and walked away.

  "Your girl? "

  He patted her arm with his hand. "You 've always been my girl and always will be, mon ami. "

  There was a sadness in it for her. "And Regan? "

  "Is my life. "

  Why she ever thought there would be any different answer, she wasn 't sure. She didn 't love Zachary, in fact now that she 'd felt love she realized she never had loved him in the way that she loved Curtis.

  The flight attendant returned with their drinks. Zach lowered the tray tables and set the drinks atop of them as the flight attendant walked away.

  "I know what 's wrong with you. "

  Simone shifted in her seat. "Something is wrong with me? "

  "You 're upset that Curtis wasn 't the one who walked through your father 's office. "

  It would figure she was that transparent to him.

  "I am sorry. I am glad you came for me, I truly am. "

  "I thought you 'd like to know you still have your job at the clinic. "

  "I do not deserve that. I walked away from my responsibilities. "

  He was smiling at her. "You changed lives while you were there. Did you know Regina has been working steady? Her son has been in day care at the firm and I checked up on him. He 's a cute little guy. "

  Tears began to well in her eyes. "That was your doing. "

  "No. Without you stepping in to help her she would have been home when that man of hers was released and probably would have been beaten again. You gave her a new start. You gave her hope. You gave her the chance to move on with her life. You, Simone, have a gift and Marsha knew that. Curtis made sure she knew. "

  Her lips began to tremble. "Curtis made sure I still had my job? "

  Zach nodded.

  She found that hard to believe that Curtis would stand up for her at all. It only made the tears begin to fall. "What am I going to do, Zachary? "

  "You 've taken the first step. You 've managed to almost make it through your thirties and now have become an adult. "

  She slapped his arm and laughed through the tears. "This is going to be the hardest thing I 've ever done. "

  "Aren 't you ready for that? "

  She took a deep breath her tears begin to dry. "I am ready for that. I am very ready for that. "

  "Trust me, sweetie. " He took her hand in his and kissed it. "Regan and I are here for you. And I know for a fact we are not the only ones. "

  As Zach drove down the street to her apartment Simone began to feel the same sense of pride and peace she 'd felt when she 'd left Paris on her quest to prove to Curtis Keller that she could be something other than a pretty face. Now there were no secrets. The swell of her stomach made that perfectly clear. The father of her child might not want to love her, but she was sure he 'd be a good father. What more could she ask?

  Not only did she have her job and her home, the dearest friend she 'd ever had was seated next to her. She knew if he 'd have flown to Paris and spoken to her father as he had he 'd never leave her and her baby in need.

  But Simone was also sure no one would ever have to assist her again. The moment she and Zach walked out of her father 's house she knew she 'd never be back. And if she did go back, things would be different. She would be a mother and her image of that relationship, between a parent and a child, would be different -even with her own parents.

  She could do this. Her life was hers to live and she 'd never been so excited about the unknown ever in her life.

  Zach pulled up in front of her apartment and parked the car.

  "Go on in. I 'll get your bags, " he said.

  She gave him a nod and climbed out of the car.

  The flight had been excruciatingly long. One thing was for sure, until after the baby was born, she wasn 't going to sit that long on an airplane again.

  Slowly she walked up the front steps to her front door. She slid her key into the lock and then pushed it open. The apartment was quiet. Sam was at work, which meant she 'd have time to settle in.

  Perhaps she 'd make him dinner. Or at least try to.

  Simone walked down the small hall to her bedroom. The door was closed. She turned the knob and slowly opened it.

  It was dark, the blinds were closed, but there was something not right.

  She reached for the switch and turned on the light.

  The room was empty.

  Her bed was gone. The dresser, the TV, the chair -all gone. Simone stepped in further, even the closet was empty.

  She heard movement in the hallway. Just as she turned to find1 Zach she saw Curtis s
tanding in the doorway.

  "Welcome back. "

  "Curtis, " she said his voice rose in the panic. Then she turned back to her empty room. "All of my things "