Opposite Attraction

by Bernadette Marie

  "Fancy meeting you here. " Regan reached past Curtis and gave Cynthia a casual hug and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Simone and I were just grabbing some lunch. "

  "Oh, sit with us, " Cynthia was quick to add.

  Suddenly Curtis 's appetite was completely gone. His sister pulled out a chair and Simone took the vacant one next to him. He lifted his eyes to see her, but she 'd kept hers diverted. All the better he thought.

  "Simone, how are you? Is this heat enough for you? At least you 've come when it will start to cool off. " Cynthia asked a little too enthusiastically for him.

  "It has been pleasant. "

  Curtis picked up his drink again. Maybe he could just drown in the cup. But then the next best thing happened. The pager on his hip went off and he reached for it as quickly as he could. "Ah, they need me at the hospital. "

  "I didn 't know you were on call. " Cynthia looked at him as he stood from the table.

  "They called this morning and said Drake was out sick. I 'll catch you ladies later. " He picked up his sandwich and made sure he kissed Cynthia goodbye before he darted out the door. Thank goodness for someone 's tragedy.

  Simone couldn 't decide if she was glad that Curtis had left or if she 'd rather have him near and just remain awkward in his presence. There was a comfort in that too.

  The waitress stopped at the table, left glasses of water, and took their orders. The moment she walked away Simone reached for the water and began to drink it down. If only it were champagne and it would wash away any self-doubt she had sitting next to Curtis 's girlfriend.

  Cynthia reached over to the plate Curtis had taken his sandwich from, and ate a chip. As she bit into it Simone thought of how intimate and unassuming it was, and Curtis wasn 't even there. She sipped her water again and hoped Cynthia didn 't realize how uncomfortable she was. A Pierpont was never to appear shaken or uncomfortable.

  Cynthia took another chip. "So, Regan, how are you feeling? "

  "I feel better every day, but I look forward to the end of this first trimester. "

  Cynthia gave her a nod then turned toward Simone. "And are you getting situated? Curtis said you were planning on staying in Nashville for a while. "

  Simone swallowed hard. She was trained to have etiquette when spoken to. A Pierpont had poise. There was no reason that she couldn 't carry on a conversation with the woman and be as prestigious as she 'd been raised. Just because her father had taken her every last dime and she was in some diner in Nashville instead of a posh hotel restaurant, there was no reason she shouldn 't have her shoulders back and her spine straight, even if she was talking to the woman Curtis was sleeping with.

  She formed her lips into a gracious smile. "I have decided to stay permanently. "

  Regan nudged her as she 'd seen casual friends do. "That 's what we 're doing today. I 'm her executive assistant today. We 're seeking out jobs and places to live. "

  "Now that sounds like fun. " Cynthia took another chip and then sat up straight. "Are you looking for anything specific in a job? "

  "Oh, not really. I have never had a job outside of my father 's company. I look forward to something new. " She hoped she conveyed that so that the desperateness of the situation didn 't come through. It wasn 't that she looked forward to something new; she was now desperate for it.

  "You can type can 't you? "

  "Yes. I am quite proficient in it. "

  Cynthia 's eyes grew wide. "They have an opening at the clinic. "

  "Clinic? "

  "Yeah, I work at a medical clinic on the weekends. But they have a full time position for clerical. "

  Regan patted her arm. "Oh, that would be great. "

  The noise from the small diner was closing in on her. Was the woman Curtis made sure he kissed in front of her actually offering to help her find a job? Was she desperate enough to accept her help? "I do not know anything about medical. "

  Cynthia leaned back in her seat and laughed. "Well it 's not like they 're asking you to do surgery. It 's all data entry. Put the information in the computer and file the paperwork. I 'm telling you, if you 're willing to work I can get you in. "

  Simone looked to Regan for support, but she was only grinning wide.

  Cynthia sat back up in her seat and gave Simone a serious look. "Wait, if you need a job why don 't you just ask Zach. I thought you were best friends or something. "

  "Zachary is my very dearest friend. But no, I am not asking him for a job. I want to do this all on my own. "

  Cynthia gave her a slow nod. "Ah, so this is one of those I 'm showing the world I can make it on my own gigs? " She took another chip from Curtis 's plate. "I mean, we all need to stand up for ourselves at some point, right? "

  "Right. "

  "My dad owns a garden shop. You know, fertilizer, plants, the whole garden gamut. But I didn 't like bugs and dirt. " She laughed as she lifted her drink to her lips and took a sip. "He was furious when I told him I didn 't want to do flowers the rest of my life. He was even madder when I 1told him I wanted to be a nurse. "

  "A nurse is a very noble career. " Simone couldn 't imagine someone scoffing at such a job choice.

  "Yeah, but his feelings were hurt. He 'd built this business with the thought the kids would take it over and I had other plans. He got over it, but I remember wanting to get a job, on my own, and move out, on my own. So I worked at McDonald 's for minimum wage during the day and went to school for nursing on the weekends. I lived in a tiny apartment just off campus and ate noodles every day of my life for years. " Her eyes sparkled. "It was the hardest thing I ever did, but I did it. "

  Simone never thought she 'd bond with the other woman in Curtis 's life. In fact, she wanted desperately to hate her. But they did understand each other. Perhaps Cynthia hadn 't escaped an oil empire, but she obviously knew what it meant to show the world she could make it on her own. Her enthusiasm was contagious and it was exactly what Simone knew she needed to make it through.

  "Do you think they would hire me? "

  "Of course. " Cynthia batted away the comment with her hand as if she 'd be the one to hire her. "Why don 't we head down there and you can fill out the application. "

  Again Simone looked to Regan for her approval.

  "I seem to be one great assistant. " She yawned and then rubbed her still flat stomach. "I got you a job just by having lunch. " Regan laughed.

  "So you think this is a good idea? "

  "Of course I do. And if you 're going to head out with Cynthia, I 'm going to head home and take a nap. "

  Simone had been in awkward situations before, but sitting in Cynthia 's car as they drove through Nashville had to rank right at the top of the list of uncomfortable moments in her life.

  Oh, Cynthia had been cordial enough. She pointed out restaurants she liked, talked about a man named Sam who worked at the clinic and who Simone would probably find it was nice to work with. She played with the volume on the radio three or four times and even sang along with a song Simone had never heard. However, she never seemed to act as if Simone was an obstacle in her life. Perhaps she was that comfortable with her relationship with Curtis to think that Simone wasn 't a threat. Then again, maybe Curtis hated her enough that she wasn 't a threat.

  Cynthia pulled up to the clinic, which was within view of a hospital where Simone assumed she and Curtis both worked. That was a bit too close for comfort, but her whole motive in showing people she could make it on her own was to prove to Curtis she was worthy of him and their baby, so the location would be an asset.

  Simone stepped out of the car as Cynthia skirted the front. Her blonde hair bounced in loose natural curls as if she 'd only jumped out of bed and let her hair dry. She was casual in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. But what Simone noticed most was how comfortable she was in her own skin. Simone had never had that, no matter how she carried herself.

  She looked down at her own clothes. Casual, she thought, but her red high heels peeked from the bottoms of h
er black slacks. Her bright, billowy, flower print, silk shirt clung to her skin in the Tennessee heat. A large chunky ring adorned her right ring finger. Pearls dangled from her ears and lay against her neck and wrist. She 'd left her hair down, but even she hadn 't thought it looked classy enough when she 'd left the house.

  All put together, and she still didn 't have the confidence Cynthia had as she opened the front door to the building. "Are you coming? "

  "Yes. I am just a bit nervous. "

  "With that accent they 're going to eat you up. And in a good way, " she added.

  All heads in the waiting area turned as they walked through the door. A few of the people gave a nod to Cynthia, but all eyes scanned over Simone. One woman seated in the corner with a baby looked up at Cynthia and she quickly moved right to her.

  "Regina, what are you doing here again? " The woman looked up at her and her face had been bruised.

  Simone felt her knees begin to buckle and she bent them slightly to keep from toppling over. Someone had hit the woman with the baby, and the way Cynthia looked at her, this wasn 't the first time.

  Regina responded to Cynthia in Spanish, but Simone didn 't understand. But the message was clear.

  Cynthia shook her head and then gave Regina a hug. She 'd reassured her by saying something to her quietly. Regina nodded and Cynthia smiled and then ran her hand over the baby 's head.

  Her demeanor had changed when she headed back to Simone. "C 'mon. I 'll introduce you to Marsha. She 's in charge. "

  Cynthia led her through the closed door and into the clinic. Curtains were drawn aroun1d beds. Babies were crying and chirps from machines were heard over the shuffling of feet and words spoken in whispers. Cynthia didn 't seem to notice any of it as she led Simone to an office at the end of the hall.

  She tapped on the open door and the large black woman who sat behind the desk smiled wide. "What are you doin ' here? It 's your day off. "

  "I brought you a new data entry clerk. " She nodded to Simone.

  Simone stepped into the office, which she thought might have once been a closet. There was hardly enough room for all three of them and the desk.

  Marsha looked her over. "You sure look fancy for wanting to work in a clinic. "

  "I assure you, I can do the job, Ms "

  "Ooo, fancy French accent. " Marsha shifted her glance to Cynthia. "Where did you find her? "

  "Curtis Keller. " His name rolled from Cynthia 's tongue and it gave Simone an uneasy feeling. What would he think if he knew she was using his name to find herself a job.

  "Well " Marsha 's eyes widened and lit up. She held out her hand and shook Simone 's. Her large hand enveloped Simone 's petite fingers. "You come with some power behind you. If you 're a friend of Curtis Keller 's you must be something special. "

  Simone would have like to have thought so, but she wasn 't sure Curtis felt the same way. "Thank you. But I am quite positive that I can do the job Cynthia has proposed even without Mr. Keller 's endorsement. "

  "Uh-huh. " Marsha crossed her arms over her broad chest. "Well, first the name is Marsha. No need for any fancy manners here. And second, can you type? "

  "Yes. "

  "Can you file? Fax? Email? "

  Simone gave her a confident smile, one she 'd rehearsed most of her life. "Yes, Ms. -Marsha -I am quite proficient in all of those areas. "

  Marsha gave her a slow nod. "We have a dress code. You 're dressed a bit too fancy for it. "

  Simone swallowed hard. She was quite appropriately dressed for any position in any co1mpany. "And what would the dress code be? "

  "Scrubs. Can you handle that? "

  "Scrubs? "

  Cynthia leaned in toward her. "Like wearing your jammies to work all day. "

  She looked at the outfit that Marsha wore, it was purple with big pockets and sheep on it. This must be the attire they recommended, though Simone couldn 't imagine why. "Oh, I am sure it won 't be a problem. "

  Marsha nodded again, slowly. "Well, if you come with such shiny recommendations from Cynthia and Curtis you must be one hell-of-a gal. "

  Cynthia held up a hand as if to add more. "She comes pretty well recommended. Let me drop a few more names for you. Zach and Regan Benson and of course Audrey Benson. "

  "Well, girl. You are connected aren 't you? "

  Simone felt heat fill her cheeks. "I have been blessed with some wonderful friendships. "

  "Uh-huh. " Marsha sat back down in her chair and pulled a file from the drawer beside her. "Here. As far as I 'm concerned you 're over qualified for this piddle job, but if you want it, it 's yours, honey. "

  She handed Simone the file. "You start tomorrow at nine. Scrubs. " She emphasized with a look that scanned over Simone from head to toe. "Bring in the paperwork and we 'll get you started training. "

  Simone couldn 't believe that by dropping a few names she 'd landed a job. If it were this easy why were there so many people out of work? And even funnier it wasn 't her father 's name that had to be dropped, but Curtis and his family 's. She could do this. She could prove that she was capable of taking care of a job, and wearing scrubs -whatever they were. A hint of excitement brewed in her belly. So this was what independence felt like? She liked it.

  She held out her hand to Marsha, who shook it again. "Thank you, Marsha. I appreciate the job and the opportunity. "

  "Girl, I think the men are going to eat up that accent. " She laughed. "Oh, and you 'll want to leave any of that fancy jewelry at home. "

  Simone looked down at her hands. Certainly that wasn 't fancy jewelry she wore, but she nodded as Cynthia pushed her out of the cramped office before she turned back toward Marsha.

  "Hey, Regina is back. " Her voice had dropped and sadness echoed in its tone.

  Marsha dropped her head and shook it. "I wish I could get that woman far from here. " She sighed heavy. "I 'll go out and talk to her. "

  Cynthia lifted her hand in a wave and they headed back through the clinic.

  She showed her where she 'd be working. It was another office, cramped much like Marsha 's was, toward the back of the building. There were two desks there, but at least there was a window.

  The pride that had filled Simone earlier was quickly turning into fear. The only work she 'd ever really done was to look pretty for her father 's investors. She was trained quite well in the art of small talk and smiling pretty. Yes, she could type well, and she knew her alphabet well enough to file, but what was she really doing? There was a fine line between successfully landing your first job and failing miserably at keeping it.

  Oh, who was she kidding? This job was no different than the rest of her life. Only the name dropping had changed. But she had to admit, the names being dropped now weren 't because of big money or power, it was because of influence. The names that she 'd associated with to help her into her new position in life were the names of family, people who took care of others. Yes, there was in fact some pride that went with knowing the Keller family, and even more pride in knowing, no matter what the outcome, she 'd be in charge of bringing another Keller into the world.

  Chapter Five

  Curtis had wrapped and bandaged nearly thirty people on his day off. One little boy had thrown up on him. And a baby girl had peed on him. All in all it had been a fine day, especially since he hadn 't been forced to sit with Simone at lunch.

  But now his stomach growled and he 'd remembered only taking a few bites of his sandwich before throwing it into the trash because he 'd lost his appetite. The way he saw it Cynthia owed him a meal, especially since she was the one who made Simone sit at their table.

  He 'd dropped by home for a quick shower and a change of clothes before rapping on her door.

  She was laughing when she opened the door with a glass of wine in her hand. She had her hair curled and his favorite pair of tight jeans on. Obviously, she 'd been expecting him.

  "Oh, Curtis! " Her eyes widen1ed when she said it and the laugh she 'd been enjoying died down. "Wh
at are you doing here? "

  "Not something you 've ever asked before, doll. But I 'm guessing by your expression you have company. "

  Cynthia bit down on her lip and stepped back to open the door further. He stepped in just as Simone walked out of Cynthia 's bedroom wearing a pair of her scrubs.

  Without looking up she walked down the hall looking over her ensemble. "Why do they think these are appealing to patients? I mean " She looked up and her eyes locked on Curtis 's. "I 'm sorry. I did not hear you come in. " He watched her chest rise and fall as she took in a deep, uncomfortable breath. "Hello, Curtis. How are you this evening? "