A Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Serendipitous Love Book 1)

by Christina C Jones

  “See?”

  Simone rolled her eyes, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she slowly unwrapped her legs, keeping her arms around me for leverage as she lowered herself into the water. She took a step away from me, and was opening her mouth to say something when a strong wave came in, knocking her off balance and sending her down into the water. I reached for her to help her up, and I felt her hand in mine, but instead of coming up, she pulled me down then swam away, laughing once both of our heads were back above the water.

  “You know I’m about to get you for that, right?” I asked, wiping the water from my eyes.

  “I’m counting on it,” she said, winking before she dove back under the water.

  We played together until we were tired, then dragged ourselves back up to the private beach and collapsed onto a spot that was more grass than sand. After a while, Simone stood, fanning her dress out in the sun to dry, and I caught a glimpse of the smooth juncture of her thighs. I swore softly under my breath.

  “I see you just don’t believe in panties, huh Beautiful?”

  She grinned, then turned around and flipped her sundress up again, flashing me her bare butt cheeks. “I didn’t even pack any,” she said, slowly strolling back over to where I was propped up on my elbows. “I thought this weekend was going to be totally different from what you apparently had planned, Mr. I Don’t Want You To Think This Weekend Was About Sex. Hell, I did.”

  I laughed as she stepped over me, straddling my legs before she lowered herself onto my lap. “So I don’t get any credit for trying to be a gentleman?”

  “No, baby, you get plenty of credit for that,” she said, bending down to place a soft kiss against my lips. “It’s just that your nobility makes me wanna do really… nasty... things… to you.” She punctuated each word with another kiss as she snaked her hands up the front of my damp tee shirt, raking her fingers over my stomach and chest. I swallowed hard as she sat up, scooting herself back to reach the button and zipper of my shorts.

  “Things like… what?”

  She grinned, cocking her head to the side as she pulled my zipper down. A flash of white over her shoulder caught my eye, and I sat up, putting my hands over hers to stop her.

  “Maybe we should go back up to the cottage first. For privacy?”

  “It’s a private beach, Roman. We’re the only ones here.” She batted my hands away from her, but I caught them again.

  “Simone, baby I’m looking at a sailboat right now, and it’s not that far.”

  “They can’t see us. And if they can… I guess we’re puttin’ on a show today.” She leaned forward, whispering those last words into my ear before she caught my earlobe between her teeth. My hands immediately went up to grip her hips. If she didn’t stop playing, I really would pull her onto me right here on the open beach.

  “Condoms are back at the house,” I reminded her.

  She shrugged. “We’ve already shared clean STD testing results when we got back together, so a baby is the only concern. Guess you’re pulling out today.”

  “Pulling out? Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, I’m serious. You got a problem with pulling out?”

  “Nah. As long as you don’t have a problem getting tossed across the beach when I’m about to come.”

  Simone playfully slapped my shoulder, giggling. “Whatever Roman. Is that your last excuse?”

  I groaned, falling onto my back with my hands propped behind my head. “You’re gonna end up with sand in your pocket.”

  “Sand in my… pocket?”

  “That’s how my auntie used to put it to my cousins Cameron and Jai when they came to the beach with us. They would tell the girls not to sit in the sand in just their bathing suits, so they wouldn’t get any in their… pocket.”

  Throwing her head back, Simone laughed. “Roman, you are seriously the only man I’ve ever known to try so hard to talk his way out of having sex. Am I missing something here?”

  If you only knew.

  If this was about me, we wouldn’t have even needed to leave the city to do what I wanted to spend the weekend doing. All we needed was a bed, and hell… not even that. My natural inclination was to come on strong, but I was trying to scale that back for her, so I wouldn’t scare her away.

  I chuckled. “No. Seriously, I’m just trying to be respectful of you. I don’t want you to think I expected you to spend the weekend fucking. I just got back in your good graces, I’m not trying to mess it up.”

  She smiled down at me. “Then stop talking, and let’s have some fun.”

  I didn’t protest any further, sitting up as she finished the task of undoing my shorts and relieving me from my boxers. Her dress draped over my hands as I cupped her ass, guiding her onto me. I closed my eyes, groaning at the intense sensation of her surrounding me with nothing between us. She wrapped her arms tight around my neck as she began rolling her hips against me. Simone was all tightness and wetness and warmth, moaning into my ear as I pulled her legs wide, leaning back so I could get deeper.

  “Feel good?” I asked as she dug her nails into my shoulders.

  She pulled her head back so she could look me in the eyes. “Hell yes. Best weekend getaway ever.”

  — & —

  Simone was trying to drive me crazy, and she was doing a damned good job at it.

  After our trip to the beach, we settled pretty quickly into a routine. Any days I was at Urban Grind in the evenings, I would walk her home after she closed Posh Petals, then go to my own place to kick it with Zahra until her bedtime. I introduced the full time lady in my life to the new lady in my life, and they hit it off — I actually loved how down to earth and sweet Simone was with Zahra, and Zahra did too. They would get together in my office while I was trying to work, talking and giggling like they were both five years old. If I asked what they were talking about, Zahra would rebuke me with a “No boys allowed, dad!” and Simone would just smirk, shrug, and agree.

  Still, I liked to make sure my new relationship wasn’t affecting my time with my daughter. The bulk of my bonding with Simone happened after Zahra was in bed, and I walked back down to her apartment, sometimes spending the night. Leah and I worked out a schedule for that too, so we were spreading the responsibility as evenly as possible.

  Anyway, I was at Simone’s place with my laptop open, trying to finish working through my payroll, but she was parading around in nothing but panties and a tank top. I couldn’t focus with her pretty little dimpled butt cheeks on display as she cleaned up the imaginary mess around her apartment. I knew she was trying to distract me, and it was working. Shaking my head, I sat the laptop on her coffee table and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Suddenly, she needed to be in the kitchen too, making sure she brushed against my groin as she squeezed through the tiny space between me and the sink to get past.

  I caught her around the waist, holding her squirming body against me as I planted kisses over the back of her neck. “You just refuse to let me work tonight, huh?” I asked as she wiggled free and turned to face me.

  She looped her arms around me, pressing her front against mine. “You can work after we…” she trailed off as my phone buzzed in my pocket, notifying me of a text. Simone slid it out, turning on the screen and unlocking it. From the flash of annoyance on her face, I could tell two things: It was from Leah, and it was not Zahra-related. “Honey, when you come home tonight, could you please stop at the corner store and grab me something, anything chocolate? Frowny-face, cramps. I can give you a little head to make it worth your while.”

  “What? It does not say that,” I said, lifting an eyebrow as I took the phone from her. She rolled her eyes and pulled away, walking to the fridge as I read the text for myself.

  “Hey, when you come home tonight, could you please stop at the corner store and grab me something, anything chocolate? :( Cramps. - Leah”

  “Simone…”

  She shrugged, turning around as she took a bite from the apple she’
d pulled out. “What? I just read what I saw.”

  I groaned, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against the counter. I’d thought we were over this, but with every week that went by with Leah still living in my apartment, Simone was getting more and more… agitated about it.

  “It’s been almost two—” she held two fingers up, wiggling them for emphasis, “ — months since you told me Leah was “moving out in a few months”. What’s your definition of a few, and what exactly is she sticking around for? I mean… does she need a loan? Cause I can give the girl a loan…”

  “I tried that already. She wouldn’t accept it.”

  Simone smirked. “I bet she wouldn’t.” She rolled her eyes again as she took another bite from the apple. “She can accept the favor of coming to live with you, but the imposition of a loan for her own place is just too much.”

  I lifted an eyebrow, surprised at the bitterness Simone was displaying. She’d expressed her disapproval, but had never gone this hard about Leah — since we’d gotten back together, at least. “Is this about something else?”

  “Not at all,” she said, poking out her bottom lip. “I’m just starting to get a little impatient that what I understood to be a temporary situation is looking more like long-term.”

  Join the club.

  If it wasn’t for the fact that she was Zahra’s mom, I would have kicked Leah’s ass out months ago, friend or not. She’d been staying with me for four months, and had a new job for one month when I met Simone. We were coming up on seven months of Leah was invading my space, when our original agreement had been closer to three. There always seemed to be a new excuse why she couldn’t move out this month or the next, but to her credit, there was always proof to back her claims, so I knew she wasn’t just making stuff up.

  “Trust me, Beautiful. I’m more ready to have my extra bedroom back than you are.”

  I grabbed the hem of her tank top to pull her closer, but she pulled away. “Why can’t she go live with her boyfriend?”

  “According to her, they haven’t been dating long enough for her to move in with a kid, and I agree, since the kid is mine.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I shook my head. “I know, you’re gonna say Zahra could just stay with me, but Leah isn’t going for that. Alternating nights is fine, but she doesn’t wanna go to sleep every night without her little girl.”

  Simone blew out a deep breath. “Okay, I can understand that. Still. I don’t like it.”

  “And I can understand that. But,” I said, taking a step toward her. Her expression was still partially annoyed as I gently pushed her backwards until she was pressed against the refrigerator. “I hope you’re not holding it against me.”

  I bent to kiss her, and she sighed against my lips. “I’m not. I’m not upset with you at all, I just want your pretty little baby mama to get some business of her own so she can stop calling your apartment “home” and asking you to bring her things for her cramps like you’re her boyfriend.”

  “Duly noted, baby. But… unfortunately… I do have to head out, because I would like to hold up my end of the schedule.”

  “Of course.” She rolled her eyes as she walked away from me.

  Tonight was not one of the nights agreed upon for Leah to take on any overnight care for Zahra, so I packed up my laptop and headed out, stopping to kiss Simone before I left. She pouted as I pulled away, and I did a quick grope of her ass, something that always got me a smile.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Beautiful.”

  — & —

  When I got back to my place, Leah was in her usual spot in the dark, at the counter with her computer. “Did you bring my chocolate?” she asked, not looking up from the screen.

  I chuckled as I walked past, pulling my laptop bag from my shoulder. “No. You were serious about that?”

  “Umm, yeah. Would it have been such a hassle to grab something for me?”

  With my eyebrow raised, I walked back to the kitchen and opened a drawer, scooping a handful of its contents to drop on the counter in front of Leah. “None of this works?” I asked, pointing to the array of chocolate candy bars we’d purchased from Zahra’s school fundraiser just the month before.

  She gave me a sheepish smile, then reached for one of the packages and tore it open. I shook my head, continuing my quest to get to my room and get some peace, so I could maybe finish my work.

  “Hey… Rome?”

  I paused with my hand on my door knob to turn to her. “Yeah?”

  “I know you and Simone are getting all hot and heavy, but I hope you’re remembering you have other responsibilities too. Your daughter doesn’t need you any less because you got a girlfriend.”

  Whoa. Record Scratch. What the fuck did I walk into here?

  I ran my tongue over my teeth, trying to measure my words before I spoke. “Leah… I’m not sure why you feel the need to tell me that. I was at Zahra’s play performance this morning while you were at work. I’m usually the one who picks her up from school to take her to her grandmother so I can go back to work, or she comes and sits with me in my office until you get off. She sees me pretty much every night for dinner, I’m usually here when she goes to bed. Except for the one weekend a month she sleeps over with one of her grandparents, you and I alternate days for her care. I’m… kind of at a loss here.”

  Leah turned on her barstool to face me, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re never here, Roman, not like you used to be. Every time I look up, you’re off somewhere with Simone.”

  “So is this about me not spending time with Zahra, or not spending time with you?”

  She recoiled as if I’d slapped her, then opened her mouth to make a retort. A flash of something crossed her face. “You know what? Never mind.” She clamped her lips together as she shook her head.

  “Hell no,” I said, taking a few steps closer to her. “This is not some shit we can just say never mind about. I’m not trying to get wrapped up in any bullshit. If there’s something on your mind, put it out there Leah.”

  Leah rolled her eyes, pushing out a deep breath before she spoke. “It just seems like now that Simone is in the picture, you and I aren’t even friends anymore. Don’t get it twisted: I like Simone, and I like Simone for you, but I didn’t realize it meant I was going to be completely thrown out of the picture.”

  “How am I throwing you out, Leah? What, you think I’m trying to replace you with Simone as Zahra’s mom or something? They’re around each other maybe two hours a week.”

  “No, it’s not that.”

  “Then what is it? You claim I’m never around, but unless I’ve been hallucinating, it’s been me, you, and Zahra five nights a week for dinner, bath, bedtime routine. We’ve been to parent day, parent-teacher conferences together, recitals….”

  Leah let out a frustrated groan. “Will you stop—” she paused, glancing toward Zahra’s room before lowering her voice. “Will you stop being purposely obtuse? You and I were friends long before we were parents, and I thought that relationship was still intact. When I moved in, after we put Zahra to bed, we — you and me— would sit and talk. Have a glass of wine. Eat something other than chicken breast cut out with a dinosaur cookie cutter. The things friends do, and it’s not happening anymore. Our relationship has devolved to “just” co-parents and roommates, and I would love to know why.”

  “You don’t understand I can’t kick it with you like that anymore? When you moved in here — temporarily — I was single, Leah. Yeah, I could sit up at night in my spare time and chill, because it’s what I would have been doing if nobody was here. Why wouldn’t I do with you? When I have spare time now, outside of work, outside of my responsibility to Zahra, I want to spend that time with my girlfriend, and she wants that too. Yes, you and I are friends, but you really think I’m gonna say to Simone “Yeah, I’ve got some free time, but I think I’m gonna stay here and kick it with my daughter’s mom who lives with me instead of spending it with you.” If Justin tried
to spit some shit like that to you, would you go for it?” I asked, referring to her boyfriend of the last nine months.

  “So you’re saying you and I can’t be completely platonic friends because you don’t want to offend Simone?”

  “I’m saying that when I have free time, Simone is the priority.” I cringed at the look of hurt that flashed across her face before she turned back to her laptop. “Seriously, Leah? Where is this coming from? When you lived across town and we were alternating custody for Zahra by the week, you and I never hung out. We didn’t talk on the phone unless it was about Zahra. Any texting, emailing, whatever we did was mostly about our daughter. So why are you acting like this is some drastic change from what we were doing before?”

  Leah clasped her hands together over the keyboard, examining her nails. “When I told you I’d lost my job, and I was losing my apartment… you did something I never expected. You took me in, and I was shocked, because since before Zahra was born, things between us had not been like they were before. Before we ever even thought about a romantic thing, we were the kind of friends that talked on the phone, texted, emailed, kicked it just because. Just like you do with Davis. After we broke up, we never got that back. We just kept drifting, and neither of us said anything. It was all business for the most part, just about Zahra. But then you told me I could live with you, and I got a little of flicker of hope, that maybe it was a start of getting back to that place.”

  She paused to clear her throat before she continued. “For four months, I had my friend back. Simone comes along, and I’m happy for you, because you were happy. Why wouldn’t I be, I was dating somebody too! But now… we’re drifting back to that place again where it’s all about Zahra. So yeah, I am jealous of Simone, but it’s not because I want you, Roman. Not like that. I just want my friend again, and I don’t know how to make that happen.”

  She shook her head, turning away as she wiped away the tears that were starting to spill onto her cheeks.

  “We’re just not the same people anymore, Le.” I took the last few steps between us, pulling her into an embrace against my chest. “We have jobs, and a kid, and partners who aren’t each other. That same type of relationship won’t work… especially considering the fact that we weren’t always just friends. If you think I’m holding something against you, I’m not.”