Since then? E-Book

Priscilla Schumacher

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 663

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Mia's life is upside down. Leo has broken up with her after five years because of someone else. At the same time, she has just started a new job, finally in a publishing house, as she has always wanted. Luckily she has Nico and her other friends. It is only thanks to them that she finds her way out of the apartment and into the nightlife of L.A. Only then does she realize the effect she has on the opposite sex and soon finds herself between two men: Noah and Chris. While her love life picks up speed, there is also tension at work. There's something Mia doesn't know yet ... "Oh yes, he's standing there and he's looking at me. His gaze, with which he practically undresses me, is full of desire. I'm getting hot."

Leseprobe

Chapter 1

"I don't think it makes sense anymore. It's over."

I keep hearing this phrase in my head.

About two months ago, my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend, left me. Now I'm sitting at home, the TV is on and I'm thinking. I keep thinking about the situation between Leo and me.

He ended the relationship at the beginning of June and I still don't know exactly why. He couldn't really tell me. "It doesn't feel right anymore," he said.

But the worst thing is, he already has a new one.

And me? I'm sitting here in my new apartment. Alone.

Please don't get me wrong, I like my apartment, but I'm still alone.

The new girl probably has something to do with the end of our relationship. Why else did it happen so quickly?

The next morning is the same as always. I am late.

I grab my coffee and head to the office, where unfortunately little work awaits me. No distractions or very few. But my new boss is on vacation, which doesn't make it easy to settle in. In addition, the publishing house has less and less work during the summer, which is why I'm helping out everywhere at the moment before I can take my place as assistant to the publisher.

In addition to the publisher, there are several editors, various teams for the administrative and personnel side, as well as the creative minds in marketing.

As I help everyone else, I get to know everyone and quickly integrate into the team.

Ping. Oh, I forgot to set my cell phone to vibrate.

Hi, how are you? Heard about you and Leo, I'm very sorry. If there's anything I can do for you, just get in touch - Chris

I read the message again.

How did Chris find out about my break-up with Leo? Maybe Lexi checked my Instagram account. But why would she tell Chris? Or did he notice?

So far so good. I'm still processing the whole thing. How are you? How was your vacation? - Mia

Then I leave my cell phone in the drawer of my desk.

I don't want to know what Chris thinks about it at the moment. Sure, we had a good time. I was his assistant back then and I enjoyed it. But somehow I always had the feeling that there was a sizzle between us. Since I couldn't really deal with it and never wanted to jeopardize my relationship with Leo, I quit and took this job.

I had wanted to become an editor for some time. That was another reason why I no longer wanted to work in a law firm.

I discovered the job advertisement from Jackson Verlag purely by chance in the spring. I was amazed when they hired me without any experience.

Leo encouraged me to apply at the time. Shortly after I was accepted, he left me.

Surprisingly, I didn't have time to look at my cell phone all day, even though my fingers were itching to do so.

I took part in meetings that I will organize later. I was allowed to take the minutes and revised them straight away so that my colleague Emma could check them. She will only be working here for two more weeks and will help me wherever she can. After that, I will do her job independently.

I'm fine. The vacation was nice, but short. Just as it should be ;-) Can I call you? - C

Oh, he's already tried to call me five times. I wonder what's so urgent?

At that moment, he calls me again. I take a deep breath before answering the phone.

"Hello?" Oh man, why do I sound so unsure? It's just Chris. I mentally slap myself in the face.

"Mia? Are you all right?" He sounds worried. "Of course Chris. I've been busy all day. What can I do for you?" I try to smile so I don't sound as depressed as I've been feeling lately.

"I wanted to hear your voice. Besides, I think we should do something together. To distract you." He wanted to hear my voice? How am I supposed to understand that?

He hasn't contacted me once since I left, and now he says something like that? Besides, we never met in private when we worked together.

I am confused.

To find out what he wants from me, I have to say yes. But I don't really feel like meeting anyone. "I'm not in the mood at all. I like being at home and watching TV." "That's the problem, Mia. You should do something. How about Friday?" I sigh, but think about it for a moment anyway. Is that such a good idea?

"Mia, come on. We haven't seen each other for a while. It would be nice to catch up again." "All right then. Let's do something. Do you already have something in mind?" His ability to persuade me with so few words never ceases to amaze me. But with that tone, I just can't say no.

"Of course I already have a plan. I'll pick you up at eighteen thirty. Why don't you send me your address? I'm looking forward to seeing you again." He hangs up.

I am taken aback for a moment and only realize that I am still standing in front of the office building when Emma wishes me a nice evening again. I smile back shyly and walk to my red Audi A3 with my head down. Meanwhile, I send Chris my new address.

"I know Nico, I'm sorry. He took me by surprise." "I understand that, Princess, but why can't you cancel? I've been trying to lure you out of the apartment for weeks without much success. Now this Chris is coming and you're about to go out with him." "I'm not going out with him, we're doing something as friends. Nico, understand, I haven't seen Chris for a long time. I was pleased that he got in touch with me."

Nico is my best friend. He tries to help me get over Leo. I've turned down every suggestion to go out with him and friends. Most of the time, we stay at my place and watch series or movies on Netflix.

I understand him and I'm very sorry that he feels rejected, but he has to understand me too. I can slowly move forward and meet other people. I need time to get closure with Leo and after talking to Chris, I'm starting to feel ready to socialize again. I can't say how he did it, but it feels right.

"All right, but I'll see you on Saturday, right?" "Sure, do you already know what we want to do?" "Well, if you're going to take the plunge, I'd be happy if we went out with the others and had a drink." It sounds more like a question than a firm decision.

I sigh, it's only fair that I agree, because if I can meet up with Chris, I can meet up with my friends. I owe it to them and somehow I miss my people.

"All right, but I don't want to go to a club, just the Circle." The Circle is our regular bar that we usually go to every Saturday with our friends. I don't know if the others have been there recently. I never asked Nico, I didn't want to remind him that he was missing out because of me.

"That's great. You'll hear from me, love you," he says enthusiastically. "Love you too. Take care Nico." I hang up with a smile.

From time to time I realize that Nico is a few years younger than me. Nevertheless, he knows me better than anyone else and knows how to distract me. That's why I said yes. Besides, I can't hide away in my apartment forever, even though I like it a lot. Nico helped me find it. It's not exactly huge, but it's big enough for me.

When you enter the apartment, you come into a small hallway with a wardrobe for my jackets and shoes. Straight ahead is my living room. In the middle of the room is my light blue sofa, which can be pulled out into a bed. On the left wall is the TV, on the right is a chest of drawers with board games, movies and stuff I don't know where else to put. Nico has hung pictures of our friends and my family on the white wall. That makes it more lively.

The living room opens out onto a balcony, which is bathed in sunlight most of the time.

The bedroom is to the right of the living room. It is small. Only my bed, two bedside tables and a mirror in the far left corner adorn the room. Opposite my bed is a built-in closet, which is full to bursting. Nico and I painted the wall next to my bed yellow. The color is supposed to cheer me up. That was a fun day. I was grumpy and sad at first. Nico painted himself "by mistake" and acted innocent. At some point, his manner made me laugh. I like to think back on it.

To the left of the living room is the kitchen, where I have placed a white dining table with four chairs. There's not much more space there.

Further to the left is a small bathroom with a shower and washing machine.

The week flies by. I can't stop thinking about Chris.

On the one hand that's good, because it takes my mind off Leo, but on the other hand it scares me.

I'm nervous on Friday morning. I don't know exactly why. After all, it's only Chris. Well, he does look good. He's very tall and athletic, has a beard, dark, short hair that's slightly wavy when he wears it a little longer, dark eyes and he's always slightly tanned. That's not very unusual for L.A., but he's a lawyer and works a lot. He always wears a suit. I've never seen him in casual clothes.

But it's still Chris, I know him. He's also got a girlfriend and I'm still struggling with the break-up with Leo. So what's making me so nervous?

I say goodbye to the office at around sixteen o'clock and leave for the weekend. I still need time to shower and change and somehow prepare myself mentally for tonight, because the nervousness hasn't subsided.

Since I don't know what we're doing, why didn't I ask, I opt for a white short-sleeved blouse with a black A-line skirt that reaches my mid-thigh and black ballerinas. It's not too chic and not too casual, so it should work for any occasion.

Ping.

I hope you have fun tonight. Take care of yourself and don't let him get to you right away! Love you - N

I gasp for air. Nico is just impossible sometimes! Still, I have to grin a little. It's nice to see that he's worried about me. But we can both play this game.

Oops, the underwear matches ;-) - M

Mia is back! You are impossible! See you tomorrow - N

I'm here - C

I look in the mirror again. I am happy with my look.

I have emphasized my high cheekbones with a little blusher. My brown eyes are framed by long dark eyelashes and my curly brown hair falls down my back. Finally, I applied some lip gloss to make my lips slightly shiny.

I grab my handbag, put my cell phone in it, lock the door and walk slowly down the stairs. Suddenly I'm unsure again. Am I really ready to go out in public again?

Well, it's too late now anyway. Chris is waiting by his black BMW X5.

He looks good, more relaxed than at work. He's wearing blue jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves pushed back. So I'm neither over- nor underdressed. That makes me feel better.

When he sees me, he smiles. My nervousness is blown away and I feel really at ease.

"Hello, Mia, nice to see you. How are you?" "Hi, Chris. It's good to see you too. I'm doing well. I'm excited to see what you have planned." He hugs me and just shrugs his shoulders. That's so typical of him. He holds the door open for me and I get into his car.

"Mia, you look great." "Oh come on, it's nothing special." I have to look away so he can't see that I'm blushing slightly. It happens to me whenever he compliments me. I've always had to play it down. I wonder if he's ever noticed.

"I like it. I don't know if you want to talk about it, but how are you doing with the breakup?" Whew, I really don't want to talk about it, but he's just trying to help me. I think about how I should explain my situation to him. I don't want to say too much, but enough for him to realize that I don't want to talk about it.

"Well, I was very unwell at the beginning. I wasn't in the office for a few days. Do you remember? I withdrew and had no contact with anyone. I lived with my parents. Nico came to cheer me up after about two weeks. He forced me to look ahead and find my own apartment. I did that with his help. But it wasn't any better. I hid away in my apartment. I was always at home until you contacted me. I don't know, but it really gets me down when I think about it. It gets me down! That's why I avoid thinking about it." That was more than I actually wanted to reveal.

I smile slightly, even though I don't feel like it right now. I could have started crying again, but I pull myself together because of Chris. I don't want him to see me like this.

"You weren't at work? You haven't been together for so long? And you haven't said anything? Mia, that's so much baggage, you could have talked to me about it!" "Well, I didn't want to burden anyone with it. Above all, it's a bit embarrassing that I had to cry like that, because Leo seems to have been over it for a while." "That wasn't fair of Leo and you don't have to be embarrassed at all. You really could have talked to me about it. Just like you did with Nico. Who is that anyway?" I have to smile. We always got on well at work, but we rarely talked about our private lives.

"Nico is my best friend. I've known him since my college days. We used to work together in a café." "I think it's great that you have such a good friend. But I think we should change the subject. I wanted to take your mind off Leo. Besides, we're here." Chris parks his car and grins at me. I don't know the restaurant, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. I usually eat out near the office or cook for myself at home.

"It looks very nice." "Wait until we're inside." Chris opens the door to the restaurant and I'm overwhelmed. The unassuming beach house has a glass front facing the sea. It looks beautiful. There's a terrace outside where you can also eat. I am speechless.

"Good evening, Mr. Taylor. Your table is ready, if you will follow me." I'm so overwhelmed that I almost miss the waitress's look, but only almost. She's tall, has her blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail and looks very well groomed. I let my hair air dry, there's no point doing anything else in this climate.

We go outside, the air is pleasant. The waitress takes us to a table right at the front with the best view. We can see straight out to sea. It even smells like it. I love it.

"Can I get you the usual?" "Why don't you bring us a beer, a martini and a jug of water?" "I'd love to, Mr. Taylor." The waitress gives me a quick glance, then leaves and I have to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Chris has a bemused smile on his lips. Oh, it's like always.

"I don't know. I think the waitress is jealous of me or she's skeptical because of Nadine." "Well, I eat here regularly, but Nadine has never been here before." "How come she's never been here?" "It's never happened." That's the end of the subject. I can tell by the look on his face. He has become more serious. It unsettles me, but I leave it at that. After all, it's none of my business. Besides, Chris would get in touch if he wanted to talk about it.

I look at the menu and almost can't decide what to eat. It all sounds delicious. The waitress comes with our drinks and takes our order. I take the fitness plate and Chris a steak with rice and vegetables.

As we clink glasses and I take a sip of my martini, I realize that Chris has ordered for me. "How did you know I like martinis?" "Last time at the team event, you drank them too." "You remember that?" "Of course, why not? Besides, lots of people drink them." He shrugs his shoulders slightly, which makes me smile. I usually drink beer, but I'm reluctant to say no to martinis.

We talk about work and what it's like in his office.

He brings me up to date with all my work colleagues, as much as he has heard. He mentions a few times that he's completely lost without me, which I don't believe. After all, he has a new assistant. I've never met her, but I've heard that they've hired someone.

He is interested in my new job, I tell him about my day-to-day work and what I will be facing.

The waitress brings our food. She tries to attract Chris's attention. I find it very funny because she really has no idea that he has a girlfriend.

"What is it?" "You're ignoring her. I don't think she likes that." Chris has to laugh too.

"Well, I'm usually here with my friends, so she has more attention." We both laugh. I miss that. This carefree togetherness without worrying about anything.

By the time we have finished eating, the sun is already setting. The colors are indescribable. I enjoy the sight and try to burn it into my memory so that I never forget it.

"The view is indescribable." "Yes, it is." Something in his voice makes me look at him and at that moment Chris takes a photo of me. I give him a dirty look.

"What? The view was, or rather is, indescribable." "I mean the sunset." I roll my eyes and watch the setting sun again until it disappears.

"I know," Chris breathes, which sends a slight shiver up my arm.

We sit there for a moment until the waitress comes back and asks for dessert. "Can you bring us the warm chocolate cake with the vanilla ice cream?" She makes a note of the order and walks away again. I think she looks more dejected every time. Somehow I feel sorry for her. Being ignored is not a nice feeling.

A few minutes later, she reappears. She puts the plates on the table and wishes us a good appetite.

"Try it while it's still warm." Chris looks at me expectantly. As I shove the spoonful of cake and vanilla ice cream into my mouth, I have to close my eyes: "Mmm, simply heavenly." Chris smiles at me with satisfaction.

"How was your vacation? And don't think 'it was short' is the end of it. Tell me a little bit." I'm eager to hear his stories. I want to see pictures.

I haven't been on vacation because of the separation, and I've never been far away before. So far, I've only flown to Phoenix once with Leo for a hiking vacation. Otherwise I've always stayed close by.

As I had hoped, he shows me pictures and tells me about his stay in Miami. He also tells me that he looked at a house with friends and that they were thinking about buying it.

"It's beautiful and so close to the sea," I enthuse. "When we've bought it, you absolutely have to come with us." "Sure, then I can finally meet Nadine." "Yeah, sure." Something about his tone makes me lift my eyes from his cell phone. Since he's staring fixedly at his plate and the waitress is just coming back to our table, I leave it at that. He didn't talk much about her when we were still working together. Maybe he just wants to keep it private.

"Excuse me, Mr. Taylor. Would you like another drink? We would now bring the last round." "Oh, so late already? Mia, would you like anything else?" "No, thank you. We can pay as far as I'm concerned." "Well then, the bill please." "I'd love to, Mr. Taylor."

A few moments later, she returns with the bill and the card reader. Chris is quicker: "You're invited today." "That's not what we agreed." "That's not quite right. After all, I had to persuade you to have dinner with me. Thank you very much," he says, addressing the waitress. "Thank you very much Mr. Taylor and have a nice evening." "We wish you the same." The waitress walks away and we rise.

When I get home, I say thank you for a lovely evening.

"It was fun. We'll have to do it again soon. Promise me that, Mia." "I'd love to, but then I'll cook for you to return the favor." He just laughs, I get out of the car, walk to the stairs, turn around and wave goodbye to him again. Chris waits until I'm in the house, then I hear him drive off. My God, he's a gentleman.

I take a quick shower, then brush my teeth and reflect on the evening. All in all, it was really nice. I missed my old self. It was nice to be so carefree for a change. But Chris's reaction to Nadine is unsettling. He talked about her a few times at work, not much, but he was never that dismissive. Maybe they're just in a crisis or maybe he just wanted to keep it private.

In bed, I pick up my cell phone again.

Good night, my angel - C

I roll my eyes and type a short reply.

Good night, Womanizer - M

Afterwards, I lie down and fall asleep for the first time in a long time without crying.

Chapter 2

"How was it?" Nico sits on my bed and rejects every T-shirt I try to put on. He's wearing a white polo shirt and jeans. He's styled his dark blonde hair so that it looks like he's just got out of bed. He has swapped his black nerd glasses for contact lenses, which make his green eyes stand out more.

"I've already written to you. It was nice and very nice to see him again." "Yes, I know. Did you kiss each other?" "Nico!" I throw the T-shirt I'm about to put on at his head. "Mia, come on. If you can't tell me, who can you tell?" He's right, but nothing happened. Why should it?

"We're just friends." "Friends who call all the time?" He holds my cell phone out to me. This is the fifth time Chris has tried to call me. I have to take the call, anything else would be rude.

"Hello, Chris." "Hello, Mia, I can finally reach you. Is everything okay with you?" "Of course, why?" "I've been trying to reach you all day. I've been worried." I raise an eyebrow.

"Chris, everything's fine. Nico's here and my cell phone is on silent. I'm sorry you were worried. What's up?" Nico tries to stifle a laugh and I give him a dirty look. It's cute when he worries about me.

"I really enjoyed last night. I want to thank you for that and of course I hope we can do it again soon?" "I have to thank you. It was great fun. Sure, we can do it again. I'm sure you already have something in mind." Chris laughs. "You know me too well, Mia. That's why I'm calling right away. I have a basketball game tonight, do you want to come?" Oh, that's quick. I was thinking more about next week.

"Tonight?" Nico shakes his head and wants to say something. I raise my finger to show him to be quiet. To my surprise, he really doesn't say anything.

"Yes, today. What do you think? We could go for a drink afterwards." "Thanks for the invitation, but I can't do it today. I already have plans, but I'd love to do it another time." "Oh, I thought you were always at home?" I have to smile. "Yes, but I've realized that this can't go on. I should get out the door again." "Good girl." I hear a smile in his voice. "Then I'll get back to you when the next game is near." "That sounds good, I'll wait to hear from you. Good luck today and see you soon." "See you soon, Mia." I hang up.

Nico looks at me questioningly. "What is it?" "Ever since you spoke to him on the phone, you've had a stupid grin on your face." "Oh no, you're imagining things. What's this shirt like?" I hold up a black strapless top. "It's perfect." I don't know what's wrong with the other shirts or what the difference is now, but I'm ready to face my friends now.

Our favorite bar is not far from my apartment, we can walk. I'm really starting to look forward to seeing my friends again.

Dina and Sam are already sitting at our regulars' table. It's a little further back, round, with a bench almost all the way around the table and two chairs at the front. The furniture in the bar is all made of dark wood, as is the counter. This is located in the middle of the room and, as the name of the bar suggests, is arranged in a round shape.

When Dina sees me, she jumps up and gives me a big hug. I have tears in my eyes. I've known Dina all my life. We lived in the same street when we were children. She is a year older than me, but that has never affected our friendship.

She has dyed her hair darker again, it is now almost black, but this really emphasizes her bright blue eyes. Because we are about the same height and have roughly the same figure, we have swapped clothes from time to time, just as we share every secret with each other.

At the beginning of my separation from Leo, I even slept with her for a few nights before I moved in with my parents. I was still hoping that Leo would change his mind.

"I've missed you so much! How are you?" "Quite well, I guess, and you?" "I'm fine, thanks. I really need to tell you something later." She winks at me and sits down again. She has aroused my curiosity. What can't she tell me in front of the others? But I know that I can't get anything out of her now. So I say hello to Sam, her boyfriend, and sit down at the table too.

Carter, the barman, brings us our beer. I love walking in here and being served without having to order anything.

"Mia, tell me, how's the new job?" So I start talking about it.

At some point, our little Jule arrives. "Sorry I'm late. I forgot the time." Jule often helps her parents. They have a small family carpentry business. She usually helps her mother with the office work at the weekend. I suspect that's the reason she's late. She gives us all a quick hug and her drink is already brought.

Jule has cut her hair. It now reaches down to her shoulders. The sun has also made it even lighter, it now looks almost white. The hairstyle is refreshing.

We continue our conversation. It's really nice to sit here. I didn't realize how much I missed it. How could I have been so stupid as to sit alone in my apartment for so long!

"I'm going to the toilet for a minute." I get up and Dina comes with me.

"I think Sam's going to propose to me soon." "What makes you think that?" I ask in surprise. Well, I've missed a lot, maybe it's not as sudden as I think.

"He's been a bit secretive lately and next month we'll have been a couple for five years. We're going on vacation to Hawaii then, but that's all we have planned yet, which isn't usually the case. You know us." "Hm, I don't know. That doesn't say much yet." "When I ask him about it, he always says we'll see or it'll all work out." I really don't know. I don't want to make her sad, but I can't encourage her too much either. At the moment, I'm not thinking about forever and so on.

"I wouldn't read too much into it, but the fact that he always avoids the question is strange. But if it does, I'll be the first to know." "Sure, I'll call you right away." We laugh as we walk back to our table together.

When my gaze falls on the table, I stand rooted to the spot. Dina follows my gaze and gets angry. Leo is standing there talking to my friends. It's the first time I've met him since we broke up.

Sure, he used to be there from time to time, but they're still my friends.

Nico doesn't look thrilled either, but he's trying to pull himself together. I can see that in his face. He would love to kick him out.

"Would you like to go to the bar?" I take a deep breath. I can do this, I want to go and ignore him as best I can. "No, we'll go and sit down. We live in the same town, it was bound to happen at some point." "If it gets too much, I'll smack him, all you have to do is say so." That makes me laugh. "I think Nico would be able to handle it." Giggling, we walk to our table.

"Mia, hello." He sounds surprised. "Hello," I reply a little coldly. I see the corner of Nico's mouth twitch. Good, then I've hit the right note.

I can see Leo's unease. His tense posture betrays him. But I don't care. After all, he has come to our table. Besides, I want him to go away.

"I was just saying to the others that we should go bowling together again. Then I could introduce you to Kim." "Not interested." "Why not?" "I said I'm not interested." I look into his eyes. Those eyes. Shit. I have to stay strong.

He looks at me sympathetically. I can't have that, so I look away.

"I thought we could try to be friends."

Nico is beside himself. "Leo, she's not interested and neither are we. Now get back into the hole you crawled out of and don't show your face here again!" Nico is a little taller than Leo, but Leo is better trained and some people find him a little frightening. The millimeter cut of his dark hair doesn't exactly make him look any friendlier. But he's actually a really nice guy.

Leo looks at me for help. I look away and take the last sip of my beer.

"Mia?" "You heard Nico." That's the only thing I say. I don't feel like talking to him, and besides, Nico is right.

"I thought we were friends." This is how Leo leaves us behind.

"Thank you, Nico." "No problem, any of us would have done that." "Not me. I'm still a bit scared of him." We all look at Jule and have to laugh.

And everyone is calm again, except me.

Nico comes home with me, he doesn't want to leave me alone.

In bed, I look at my cell phone again, as I do every evening.

We won, you missed a great game! :-) How was your evening? - C

I quickly type a reply before Nico snatches the cell phone out of my hand. At least that's how he usually does it. He's just too curious.

Congratulations, next time I'll be there, I promise. My evening was great. Well, at least until Leo came. But Nico banished him. I really missed my friends! - M

Nico is a great guy, I would have done the same for you - C

Chris is sweet. I have really great friends. We are there for each other in every situation. I really need to thank everyone for standing by me.

Nico comes back into my room just as my cell phone vibrates on the bedside table.

"Oh, I should turn that off." Nico is quicker than me. He stares at the screen and says nothing. What's wrong now?

I look at him intently. He just gives it to me, very uncharacteristic of him. But when I look at the screen, I realize why. I look at him, confused.

I'm sorry about tonight. I didn't mean to take you by surprise. I just wanted to see our friends. Speaking of which, Nico was an ass! Why didn't you talk to me yourself? You don't usually let anyone speak for you. Mia, I wanted to see you. I miss you - L

I look at my display again, then back at Nico. I don't know what to do or feel, so I turn it off and put it back on the bedside table.

"Aren't you going to write back?" "What should I write to him?" "That he's an ass and I'm a hero." I have to smile. That's really sweet. Then I shake my head and lie down.

"What he wrote is true. I shouldn't have done that. It's your decision, but something about you told me that you didn't want to talk to him. Which, of course, I can completely understand. I just wanted him to leave you alone and go away. I'm sorry." "You don't need to apologize. That was exactly right. I couldn't have done it. Even though I want him to feel the way I feel, so awful, alone and empty. I couldn't hurt him. I didn't know what to say either. I wanted to ignore him until he went away. You sped things up, thank you so much. You're a great friend." I really mean that. I don't know what I would do without him.

He hugs me to comfort me because I've started crying again. Then I fall asleep.

On Sunday, Nico makes every effort to distract me from my cell phone.

We go for a walk on the beach, drink coffee from Starbucks and talk about all sorts of things.

He doesn't know that I don't feel like answering Leo, but I let him go through with his plan. It's fun, really distracts me and relaxes me. At some point, however, we can no longer avoid the subject of Leo.

"You don't have to write him back if you don't want to. You know that, don't you?" "Yes, I know. I don't know exactly how to take the message yet. He wanted to see our friends, called you an ass and misses me. That's kind of too much." "I can understand a bit that he wanted to see us. He was part of it too. Besides, Sam and he got on really well. They're even still in contact. Dina thinks it sucks, but I told her you'd probably understand, right?" "Of course, just because we've broken up doesn't mean Sam can't see him. You shouldn't have to choose between us." "Well, we already worked out the ass thing yesterday and him missing you is wrong. He left you and is with Kim, or whatever that bimbo's name is. He's not allowed to say things like that. So don't take it too seriously. Maybe they had a fight and he just wanted to spend time with someone familiar." He shrugs his shoulders.

That sounds logical. Nico is right. "I won't write him back. He's misbehaved and should leave me alone." "That's the right attitude."

We stay on the beach for a while before Nico has to go home to prepare for tomorrow. His summer vacation is over and his studies continue. He is in his final year of economics.

When I get home, I write to the others in the chat that I want to invite them over for dinner on Saturday. Afterwards, I continue watchingThe Denver Clanon Netflix. I like Fallon, she's always so strong. At some point, I fall asleep on my sofa.

I go to work early the next morning. My boss is coming back from vacation today and I want to make a good impression.

"Good morning, Miss Williams. Nice to see you again. Have you settled in well?" "Good morning, Mr. Jackson. It's good to see you again too. Yes, I think so. Did you have a good vacation?" "I'm glad to hear that. Yes, it was very nice. I own a house in Hawaii. My kids love the beach there." "That sounds great." "It is. Well, this morning I need to settle back in. Please don't put any calls through to me unless they're from family. And then I'd like to sit down with you this afternoon so we can plan our work together. I think at thirteen thirty?" "That should work, I'll check my diary. Would you like me to make a note of it now?" "I'd love to. Then I'll see you later." I nod and sit down at my desk again.

At the moment I'm sharing my office with Emma, then I'll be on my own. It's right in front of Mr. Jackson's. Everyone has to go through my office if they want to see him. That won't bother me, because I should be informed at all times. Besides, that was already the case at the law firm.

I send Mr. Jackson the appointment for this afternoon and continue working my way through the emails.

Emma and I grab a salad at lunchtime and enjoy the midday sun in the adjacent park.

I think Emma is very nice. It's a shame that she's leaving us. But if she hadn't resigned, I would never have been able to apply for this job. So it had to be this way.

At half past one, I knock on Mr. Jackson's door. He calls me in and points to the chair opposite him. I sit down and open my laptop.

We look together at what Mr. Jackson wants from me, which email requests I can reject straight away and which I can forward without reading too much. He's also planning a trip to New York at the end of this month. He wants me to go with him. I'm supposed to discuss with Emma what has been organized and what still needs to be done. I make notes on everything so that I don't forget anything.

After almost three hours, we have discussed everything so far.

"Oh, Miss Williams, if you notice anything that can be done better or faster, let me know." "Yes, I will." Then I go to my desk and prepare the dates for our weekly meetings. I also send Emma a date so that we can discuss the book fair at the end of the month.

After work, I'm pleased to see that my friends have agreed to come on Saturday. I'm less enthusiastic about Leo's news.

Mia, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to take you by surprise. I'm also sorry about Nico, I know he's important to you. Please get in touch - L

Not in a hundred years will I contact him.

I sit in my Audi and call Nico on the way back.

"Again? Does he know that enough is enough?" "That's what I thought too. I'll just keep ignoring him, won't I?" Leo's messages unsettle me and give me a strange feeling.

"Definitely. We could approach Sam about it on Saturday and subtly hint to him that he should tell him to leave you alone." "Hm, I don't know. He's only written twice." "We can discuss it on Saturday. Do you need help with the cooking?" "Nico, you're invited as a thank you for your help recently, so I won't let you cook." "Okay, but I can bring the wine." "Of course." Nico, actually his father, has excellent taste in wine, which is why Nico always brings the wine to our meetings. I don't know enough about it, so it's fine for me not to have to decide.

"Princess, you know I love talking to you, but I have to study." "The first day is only just over and you're already behind? That's just like you." "Haha, very funny. You know it's my final year." I have to stifle a laugh.

"That's okay. I'll be home in a minute. I think I'll go for another run." "You do that. Take care of yourself and let me know when you're back home." "I will, see you then."

At that moment, I park my car at home. I go into my apartment, change my clothes and go for a run. I listen to music, which makes me feel better. The whole day has been so top-heavy that I need to do something for my body.

After about an hour, I'm back home. My legs feel heavy, but I feel good. Before I jump in the shower, I give Nico a quick call, otherwise he'll give me hell.

After a hot, soothing shower, I sit down on the sofa with a pen and paper. I switch on the TV, some CSI series is on. I don't watch it because I'm thinking about the menu for Saturday.

I will probably prepare a small salad with tomatoes and egg. Then, I thought, I could make a lasagna myself. I haven't done that for a long time. For dessert, I'm going to make chocolate cakes. They're quick to bake because I'll have enough to do with the lasagne.

Once I've written everything down, I make myself comfortable and look at my cell phone.

Mia - L

Whew, here we go again. This guy is starting to get on my nerves. How could I cry about him for weeks?

Maybe I'll have to make use of Nico's idea after all. But I'll wait and see this week.

I'm still learning, but I think I should stop slowly - N

Oh Nico, whenever university starts again, he's almost constantly studying. He's a good student for that, but he neglects other things during the week.

You should organize the material better, just learning is not good for you - M

Hello, Mia, how was your day? Were you able to recover from the shock of Saturday? - C

I think it's nice that Chris is so worried about me, but it also makes me feel insecure.

I don't know him like that. When we were still working together, we only had contact through work, never in private. But we no longer work together either, which is probably why he writes to me more.

Hi Chris, my day has been very busy. I had a long meeting with my new boss today. The job will be tough, but I like a challenge ;-) How was your day? I couldn't really recover from it, he keeps texting me, which is getting on my nerves - M

Thank you very much for the invitation. I'm looking forward to finally seeing your new apartment! Can we bring anything with us? - D

All you need to bring is hunger and a good mood, the rest is already taken care of. Nico will bring the wine, so consider sleeping in my living room ;-) - M

My day was exhausting too. Since you left us, I've had to do everything myself, my new assistant is nowhere near as good as you. I didn't realize I'd given you so much work :-/Should I take a look at Leo? - C

It wasn't that much. I was able to organize it differently than you. No, that's okay. I'll wait and see this week. If he's still imposing, I'll tell him off myself! I think I'm strong enough for that - M

That's the right attitude - C

Do you have enough space in the living room? - D

Of course - M

Then we'll be happy to spend the night at your place. I'm looking forward to Saturday - D

I'm also happy to finally have a bit of normality in my life again.

Chapter 3

The week is rather unspectacular.

Leo tried to call me a few times. I let it ring or pushed him away. He should slowly realize that he's getting on my nerves.

On Thursday I have the review of the book fair with Emma.

"Well, there are two rooms, but I still have to re-register one of them and I still have to book a flight for myself. Is that all?" "Yes, that's all. I've already sorted out the schedule for the fair and the dinner reservation. It's all in here. Have a look through it and if you have any questions, we'll look at it together tomorrow." Emma gives me an encouraging smile and hands me her folder.

I'm nervous. This will be my first business trip and I don't know exactly how I should behave. But Emma's smile gives me courage.

I go to my seat and look through the documents.

I then call the hotel to make the change to the booking and call the airline to book a flight. It all works out. Now I have everything ready for the weekly meeting on Friday morning.

On Friday at ten o'clock, I show Mr. Jackson the folder with all the data. "That's excellent. It's all right for me. We'll have dinner separately on the second evening. My wife will also be in town then. I won't be flying home until Sunday." "Yes, Emma has already told me that. I think I'll eat at the hotel as I'm going back to the airport very early on Saturday." "Very good. Then we'll be ready for next week. We'll meet here at five o'clock and drive to the airport together."

Afterwards, we briefly discuss a few events of the week.

I give him the farewell present for Emma. After work today, we're planning a small aperitif in the bar opposite the office. Apparently they often go there for a drink after work to ring in the weekend.

I get to know other work colleagues over an aperitif. It's really nice, the people are interesting and nice.

At some point, I hear my name from the front of the bar. "Mia, there's someone for you!" I look at the others, shrug my shoulders and apologize.

When I get to the front, I stand rooted to the spot. Leo is here. How the hell does he know where I am?

He grins at me. He's caught me cold. I can't make a scene here, so I have to listen to what he has to say. That ass!

"Hi, Mia." A shiver runs down my spine. His smirk confirms that he knows, and I hate him for it.

"Leo, what's up?" I try to sound as cold as possible so that he knows how wrong it is to seek me out here.

"You're not responding to my messages and calls. I'm worried." That annoys me. Where does this bastard get off?

"You don't have the right to worry about me. You left me, left me alone to be with that tramp." Nico would be proud of me. Leo, on the other hand, is surprised and seems slightly shocked.

"Since when have you been so dismissive? I wanted to apologize for Saturday." "Fine, apology accepted, now get out of here, this is a business meeting." "All right, but I'll talk to you later. I'll call you tomorrow." He wants to hug me, but I turn around and go to the toilet as quickly as I can. I don't want anyone to see me crying, otherwise everyone will think I'm a whiner.

The evening is over for me. As soon as I've calmed down, I say goodbye to Emma and go home.

Nico wants to call me, but I'm not in the mood to talk to him. I just want to be alone.

I switch on the television.A Star is bornis on and I can't stop crying.

I don't know how long I sit there like this, but at some point my phone rings again.

Without looking at the screen, I answer the call. "Yes?" My voice sounds hoarse from crying.

"Mia, are you all right?" Chris! Inwardly, I curse myself for not paying attention to who was calling me.

He sounds worried. I actually want to pull myself together and pretend nothing is wrong, but as soon as I start to answer, I have to cry again. The meeting with Leo is getting to me more than it should.

"I'll be with you in half an hour." He hangs up.

I don't want to, but I can't get a word out to stop him.

Exactly half an hour later, the doorbell rings. Before I open it, I look in the mirror hanging next to the front door.

I look like shit, my eyes are red from crying and my hair is sticking out in all directions. But it's too late. Chris is already at my door. I open it and step aside.

"What happened?" He takes me in his arms and I have to cry again. What a crybaby I am!

Somehow he manages to direct us into the living room.

Suddenly I'm sitting on his lap, in his arms and crying. He murmurs soothing words to me.

When I wake up, it's already light outside. I wake up and want to look at the clock on my cell phone. Where is it?

Suddenly I remember that Chris came to see me yesterday. But we were on the sofa.

Oh no! I lift the comforter, thank God! I'm still wearing yesterday's jogging bottoms and top. Well, I didn't drink so much at the aperitif that I can't remember it. I take a deep breath and try to piece together what happened last night. Then I hear Chris's voice: "I can understand you. But she's still asleep, she's had a rough night." Silence. Then he continues: "Where did I sleep? On the sofa of course, what did you think?" He laughs. Who is he talking to on the phone?

I get up, look in the mirror and try to get myself in shape.

I put on a fresh shirt before going into the living room. And sure enough, there's a pillow and a blanket. Oh, Chris! He's standing by the window in short shorts, topless.

I swallow hard. I had no idea he was so well-trained. Of course you can tell he's athletic. But like this? That can't just be from basketball.

He turns around. I raise my eyes. "Ah, she's up. I'll give it to you. Nice to meet you, Nico." Oh no. I close my eyes before slowly picking up the phone.

"Hello?" "What are you thinking?! Do you know what kind of shit I've been worrying about? Don't ever do that again!" "Nico, I'm sorry." "What happened anyway? Chris didn't know. Oh yeah, he seems nice." I have to smile.

"I don't want to talk about it now." "All right, but I'll come this afternoon and you'll tell me then. You owe it to me." "All right. Nico, please don't be angry with me." I'm almost in tears again.

He sighs. "Of course not, Princess. I love you." "I love you too." I blink a few times to stop the tears from rolling down my face.

Chris gets to me very quickly, takes the cell phone from my hand, puts it on the living room table and takes me in his arms again. I don't want to cry again. I try to be strong. Nevertheless, a few tears escape from the corners of my eyes.

After a few minutes, we sit down on the sofa. "Would you like some breakfast?" I laugh. "You're the guest and you're hosting me? What must you think of me?" "It's all right. You're not feeling well, I want to help you. So, breakfast?" "I'm going already. What do you want?" Luckily I went shopping on Thursday and have enough to eat at home.

"One coffee is enough for me." I look at him, frowning. "Just a coffee?" He shrugs his shoulders and nods. Well then.

In the kitchen, I make us coffee and toast with peanut butter. Chris watches me silently. I know he desperately wants to know what happened, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to tell him.

When we sit down at the table in the kitchen, thank God he has put on a T-shirt in the meantime, I can't stand the silence any longer. "All right, I'll tell you. But if I start crying, I'll stop." He smirks at me over his cup and gestures for me to continue. I take a deep breath and tell him what happened the night before.

Towards the end of my story, I can see that Chris is getting angry.

"What an inconsiderate ass! Now I can understand your mood yesterday. But why didn't you call?" Chris frowns. "You had me on the phone. You know I didn't get a word out." "That's right, then write to me next time, please, or Nico." "Yes, I know. This afternoon is going to be exhausting." I sigh. "I can imagine." Chris grins.

"When I took the call from Nico, which I only did because it was the tenth time he'd called, the first thing he did was make a slug of me. He said how dare I take the liberty of calling you so much that you couldn't get in touch. He also threatened me that if I hurt you, he would hurt me." I can't keep quiet anymore, I just have to laugh. Nico is exaggerating again.

"What's so funny?" "The whole situation. I feel terrible and Nico thought I was going to bed with the next best thing." Chris looks deep into my eyes and I immediately fall silent. I realize what I've said and bite my lower lip uncertainly. Chris is still staring at me. We are friends. I'd better refrain from making remarks like that in future. Why doesn't he say anything? And why do I get hot when he looks at me like that?

Suddenly he shakes his head almost imperceptibly, then grins at me.

"What did you tell him that made him come to this assumption?" "Nothing. Well, I told him about the food and that we're friends." I shrug my shoulders. He seems a little offended. Isn't that the truth?

"Good, then I don't have to be afraid of him." We both laugh, but the mood is now more tense. There's a crackle in the air and my stomach tingles slightly. Damn, why does he trigger such feelings in me?

We clear the table together. "If I can help you with Leo, all you have to do is say so." I sigh, which I do quite often these days, and am just about to reply when my phone rings, again. Chris answers it and looks very angry from one moment to the next. He answers the call. Who the hell does he think he is? I'm standing right next to him and can talk to my friends myself. The tingling is gone, a slight anger rises in me.

"It's not Mia." Silence.

"It doesn't matter who I am. I just advise you to leave Mia alone, otherwise you'll get to know me." Oh no, Leo is on the phone. I can hear him getting loud, but I don't understand what he's saying. I look at Chris questioningly.

"Leo, I'm serious. Leave her alone." He hangs up.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. But it made me angry to read his name on the display. You should have his number blocked." "That's all right. I probably would have just pushed him away. Thanks." My phone rings again. My God, what's going on today?

"Hello, Dina, can I call you back?" "Oh, Chris is still there? Well, then I don't want to disturb you. See you later." I hear her smirk and roll my eyes.

"What is it?" "Nothing, it was a good friend of mine. Apparently everyone knows you spent the night here." Chris laughs. "Nico?" Laughing, I agree.

It is somehow liberating not to be alone in this emotional chaos.

Chris has to leave shortly before twelve o'clock. I accompany him to the door.

"Thank you so much for today ... and last night. I don't know what I would have done without you." "I was very happy to do that and before you lock yourself away again, get back to me." He looks deep into my eyes. In that moment, something changes between us. I don't know what it is, but something is different. I trust him completely without knowing why.

He takes me in his arms to say goodbye.

"Have I missed the kiss yet?" Nico. Of course he's not going to stick to our agreement and turn up early.

Chris smiles. "Hi, Nico, nice to meet you." They shake hands. "You too, Chris." Nico beams. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"I'll get back to you, Mia." Chris turns around and leaves. Nico follows me into my apartment and looks at me expectantly.

"No, we haven't kissed. We're just friends and no, we didn't sleep in the same bed. His clothes are still on the sofa." "Why are you saying that with regret in your voice?" "Oh, come on Nico, that's not true."

I go into the living room to avoid Nico's scrutinizing gaze. Do I really regret that Chris slept in the living room?

Lost in thought, I start to put away the things Chris has used for sleeping. Nico follows me and helps me in silence.

Hi, D, can we talk tonight? Chris has only just left and I still have a lot to do. Nico is already here and will be in my way as usual ;-) - M

"Who are you writing to? Chris?" He grins. "Dina, she called earlier."

I go into the kitchen and heat up some spaghetti for us.

Nico is just as quiet as Chris was in the morning. I don't like it, but I know they don't want to push me.

Nico grabs his plate, gives me a kiss on the cheek and walks through the hallway into the living room. I follow him with my plate.

The TV is on, but I start talking about yesterday. Nico listens to me. He doesn't interrupt me once. I also tell him about this morning when Leo called and Chris took the call.

When Nico has finished eating, he puts the plate down on the small, round wooden table and turns to me: "Firstly, don't ever do that again! I almost died of worry that night. I've even considered calling the police." "I'm sorry, Nico. That wasn't my intention." I look guiltily at my half-full plate.

"Apology accepted. I understand what you've been through. Secondly, next time you come to my house. You have a key and you know where my room is." He's right, I hadn't thought that far ahead. But yesterday I wanted to be alone too.

"You're right. I should have contacted you." "Oh, princess, what am I doing to you?" I shrug my shoulders guiltily and he takes me in his arms.

"So, now to Leo. He's an ass. I'm proud of you for calling his new girl a tramp. That's the first step to getting better." He grins at me. "Well, I've learned from the best." Smiling, I shove another forkful of spaghetti into my mouth.