Secret Lover

Nora Alexander, my best friend, was sitting next to me at our favorite restaurant, flirting with a server again. We try to have lunch with each other once a week so we can make sure to keep each other up to date with things even though we see each other often. As I watch him, I become jealous because he can pick up women at the drop of a pin. I’ve always been envious of that skill of his. He probably doesn’t have to try hard. He’s a good-looking man and pretty charming, women are drawn to him. I’ve known Alex for a long time. Our dads were friends, and then our moms became friends once they met our fathers, which only makes sense for us to be best friends. We do everything together. We even collectively decided on what college to attend and lived together throughout college. “Can you stop flirting for a few minutes and have a conversation with me?” “What is there to talk about? It sounds like you found another loser, another guy not worth your time. I think you need to stop jumpi

Nora I woke up the following day feeling satisfied. After my encounter Saturday night, I felt like I was reborn. I can’t believe I’m saying this to myself, but Alex was on to something this whole time, and I can’t wait to go back to the club. “Someone seems happy.” My co-worker Trent said. “I had a good weekend.” “Are you going to tell me?” “A lady never kisses and tells.” “Oh, so you had a date?” “Not an actual date, but I was with someone.” “I’m glad you’re getting back out there after the whole Cameron ordeal.” Cameron and I weren’t together long, but he said I was too dull for him and found someone more exciting. It was a blow to my confidence, but last night was anything but boring, and for the first time, I felt sexy being with a man. Cameron was one of many and Alex is partially right. I tend to jump into relationships, there usually isn’t a get to know them period, but it’s not all my fault. These guys led me to believe they were on the same page until they

Nora We laid in bed basking in our after sex high. The other couple had already cleaned their area and left. “Jade?” “Yeah?” “My real name is Ace. Would you tell me yours?” “I can’t.” “Why not?” “If I tell you, then this will end. What I do here, I would never do in real life, and I’m not ready for this to end.” “This is real life, the connection we have is real, and I want to explore that outside of here. I don’t want this to end either, it’s why I want to know who you are.” “I can’t, Ace. It won’t be the same, and you won’t want to be with me.” Ace leaned in and kissed me, but I couldn’t enjoy it, all I could think about was Ace not wanting me after he got to know the real me. I’m not ready to face that kind of rejection right now. “I want you every way possible, but can you at least stay a bit longer tonight?” “I can.” “Good, let’s get a drink downstairs and talk.” We got dressed, cleaned our area, and headed downstairs to the bar. I ordered water while

Nora As I promised Alex, I was all in on this getaway. Instead of going to the club and meeting Ace, I’m spending some much-needed time with my best friend. We chose a town not too far, just a few hours away from the city we live in. The place offered cabins, places to eat, and dance clubs we could enjoy our time at. “I call dibs on this room!” I yelled as soon as I found a bedroom with a bathroom in it. “That's ok, and I found the one with the bathroom in it, so I want this one.” I let out a laugh because apparently, both rooms had private bathrooms. It's been a while since Alex and I have pampered ourselves, so this cabin was worth it. I also booked us an appointment at a local spa, and if we didn’t get going, we would be late. “Why did you book an appointment so close to arrival?” “I want to relax my stress away before enjoying myself this weekend. This week has been long, and I need to clear my head before deciding my next move.” “Are you talking about Ace?” “Unf

Nora I spent the rest of the week thinking about what Aubrey had said, that I would have the same upper hand as Ace, but I wasn’t sure about that. I think Ace has a better chance of breaking my heart, but I also know that I will never find the person for me if I don’t give people a chance. “How was your time off?” my boss asked. “It was good, and it was some much-needed time away with a friend.” “Glad to hear, and I’m glad you came back refreshed. We have a big client coming in, and I want you to take the lead. They are looking for a new marketing firm, and they want to meet with us. We need to have some materials pre-made to show them. They have a new branch of the company they would like to start promoting to grow. Do you think you can lead this project?” “I can, and I appreciate the opportunity to do this.” “I’m not going to lie, Nora. This is a test, and if you do well, there will be a promotion waiting for you.” “Really?” “Yes, we have been looking for a junior pa