All Chapters of FALLING FOR MY MOM’S FIANCÉ : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

MayaThe dress sticks to my skin like a second layer—silk and something I don’t really get, making me stand straighter, walk faster. Chloe’s heels click against the marble steps of the hotel, each sound echoing through the quiet lobby like a countdown.“Told you this place was nice,” she says, looping her arm through mine. “Look at the chandeliers, they’ve got to be real crystal. I read somewhere that each one costs more than a house in Queens.”I barely hear her. My eyes are fixed on the ballroom doors at the end of the hall, decorated with gold handles, red velvet curtains pulled back to reveal flashes of gold and white inside. The air smells like champagne and roses, so strong it makes my throat close up.“I thought we were going to the rooftop bar,” I say, my voice tight. “You said it was in Brooklyn… this is the Plaza, Chloe. I’d know this lobby anywhere.”“Change of plans,” she says, giving my arm a squeeze. “This client of mine you know, the one who does PR for luxury hotels? S

MayaI pull my hand back like I’ve been burned, wiping my knuckles against the fabric of my dress as if that’ll erase the feeling of his lips there. When I look at Philip again, his jaw is tight, so tight I can see the muscle working under his skin and his eyes are fixed on where Ethan touched me, dark with something I can’t read.“Ethan,” Philip says, his voice even but edged with steel. “The band asked if you’d join them for a song. They remember you from last year—said they still haven’t found anyone who can play bass like you do.”Ethan rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue, letting his hand fall away from mine. “They just want someone who’ll play their terrible jazz covers. Fine… I’ll go make myself useful. But I’m not playing ‘My Funny Valentine’ again. That song makes me want to throw things.”He gives me a small wave as he turns to head toward the stage, walking through the crowd with an easy confidence that’s nothing like Philip’s quiet poise. A few people call out his name… frien

Maya The cab ride back to my apartment is quiet. The driver keeps glancing at me in the rearview mirror, probably wondering why a woman in a red silk dress is sitting in the back seat with tears streaming down her face. I don’t bother wiping them away, I let him think whatever he wants.When we pull up to my building, I hand him a twenty without waiting for the fare, then practically fall out of the car. The door to the lobby is locked, of course it is, it’s almost midnight—but I manage to get my key in the lock on the third try, my hands still shaking.I’m halfway up the stairs when my phone buzzes in my dress pocket. Chloe: u home yet??? I've been texting u for an hour. I'm outside ur building with chinese food and tequila.I push open the door to my floor to find her sitting on the hallway carpet, a paper bag in one hand and a bottle of silver tequila in the other. She’s still in her party dress. It’s short, black, covered in sequins that catch the light from the hallway fixture.

MayaMonday morning, my alarm goes off at 5:30 AM—too early, but I’d set it anyway, determined to be the first one in the office. I roll out of bed, my muscles still sore from dancing in heels at the party, and shuffle to the kitchen to make coffee. The apartment is too quiet. My dad usually calls on Sunday nights, but his number hasn’t popped up on my phone in three days. I push the thought down and focus on pouring hot water over the grounds.Forty-five minutes later, I’m showered, dressed in a black pencil skirt and crisp white blouse, conservative, professional, nothing like the red dress from the party. Chloe’s gifts are sitting by the door: a sleek black laptop bag and a paper bag with a note taped to it—For when you need to look sharp but feel comfortable. Trust me. Inside are a pair of black flats that look like they cost more than my rent, and a silk scarf with tiny red flowers woven into the fabric.I tie the scarf around my neck, then grab my bag and head out the door. The

MayaThe words hang in the air between us, heavy, impossible to ignore. My heart is hammering so hard I swear it’s going to burst through my ribs, and I can feel the heat from his body radiating toward me, pulling me in like a magnet. I want to lean forward, to close the tiny space between us, to find out what his lips feel like against mine. But I push the thought down hard, remembering why I’m here.“I know exactly what I’m starting,” I say, my voice low and steady now. “I’m starting my internship. I’m going to do my job, meet your standards, and prove I belong here.”He pulls back just a little, his hand dropping from mine to rest on the desk. The loss of contact makes my skin feel cold, but I don’t let it show.“Good,” he says, his voice back to its usual calm, professional tone. “Because that’s exactly what I expect from you. Now, let’s get to work.”He turns back to his desk, picking up a stack of papers and sliding them across to me. “These are the marketing proposals for our n