Page 19 of Adonis: The Cost of a Billionaire's Heart
“How’d you end up with a degree you don’t want and a child your life revolves around?”
I sighed. “Because I was young, dumb, and trusted the wrong people too damn easily.”
“Meaning?”
“Everybody makes bad choices in their early twenties. But mine were more . . . catastrophic with lasting consequences. After I found out I was pregnant, I refused to move back to Maryland with a baby, only to have to hear my mama say ‘I told you so’ every day. I told myself that I could do it by myself, and I have been since the day he was born.”
“I admire you, Sim.”
“Me? Why?”
“My father became a single parent after my mother passed away from a brain aneurysm. I was around Mason’s age when it happened,” he revealed. “So, I know how hard it can be when you’re the only one your kid has to rely on.”
My chest tightened at the fact that he’d lost both of his parents in separate, tragic ways. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
He dipped his chin. “Thank you.”
Before our conversation continued, we were joined by a male waiter dressed in a crisp white button-up and black slacks with a black apron tied around his waist. He greeted us with a kind smile and placed a basket of freshly baked bread in the center of our table near the flickering tealight candle. We quickly placed our food and beverage orders with him, and he disappeared to put them in.
I looked around, soaking up the surroundings—the exposed brick walls, chalkboard menu with the daily specials and directions for guests to seat themselves, the sound of low conversations amongst people in a mix of casual attire and tailored suits, and the soft music in the distance. The minute myeyes landed back on Adonis, I noticed a familiar, calculating look in his brown eyes.
“What?” I inquired. “What are you thinking right now?”
“What makes you think I’m thinking about something?”
“It’s this look you get. And every time you do, some thought or idea comes flying out of your mouth. Then, before I know it, it’s happening.”
He smirked. “I was thinking about putting Maya on retainer for at least six months for you to have at your disposal when you need to go on interviews and until you get your new work schedule straightened out.”
My eyebrows heightened in surprise, and my heart grew wings inside my chest. “Seriously?”
“Yes, but only if you can give me three career fields you may be interested in applying for jobs in by the end of our arrangement. Deal?”
I blinked a few times, unsure of what else to say. So, instead, I nodded and outstretched my hand to him. “Deal.”
Hours later, I was staring at my reflection in the mirror, barely able to recognize the woman staring back at me. From the curly updo and diamond earrings in my ears to the sparkling shawl and black gown that hugged every curve God molded me with and the shade of devil red lipstick painted on my lips—I was the epitome of old-Hollywood glamour. For the first time, my life was like those girls I’d seen in movies. It was almost like a scene out ofPretty Woman, except I wasn’t a prostitute, and Adonis wasn’t an older white man. I’d never been to the operabefore, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but Adonis had already planned it out, and when that man was fixated on something, the entire world managed to bend the knee.
I walked down the hallway, heels with the bottoms painted red clicking like a Clydesdale through Central Park as I made my way to Mason, who was sitting next to Maya at the kitchen island, drawing a picture of a rocket ship.
“Mommy, look what I drew all by myself!”
“Wow, baby boy! That rocket ship is amazing! You sure you did all of that by yourself?” I quizzed, winking at Maya.
“Yeah, I sure did! Maya says I’m a great artist!”
“You really are.”
“And guess what else I can do?”
“What?”
“I can spell art.”
My brows heightened. We’d been working on sight words for the last few months, prepping for the start of kindergarten. “What? Tell me!”
“A-R-T. Art! That spells art!” he boasted, voice and expression overflowing with black boy joy.
My heart swelled. “That’s right. You’re such a smart kid, Mase.”
