Page 9 of XOXO

My hand itched to smack him. Before I assaulted him, I ran up the stairs loudly to grab my purse and shoes that were sprinkled all over the stairs. Embarrassment made me irrational. It took everything I had in me to walk away. I couldn’t believe this asshole had fallen asleep on me. The second man who couldn’t get me off and I realized that the rumors were true. Men had no idea where the clit was.

3. Levi

Hot men are oblivious and by hot men, I mean my best friend,

My alarm went off in my bedroom. I was already awake, enjoying a cup of coffee on our terrace in Paris. We had the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful city below us. The moment I walked into this condo, I asked where I could sign. My best friend Matteo had to put the brakes on my impulsivity to do a proper tour, but the charm of the location and the beautiful layout was enough to have him asking where we could sign as well.

We had spent enough time in Paris for us to afford this home and it made being here so much better than always being in a hotel. Matteo and I loved Paris and starting last year we had been staying here a lot more due to the big contract I had landed. It was our home away from homes. Yes, I said homes because Matteo and I traveled so much we had homes in several cities. Well, if we included our best friend, Ruwon, we had a lot of homes across the world. Being childhood friends with some wealthy men had its perks.

I had my money that I had made from IT consulting and helping big companies with their IT issues. On the side, I made apps and sold partial ownership of them. I’d lived more than a comfortable life, but Ruwon and Matteo made significantly more than I did. Ruwon was an actor and Matteo’s family-owned wineries and hotels; he was their lawyer.

Speaking of the devil, the door to our condo opened and in walked Matteo in last night’s clothes, still looking like a snack. I swear this man would look good in mud and everyone would still fawn over him, sadly he knew it too and it inflated his ego a bit much.

“Damn, I thought I'd make it before you had your coffee,” Matteo said, his accent a little more noticeable.

I raised my mug. “Some of us have to work.”

“Hey, I do work.” He rolled his eyes. “Just for that, I’ll take these to my room.”

“Whoa, let's not be hasty,” I said, raising my hands up as I walked into the kitchen.

He smirked as I sat down at our island. “Nope, these chocolate croissants will just be mine.”

“Please,” I said, pouting, fluttering my lashes up at him.

“All yours, if you make me my coffee,” he said, sitting next to me.

“Extortion. That was your plan all along.” I shoved his shoulder, getting up to make his coffee.

“You know you make the best lattes with the pretty art,” he smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, getting everything ready for his coffee.

The crinkle of the bag had my mouth watering. The boulangerie just down the street from us was amazing, and their croissants were decadent enough to commit a crime for.

“So, I take it everything went well last night since you’re just getting home?” I said, grinding the coffee beans in the espresso machine.

“It was good. I saw Manon,” he said, shrugging.

“Her again?” I kept my voice even, thankfully I was turned away from him.

“Her again,” he sighed. “She knows what this is, and our sex is great. I’m satisfied, and so is she.”

“Are you sure?” I turned around, pouring the milk. “Last time we were in Paris, she freaked on you because you said you couldn’t make dinner. She thinks you’re her meal ticket.”

“They all think I’m their meal ticket,” he said, shrugging.

“Don’t give her a reason to think that,” I said, setting his coffee in front of him.

“I don’t. She knows what I expect and I remind her, constantly,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee and groaning.

“I doubt that,” I murmured, grabbing my coffee and a croissant, sitting next to him. I pondered saying more, but I didn’t want to nag him.

I grabbed my phone, checking my emails and socials before getting on the Rendezvous app. It had been something I had been toying with, but never fully committing to a date because I always held onto a small spark of hope that my best friend felt the same way I did, but there was no way that would happen.

“There’s no need to worry,” he said, breaking the silence.

“I just think you deserve better, even if it’s just for the night,” I said, keeping my eyes on my phone.