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I nodded "I’m on it"

She studied ht ot settled in the car, they waved fro back inside

"They seem like very nice people," I said

"They’re the best," he replied

As we pulled down the driveway, the trees cleared and I could see the house next door It was nificent Brick for days, circular drive, festive for the holidays Tries, wreathes in every , even the attic s under the eaves An expansive lahat looked to be the original carriage house set back from the main house

"Simon," I breathed as he slowed down just a bit "It’s a beautiful home"

"It was, yes"

He turned the car away

Brain wanted to push it, Heart said leave it I listened to Heart

• • •

I wasn’t sure if Sio to the reunion He seeood visit with theht it would But once we got back into town, he seeh school, the field where he played Little League, and the place down by the creek where everyone went to irl

But once we got back to the hotel, we did share a shower To conserve water, obviously And to make sure my Simon had a little extra pep in his step, I dropped to ht there in the shower Because I’htful like that

As Siht Hotel, he was cool, callow Dressed in black pants, a white button-down, and a leather jacket, he was sophisticated but cool A lobetrotter, a secret cat whisperer ould sell his soul for an apple pie And he was h School Ten-Year Reunion, stopping outside the ballroom to check my coat As he helped me slip the coat down my arms, he whistled

"Babe," he said in a low voice, "I realize I said this earlier, but you look fking fantastic"

I grinned, spinning around so he could seeto your boyfriend’s high school reunion Red skirt, black leather boots, and wouldn’t he be surprised later on when he found out that’s all I had on I figured, go big or go ho up later on, I wasn’t opposed to sneaking his hand under et a little touch

Noere less than ten feet froathered there, he stalled just the tiniest bit I squeezed his hand, and his eyes ht

"Corinned

We moved toward the desk, and when he told the lady his na way Simon Parker’s here? He ca affixed to the front of his jacket, everyone was buzzing Walking inside, I suddenly could appreciate the feeling et out of a li at us

chapter twelve

We walked into the ballroolances The place was packed, young professionals decked out in their finest junior partner/corporate raider/banking uys were ih schools were the same across the country This one happened to be set down in one of the wealthiest towns in Ale one of the Breakfast Club archetypes was represented here, and a few hybrids as well And they all had their eyes on Simon

Who was oddly relaxed Once we hit the roothened, and he cruised Along the walls were blown-up pictures fro fro the soccer field And there was Simon, up on the ith a crown on his head and a hottie on his ar up at hiot what?"

"You were the shit in high school!"

His eyes crinkled, and he blushed the tiniest bit

"Well, I’ll be goddamned I wondered if you’d show," I heard behind us, and as we turned, a strange look appeared on Simon’s face Johnny Wall Street stood there, backed by the Billionaire Boys Club All of theer than life

Siuy in the middle "Henderson"

"Parker"

I watched the testosterone spark If it had been a Western, tuh But since it was Wall Street

Cue coine

The tension only lasted as long as a chorus of Usher’s "Yeah" before--

"What the fuck, dude! I can’t believe you’re really here! Fucking A, man-- Parker’s back in town!"

Wall Street backslapped a now-grinning Si a about" and "So fking stoked that you’re here,huge, you gotta see ’em!"

I stood back and watched as he ed whole by this group of guys I’d never met them, never heard him mention any of them before, but they knew Siuys were there when Si up, when his entire world was irl to take her sweater off My ed enclave of white-bread preppies ca the first opportunity he had to re as far across the country as one can for college, short of Hawaii He went into a profession that took him all over the world, and chose to live in his adopted city of San Francisco The only tie that he had to anyone in this world was Benjarateful than ever

But he’d come home, and this family was ready to , shaking hands and high-fiving with his crew, and then he spotted otta uys"

The penis sea parted, and I walked to the center, where he stood "This is Caroline," he started, and I heard at least one histle Glad I wore the boots "And this is Trevor Henderson" Wall Street stuck his hand out and I shook it, looking up into his handsoo when I was also introduced to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John