Page 27 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

She just hung up on Angelo Taylor—the man who could charm the pants off anyone in a boardroom and had just turned her into a blushing mess. She facepalmed at her own awkwardness.

Seriously, Allison? You just ghosted the father of your child after a bit of playful banter?

She got up and paced around her room, mumbling to herself, “Next time, I’ll just stick to ‘Bye’ or ‘See you later’. Like a normal person!”

She sat back onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. “What happens now? I’m going to start practicing my goodbyes in the mirror?” she groaned, feeling the weight of her mortification.

Yet despite her embarrassment, a smile crept onto her face. She had teased him back, and the playful back-and-forth felt easy, promising. It was a welcome distraction from the monotony of her daily routine, igniting a spark of excitement that she hadn’t felt in a long time. The man occupied her thoughts day and night at this point, his smile lingering in her mind like a catchy tune.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she grabbed her phone, opening the browser and searching “Angelo Taylor CEO.” The screen filled with images and articles, each one deepening her intrigue about the man who had so effortlessly captured her attention.

Her mouth fell open from the sheer amount of news on the man. She was always so busy working that she never bothered with tabloids or gossip magazines. Her idea of current events was usually limited to whatever scandal had made it onto her office’s group chat. She never checked the news.

Really, the apocalypse could be upon her, and she wouldn’t know until a zombie knocked on her front door, demanding to come in for tea.

As she scrolled through her phone, she found articles detailing Angelo’s impressive rise in the corporate world, along with the usual flurry of headlines about his charming smile and rumored romances. She had to admit, seeing him splashed across glossy pages with headlines like“Angelo Taylor: The Man Who Can’t Be Stopped”was a bit surreal.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at how they had gone from a casual meeting to a playful conversation about ultrasound appointments.

“Just my luck,” she muttered to herself. “Not only am I pregnant, but I’m also entangled with a corporate heartthrob who probably has more cameras in his life than I have socks.”

She tossed her phone aside, shaking her head in disbelief. What would the tabloids say if they caught wind of her current situation?“Businesswoman Gets Pregnant by CEO: The Shocking Turn of Events!”

“Next thing you know, I’ll be the subject of a reality show:Keeping Up with the Corporate Baby Daddies,” she joked to herself.

The man had been on Forbes 400. He was only thirty-two years old, had just gotten appointed CEO and he was already on Forbes magazine.

That’s so fucking hot.

Amira would be fangirling so hard right now.

Allison’s happy streak was ruined just like that at the memory of her ex best friend.

Once upon a time, Allison had been a social butterfly, flitting from one gathering to another, her laughter ringing through the halls like a cheerful chime. She had a large group of girlfriends in high school, but none of those relationships were particularly deep or truthful—more like a collection of acquaintances who shared the occasional gossip and not much else.

Then came her college days, during which she was double majoring and living with her best friend, Amira freaking Davis.

Those were magnificent times filled with late-night pizza runs, spontaneous adventures, and endless laughter. Amira had been the sister Allison never had, especially after growing up with only brothers who had little interest in her latest fashionobsessions or her emotional rants about crushes. For Amira, an only child, Allison had filled the same role.

Their bond was tight, seemingly unbreakable, like a well-worn pair of jeans that just fit perfectly. They even enjoyed the freedom of walking around in their underwear, relishing the bliss of finally being free from family constraints.

Ami would hate the granny panties I’ve been wearing lately.

The thought of Amira’s disapproving glare made her snicker.

But those carefree days felt like a distant memory now. After graduation, as soon as Allison finished her business degree, her father hired her as his personal assistant. His previous assistants had been labeled ‘insufferable’—and Allison, being his daughter, was at least tolerable. Business-wise.

The hours were grueling, and the workload was enormous, leaving her with no free time to enjoy the little things in life. She’d moved out of her shared apartment with Amira because her father demanded it, insisting she needed to focus on her career. Gone were the days of spontaneous shopping trips, coffee breaks, or even just lounging around in her underwear while gossiping about boys.

A sad life, indeed.

After rejecting her friends too many times to count, everyone had eventually stopped bothering. Amira had tried and tried to reconnect, but eventually, even she gave up. Allison had stopped being a good friend, if she was being honest with herself. She’d stopped replying, calling, and texting. She’d virtually disappeared, slipping away like a ghost, and she regretted it every day.

Now more than ever, with everything changing and her world upside down, that regret felt like a heavy weight pressing down on her heart.

Should I text her?

Allison scoffed at her own thought. She wouldn’t even know what to say.

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