Page 16 of The Love Simulation

“Maybe two sizes up,” Roman says. “It feels like I’m about to bust a seam or…” Whatever else he was going to say is cut off when he turns and spots me.

He stares, looking so surprised to see me that for a second, I wonder if I’m even supposed to be here. Because one of us is surely out of place.

Then he blinks, and his eyes move away from my face to travel the length of my body. Awareness zings my skin like little prickles of electricity, mirroring the path his gaze takes, and I’m suddenly very cognizant of the fact that he’s never seen me in anything tighter than slacks. And with the coveralls so snug on him, I can see the moment he inhales, then swallows. Then licks his lips. It’s the exact same moment my insides turn to literal goo.

If we were on school grounds, the look he’s giving me would be highly inappropriate. But here, in this room and in different clothes, it’s like we’re seeing each other in a new light. I don’t know about him, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like I’m looking at a science teacher right now. I’m looking at a man whose attention sets my body aflame and who I want to give many babies to.

“Brianna,” Roman says. He schools his features and makes a point of not straying from my eyes. “You made it.”

For all the gawking and big talk going on in my head before, no response comes out. Evidently, I don’t recover as smoothly as him. All my thoughts have up and poofed. Simply peaced out to leave me standing here speechless and wanting.

Roman clears his throat and begins to look increasingly uncomfortable with my silence. “We just started trying on the clothes, so you haven’t missed anything important.”

I shake my head to get rid of the tunnel vision that’s only allowed me to focus on him. With my eyes open to the other people in this room and the fact that seeing Roman today is the last thing I expected or wanted, I ask him,“What are you doing here?” My heart is racing full speed at the impact of what his presence means.

“I heard y’all were down a man,” he says, like it’s the simplest of explanations.

“Yeah,” Jordan confirms. “Something came up and Renee couldn’t commit after all. I tried calling every teacher I knew. I even went to the school to see if I could talk one of the teachers getting ready for summer school into changing their plans. Then I ran into Principal Major, and he suggested Roman.”

While Jordan explains, the gears in my head begin turning, clicking right into place when he says “Principal Major,” and I can’t believe he doesn’t see it.

Oh Jordan, you sweet, sweet summer child.

I’m not going to lie, Roman had me good with his little performance at school. With his talk of me being “amazing” and not liking how his dad treated me, I thought he was being genuine, but it was all a ploy to get me to let my guard down. Well, I’ve learned my lesson—playing with Roman is playing with fire. I won’t be burned again.

I look at him, allowing myself one more moment of appreciation. One moment is all it can be. He can claim he’s here to be our last man, but I know once the simulation starts, we’ll be working on different teams.

“You can’t go,” Camille says.So easily too. Like it’s the final word on the matter just because she wills it.

I sigh. “You’ve already said that. Repeatedly. And I already told you thatyes, I can. I have to.”

Camille leans against her quartz kitchen countertop. She’s wearing a pair of crisp white scrubs while gettingsome morning snuggles in with Zara before work. Camille isn’t even wearing a burp cloth in case she gets drool or spit-up on her, like she knows her perfect baby wouldn’t dare mess up her momma’s outfit.

“Brianna Odette,” Camille says in that grating tone she uses when she’s about to tell me how to live my life. She’s been using it all morning, now bringing my middle name into it, and I have just about had it. “I’m serious. Going through with this simulation after finding out the teacher you’ve been crushing on all year is joining is just asking for trouble. Do you honestly think this is a good idea?”

Honestly? No, I don’t think it’s a good idea, if for no other reason than that I’m not sure what I’ll do to Roman if I have to be near him for weeks on end. The more I think about him joining the simulation, the angrier I get. Angry, hurt, and humiliated. One thing is certain: that crush I had on him is gone. Gone. Even if thinking about the hungry way he looked at me with my exercise clothes on makes me shiver, his unexpected and unwelcome appearance ensured all other soft feelings I had toward him dried up.

How could he seek me out in the library and act like he was on my side, only to throw it all in my face? Like I didn’t see his dad talking to Renee at school, where he most likely said something to get her to drop out. This is all clearly a calculated move on Principal Major’s part, and Roman, for whatever reason, is playing right along. “Having or not having a crush on Roman is irrelevant. I have to go and make sure he doesn’t sabotage everything.” What better way to derail my plans than for Principal Major to get a man on the inside to do his dirty work, hoping once again to try to break my spirit? “Without that money, the library really will be a lost cause. Don’t you see that I just can’t walk away from that?”

“No, I really don’t. Why put yourself through all this nonsense?” Camille asks.

Brown eyes, the same shade and shape as mine, study me. Tenacious, dependable superwoman Camille doesn’t understand that I need to see at least one thing through, and getting the library built is it. Roman notwithstanding, if I can help get our team through six weeks of tasks and isolation to win the money for the library, then I can do anything. Then I won’t be the young, flighty Rogers child still trying to get her life together while her siblings conquer the world. I’ll be that rising star Superintendent Watts spoke of.

But I don’t say any of that because, again, Camille won’t understand.

We both turn at the sound of footsteps as my brother-in-law, Lance, strides into the kitchen.

“Hey, sis,” he says to me.

Lance is about five feet nine, with dark brown skin and wire-rim glasses. He’s been part of our family ever since I can remember. Growing up in the same small town as us, he and my brothers were best friends. When my oldest brother, Tay, passed away and then Vincent distanced himself from the family, Lance was still there for us. Most especially there for Camille when she decided keeping everyone from falling apart even further rested solely on her shoulders. They made it through the hardest of times and are now living their happily ever after.

Lance walks up to Camille, kisses her forehead, and massages her shoulders, then takes Zara out of her arms. As he holds her at arm’s length, making funny faces, Zara’s eyes widen. No baby giggles yet, but the recognition is certainly there as she scans her dad’s face and smiles.

“Ready for your meetings today?” Camille asks Lance.

She steps close and embraces him, wrapping her arms around his waist. As he smiles down at her, she slides her hands under the hem of his blue button-down and grabs the waistband of his Golden State Warriors pajama pants.

“Woman!” he yelps with a grimace when she lets the band hit his back with a pop.

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