Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 40

Collins

POV

I cannot get a hold of Cora. Mom and Ava told me about how she was crying when she came up to them after the show. I never saw her. I was told that she took a bus home. I don't know how she doesn't have a car. I mean she makes good money. I pay her a good

salary. I have no idea what she spends her money on.

I feel bad, I feel really bad that I got the ball rolling by breaking her up with Michael. All because I am a greedy a*****e because I wanted her for myself when she was happy with him. But Michael had loved Sadie and hadn't dated in the last 4 years because he was still in love with her. I keep telling myself that I did the best thing for Michael, and for Cora. That if Sadie had Michael's child, they needed to be together, but my brain is telling me that, I am wrong. Michael could have still dated Cora, and Cora could have been stepmom to Michael's son. I don't even want to think about that.

I also have to admit that I did do a lap or so around the venue to try to get a glimpse of Shea, just to talk to her, and see how she is as a person before I committed to Cora. I shouldn't have, but old habits die hard. I didn't replace her anyway, and by the time I got done and got back to the group, Cora had left. I guess I am glad that I didn't see her cry. That would probably have been hard. I tried calling Cora several times. I spoke to Catherine, who was furious with me because she already knew that I had something to do with whatever was up with Cora and Michael. I didn't admit it, but she knows me too well and knows I had a hand in it.

Then I ran into Ava, who wanted to know where I was at the venue, when Cora had her little breakdown, as that would have been the best time for me to swoop in and be her hero. Me, not answering her, let her know exactly what I was doing, and she started spouting out cusswords, then told me she hoped "my d**k falls off" before she turned and walked off. I know it looks bad, I get rid of Michael because I wanted to date her, knocked out my only competition, and then I am back looking for Shae, but I just wanted to speak to her one time, get it out of my system. I was going to ask Cora out. I just figured while I was there, I would look around. My own parents are mad at me. My mom still had wet tears on her shirt from Cora's crying. I hope I didn't break her. I tried to call again, but she was not answering. She should know to answer my calls. I am her boss. It could be important; I am really starting to get worried about her now.

I saw I had an incoming phone call from Maddie, but I forwarded it because I didn't want to talk to her again and I tried Cora one more time. Still no answer. I guess I will be seeing her on Monday, I think. Because right now I bet that she is furious with me, and I apparently am the greedy bastard that everyone seems to think that I am. I mean I do love Cora, but I haven't done anything to help her after she got her poor heartbroken by Michael. I had just told him not to hurt her, and then I did. I just broke her heart, and then instead of being there to pick up the pieces like I was supposed to be, I figured I would wander around here trying to replace a girl that is good at disappearing from me. I have got to stop myself, but I am so wildly attracted to Shea and Cora both, that I literally can't pick. Cora is the kind and smart one, and Shea is the beautiful and sexy one. I just want them both. How is that even happening to me? I have never felt this way about two women. I can't date them both. I just needed to date Cora, I mean I broke her and my brother up because I was so jealous of them together, so what the hell was I doing? I guess I just need to go by her house and see if I can talk to her. I did stop by, but after checking, her mother said that she was having a hard day and had just gone to bed early. I guess that would explain the missed calls. I hope she will call me back. I went home and started to get packed for the trip. I went ahead and got the clothes that I was going to take with me and hung up two suits, one for work and my tux. I hope that Catherine told Cora that she would have to have an evening dress for the award banquet on Friday night. I finally lay down and tried to sleep, but it didn't come for a while.

Monday morning, I get to the office and upon exiting the elevator, I see Cora, sitting at her desk just staring at the computer screen. She doesn't greet me or smile hello. This does not look good to me. I told her about the Paris trip and explained what our itinerary would be. Cora just nods and says she will be ready, and the only question she had was if we would be back by 11 am on Saturday as she had a hair appointment. I assured her that we would be back in plenty of time for her appointment and I stood there, wanting to say I was sorry, or anything that would make her happier, and I couldn't think of anything to say. Usually, when one of my girlfriends is mad at me, I just take her out, we get photographed together, and we go back to my place or, preferably their place, to sleep together and then I head back home. But Cora and I are not in a relationship, and I haven't spent any time getting to know her. I tried to get information on Shae, with no results, but I hadn't even tried replaceing out anything about Cora. If I had, I would probably know what to do here. I finally nodded at Cora, and then went into my office. How she is acting has made me concerned. Maybe I should have left this alone. I shouldn't have let my jealousy over my brother make me knee-jerk to admit that I think I love Cora. The problem with it is, I THINK I love Cora, but shouldn't I KNOW that I love her? Me going all stalker, going backstage, and trying to look around for Shea, is letting me know that I really don't want to completely drop Shea. What am I going to do? I am an i***t. I really didn't want to hurt Cora, and I didn't step in when the perfect opportunity for me to comfort her and be there for her when she was obviously hurt, confused, and scared about what was going on because no one was telling her anything. Instead, I went looking for Shea, to see if there was any chance of us getting together. I am a piece of work. I got this ball rolling because I was jealous of my brother, and ended up completely changing the lives of three, no four people, because I potentially have a nephew out there. I am going through paperwork when my phone rings. It is the investigator that I hired to check into Sadie and her child for me. "Thomas, how are you doing man? Were you able to replace anything for me on Sadie yet?" I asked him.

"Yes, Sadie gave birth almost 4 years ago, to a son that she named Reed. Reed Lauder is on the birth certificate and Michael is noted as the father on the certificate. So, you will have no problem getting the paternity test, as she herself listed him as the father, and from seeing the pictures of him, and seeing him at their home, it looks like Michael is the father, but again I would have the test done to make 100% sure. You may need a lawyer's involvement in this. I don't know if Michael will be able to be his own lawyer in this. I would suggest he gets someone else to do it, as he wouldn't be fully focused on this. Do you want me to email you all the information along with my fee?" Thomas said.

"Yes, please, and thank you for being so quick about this, it was important to us," I told him and got off the call.

I called Michael next and told him what Thomas said and asked him if he wanted us to go to the house to visit her tonight after work?

"Yes, I want to see him, badly. I was anxious all weekend and plus the stress from knowing how upset Cora was. I feel terrible like I have completely ruined everything. I pined after Sadie for the last 4 and a half years when she bailed on me. I kept hoping I would replace her, and then, finally, after I had given up, I found Cora and she was wonderful. I really care about her, and then this falls from out of the sky. I don't know why this is happening to me, but I am really glad that I can see Sadie again and maybe make this work with us. I can see it in his face, I know that he is my son. I can't wait to see him tonight. Thank you for going with me. Can you ask Nicolas to come with you as well? I don't want anything being messed up with this and I am not focused on what needs to be done at all. I will pay him to work as my attorney on this". Michael tells me.

"Yes, we will be there for you. Don't worry about it. I will take care of it. I will text you the address and we will meet you there at 6, to make sure she has time to get home. On second thought, just come to the office so we can all ride there in the limo because we won't all be able to park there".

I am again consumed by guilt. I did this, I messed up everything between him and Cora because I was jealous. Here he is worried about Cora, apparently more than I am. She is going to be really upset seeing him come in tonight, but we need to meet up and go together and just have the driver drop us off at her house and then circle the block or go to park somewhere until we are done. I called Nicolas and then Dalton to go with us. Dalton kind of knew her is school too, as Emily was friends with her, so knowing two of us, should help to ease the shock of four men on your porch wanting to talk to you.