Death of a Bachelor

#3 I'm not pregnant Sir

The art studio was in a state of complete chaos. Sketches were strewn across the floor, and various items had been knocked over or scattered around. Simone was frantically searching for something, her frustration mounting. "Where is it?!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with panic. Her friend Jordan, trying to help, was equally frantic as they overturned every item in their path.

"I told you never touch my things!" Simone snapped, irritation clear in her tone. Jordan, rolling her eyes, watched as Simone’s frustration grew. Simone’s face was flushed with anger, and sweat dripped from her forehead. She hastily picked up a box and opened it, hoping to find the missing painting inside. Instead, she pulled out a collection of old, embarrassing sketches. Disappointed, she screamed in frustration.

"Come on! If I had seen those sketches, I wouldn’t have thrown them away. It’s your fault" Jordan said defensively. "Maybe you’re the one who threw it away and didn’t even realize it"

Simone’s anger flared. She glared at Jordan before collapsing onto the sofa in a gesture of surrender "You’re not helping me" she muttered, rubbing her face in frustration "Maybe I did throw it away"

"See? Or maybe you just forgot about it and didn’t actually throw it away" Jordan suggested, crossing her arms.

She picked up her phone to check her messages, emails, and notes. All her completed paintings had already been delivered to her customers. "This can’t be happening! I’m sure I didn’t miss any work. I delivered all the paintings I finished last week" she said, her frustration evident "What did he say yesterday?"

"He was looking for you and the painting" Jordan replied, sitting down on the floor amidst the mess.

"What did he look like again?" Jordan’s face lit up with a mischievous smile.

"Handsome! his body is well-built, his muscles are strong, and his eyes are so captivating. You know what? he got the baby girliest eyes! and his right arm is covered in tattoos!"

Simone shook her head in disgust, feeling sickened by Jordan’s description. "You know what, Jordan?" she said mockingly "You should just leave. I have a lot of work to do"

"What?! Where am I supposed to go?" Jordan asked, looking bewildered as Simone began to tidy up the mess they had made. Simone methodically returned everything to its proper place.

"Not here" She replied and opened the door to her balcony, a space she rarely used because she disliked too much light, which irritated her eyes. A cool breeze swept in, and she quickly closed her eyes when the sunlight hit her face. "Nice weather today" she whispered, looking up at the clear sky and the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

"Okay, Si, I promise I’ll be quiet in your little bedroom. Please let me stay" Jordan pleaded. Simone shook her head, her attention still on the outside. She watched the people passing by the florist shop across the street, run by an elderly woman. The shop was busy, with customers coming and going.

"Not today, Jordan" Simone said firmly before closing the balcony door.

...

After three hours of working on her artwork she leaned back in the chair and stared at her unfinished work disappointment appeared on her face while looking at it, she shook her head took a deep breath and continue she even added bright colors, every touch of the brush on her artwork is slowly and surely.

Simone’s perfectionism was a double-edged sword. She couldn’t stop working on her art until she was fully satisfied, even if it was already beautiful to others. Her keen eye for detail meant she could spot the smallest imperfections. She wanted her work to be flawless and free of complaints. After hours of meticulous work, she finally felt content and put down her paintbrush with a sense of accomplishment.

"Yes, finally!" she said, stretching her arms as she admired the finished artwork.

She glanced at her three completed paintings. Varnishing them was the only step left, but she decided to take a break first. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it. What she needed now was rest. She stood up to stretch, wincing in pain from her sore back. "Damn," she muttered, removing her apron. Checking her wristwatch, she saw it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. She still had plenty of time to rest.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a familiar figure stepped inside. Simone felt a jolt of panic. Her blood ran cold, and her throat went dry as she locked eyes with him. She took a deep breath to steady herself, but Lewis walked in confidently and closed the door behind him. Simone watched as he surveyed her paintings and old sculptures. His dark skin and the tattoos on his fingers were unmistakable, and a flash of that night’s memory made her curse silently.

"I came here yesterday, but you weren’t around" Lewis began, his voice smooth. "I was looking for my painting, but it’s not here. I’m wondering where you went yesterday."

Simone shook her head, trying to ignore the seductive accent in his voice. Realization hit her hard. "All this time, we weren’t actually looking for a missing painting?!" Her frustration was palpable as she tried to keep her temper in check.

"What the f*ck are you doing here?" she demanded. Lewis looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I love it when you curse" he said, making Simone frown deeply.

"Look, I’m a busy person. Every second counts. If you’re here to waste my time, you should leave" she said firmly.

Lewis raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the woman who had been occupying his thoughts for the past two months "My name is Lewis" he said, stepping closer and extending his hand. Simone stared at him, unamused. Lewis took the opportunity to observe her up close, noticing her freckles, hazel eyes, and the mole beneath her right eye.

"I don’t care" she said coldly, causing Lewis to chuckle.

Lewis studied her for a moment, surprised by her boldness and lack of filter. Despite her innocent appearance—dressed in a long white skirt and oversized sweater "Really? After what happened between us that night, you just—"

"It happened. What else can I do? It was just a one-night stand" she interrupted, cutting him off.

His mouth fell open in shock. "But you’re a v—"

"Virgin, yes" she finished for him "As I said, it happened. I can’t change the past"

She turned away and began putting away her art supplies. Lewis watched her every movement. "What if I got you pregnant?" he asked suddenly.

Simone stopped and look back at him she burst out laughing on what he said while Lewis is just watching her confusedly "You didn’t mention you were a comedian" she said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes "F*ck you’re so funny!" she added while laughing and stopped when she realized that the man in front of her was serious "just fun fact for you, sir. Women don't get pregnant right away after their first" she explained "And! It’s impossible for me to be pregnant. I’m surely not pregnant, sir"

"That could happen" Lewis insisted.

"Impossible" she quickly answered.

"What if you are?"

"Come on! It’s been two months, and there’s no sign of pregnancy" Simone said, trying to remain patient. She sat down in her chair and met his gaze "Don’t worry. No one will knock on your door claiming to be your son–or daughter from a woman you got pregnant twenty years ago"

Lewis remained silent, unaffected by her words. He reached into his wallet, pulled out his calling card, and placed it on the table. Simone stared at it, reading the contact information "Call me or visit the address listed there if you find out you’re pregnant" he said calmly. "I’m willing to be a father."

Simone rubbed her face in frustration, avoiding his gaze "I can’t get pregnant because there’s a high chance I’m infertile," she whispered.