It’s a funky feeling when you’re looking at an old addiction, and that high is gone. Simone gliding around my loft in a new dress, she’s clearly one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. But the charge isn’t there anymore. She might as well be my sister. I don’t have any, but if I did, I suspect this is what it would feel like.

“Where’d you guys eat?” I ask as I reach into the fridge for some beers.

“The Vortex. Do you know it?”

Snorting, “Do I know it? Best burgers in town. Little Five Points or Midtown?”

“There are two?” she asks with big eyes. I can tell she’s trying to flirt.

Casually I answer, “There are. One is connected to Laughing Skull, a comedy club. My brothers and I go there all the time.”

“Really?” she asks, squishing her nose up. “It’s so smoky in there. I didn’t like that.”

Popping the tops off a couple of bottles, their caps go flying as I argue, “Are you kidding? It’s a city landmark! That menu is off the charts funny. The burgers are incredible. And they play classic rock!”

“I’m not a fan of classic rock. It’s more for guys than girls,” she says with a saucy smile.

“Are you crazy? Tons of women love it.”

She saunters to me and takes the extended bottle. “You’re getting a little heated, Jason.”

“Because I can’t believe what you’re saying! If it were Sarah having this conversation with me, she’d bite my head off and tell me why I should enjoy being headless.”

Laying her hand on my Jimi Hendrix t-shirt she smiles, “I’m not Sarah. If I were, we wouldn’t be doing this.” She runs her hand down my abs. My cock stays asleep as if nothing is happening.

Taking a sip, I mutter, “You hungry?” as she leans up for a kiss.

She blinks at me. “No, we just ate. At the Vortex, remember?”

“Oh, right.” I take another sip and block her second try.

Cocking her head Simone backs off and walks away, saying over her shoulder, “You’re still mad at me.”

I know she did that to show me her ass. Her ass is a little flat if I’m honest, but I know she doesn’t believe that. Now, Sarah’s ass on the other hand…

Fuck, Jason. Cut it out. That’s her friend and she’s here trying to seduce you. Stop thinking about Sarah and get Simone out of here.

“I’m not angry anymore.”

Fluttering her eyelashes, she asks, “Then why are you being so cold?”

“I don’t know,” I lie, watching her slide her spaghetti strap down her shoulder.

“Let’s put this past us, Jason.”

Sucking on my lips I watch her slip the other one off. She turns to me so that it drops all the way and exposes her braless tits. They’re hard and ready for my mouth, and any guy would shout I’m a fool not to be taking advantage of this.

I set the bottle down and stay put, my eyes narrowing in concentration. Guess I am a fool. She smiles like she knew she could get me going, and slowly walks to me.

I’m feeling nothing behind my zipper as she glides her fingertips up her stomach and touches those rock hard nipples on a smile.

Part of me is not okay with my flaccid reaction.

She’s stunning and I’m limp?

No man is ever okay with that.

Simone slips her arms around my neck and lowers her eyelids in the sexiest way. Still nothing. I swear it’s just out of habit that I palm her breasts, gently at first, just caresses. Then I tweak the nipples and watch her throw her head back and moan.

Fuck, I used to love the sound of that.

She comes back up and surprises me with a kiss. Out of habit our tongues touch and my eyes close. In no time I’m seeing Sarah kissing me and my dick twitches in my jeans for the first time.

At this exact moment Simone grabs my crotch and whispers against my confused lips, “Starting to get hard. I noticed you didn’t have a tent, for once, but here he comes.”

She kisses me while stroking my crotch, and it’s working until I fucking see Sarah in the parking lot, turning away to go to the car.

I step back from Simone, stammering as my penis deflates, “I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I don’t want it.”

Simone backs away, too, and covers herself with her arms. “You…don’t want it?”

“I’m sorry, Simone. I shouldn’t have let it go that far. Men are stupid.”

“You’re just going to turn me down?”

“You girls do it to us all the time.”

“Men never do!”

I fucking hate how she emphasized the word men, like I wasn’t one.

“Hey, women never make men feel bad when they don’t want to fuck. Just like real men don’t do that to you when you say no, right?! Now pull your dress back up and go.”

The shock is so strong I think if she had a knife she might try and cut me. Instead she runs at me with her fist up, one arm over her naked breasts. “I hate you!”

I easily grab her wrist and hold her away from my body. “Yeah, well, I don’t hate you. I’m just no longer interested in anything romantic anymore.”

“Romantic,” she snorts. “It was always just fucking, Jason. That’s all you were to me, a fuck, and a hell of an awesome music producer. And that’s it!”

Nodding while I chew on my lips, I release her wrist with a push so that she keeps her distance.

She yanks her dress straps back on, glaring at me like she wants me dead. She storms to her handbag and heads for the door. Spinning around, she shouts, “We’re still working on this album, right?”

With an ironic smirk I cross my arms. “You think I’m going to let those boys and their families down?”

“I don’t know. Are you?”

“If you even have to ask that, then you don’t know me at all. We’re still recording it.”

“Fucking asshole,” she mutters, swinging the door open.

“How does that make me a fucking asshole?!” I shout at her back.

“You just are one, that’s how!” she yells, slamming it behind her.

Alone in my loft, I snarl, “What the hell did I see in her?”