Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection

by Gianna Gabriela

  “Did you apply?” Alex asked, falling into step with her as she walked from the library. She looked at him and smiled.

  “Sure did.”

  “I hope you get it, Gigi.”

  “You too, Alex.”

  He grinned at her, and she noticed his dimples for the first time. Alex was such a nice guy, but she’d never seen him with a girlfriend. Granted he was a little nerdy, but he was still good-looking in that boy-next-door kind of way.

  “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if we both get in? That way we could work together.”

  “Yeah, that would be great,” she replied. They’d reached Washington Square Park, and Gigi had the distinct impression Alex didn’t want to go. She gave him another smile. “I have to go and…do some laundry, so I’ll see you in class, Alex.”

  5

  Max secured Erin into her stroller and started walking down the sidewalk on his way to Temptation. They’d arrived at ten to six that morning. By eight, he’d gotten settled in the three bedroom apartment Evangeline had set up for them. By nine, he’d been in contact with all the bartenders, waitresses and bouncers, telling them to come down to the bar to do a dry run and to make sure their training was up to scratch.

  It was now ten o’clock, and he was making the three block walk from his apartment to the club to inspect the premises and test the staff. He was well-known for being a slave driver in LA, but his hard-line approach got results. End of story. He didn’t care if they didn’t like him. He was there to be their boss, not their friend.

  In his pocket, his phone started ringing. “Mom? Is everything all right?”

  “Max, honey, I’m so sorry to do this to you.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately concerned by the tone of her voice.

  “It’s your father. He’s had a heart attack.”

  Max’s world slowed. “How… Is he…?” he croaked.

  “He survived,” she replied and Max had heard no sweeter words. “I need to go to Seattle to be with him. Would you mind if I didn’t come to New York? I know it’s going to be difficult, but—”

  “Mom, please, don’t worry about me. Go and be with Dad. I’ll give you a call later on to see how he’s doing.”

  “All right, Max. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  Max slipped his phone back into his pocket, completely shaken to his core. He had always been close to his dad, but he was closer to his mom. Thank god she was able to be with his dad. He forced the news to the back of his mind and refocused on what he was in New York for. He could worry about his dad later when he didn’t have to put the fear of god into his staff.

  Five minutes later, he slowed as he got his first look of the club. From the outside it just looked like a run-down industrial building, but then the red awnings hanging above the arched doors made him look a little closer. Brass railings led up a short staircase to the front doors. The name of the club was written in brass lettering on the front.

  “Need a hand?”

  Max turned to see Jeremy standing there. “Excuse me?” he asked.

  Jeremy gestured to the stroller. “Want me to lift the front?”

  “Oh, yeah. Thanks, man.”

  Pulling the keys from his pocket, he passed them to Jeremy to open the door. They stepped inside, Jeremy reaching around the corner to flick on the lights.

  “Can you get the alarm? It’s by the rear exit,” Max told Jeremy, who took off at a jog, leaving Max to look around and take it all in.

  “Wow,” Jeremy said when he reappeared from the back. “It looks just like the LA setup.”

  “Yeah,” Max agreed. The interior decor in LA made sense. It was based on a Hollywood Regency design. But that had been carried over to the new bar, too.

  “I guess it’s a point of difference. Plus, I couldn’t see Evangeline changing something that works so well.”

  Max walked farther into the club, looking over the two bars set across from each other and the large space in the middle for tables and chairs. At the top of the large room was the DJ box and dance floor.

  “What time is the staff getting here?” Jeremy asked.

  “I told them to get here at ten thirty.”

  “Hello?” somebody called from the door. A young blonde woman was standing there, dark glasses on her face.

  “You here for induction?” Max called.

  “Are you Max?” she asked in response. He ground his molars.

  “And you are…?”

  “Jen Jacobs.” She walked into the room, pulling the glasses from her face. “I’m one of your waitresses—probably your best waitress.”

  Max noticed Jeremy’s mouth drop open a little bit when he got a good look at Jen. She eyed him just as appreciatively.

  “Sit down. You’re early,” Max said, going behind one of the bars to check out how well-stocked it was. He found about two dozen full boxes and half a dozen empty fridges. He’d get one of the staff to get on that today.

  “She’s gorgeous,” Jeremy said under his breath as he sidled up to the bar.

  Max looked at him. “We’re here to get this bar running smoothly, not fuck the waitresses, Jeremy.”

  There was a warning in Max’s voice that he hoped the guy didn’t miss. By the gleam of pure lust in Jeremy’s eyes, Max surmised that he hadn’t heard a damn word he’d said.

  The next time he looked up, there were nearly thirty people seated in the same area as Jen. It looked like things were about to get interesting. Wheeling the stroller somewhere where it would be out of the way, Max put on his game face and approached the group of people who would be following his orders and asking ‘how high’ when he said ‘jump.’

  Without any preamble, he gave them all a hard look. “You’re all here because you were found to be the best of the best. We had over one thousand applicants across the board for the positions you all hold now. Remember that when you’re working here. If you fuck up once, you’ll get a warning. Fuck up again and I’ll show you the door and hire one of those other thousand. And I can guarantee they’ll work harder for me than you ever will.” Max took in their stunned expressions. “Any questions? No? Then let’s get started.” He turned to Jeremy, who had a smirk on his face. “Take the bartenders. I’ll take the waitresses.”

  “Lucky bastard,” the guy muttered under his breath as he turned around.

  They split into two groups and got to work. Max put every single woman through the ringer, making sure they were up to scratch. He was surprised by how good they all were; not one of them had dropped a drink or tripped up when he asked them detailed questions about the club and how it worked.

  Two hours later, Erin started to fuss, causing Max to give everyone a break.

  “It’s all right, baby girl,” he cooed softly as he unstrapped her from her stroller. She’d slept through the morning, but she would be awake for a few hours now. He rocked her gently as he walked backwards and forwards near the bar. He was so absorbed in the task that he didn’t even notice someone had approached him.

  “She’s beautiful.”

  He turned his attention from Erin to Jen. “What do you want?” he barked back.

  Jen crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, apparently unfazed by his fuck-off attitude. “Is her mom at work? Is that why you brought her with you today?”

  Max’s jaw tensed. He waited a minute before answering; he had to make sure the growl was gone from his voice. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

  She ignored him. “Let me know if you ever need a sitter. My roommate is looking for a job.”

  An hour after their lunch break, Max got everyone together to give them one last pep talk.

  “Well done today. I’m impressed and believe me when I say that’s a hard thing to do. The club’s grand opening is tomorrow night. Everyone who is rostered to work, I want in at four o’clock. There are still things to do, and everything has to be running smoothly. Now, I’m not expecting there to be zero pr
oblems, because there will be some. What I am expecting is for all of you to be professional and report any problems that do crop up, either to myself or to Jeremy.”

  He made sure he looked every single one of them in the eye to drive his next point home. “If I find out that any of you were aware of an issue and did not report it, I’ll have your head.”

  Everyone looked wary, except for Jen, whose eyes hadn’t left Jeremy’s the entire time. Max bit back a growl. “Everyone go home…except for you, Jen,” he added as an afterthought.

  The rest of the staff collected their belongings and hustled out of there. Max expected Jen to at least be a little afraid, but her swaggering walk as she came towards him said she didn’t have a care in the world.

  “Sit down,” he commanded.

  Sliding her sunglasses onto the top of her head, she sat, blinking up at him. He couldn’t help but see glimpses of Chelsea in her. They shared the same blonde hair, the same shade of blue eyes—the same goddamn arrogance.

  Max chewed the inside of his cheek, hating what he was about to ask of her. “Your roommate,” he began, unsure how to say what he wanted next.

  “My roommate…” Jen prompted.

  He glared at her. “Give me her number.”

  The corner of Jen’s mouth tugged up in a smug smile. “Give me your phone,” she shot back.

  Begrudgingly, Max pulled his iPhone from his pocket, hesitating for a moment before putting it in her palm. Jen’s thumbs quickly moved over the screen before giving him back the device. “I put it under Gigi Borello,” Jen said with a wink before sauntering out of the club.

  “I can already tell she’ll be a wildcat in the sack,” Jeremy said as he sidled up next to Max.

  Max glanced at the other guy. “Keep it in your pants, Walker,” he said with a growl.

  6

  Gigi slid the bolt on the front door across as soon as she stepped into the apartment. The smell of grilled cheese had permeated throughout the space, so she knew Jen was already home.

  “Yeah, you tell them, Taylor!” Jen yelled.

  Gigi smiled in the direction of the bathroom. Taylor Swift was blaring through the small speakers her roommate had set up on the side of the sink. The hairdryer started and poor Swifty was drowned out. Gigi dumped her messenger bag on to the kitchen counter and started going through the fridge. She was starving.

  She stuck her head out when she heard her phone ring. Rifling through her bag, she found the flashing phone and looked at the number. It was one she didn’t recognize. Sliding her thumb across the screen, she held it to her ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Gigi Borello?” a dark, masculine voice asked. Gigi didn’t know why, but the sound of it made shivers chase all over her body.

  “This is she,” she replied, clutching the phone to her ear. Her immediate thought was, Could this be the AMNH recruiter calling about an internship position? She immediately dismissed it, though, since she had only applied that day and applications wouldn’t close for another two weeks.

  “My name is Max Parker. Your roommate, Jen, gave me your number.” Gigi turned to glare at the closed bathroom door.

  “Jen,” she hissed.

  “Excuse me?” he asked.

  “Nothing.” She ground her teeth together.

  She couldn’t believe Jen would do this to her again. She’d given Gigi's number out to random guys before. She thought her roommate had outgrown the compulsion.

  Obviously not.

  “As I was saying, my name is Max Parker. I’m Jen’s new boss down at the club.”

  The club? “What can I do for you Mr. Parker? Are you looking for Jen?”

  “No, Miss Borello. I was calling to speak to you. Jen said you were looking for work. Is that still true?”

  “Umm, yeah… I mean, yes, it is.”

  “Excellent,” he replied. “I have a proposition for you then.”

  She couldn’t help but think of Christian Grey when he said those words. She hoped bondage wasn’t involved.

  “What kind of job are we talking about?”

  “I work nights at the club, but I also have a seven-month-old daughter at home. My…wife and I are no longer living together, which makes caring for my daughter and earning a living incredibly difficult, as you can image.”

  “Yes, I imagine that is quite tough.”

  “Which is where you come in.”

  “You want me to babysit?” she asked. The idea was…scary. She loved kids, but they were only an abstract idea to her. She had never had a lot of contact with small children.

  “I want you to be her nanny.”

  For a full minute, she couldn’t talk. “Nanny?” she croaked.

  “Yes. My mother was supposed to come and care for her for the next few weeks until I could find an agency and hire someone, but unfortunately there’s been a family emergency and my mother can’t make it. I’m actually in a really tough spot.”

  “Why me?” she blurted out. “You don’t even know me.”

  There was a heartbeat of silence. “I know enough. Your full name is Gianna Borello. I know you’re the only daughter of Mani and Marie Borello. I know you were born in upstate New York. You have an academic record that reflects an intelligence that borders on genius levels. You haven’t been in trouble with the law, and you are in your final year of college.”

  Gigi was floored. How did he know all this about her? “How—”

  “A lot of this is public record,” he said offhandedly. “The other stuff, well, let’s just say I have my sources.”

  “I…I…” She couldn’t quite finish her thought.

  “I know this is a lot to take in. I’m not a patient man, Gigi. You either want the job or you don’t. What’s it to be?”

  “Can I at least come and meet you and your daughter before I decide?” she asked as soon as her brain snapped back into action.

  “Yes, of course. Come and meet me in an hour.” He rattled off an address, which she committed to memory. She hung up the phone then put it down onto the bench just as Jen emerged from the bathroom. Gigi turned to stare at her.

  “What’s up, Borello?” Jen asked with a grin. She was dressed in a short skirt and midriff top, her hair perfectly blow-dried and styled.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were giving out my number, and to your new boss of all people?”

  Jen’s face fell. “Oh, that,” she said. “I guess it slipped my mind.”

  “Let it unslip your mind,” Gigi replied with a small snarl.

  “Hey, I don’t know why you’re so upset. My boss needs a babysitter. You’re looking for a job. I think it’s the perfect solution.”

  No matter how much she wanted to deny it, Jen had made a good point. She did need a job, even if it was for only a few weeks until the internship started…if she got a place on the program, that is.

  Snatching her bag from the counter, Gigi kept up the pretence of anger and walked back to her room. She needed to shower and change before going to meet her prospective employer.

  Gigi peered up at the apartment building where Max had told her to meet him. It was in the meatpacking district, so the exterior looked industrial, but she was sure it was modern inside. Stepping up to the intercom on the wall, she ran her finger down the list of apartment numbers and hit the button she needed.

  “Yes?” Max’s voice still had that rich timbre to it, despite the tinny edge.

  She cleared her throat. “It’s Gigi Borello,” she said loudly.

  There was a buzz.

  “Come on up.”

  Climbing the stairs up to the fifth floor, she found the right apartment and knocked. She wasn’t sure why, but she was nervous. She swiped her palms on the top of her jeans and let out a short breath. The door swung open. The man standing on the other side made Gigi’s knees weak. His dark hair was artfully messy, his jawline square and strong. His lips were a perfect Cupid’s bow, and her mind turned to fantasizing about what he tasted like.

&
nbsp; “Gigi?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Max?”

  His bourbon-colored eyes gave her a once-over. “Come in.”

  She stepped inside his apartment, her eyes immediately drawn to a large modern painting hanging on the wall. They then traveled down to the rug in the middle of the floor where a baby was playing in a baby walker.

  “Is this your daughter?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he replied in a clipped tone. He gestured to the couch. “Sit.”

  What is his problem? Gathering her small bag into her lap, she sat down on the edge of the leather cushion, not allowing herself to get comfortable. From her first impressions of Max, she didn’t think she’d be there that long.

  Standing in front of her, he studied Gigi… No, it wasn’t studying; he was scrutinizing her. Refusing to be cowed by him, she met his intense gaze and raised one brow.

  “Do you drink?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Do drugs?”

  “No.”

  “Got a boyfriend?” he demanded.

  Her back stiffened. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

  “I don’t want to come home to you fucking your boyfriend while you’re supposed to be caring for my child. That’s how it’s my business,” he snarled.

  He did have a point. If their roles were reversed, Gigi would want to know her child wasn’t being exposed to anything inappropriate. “Fine,” she conceded, her jaw tight as she spoke. “No, I don’t.”

  He nodded slightly. “Good.”

  When he didn’t ask any more questions, and let silence settle between them, she began to fidget. Max’s eyes slid down to her legs as she crossed and re-crossed them.

  “I need to know something else,” he said suddenly.

  “Okay.”

  “Are you interested in this job or am I wasting my fucking time with you?”

  She bit her tongue, took a deep breath and forced her words to come out slowly to conceal her anger. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I only found out about you and your job an hour ago. Jen hadn’t told me she’d given you my number, and she certainly hadn’t told me the job would be as a nanny.”