by Katy Kaylee
My Liv.
THE END
The Hook Up
Dillon
As the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, I had never once felt as though I was out of my depth, or that something was beyond my capabilities, but at this very moment, I felt as though I was in unchartered territory. This day had already been long and fragged out without the added strain of doing interviews for a nanny for my six-year old daughter, Willow.
Thus far the applicants have been rather infuriating, seeming more like drill sergeants and nasty women who didn't have happy or fun bones in their bodies than loving and compassionate women to look after my daughter while I was at work, and otherwise occupied.
Somehow I think that my name and my address seemed to attract all the wrong people, and it was fucking infuriating.
I lowered my gaze from yet another woman who was all wrong for the job, staring blankly, and rather unimpressed at the resume in my hand. She wasn't even remotely qualified to look after a child, plus she made me feel a bit uncomfortable, which was an immediate red flag for me. I was supposed to feel a sense of safety and trust in the person who I appointed to look after the most important person in my life. Luckily I knew that Willow was outspoken enough to tell me if she liked the person or not, and she was most probably standing in the kitchen, peering through the shutters at whomever I was interviewing.
A headache was slowly but surely forming along my temples and I knew that pretty soon I’d be down on my back with a ripper of a headache. I glanced back at the woman sitting across from me in the living room of my Palm Beach home, the sun illuminating every inch of her face, and it dawned on me that this woman was not the right person, like the others before her. Had I known that this was going to be such a tedious and excruciating experience, I would have asked my assistant to do it. Still, I felt obligated to handle it myself, since she was my daughter. I owed her a sense of normalcy, especially after the last year, which was nothing short of an absolute disaster.
“Thank you for coming, Ms. Porter. I will have a look at your resume and contact you once my daughter and I have made a decision,” I told her.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Marsh,” Ms. Porter said as she stood from the sofa.
I followed suit and showed her out to the entrance, where my head of security, Mike, stood to escort her to her car. Around the corner I saw Willow, not even trying to hide her distaste for Ms. Porter.
“I didn't like her,” Willow said as she pulled her face as she walked beside me as we headed back to the living area.
“Neither did I,” I said and placed my hand on her head, running my fingers through her shoulder length dark brown hair, which resembles her mothers perfectly.
Willow sat on the sofa where all the other candidates had been seated and she made herself comfortable. I studied her for a few seconds and smiled slightly, thinking of how we managed to survive the past year, and came out on the other side without needing therapy.
I filed for a divorce from my wife when I caught her in bed with one of my members of security and needless to say that I wasn’t surprised. She wasn't exactly a model wife to begin with, but the idiot who I was, I accepted her for who she was. However, by cheating on me, she also cheated on Willow, and I wasn't going to allow that. We split paths in a very brief but intense divorce and I was thankful to hav her out of my life. Sure, we had our good time together, and we had the most wonderful and intelligent little girl, but that was where it stopped. I wasn't going to dwell on the good memories in order to forget the bad ones. I do not tolerate any kind of disloyalty, not from my employees, and especially not from my family. Jade simply took advantage of that in my opinion.
Even though Willow was only four-and-a-half at the time, I tried to explain to her what was happening as best I could, and I had never made a decision without talking it over with her first.
Due to the prenup that was taken out, Jade lost custody of Willow entirely, which only fueled her hatred towards me. She had made numerous attempts in the past to taint my reputation in order to make me seem like I am not a responsible parent, but failed every time. As a billionaire, and not to brag or boast at all, I had infinite resources, and the best damn team of lawyers who had my back, no matter what. They quickly blocked any attack from Jade, but I know that she would stop at nothing to take Willow away from me. Not because she missed her daughter, but to hurt me where it matters most.
Yes, she was that elfish.
A knock on the door made us both glance at the doorway and Willow sat upright. Mike stood in the doorway, tall and strong and glanced at me.
“Mr. Marsh, your last candidate has arrived.”
I sighed and straightened my shoulders. “Thank you Mike, you can send her through.”
“Sh better be the one,” Willow muttered.
“You don’t have to convince me. I’m tired of pretending to be polite,” I answered.
“Can I be here when she comes in?” Willow asked. “I’ll behave, I promise.”
“Of course,” I said with a smile.
I heard soft footsteps approach, so I stood from the sofa and as I glanced at the doorway, she stepped into view.
My jaw dropped instantly.
She was hot, and I didn't mean regular hot. She looked like the love-child of a sorority girl and the captain of the football team. Her long blonde hair flowed down her chest to just below her breasts, which accentuated them even more than the white shirt she wore. A pair of skinny jeans showed off the curves of her hips and her toned legs.
She smiled at me, a beautiful and radiant smile embraced by the most luscious lips I had ever seen. Her blue eyes sparkled as she reached me, but to my surprise she headed straight to Willow.
“Hello, you must be Willow,”
“How did you know my name?” Willow asked.
I’d like to know as well.
“Oh, the doorman with the earpiece told me,” she said with a smile. “I’m Malia.”
“Nice to meet you, Malia,” Willow said. “This is my dad. He’s going to interview you.”
Malia turned to me and chuckled slightly. “Right, I’m sorry. Hello, Mr. Marsh. My name is Malia Brooks,” she said and held her tanned hand out to me.
“Dillon Marsh,” I said and shook her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine ignite something inside me.
Unprofessional, Marsh.
“It’s so nice to meet you both,” she said and glanced around her. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you,” Willow and I said at the same time and I glanced at her. “Willow, would you excuse us?”
“I don’t mind if she stays,” Malia said with a shrug.
“I’d rather do this my way,” I answered, knowing well enough when I needed to tighten the reigns, otherwise Willow would run this show.
Trust me, at times it seemed like the better option.
“Yes, Daddy,” Willow said and slid off the sofa. “It was nice to meet you, Malia.”
“Same here,” Malia said with a smile.
I watched at Willow walked to the door and before she disappeared around the corner, she gave me a very enthusiastic and ecstatic double thumbs-up. A brief smile formed on my lips before I put my serious face on and turned to Malia.
“She’s so adorable,” she said, “and beautiful. Her features are amazing.”
“I agree. I’ve already got the shotguns ready,” I joked.
“Rightfully so,” Malia chuckled and handed me her resume. “I brought this along for you to look at.”
“Thank you,” I said with a nod as I took the resume from her.
“All my references are contactable as well,” she said.
“Why did you leave your previous nanny job?” I asked.
“The family moved abroad, and they didn't need me anymore. They have family there who will look after the kids.”
“Okay, and you have experience with both girls and boys?”
“Yes, I do, but somehow I prefer g
irls. They’re easier to relate to, obviously, but I don't have a preference. I adore all of the kids I’ve looked after.”
“Right,” I muttered, and glanced down at her resume. “It says here that you’re originally from Oregon.”
“Yes, from Portland.”
“What are you doing here?”
“To be honest, I hate the cold. Portland was beautiful but it was just too cold for me. Have you ever tried to swim in the ocean in Oregon?” she asked
“No, I don't believe I have,” I said with a grin. I liked this girl, and not just because she was hot as Florida summers. She was easy to talk to and even put my stick-up-the-ass self to ease.
“It’s freezing, like frostbite freeing. You could lose a whole leg,” she explained.
“It cant be colder than the water in Norway,” I pointed out.
“Wow, okay, that I wouldn't know, but I’ll remember not to ever got o Norway,” she scoffed.
“You’re definitely in the right place if you hate the cold,” I said to her.
“Absolutely,” she agreed.
“Okay, so you know that this is a permanent position, right?” I asked and she nodded. “That means that you will actually be living here, in your own room with your own bathroom and private entrance.”
“Like an apartment?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Yes, but you still have access to the whole house and key-codes and all that.”
“Okay, that’s good.”
I smiled and continued, “It also means that you will be given your own car to fulfill your duties, like taking Willow to school and all her extramural activities. You do drive, right?”
“Yes, I have a perfect driving record. I supposed you can check that, if you want,” she said and cocked her head.
“No, that’s not necessary,” I said to her. “Do you smoke?”
“No, smoking is horrible.”
“Do you drink?”
She hesitated for a moment and I narrowed my eyes at her. “Look, let me get straight to the point. I know you might have heard this more than once but my daughter is my life, she is the most important person in my life, and I’ve been fucked around enough by her mother during my divorce. The last thing I need in this house is a party-animal nanny who reeks of alcohol and comes to work with a hangover. I have zero tolerance for people like that,” I said.
Her eyes widened and she nodded. “I understand, Mr. Marsh. I don't drink to get drunk. I might have a glass of wine every now and then, but I’m not big on drinking, not do I intend to show up at work after a night out. I don't go out anyway. I’d rather stay in and watch movies and eat too much ice cream.”
I studied her terrified expression on her face and nodded. “And you’re not just saying that because of what I said?”
“No, not at all,” she said and smiled slightly.
“That’s good to hear.”
“Mr. Marsh, can I just say something before I forget, or don't get the chance or the strength to?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“I know how tough a divorce is on children, I’ve seen it a lot and I just want to help, because I know how overwhelmed a parent can be when there’s only one of them. I’d probably need help too if it was me,” she said, her voice filled with sincerity. “So if you choose me as Willow’s nanny, I would go above and beyond to make her life, and yours as normal as it could possibly be, under the circumstances, of course.”
A smile formed on my lips and I nodded. “Thank you, Malia. I appreciate that more than you will ever know.”
Malia shrugged her shoulders and said, “You’re welcome, Mr. Marsh.”
“Well, on that note, thank you for coming in, and I will give you a call as soon as Willow and I made a decision,” I said to her.
“Okay, thank you so much for seeing me,” Malia said and together we stood up. “I really hope that I get a call from you...for the job.”
I nodded wordlessly and walked her to the door. She flashed me one last smile and as she walked out in front of me, I couldn't help but shot a quick glanced at her amazing ass. Those skinny jeans fit her perfectly and it would be a crying shame if I didn't look. I only did so for a moment, before I scolded myself for being such a guy.
My eye caught movement from the far side of the hallway and I turned to see Willow approaching me with a hopeful smile on her face.
“So...” she asked and raised her eyebrows at me.
“She was nice.”
Willow rolled her eyes and walked into the living area. “Of course she was nice.”
We sat down on the sofa and I sat back against the soft leather. I had a lot of thinking to do when I glanced at the pile of resumes on the low coffee table, but judging by the expression on Willow’s face, she had already decided who she wanted me to choose.
“You like her, don’t you?” I asked.
“From everyone?” she asked and I nodded. “Absolutely. Don't you like her, Daddy?”
“She’s great, and I really liked it that she greeted you before she greeted me.”
“I liked that too. No-one else did that,” Willow grinned. “Are you going to pick her?”
“What do you think? Is she the right person?” I asked, always having been a firm believer in including Willow in every decision.
“She’s the one, Daddy,” Willow answered.
“I thought so,” I said with a slight smile and glanced at the large wooden clock against the wall. It was almost four o’clock and I had a conference call with the board committee regarding the annual budget. “I have a conference call in five minutes, so I’ll call Malia and tell her that she’s the one we want.”
Willow let out an excited shriek and threw her arms around me. This was what being a parent was all about, the content feeling inside when she smiled, shrieked with happiness and a hug of gratitude.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered against my cheek.
“You’re welcome, baby.”
She unwrapped he arms from my shoulders and straightened her shoulders. “I’ll let you get to work.”
I winked at her and she skipped into the kitchen, and I smiled once again, knowing I had made the right choice for her.
For me, it would be a challenge though.
Malia
I chalked the tip of the pool cue and glanced at my best friend, Claire and said, “I’m telling you, Claire, that guy was so crazy hot I had to look away every five second to stop myself from burning out.”
Claire, who still wasn't convinced that someone could be that hot, pulled her face and shook her head, her red fringe falling down into her eyes. “I don’t believe you. There’s no way.”
“I’m telling you, it’s true,” I exclaimed and lined up my shot. The white ball shot across the table and hit the red ball straight into the corner pocket.
“Show-off,” Claire muttered.
I scoffed and fobbed her off as I walked around the table for my next shot. “Why would I lie?”
“Who is the guy?” Claire asked as she took her phone out from the pocket of her jeans.
“Dillon Marsh,” I answered. “Wait, you’re not going to google him, are you?”
“Maybe I am. Besides, if he’s as hot as you say he is then...” Claire’s voice trailed and she stared at her phone.
“What?” I asked.
Her jaw dropped as she scrolled down and looked at me with wide eyes.
“What, Claire?”
“Holy shit, Malia. You didn't tell me that he was a billionaire,” Claire exclaimed.
I walked over to her and she showed me her phone. “What are you talking about holy shit,” I gasped as I saw what she meant.
There was a picture of Mr. Marsh, with a paragraph saying how he was one of the richest man in the state, a billionaire.
“Oh my god,” I gasped and glanced at Claire with the same wide eyes she stated at me with. “I did not know he was a billionaire. His house was amazing, but I didn't figure he’d be one of the richest m
en in the state.”
“I believe I owe you an apology. He is smoking hot. How old is he?” Claire said and scanned the content of the article. “Twenty-nine. How the hell did he become a billionaire by twenty-nine?”
“I’d like to know as well,” I sighed.
Claire pouted her lips and cocked her head at me. “He is a little old for you, but-”
“No way. I might have an actual shot at getting hired by this guy, I am not going to jeopardize it by...”
I didn't really know how to finish off that sentence and just stared at the screen of Claire’s phone. It was a bit intimidating to think that he was a billionaire, and as soon as my insecurities started to crawl out from their cage, I didn't feel as confident about getting the job as I had been a few minutes ago.
“Are you okay?” Claire asked and I glanced at her.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Come on, it’s your shot,” Claire said and motioned to the table. “You’re wiping the floor with me.”
I shrugged my shoulders and discarded the feelings of not being good enough from my mind. I was about to line up another shot, aiming for the notoriously elusive purple ball, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I quickly retrieved it and answered.
“Malia Brooks.”
“Hello, Malia. This is Dillon Marsh. I interviewed you earlier today for the nanny position.”
My heart stopped beating for a second and I glanced at Claire with wide eyes. “It’s him,” I mouthed.
Her eyes widened and her mouth curled into an excited smile.
“Mr. Marsh, it’s so good to hear from you,” I said, cringing at my overeagerness.
“I am pleased to let you know that Willow and I, well, mostly Willow, have decided that we would love to have you as her nanny,” he said, sounding ridiculously formal and sexy at the same time.
“Are you serious?” I exclaimed.
