by Wylder, Tia
“I want to show Miss Jasmine my room,” Jenny piped up excitedly, grabbing the woman in question by the hem of her skirt. Mark chuckled, reaching out to muss up his daughter’s hair.
“Soon, sweetheart. We should show her our home, not just one room. She’ll be staying with us for a while,” he murmured, receiving a melodramatic sigh in response. Jasmine chuckled, offering Jenny a kind smile.
“You can show me your room in a bit, and we’ll play whatever you want,” she said warmly. Jenny grinned ecstatically, trailing behind the two adults as Mark led Jasmine through the house. Jasmine silently took in the sights, idly listening as Mark described each room and hallway they passed. He spoke with warmth as if he took immense pride in every nook and cranny of his home. It was like everything in the house had been selected for a specific purpose, to accentuate the perfect spot. Jasmine couldn’t help wondering if the father was truly the picture of calmness, or if he had something hidden much deeper inside of him. She’d hate to get on the bad side of someone with so much obvious wealth. There was no telling what he could have done to her, what he could do to her… but why were these paranoid thoughts running through her head? What she had told Mark before rang true enough, the situation indeed seemed too good to possibly be a reality. Here she stood, however, receiving the grand tour of the place.
“And of course, this is the master bedroom. You are free to come and go as you please. The guest bedroom at the end of the hall will serve as your quarters for the time being,” Mark said with an air of finality. He turned to consider Jasmine with a kind smile, gesturing towards the room at the end of the hall. She almost suspected it might be some sort of wild sex dungeon that he planned to keep her locked away inside. However, father and daughter simply waited patiently as she approached the door, pushing it open and peeking inside her assigned room. Her eyes widened in delight as she took the room in, from the large windows to the pale blue color of the walls. The room had a sort of beachy theme in the decor, reminding her of the last time she went to the coast; back when she’d been a child.
“This is… amazing,” she murmured, turning to smile cheerfully at Mark.
“It is our most favored guest room. The windows face the sunrise, I’m told it’s a wonderful view,” he hummed, watching her from the hall. She stepped further inside, stepping towards the massive mattress that she would be sleeping on. She sat on the edge, giving an experimental little bounce. She giggled at how soft and plush the material was, and Jenny rushed in behind her to leap on top of the mattress. The young girl bounced up and down, and it was all Jasmine could do to keep from following suit.
“The bed is super soft and bouncy!” Jenny announced as she bounced higher and higher into the air.
“Jenny, what have I told you about jumping on the beds?” Mark said with a hint of amusement in his voice. Jenny heaved a sigh, hitting the mattress with a plop. She sank into the padding just slightly, and Jasmine laughed at how utterly defeated the girl looked.
“I’m sorry, daddy. I just got excited,” the girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Jasmine nudged her, leaning in to speak in a stage whisper.
“Wait until he leaves. What your dad doesn’t see won’t hurt him,” she said clearly. Jenny grinned toothily, and Mark chuckled softly.
“Great, now I’m going to have two disobedient girls on my hands,” he sighed dramatically. Jasmine could clearly see where Jenny got her sense of dramatics, and she looked between father and daughter with a small smile. She’d had her doubts, though she was certain anyone would have doubts if they were shoved into her position. It was a strange situation, that much was for sure. However, Mark seemed harmless enough. Compared to some other scenarios she could have found herself wrapped up in, the man and his adorable daughter seemed a godsend.
“Oh, there won’t be too much misbehaving, Mark,” she smiled, rising from her bed and offering a hand to the man’s daughter. Jenny grasped Jasmine’s larger hand in her own, pulling herself up and hopping down on the floor. “Now, didn’t you promise to show me your room?” Jasmine grinned teasingly, and Jenny gasped before dragging Jasmine out of the room. Laughter bubbled past Jasmine’s lips, and God, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. It had been ages since she felt so cheerful, and all around good. Strange how circumstances worked out sometimes.
If she had been startled by how nice her guest room was, she was entirely stricken by the exorbitance of Jenny’s room. The young girl even had a miniature carousel in her room, and toys stacked up to the walls in great big piles. Jenny dove into a pile, and Jasmine watched with some concern as the girl’s legs dangled almost comically out of the pile of stuffed animals. Moments later, Jenny popped out and offered Jasmine a large toy poodle.
“You can be Miss Puffinstuff. I’ll be her friend, Rico!” The girl announced, grabbing a life sized chihuahua toy from the pile as well. Jasmine considered the pink poodle, booping its large nose and cackling with delight as the toy began to make barking sounds. “Miss Puff can be pretty grouchy, sometimes,” Jenny hummed, dropping to her rump on the floor and making panting sounds for her stuffed canine. Jasmine dropped to her knees in front of the girl, making the poodle strut its stuff across the floor. She was abruptly aware of the sensation of someone watching her, and she glanced towards the door to see Mark watching the two girls with a broad smile. He waved his fingers at her upon being noticed, bringing a single finger to his lips in a shushing motion. She smiled, turning her attention back to Jenny.
“So, tell me about Rico. How do he and Miss Puffinstuff know each other?” Jasmine murmured idly, setting the poodle’s bark box off once more. Jenny made a whimpering sound for Rico and tucked his stuffed tail between his legs.
“Miss Puff is recently out of a divorce, and she’s very cranky about it. Rico is her boyfriend, but he’s not very brave. He usually just lets her bark her head off at him,” the young girl hummed, smiling a secretive little smile. Jasmine chuckled to herself, shaking her head.
“And does Miss Puff have a little puppy she takes care of?” She prompted, making the poodle toy loom over the stuffed chihuahua. Jenny laughed, though it was a strangely humorless sound, especially coming from a child.
“Miss Puff doesn’t like to talk about her puppy. She got sick of puppy sitting, so… Mister Puff is taking care of their pup,” Jenny mumbled, making the Rico toy quiver and shake. Jasmine’s eyes shone with sadness, and she reached out to rest a hand on the young girl’s shoulder.
“I know I’m just your nanny, but I hope we can be good friends. Miss Puff is an old stinker, as far as I’m concerned,” she winked. Jenny hesitated before lurching forward to grab Jasmine in a hug.
“I’ve never really had a girl to play with before. Daddy tries to play with me, but you know how boys are,” the girl murmured. Jasmine hummed her acknowledgment, brushing a hand through the girl’s curls.
“Girls! It’s time for dinner,” Mark called, looking a bit misty eyed where he stood at the door. Jasmine pretended to be startled to see him, smiling gently at the obviously doting father.
“Can we go to the pizza buffet, daddy? Please?” Jenny inquired, tossing Rico over her shoulder. Jasmine hesitated before giving Miss Puff a bit of a careless toss as well. Mark hesitated, looking at the two females.
“Pizza sounds good to me,” Jasmine smiled, meeting Mark’s gaze. His eyes glinted with some unrecognizable emotion as he considered her, but he quickly shook it off. He reached out to take her by the arm, and she fell obediently into place beside him.
“Pizza it is, then,” he said agreeably, receiving a cheer from his young daughter. She bounded past the adults, racing down the stairs.
“I’ll be waiting in the car,” she called back over her shoulder, and Jasmine chuckled. The nanny took a moment to see how the father was feeling, and it was obvious that he was still troubled by the exchange he had seen. He reached up to brush a tear from his eye, clearing his throat loudly.
“I thought… I thou
ght she bought the excuse that her mother was just busy. I never thought her mother would allow her to catch on to the fact that… she just didn’t want to see Jenny anymore,” he murmured. Jasmine frowned, drawing her lip pensively between her teeth.
“I can’t fathom why anyone would want to give up their right to see such a bright and darling little girl,” she muttered. Mark laughed hollowly, glancing down the stairs in the direction his daughter had gone.
“Apparently, being reminded of our marriage was just too much to handle. I expected her to be cold to me, but to her own daughter?” He bit out scornfully. The two lingered at the top of the stairs for a moment, and Jasmine reached out to offer the older man a hug. He considered her with a quirked brow, looking unsure.
“You’ll have to pull yourself together. Her mother may be a lost cause, but you have a little girl to take care of,” she asserted. He looked vaguely taken aback, but after a pause drew her into his arms.
“We have a little girl to take care of,” he corrected gently. Jasmine smiled, nodding her head as she pressed her cheek against his chest. The two remained locked in the embrace for a long moment, and Mark’s agitation eased off as his breathing evened out.
“Guys! Come on! Quit making goo goo eyes at each other so we can get some pizza!” Jenny called from downstairs, and Jasmine lurched away from the man, looking down the stairs to see the young girl staring plaintively up at them. Mark rolled his eyes in exasperation, a laugh escaping him despite himself. Jasmine tucked her hair behind her ear, shyly glancing towards the older man from the corner of her eye.
“Well, you heard the girl. We have a mission,” Jasmine announced grandly. Jenny squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together.
“Yes, daddy! A mission! A dangerous and delicious mission,” the young girl called out. Mark quirked a brow at Jasmine, but the young woman simply quirked her lips in a sly smile before looping her arm in his.
“You do favor one of those handsome secret agents,” she hummed, tugging him along. He laughed as he was pulled along, and Jasmine found that she rather liked the sound of his genuine laughter. It seemed that the household had quite a bit of bitterness, but she aimed to do her fair share to see the bad blood washed away.
“A secret agent, huh? Does that make you my sexy sidekick? Or some temptress trying to drag me to the dark side?” He grinned, opening the passenger side door for her. Jasmine coughed, trying to obscure her embarrassment at the comment. Jenny scrambled into the backseat, leaning up to make sure her voice was heard.
“Nuh uh! Jasmine’s not evil! She’s the good guy! Mom’s the evil lady. Like… like one of those mean witches from the movie we saw last week, daddy,” she said decisively.
“Secrets agents and witches. Sounds like my kind of story,” Jasmine chuckled, slipping into the front seat and fastening her seat belt. Mark circled around the car, slipping into the driver’s seat and glancing into the rearview mirror.
“Buckle up, young lady. A dangerous mission like this requires extreme caution,” he said warmly, winking as Jenny giggled in delight. He turned the ignition, and Jasmine was certain her heart would pound out of her chest as the sports car absolutely purred. It was enough that all of the man’s possessions looked amazing, but it was clear he maintained everything in his care with the utmost care. She was shaken from her thoughts as Jenny tugged at her shirt sleeve. She glanced into the backseat, raising a brow curiously.
“What’s up, sweetheart?” She murmured. Jenny hesitated for a moment, looking between the two adults before speaking up.
“I know daddy’s really shy about talking to girls sometimes, but I think he likes you,” she said bluntly. Jasmine reddened, but it was nothing compared to the full blush that covered Mark’s face. He managed a strangled laugh, reaching into the back seat to pop his daughter playfully on the leg.
“Nosy little one, aren’t you?” He grumbled. Jenny stuck her tongue out, sitting back in her seat.
“I just want to be sure everything is out in the open. You said it would be a dangerous mission, Daddy. Don’t want to take any risks,” the girl giggled. Jasmine was more than vaguely taken aback at how bright and astute the girl was, but she could do little but smirk at how awkward Mark looked.
Whether Jenny was right or not, Jasmine found that she wasn’t particularly bothered by Mark being attracted to her. She found that she didn’t mind it at all.
Chapter Three
“I’ve arranged for a babysitter,” Mark said abruptly, causing both Jenny and Jasmine to look up from their current activities of coloring and solving a word search puzzle, respectively. Jasmine quirked a brow, feeling more than vaguely confused by the man’s words. Jenny, however, clapped in delight, turning a toothy grin towards Jasmine.
“Daddy is taking you out on a date,” she crowed, and Jasmine met Mark’s gaze nervously. He smiled, arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Trust my little runt to be unable to keep a secret. But she’s right, Jasmine, I’d be much obliged if you would join me for dinner this evening,” he said brightly. Jasmine hesitated, looking between the two hesitantly.
“Wouldn’t hiring a babysitter defeat having me be your nanny?” She inquired, rubbing the back of her neck. Mark rumbled a laugh, shaking his head.
“I don’t expect you to watch her morning, noon, and night. At least, not every day. Everyone needs a break every so often, wouldn’t you agree?” He hummed, leaving Jasmine without further argument. She nodded hesitantly, fidgeting with the shirt she was wearing. While Mark had insisted upon buying her an entirely new wardrobe for the duration of her stay, she wasn’t sure if she had anything formal enough to wear to a dinner date. He sensed her trepidation, taking a step forward and moving to help her to her feet. She rose obligingly, leaving the word search to be solved another day.
“You’re probably wondering what on Earth you’ll wear, I know how you women can be,” he said idly, guiding her out of Jenny’s room and towards her assigned room for the duration. He pushed open the door, guiding her inside and opening the closet. Though she had not noticed it previously, the door in the corner of the room adjoined with a walk-in closet, and Mark wanted her to step inside with him. She felt a slight sense of trepidation as she stepped forward, peering into the massive closet. Her eyes widened at the selection of clothes inside, all new with tags still attached. What caught her eye most of all, however, was a selection of cocktail dresses hanging on their own rack at the very back of the closet. She rushed inside, approaching the dresses with awe in her gaze. It was no surprise that Mark knew her size, she had told him as much when they were discussing her new wardrobe. She hadn’t expected to have an entire closet with more clothing options than she’d ever had in her entire lifetime. She certainly hadn’t expected him to know her tastes so well, either. She grabbed one of the cocktail dresses from the rack, examining it closely. She looked towards Mark with tears inexplicably pricking the corners of her eyes.
“You didn’t have to… you didn’t have to do this. This is… beyond excessive,” she began nervously, trailing off in an awkward laugh.
“Do you not like the selection?” Mark inquired, a vaguely wounded expression crossing his features. Jasmine sputtered, shaking her head vehemently as she gestured all around them.
“Of course, I like the selection! I outright love it, but… I feel so guilty accepting these. Unless of course, this is added to my… bill of sorts?” She inquired weakly, unable to fathom how much he had spent on the closet full of clothes.
“Oh, no. All of this is free of charge, and you’re free to take it all home when your contract runs its course,” he said formally, before offering her a sly wink. “Allow me to treat you, Jas. After all, you are my girlfriend,” he smiled. She hesitated, cheeks flaring with heat as she considered the situation. She had almost forgotten about this specific part of her bizarre employment. It wasn’t as if Mark was unattractive by any means, and if it were a real scenario, she would be honored to date him. However, t
he farcical nature of it sort of dimmed her excitement.
“Of course. I’d… forgotten,” she managed, brushing her hair behind her ear. Jasmine held the dress she’d chosen up, pressing it against her. “What do you think?” She inquired softly, grinning cheekily.
“A stunning preview, but I simply can’t wait to see you actually wearing the dress,” Mark chuckled. He ran a hand through his hair, seeming somewhat uncharacteristically nervous. “In any case, I’ll leave you to get ready for our first date of sorts. The babysitter should be here any minute,” he stammered, turning his back on her and shuffling out of the closet. She watched him go, drawing her lip between her teeth before calling out to him.
“Mark,” she intoned loudly, and he paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. “Thank you so much,” she smiled, winking slyly at the man. He smiled to himself, the tips of his ears reddening visibly as he shuffled out of the closet without another word. He closed the door behind him, leaving Jasmine alone with her thoughts. Well, alone with her thoughts and her clothes. She giggled ecstatically, examining the selection up close now that she had a chance. Some of the clothes looked as if they had been plucked straight off a runway in Europe. All of them were infinitely classier than anything she’d worn before. Somehow, despite only seeing her in a simple t-shirt and jeans, Mark could read her like a book. Then again, she supposed any woman in her right mind would have been beyond honored to receive such a gift.
