by Sam Crescent
Running a billion-dollar corporation didn’t give him time to deal with a four-year-old. The boy in question, Timothy, was sitting on his office floor, running a car along the edge of his building.
“What would you like me to do, sir?” Frances asked.
He glared at his PA, and wanted to tell her to take the damn kid herself. The woman was fifty years old and had a gazillion grandkids. “I want testing. I want proof that he’s … even mine. I don’t have time for this shit, and while you’re at it, get me someone who takes care of kids. A babysitter or something. I don’t have time to deal with him.”
For a split second, he saw the disappointment on Frances’s face before she hid it. He didn’t care. He wasn’t a man who dealt with these … problems.
He didn’t even know who the woman was, only that she’d been killed and his name had been related to her. Four years ago, he was supposed to have knocked up some woman, and Timothy was the result.
Staring at the kid, Wayne watched as he drove a single car around the edge of his office. Providing the kid stayed quiet, he’d be able to work. Moving behind his desk, he sat down and just stared at his computer screen.
Women were a source of entertainment for him. He used them for what simple pleasure he could have. The women he’d known were the kind who were always trying to further their careers, gold-diggers, or spinsters.
There was a knock on the office door, and he watched as Timothy looked up with a huge smile on his face, only for it to disappear as soon as James entered the room.
James was Wayne’s friend.
“Well, Frances told me the good news,” James said, closing the door behind him. “What happened?”
“I was pulled out of a meeting by a social worker who dumped him here with a black bag. They’d been trying to contact me, but I wasn’t answering. As if I’d answer any damn call from some social service department. I have no need for them.”
James bent down, smiling at Timothy. “Hello, little man. I’m James.”
Timothy looked at James’s hands and shook his head. “Mommy said I wasn’t allowed to talk to strangers.”
His speech was so clear even for a four-year-old.
James laughed. “Your mother was so right. Don’t worry. We won’t be strangers for long.” He ruffled Timothy’s hair and moved toward the seat in front of Wayne’s desk. “You’ve got an intelligent one.”
Timothy went back to driving his car along the edge of the building.
“It doesn’t matter what I have. A few tests will show that the woman is wrong and that kid isn’t mine.” He glanced at his friend to see James staring at him. “What is it?”
“I’m just shocked at how disgusted you look. Is it really so abhorrent to think of having a child?”
“There’s no way I have a kid.”
“So what’s the story?”
“His mother’s dead, and now they’re trying to dump the kid on me.”
James glared at him, pressing a finger to his mouth.
Wayne shook his head. “What is it?”
Instead of answering, his friend got up, going toward the door. “Frances, so sorry to be a pest. Could you take little Timothy for some soda and a sandwich? I bet he’s hungry.”
Wayne didn’t stop James from ordering his PA. Frances came in, smiled at Timothy, and led the little boy away.
“What the fuck is your problem?” James asked, closing the door.
“What have I done?”
“That boy is clearly missing his mother, and you just come out and say she’s dead? He’s already with a strange man that everyone is claiming is his dad, but you can’t even crack a smile! Can’t you think of the kid’s needs for once?”
“It’s a trick. To try and get money out of me.”
“For crying out loud. You had one woman try to extort money out of you for a pregnancy that wasn’t there. This boy is an innocent. He’s not here to get anything out of you. He doesn’t even want you. He’s as far away from you as possible. Can’t you see that?”
Wayne looked at the space that Timothy had been in. It was as far as he could go.
“You really need to take a good, long look in the mirror. When did you become such a cold, unfeeling bastard? I get that you keep the women at bay because a lot of them just want your bank balance. But that boy is a baby. A kid. Have some damn feelings.”
Shame washed over Wayne. From the moment the social worker dropped Timothy off, he’d felt like he’d been burdened with a curse.
He’d not thought about what the boy was going through. He wouldn’t think of Timothy as his son.
“I … apologize.”
“You can save that shit for Timothy.”
“Why do you care so much?”
James snorted. “You’re for real right now. You know, I’m actually ashamed that I’ve been your friend for so long. I can’t believe for a second that you’re thinking like this. He’s a boy, Wayne. A kid and an innocent, which is how every boy and girl start out. Think about that the next time you’re glaring at him.”
His friend headed toward the office door.
“Where are you going?”
“Far away from you right now because I don’t want to be in your company.”
James slammed the door closed and Wayne sat back, running a hand down his face. He’d been a bastard, and he knew it.
Kids were not something he ever thought of having.
He had learned a long time ago that children were just pawns to be used, and he had no interest in bringing children into an uncertain world.
Wayne rubbed at his eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt tired, exhausted, and he didn’t know what to do.
When it came to running a billion-dollar company and being responsible for people’s jobs all over the world, he knew what to do. Put a four-year-old kid in front of him, and he was struggling. He didn’t know what to do or how to do it.
He was screwing everything up, and that wasn’t good. Timothy wasn’t to blame, no matter what happened, and Wayne had become a monster and treated him as if it was all his fault. He knew absolutely nothing about kids or what to do with them. They were not part of his life or his future.
His empire was what he cared about. Not sniveling little brats.
Timothy hadn’t been crying, though. No, because Wayne had been shouting, the little boy had been scared, and now he felt like the world’s cruelest man. He wasn’t a bad man. He just wasn’t a dad.
There was no way he knew how to be a dad.
His own dad hadn’t been around, and neither had his mother. Everything that he’d earned, he’d done it himself.
This was his life, and he didn’t have time for a kid that wasn’t his. There was no way Timothy was his, and as soon as he could, he was getting rid of him. He bagged his dick up every single time he was with a woman, and he never used condoms that were provided by the woman. There were a few rules he lived by, and he wouldn’t change, not for anyone.
Wayne tapped his finger on the desk.
Until he could prove Timothy wasn’t his, he needed to do something so that he didn’t have to deal with this kid.
A nanny was ideal, so he did a quick internet search and began to track down the perfect woman or man to take the job.
Being a wealthy businessman, he’d learned that throwing money at a problem always helped to fix it no matter what.
Within ten minutes, he’d lined up six nannies to interview, and all of them came really cheap.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard having a kid after all.
****
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to let you go.”
Temperance Michaels had expected the news for the past couple of days now, so it wasn’t all that much of a shock.
She’d been with the Thompsons for nearly three years, long before Robert married his current girlfriend, who couldn’t stand the idea of another woman being more important to his kids. What Catherine didn’t understand was that kids didn�
��t give a shit if you were an ex-supermodel or a world-famous singer, or even if you’re starring in the next big blockbuster.
Children cared about if you were going to turn up at their plays, or love their artwork, help them with homework, being there all the time, no matter the time of day or night.
Staring at Robert, her employer, she nodded.
There was no point in ranting or raving.
She didn’t believe in violence, nor did she believe in making a scene.
“I’m really sorry. It … didn’t work out.”
Robert was a very good-looking man, and he’d flirted with her a few times when she first came to live with him. From the start, she made him aware of her own boundaries, and how she wouldn’t be his little plaything when he wanted it.
“I will pack my things and leave immediately.” It would kill her, leaving the four children that varied in age from fourteen to four. Damn it, even now she was close to tears.
Robert and Catherine Thompson didn’t know what treasures they had.
It was easier to leave than to stick around as children tended to cause a scene, and parents always got angry, and she didn’t want them upset any more than needed.
“You’re not going to argue?” Robert asked. “Demand to know why?”
“I know why I’m leaving. There’s no need to bring it up. You want me gone, fine.” His latest wife wanted her gone.
Three days ago, Catherine had watched Robert’s youngest daughter Britney launch herself into Temperance’s arms and show her the new box that she’d made along with spelling out words they’d been practicing. When Catherine had tried to get a hug, Britney had pulled away and frowned at her.
From that moment on Catherine had made Temperance’s life difficult. New rules had come into effect that meant Temperance had to stay away from the kids for a period of time. They were stupid rules, but she had to remember that the Thompsons were her employers, so she didn’t argue.
She did her job to the best of her abilities, even if she was spewing hateful words in the back of her mind.
Catherine had hated her because as far as the other woman was concerned, Temperance was too fat for anyone to like. In fact, when she first met Robert’s latest girlfriend, Catherine had even tried to apologize for the kids’ behavior using the excuse that they could be cruel. There had even been a hint that Temperance should go on a diet.
The image of the Thompsons had to be flawless.
A size eighteen nanny didn’t fit with the image the great Catherine wanted to showcase to the world.
The kids hadn’t called her fat, nor had they treated her like dirt.
She’d been with the kids several months before Catherine finally arrived on the scene, but it looked like she was gone again.
Not that she blamed Robert or the family. Nannies were always replaceable. If she didn’t love kids so much, she’d have gotten a different job years ago.
Children were something she loved, though. She didn’t need a home of her own, or time to herself. When the kids were asleep she read, waiting for them to need her again. This had been her life now since she was eighteen years old and she was asked to babysit.
Getting to her feet, Temperance didn’t give Robert another look. If she was honest with herself, she was pissed that she had once again allowed herself to feel for a bunch of kids that were not her own.
Within the hour she’d packed her few belongings and headed toward the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry it had to be this way,” Catherine said, leaning against the doorframe. “Kids these days. They only need two parents.”
Robert stood a little behind her.
Temperance saw the gloating look on Catherine’s face. The other woman truly believed she’d won a contest or something. Whatever.
Temperance walked toward the kitchen, removed four lists from the refrigerator, along with two files of her own.
Placing them onto the counter, she looked at both parents.
“What’s this?” Robert asked.
“This is the current schedule for each of your four children. It’s tight, but providing you know where to be and when, you can get each of them to their play date, event, or hobby. This is the folder that has marked out all of their doctor, dentist, student, and teenager-slash-child obligations.” She placed them all down on the counter. There were over a hundred pages.
Robert looked at Catherine. “You are aware of this.”
“I’m sure it’ll be easy to take over.”
“Good. You can handle it.” He pushed all of the paperwork toward his wife. “After all, this was your decision.”
Temperance didn’t stick around. She always made files, notes, and prepared everything to organize for the following year. Working with kids, she made sure organization was key to every single job, no matter how long she’d be employed.
Climbing into her car, she headed toward the apartment she shared in the city. She rarely ever went home, but she’d learned long ago to always be prepared for moments like these.
If Robert and Catherine thought they could do a better job than she did, they could have at it.
“Stupid fucking rich people. They think they can do everything. Ha!” She burst out laughing recalling the horror on Catherine’s face and what the selfish bitch had to do.
Children were not like people that would amuse themselves.
She hoped the kids were okay, but she secretly hoped they gave Catherine hell.
So many people thought being a nanny was easy. She had a newsflash for a lot of them … it wasn’t. Being a nanny was hard fucking work. They were long days spent getting to know different children. Their ages ranged from two to eighteen. Then of course you had the nice kids, the spoiled brats, or the bastards that hated you for being a glorified babysitter.
The hours were long. The moment one child decided that four in the morning was a good day, you were pretty much up, and that was the start of your day.
She didn’t hate kids, though.
She loved the early mornings.
There were difficult children who hated her, but by the time she finished they adored her.
All Temperance wanted to do was be the adult. The voice of reason.
Pulling up in the parking lot of the apartment building she lived in, she grabbed her suitcase and headed upstairs.
Her roommate Lilah was an up-and-coming actress. They’d met in a bar and become friends years ago. By day Lilah worked hard as a waitress, going to auditions, screwing directors in an attempt to get parts, and partying at night, at least sometimes.
So when Temperance walked into their shared apartment and saw two men fucking her friend, she immediately closed the door.
Lilah had seen her and waved at her before she had, though. Sitting at the top of the stairs, Temperance pulled out her cell phone and began to scroll through the job sections. The agency she worked for would get in touch with a list of potential work, but she didn’t know if she wanted to do that anymore.
An hour passed, and finally the door to their apartment opened up. Two large guys left, and as she entered she saw Lilah, now wrapped in a robe, waiting for her.
“I had no idea you were coming today.”
“Clearly.” She hugged her friend and they headed toward the kitchen. “Were they friends?”
“Yep. They’re friends, coworkers if you’d like.”
“Did you land an acting job?” Temperance asked.
“Kind of. Let’s not talk about me. How about you? Why aren’t you babysitting some snots?”
“First, I’m a nanny, and second, I got fired. The angry new wife wanted to be a mommy.”
“Oh, no,” Lilah said. “What are you going to do?”
Temperance waved her phone in the air. “Look for new work. My room is still my own, right?”
“Yeah, of course. You’ve been paying rent since we got this place. I didn’t change anything. I went in there to clean it from time to time. I didn’t want cobwebs to grow.”<
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“Thanks, sweetie.” Temperance took the coffee that her friend slid across the counter. She took a sip and sighed. Lilah always did know how to make a good coffee. “So, two men? Why do I feel I’m not going to like this new job?”
She wasn’t a fool. A “kind of” acting job, the way Lilah bit her lip, and something in her gut told her she wasn’t going to like it.
“I was strapped for cash. I wouldn’t fuck the owner of the restaurant I was working at. I needed to make money quick, and a guy flashed me his card. I’m an adult star right now.”
Temperance stared at her friend. “Porn?”
“It pays the bills, and I’m loving it. Don’t judge, okay? It has been a rough couple of months.”
“Why didn’t you call me? You know I’d have helped you out.” The couples she’d worked for had always paid her well, and she had a small fortune tucked away in the bank.
“You were already paying for half of this place, and you weren’t here, Tempe. I don’t … I didn’t want any charity. I got into this mess on my own, and I’ll get myself out of it. In the meantime, I’m having some fun and earning some money.”
“That career is dangerous.”
“I get tested regularly. Please don’t judge.”
Temperance held her hands up. “I’m not judging. I’m just … worried.”
“Don’t be. Welcome home, and try to relax before you head off again, and you know, start working again. I feel at times that’s all you do.”
It was all she did do.
End of sample chapter
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