His Boss’s Daughter

by Ford, Mia

  “I have been here for months. I know what this boy needs, what he likes…”

  “I really don’t think that you do. And that’s my main issue.” Valencia purses her lips together, giving me a spiteful look. “Look, I would like you to stay around until the end of the month, that will give you plenty of time to find another job and place to live. I don’t want this to become a massive issue.”

  “Oh, fuck you!” she spits out. “You are serious, aren’t you? You mean this. You’re actually going to fire me. After everything that I have done for you, you’re going to leave me jobless and homeless. You’re a real pig, you are, Reece Moore. Just because I ask some perfectly reasonable questions about our living situation…”

  “It isn’t to do with the questions… or not just to do with the questions anyway. This hasn’t been working for a long while, and I think you know that. In fact, I’m sure that you do…”

  “I don’t know anything of the sort! This is really out of the blue for me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m sorry, Valencia, but I have already said that I will give you till the end of the month.”

  “Till the end of the month,” she sneers. “Do you really think that I can continue working for you now?”

  “Well, that’s how it works, isn’t it? People work their notice while looking for other employment.”

  “Do not pretend that you’re doing this for me, because you aren’t. This fucks me up completely.”

  I need to try and turn this around somehow. I want this to be a civilized conversation. I blame myself for the way that it’s gone. Instead of blurting out in the middle of trying to cook breakfast, which I now have to do one handed while trying to balance Oliver on one hip as well, I should have conducted a proper meeting.

  “Sorry, Valencia, if you would like to set up some time to talk about this later today…”

  “I don’t want to talk about this further. What more is there to say?” I don’t have an answer to that because I suppose she’s right. We have covered it all in this conversation, even if it wasn’t said in the most efficient way possible. I don’t suppose it will be more cordial in a meeting later on. “You’ve made this very clear. You want me out of your house, for no real reason the way that I can see it, and there’s no talking to you about it.”

  “I do want to talk to you about it…”

  “But you won’t change your mind.” I shake my head no. “Okay, so what the hell is the point?”

  “I do appreciate everything that you’ve done for me, Valencia, I just…”

  “You don’t appreciate me at all. You’re an asshole. I will get out of here today.”

  “Well, no you can’t today…” I call after her as she storms off. “I have to go to work…”

  But of course, she doesn’t care about that. Not at all. My job means nothing to her since I’ve just taken hers away. She doesn’t care about leaving me in the shit because I’ve just done the same to her.

  “Damn it.” I grab my cell phone and put in a call to the office. I speak to someone there about being unable to come in because of some trouble at home. Luckily, because I haven’t ever messed around before by taking a lot of time off, the woman in HR is very understanding about it and puts it down as a vacation day.

  Once I’ve done that, I wonder if I should try and speak to Valencia again about it again, to calm her down, but all the banging and yelling that’s coming from her room keeps me away. She’s furious, there isn’t any calming her down right now, no matter what I do. It’ll be better to just leave it.

  “Come on then, little man,” I say to Oliver. “Let’s get food cooked and head to my room. See… you know who. Tell her about all the chaos that I just created. She might get a kick out of it.”

  I’m trying to make a joke out of everything, but deep down I have a pit of fear growing in my stomach. It’s going to be complicated for a while, there are going to be some issues. It will get worse before it gets better, but at least I’m on the right track now. It will be better in the end and that’s the main thing. It’ll be better for Oliver, and that’s the most important thing. He needs to have the best life possible, Alexa has helped me to see that.

  Once I have the pancakes and bacon completed, I take it in to the bedroom to see Alexa sitting up in the bed with wide shocked eyes. The banging and crashing around is troubling her, I can see.

  “I told Valencia that I didn’t want her working for me anymore. It’s safe to say that she over reacted.”

  “Oh wow, that must have been… a hard conversation.”

  “It was. But it was a necessary. Things will be better once she’s gone.” I sigh and sit beside her. Oliver climbs off of me and heads towards Alexa. “I did try and get her to stay for a while, but she’s out.”

  “What about this little man today? Don’t you have to work? I would offer, but I’m working too…”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ve already called it in. I’m off work today. Gives me a chance to find someone new.”

  She pouts out her bottom lip. “I would love to stay here with you for the day.”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea anyway. Valencia is going to be… trouble.”

  She nods. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Still. If you get someone new, we might not have to sneak around quite as much. That would be good, wouldn’t it? We might be able to have more mornings like this one…”

  “Hmm, well I do like the sound of that, I have to admit.” I wink at her. “This morning was awesome.”

  We eat our breakfast and play with Oliver for a while, but soon Alexa has to go. Luckily, Valencia is still making a real drama up in her bedroom, so it’s easier than anticipated to sneak Alexa out. I even get a moment to kiss her at the door which gives me hope that today might not be the worst day of my life after all.

  And once all of this is over, who knows what the future will hold for me and Alexa. We may even be able to become something more. Anything is possible…

  Chapter Twenty

  Alexa

  It’s disappointing to leave what could be an amazing day with Reece and Oliver, but I do have to work a shift at the store, and I also don’t want to cross Valencia. Even less so when she’s in this mood. I thought that I’d seen the crazy side of her before, but today has been something else. She is wild. Reece is going to have one hell of a day with her. I’ll be amazed if he manages to get her out without tearing his home down today.

  Still, at least I may well get to spend more time with Reece after this. We can be that little bit freer. Anything that allows us to share something more like a relationship is absolutely fine by me.

  I head home first, needing to change in to something more work appropriate, but that doesn’t happen without a lecture from my father. He catches me on the way in and yells at me for walking away like I did last night in the middle of an argument, for disrespecting him under his own roof to go and spend time with ‘that girl’. But then he goes on to say that he hopes that I spent the night with ‘that girl’ rather than some idiot guy who isn’t going to respect me. I almost say that he’s contradicting himself, but I can’t be bothered. This isn’t my first rodeo with him and it won’t be the last either. I know that the best thing to do is remain silent and just take it.

  I allow my brain to drift off, tuning out every insulting word, and I think about how wonderful this morning was. The sex, of course, but just hanging out with Reece and Oliver was incredible too. It makes me think about a future, the life that we could have, given half the chance. It would be absolutely wonderful.

  Sure enough, soon he peters out. When I’m not giving it back to him, he only has so much to say. He gives up and lets me race to my room to change in to what I need to get me through the day. My work tee shirt and some smart black trousers. I scrape my hair back in to a pony tail so it isn’t in the way and I reach out for my make-up bag… but at the last moment, I remember that Reece prefers me without it, or he at least thinks that I’m as b
eautiful with or without, so I leave it. It’s less stressful not to have to bother painting my face.

  As I go, heading off to work, I have the same enthusiasm as before. I know that it’s going to be another amazing day. I’m going to sell like crazy and prove myself so much more worthwhile. Maybe I will even get the promotion offered to me, but I still don’t know if I’m going to take it. I kinda have my own ideas building in my head. I haven’t yet discussed them with anyone, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there, forming…

  * * *

  As I get back home, I’m itching to write down my plan. The more that I think about it, the more I want to just get started already. The urge to make my life better is growing by the moment and I feel like if I don’t get started with it, then I will explode. I now know what I want and how to go about it.

  I race up the stairs, ignoring the smell of dinner, and I head for my laptop. I pull it open excitedly and get a note book as well, to write down everything. I want to move out from under my father’s roof, to get an apartment of my own so I can conduct my affairs all by myself. Sure, he will still be mad if he finds out about me and Reece, but he won’t be able to give me the whole ‘not under my roof’ crap that he gives me all the time.

  I have some savings. Birthday money, Christmas gifts, money that my father has given me. I can use that to put down a deposit on a place that I can rent for a while. I can keep myself going until I get a job that pays me enough to keep me going. I could have done this a long time ago, but I’ve always been too scared.

  Not anymore. Fear won’t hold me back any longer. Now, I’m really ready for the world.

  Once I’ve found an apartment that I like, and I’ve booked a few viewings, the next part will come. The job hunt. I want something new, something thrilling, something that I can get excited about every single day, and I actually picked up some information today. Some fashion design companies that aren’t too far away. I don’t know if they are hiring or if they will even want me, but if I don’t try then I will never ever know.

  I will need a resume for that one, which I will have to do research for. I haven’t ever needed one before, so somehow, I’m going to have to sell myself and show my passion, all on one sheet of paper. But if I’m ever going to be able to do this, then it’s now. The fire has been lit underneath my butt and I’m ready to jump on the rocket ship and fly away. This is something that I will always be grateful to Reece for. He helped me to see that I am worth more, that I can do more, that I don’t need to be stuck in any kind of rut. The world is my oyster.

  I haven’t heard from him all day long, so I can only assume that he’s in the middle of Valencia drama still, but I can’t wait until I do see him again and I can tell him what I’m working on. I know he’ll be excited for me.

  My cell phone bleeps, and I jump, sure that it’s finally going to be him letting me know what’s going on… but it’s Rebecca’s name on the screen. I groan, wondering if she wants another night out. I’m definitely not up for that while all of this is going on, so I’m going to have to make an excuse…

  “What can I say?” I mutter to myself. “Something to do with my father? That always works…”

  Rebecca: Good job things didn’t go well with that asshole after all xxx

  Alexa: Huh? What are you talking about? Xx

  Rebecca: That guy… the one who you were seeing for a while. I’ve just started online dating again, trying to widen the pool a bit. I’m getting sick of the same old asshole, and I found this…

  I wait for a few moments, nervous as to what I’m going to see, and I’m right to feel that way. As soon as the screen shot image reaches my phone, I gasp in sheer shock. I cannot believe what I’m seeing. It’s Reece, with an online dating profile of his own. One that has been active recently, during the time that we have been seeing one another. He’s been looking for other women while spending time with me…

  “Oh my God.” I clap my hand to my mouth, gasping in shock. “Oh fuck. What the hell?”

  What do I do now? What the actual fuck? I cannot actually wrap my head around what I’m seeing. I though… well I thought that I was falling for this man. I’m pretty sure that I love him, and he does this? How could I have been so fooled? All those kind words, the way that he looked at me, made me feel… none of it was real. I was just a game to him. Is this my punishment for always playing games? Is this what I deserve?

  “No, no, no.” I leap up from my chair and drop my phone. “No, this isn’t my fault. I can’t always blame myself. This is him. He did this. He made these decisions. This is… I did nothing wrong.”

  And for once, I actually believe myself. I didn’t do anything wrong and I know it. I was good to him, I adored him. Yes, I made a foolish mistake when we were here at my house, but that doesn’t mean I deserve this.

  “My judgement… it can’t be trusted. It can’t. That’s the only thing I can be blamed for.”

  I pace the room, allowing all of these crazy emotions to race through me. I couldn’t switch them off even if I wanted to, but I don’t know if I do. I need to feel all of this before I can move on. This is the worst heart break that I have ever experienced and I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.

  I chew down on my thumb nail, needing something solid to keep my feet on the ground, while I try to calm myself down. I need to be cool before I take the next step, I can’t do anything rash and crazy.

  “Alexa,” Dad yells up the stairs, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Are you coming down to eat?”

  “No… I’m not hungry,” I cry back. I can’t face anyone through all of this.

  “You have to eat something. Don’t start playing up like this.”

  “No, no, that’s not it. I just… I have a lot to do.”

  I hope that will be enough to deter him, but his footsteps begin making their way up the stairs. In a panic, I shut my laptop quickly so he doesn’t see me looking at apartments, I will tell him about that when I’m in the right frame of mind to face that conversation, and I chuck my phone on the floor. In a moment of reaction, I jump in to bed, deciding to play sick instead. That’s the safest option right now. He might believe that.

  “Oh, you’re hung over,” he sneers when he sees me. “I didn’t realize that.”

  “I’m not, I think I’m a bit sick…” I try, but he doesn’t want to hear it.

  “Well, I will bring some food up for you. There’s no point in you not eating, it will only make you feel worse.”

  “You don’t need to do that, I think that I will just sleep a while.”

  “You can sleep afterwards, can’t you?” Dad rolls his eyes. “You do need to take care of yourself, you know.”

  “Yeah, I try,” I reply weakly.

  “Well, you aren’t doing a very good job of it. You need to try harder. Starting with this.”

  I nod, I can just throw it out after a while. I don’t need to actually eat it. After seeing that image of Reece on a dating website, my appetite has long gone. I don’t think I will ever be able to eat again. The idea of putting food in to my mouth just makes me want to gag. He’s absolutely destroyed my digestive system.

  Sickness swirls in my stomach, I can see him every time I close my eyes. Just because I have been at his home every single night, it doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been contacting other women, planning his next victim for when it all falls apart. Maybe what he told me was a lie, and he has actually been with other people since his marriage ended. Or maybe he hasn’t, but I’ve opened the gate way for him, got him back on the horse.

  Either way, I need to pull away before I end up with a shattered heart. More than it already is right now. I just wish that I’d known I wouldn’t be anything serious. I did at first, but then I let myself dream. I don’t even know if he led me on or I did it to myself. I feel stupid and idiotic all the same.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Reece

  I frown as I put my phone down on the table after trying cal
ling again. Alexa isn’t picking up for some reason, which is really strange. I know that she’s finished work, the shop closed hours ago, but she isn’t talking to me. This morning was amazing, there isn’t any reason that she’d be ignoring me… which has me worried. I can’t stop myself from freaking out and fearing that something really bad has happened.

  Stop it, I warn myself. Don’t get carried away, you idiot. There will definitely be some reason.

  “I think that the least you can do is pay for my cab!” Valencia’s shrill voice bursts through my home. She’s been doing this on and off all day long, driving me insane. “I need to get out of here somehow.”

  She enters the room with her face like thunder. Fury explodes across her expression as our eyes meet.

  “I already said that I would pay you until the end of the month…”

  “But I do not want to stay here. I do not want to be around you.”

  “Okay then sure. I will pay for the cab.” I shake my head, frustrated. “Whatever it takes.”

  I just want her gone now, I want her out of my life so I can start to move on. There is so much to be done now, and I want to get started right away. Out of respect, I cannot begin to look for a new nanny while Valencia is still here. Also, I won’t be able to do it until she’s gone, because she’s making so much noise. I don’t know anyone who needs to take such a long time, who needs to make so much noise, packing up.

  “Right, and I might need the money for a hotel as well.”

  “You don’t have a home to go to?” I demand, starting to lose my patience. “Because it feels like you’re just taking the piss a bit now. I will admit that things weren’t handled perfectly. But I offered you a good solution to the problem and you absolutely refused to take it. You didn’t need to leave right away…”