Chapter 3
Jason
It’s late Saturday afternoon when the doorbell rings, announcing Mila’s arrival. She’s fifteen minutes early for her first shift, her punctuality already a promising sign, and something about that brings a small smile to my face.
I open the door to find her standing there, dressed casually in a bright yellow T-shirt and white denim shorts that enhance her golden, toned legs.
Her warm, whisky-brown eyes shimmer as she offers me a shy smile, while a butterfly hairclip pins back one side of her dark, shoulder-length hair.
In that moment, I can’t help but be struck by how beautiful she looks.
I quickly snap out of it before she catches me gawking and flash her a wide grin. “Miss Rivera! Bright and early once again. I’m seriously impressed!” I step aside, giving her space to enter. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you,” she says softly as she steps past me and pauses to wait.
I close the door behind me and lead us towards the kitchen, calling out for Jake as we pass the flight of stairs.
A moment later, he bursts from his room and barrels down the stairs like a hyperactive baby rhino, nearly stumbling over the last step in his rush to meet us.
I grab him by the shoulders to steady him before he faceplants onto the floor. “Woah! Slow down, son, you’re going to bust a lip again,” I warn him.
He looks up at me with the same green eyes as mine, his sandy blonde curls a wild, tangled mess, and an orange smear stains the corners of his mouth. There are only ever two ways you’ll find my kid—either up to no good or passed out on some random surface after stuffing his face with too much food.
“What were you doing in your room?” I ask my five-year-old with a look of suspicion.
He shrugs casually. “Playing Super Mario and eating Cheetos Puffs.”
“Didn’t I tell you that’s not proper food?” I reply, raising an eyebrow at him.
“If it’s not proper food, then why do you buy it?” he quips.
Mila snorts then quickly covers her mouth to stifle it. Jake and I both glance at her.
“Sorry,” she smirks, “but he has a point.”
I pin her with an expression that says she’s clearly a traitor, and it only makes her chuckle more. I look down at my quick-witted son and introduce him to his new babysitter.
“Jake, this is Mila. You remember her, right? She’s Aunty Skylar’s little sister.”
Jake looks up at her, tilting his head to one side and blinking slowly, as though he’s determining whether he recognises her. “You don’t look like Aunty Skylar.”
“Well, that’s because she looks more like our mother and I look exactly like my dad,” she replies.
“Is she visiting too? I miss her,” he says, glancing towards the door as if expecting her to walk in any moment.
Mila and I look at each other, neither of us not knowing how to respond. Then, Mila crouches down to Jake’s level, gazing at him with a warm, gentle smile. “No, sweetie. Your Aunty Skylar won’t be coming today, but I’ll make sure to tell her that you miss her very much.”
Okay, that’s good—short and sweet. Just how I would’ve done it. She’s already handling my kid like a pro.
I clear my throat. “Mila’s here because she’ll be looking after you while I’m at work.
She’s your new babysitter. Are you okay with that?” For some reason, I hold my breath, waiting for his answer. Maybe because if Jake says no, I honestly don’t know what I’ll do.
After what feels like an eternity, Jake finally responds. “Do you like Super Mario Kart?” he asks Mila, his expression turning serious.
Still kneeling, Mila breaks into a wide grin. “Played it since I was a kid. It’s one of my favourite games,” she answers genuinely.
Jake’s face instantly lights up, and he quickly turns his attention back to me. “Okay, Dad, she can stay.” With that, he strolls into the living room, the sound of the TV following just moments later.
As soon as my eyes meet Mila’s, we both crack up laughing. My kid is truly something. I stretch out my hand for Mila to stand, and she takes it. “That went well, don’t you think?”
She snorts again and shakes her head. “He’s adorable, and pretty wise for someone so young. I think I’ll have my work cut out for me.”
“Yes, don’t be fooled by those innocent green eyes and golden curly locks. He can be quite the little menace when he wants to be. But underneath it all, he’s a really sweet kid once you get to know him.”
“I’m really looking forward to it.” She smiles, her eyes reflecting sincerity.
For a moment, we stand in awkward silence, neither of us sure what to say next. A quick glance at my watch reminds me I’ve only got ten minutes to spare before I need to be at work.
“I should probably get going,” I say, pointing a thumb towards the front door.
“Jake’s dinner is in the fridge—just heat it up in the microwave for three minutes.
He also had a bath a couple of hours ago, so no need for another one tonight unless you decide to take him for a swim in the pool.
His bedtime is at eight. He likes to watch a movie just before and then have a story read to him before he falls asleep. ”
She nods in understanding. “Dinner, fridge, microwave, no bath unless he goes for a swim, movie, story, then bedtime at eight. Got it!” she repeats, counting off each step on her fingers.
I shake my head and chuckle, clearly impressed by her attentiveness.
“I’ll keep my phone on me if you need to contact me.
If I don’t respond, just call the restaurant.
The number’s on the fridge.” I pat the back of my jeans to make sure I’ve got my phone and wallet, then call out to Jake.
“Alright mate, I’m going now. Wanna say goodbye to your old man? ”
Seconds later, I hear the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, and Jake comes charging around the corner, flinging himself at me and clinging tightly to my leg.
Knowing exactly what he wants me to do, I turn and head towards the front door with Jake still wrapped around my leg like a spider monkey, giggling with every step I make.
Mila follows closely behind, watching us quietly with an amused expression on her face.
As we reach the door, I gently lift Jake off my leg and hold him close, wrapping him in a gentle hug. “You be good for Mila, okay. I’ll be back later tonight. Love you buddy,” I whisper into his ear as I plant a kiss on the side of his head.
I feel him nod against the crook of my neck before he pulls back to look at me.
“Make big money, Dad. Love you too.”
I glance over at Mila, who raises an eyebrow at me in question, and I simply shrug in response. Who knows where my boy picked up that line from, but he says it nearly every time I leave for work, and it never gets old.
Jake gives me one last hug before I carefully set him down on his feet. Reaching for my keys from the bowl on the hallway table, I open the door and make my way towards my Ranger, taking each step slowly.
As I reach my car, I glance over to find Mila and Jake watching me by the door, their hands now clasped together. They wave in unison, and the sight of them somehow makes my chest warm. Why do I suddenly feel the urge to run back inside?
Shaking the thought from my mind, I quickly slide into the driver’s seat and start the ignition, the engine roaring to life with a powerful hum.
Minutes later, I’m reversing out of the driveway and onto the road.
As I drive the short distance to work, my mind floats to the image of Mila in her short denim shorts, looking absolutely stunning—only to snap back to reality when I remember she’s Skylar’s baby sister.
Nope! Not even going to go there! I haven’t been with a woman in such a long time, and this dry spell is starting to make me think stupid. I need to get a grip, fast, before I do something completely out of character—like, I don’t know, hitting on my son’s new babysitter.
The door to my office swings open and in strides my bar manager, Chris, with his hands on his hips. “It’s fucking mayhem out there!” he exclaims, letting out a frustrated sigh.
“What do you expect? It’s Saturday night, and we’ve got an eighteenth birthday party booked.”
He drops into the seat across from my desk with a thud. “Ah, fuck! I totally forgot about that. Thought that was next weekend.”
“Nope. It’s tonight my friend.”
“Do you think there’ll be any hotties at that party tonight?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Bro, they’re eighteen!”
“They’re legal. What’s your point?”
“My point is, you’re old, balding, and smell like blue cheese.” He’s none of those things actually. In fact, Chris rocks that rugged, tattooed Viking look. And that motorcycle of his—a total hit with the ladies. “Now, what can I do for you?”
He leans forward, resting his forearms on my desk. “I need more staff, or at least another bartender for Friday and Saturday nights. It’s getting too busy for the bar staff to handle on their own,” he informs me, the playful tone from earlier now replaced by a more serious expression.
Over the past year and a half, the restaurant has experienced an increased growth in customers, largely thanks to our excellent Google reviews and the exposure we’ve gained through social media.
While this has been incredibly beneficial for business, my biggest challenge now is finding good, reliable staff to work. Despite putting in the effort to be an effective and supportive manager, turnover has always been an issue, with people continuously coming and going.
“I’ll put up an advertisement tonight. If any of the staff know someone who might be interested, have them send them our way too.”
“We’ll need to find someone ASAP. Kayla is about to have my head on the chopping board if I ask her to do another double shift.”
I nod slowly, pausing for a moment as I weigh my options, trying to figure out the fastest way to find staff without relying on a recruitment agency.
Their fees are such a strain on my budget that I’d rather handle the job myself.
“My new babysitter is a uni student. I’ll ask if she can spread the word on campus.
I’m sure there are plenty of students looking for part-time or casual work. ”
Chris leans back, his arm casually draping over the back of the chair. “Oh, that’s right. You hired Skylar’s little sister as your new sitter, didn’t you?”
I nod, knowing exactly what he’s about to say next.
A wicked grin spreads across his face. “She’s a little pocket rocket, that one. A total tease. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’d be able to control myself around her if she were strutting around my house,” he confesses, with a hint of mischief in his tone.
“Well, it’s a good thing she doesn’t work for you then. And just so you know, I have a lot more self-control than you do,” I reply. “I’ve known her since she was in her early teens. There’s no way I’d ever cross that line.”
“Bullshit! You’re telling me you’re not even a little tempted?
From what I remember of the last time she walked into our bar, she looked a lot like that hot actress—what’s her name again?
” He snaps his fingers as he searches his memory.
“Phoebe Tonkin! That’s the one. She’s fucking sexy as hell!
” “Come on, man! That’s enough! I don’t want to be thinking of her in that way. ”
“How old is she?” he asks curiously.
I lift a shoulder. “Not sure. I’ve never asked. Probably in her early to mid-twenties.”
“So she’s still ripe and in her prime. Even better!” he says, a little too enthusiastically. “You know, there’s no harm in having a bit of fun on the side. You’re both adults. I bet my left nut that she’d be open to it. Those young ones always are.”
“No.”
“Aww… not even for me?” He pouts.
“Especially not for you, dickhead!” I quip, snatching the pen in front of me and hurling it at his head. It bounces off his forehead and onto the hardwood floor with a clunk. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“Yes, I do,” he answers as he rises from his seat. “But this conversation isn’t over.”
I shake my head, dismissing him, and turn my focus back to the computer screen.
When I think he’s already left my office, I hear him call out from the doorway.
“Don’t make me wait too long for an update. Even if you just accidentally brush against her tits, I want to hear about it.”
“That’s sexual assault, you idiot! Now, get out of here!” I reach for another pen and throw it at him, but he quickly shuts the door, making the pen hit the back instead.
Great. Now he’s got me thinking about Mila’s breasts. They’re definitely a ten—not too big, not too small—just perfect for her petite frame. No! What the hell! Fucking Chris and his filthy mind!
I meant it when I said I’d never cross that line with her. Skylar and Kaden would string me up by the balls if I even thought about going after Mila, and I don’t even want to imagine what my ex-wife would do. Nope! Not going to go there. Not a bloody chance!