Chapter 5
Five
Julian
I'd been staring at Aria's employee file for the better part of an hour, telling myself I was just being thorough. Making sure everything was in order before she came in. That the direct deposit forms were ready. That I had all the benefit information printed and organised.
The truth was simpler and more complicated: I was looking forward to seeing her again.
Yesterday, meeting her with the kids, had gone better than I'd expected. She'd been warm, engaged, genuinely interested in each child. The way Hazel had gravitated toward her, the way all the kids had responded—it confirmed what Noah had said. She was special.
She was also beautiful in a way that made it difficult to concentrate on paperwork.
I closed the folder and leaned back in my chair. We'd all agreed to take this slowly. To let Aria settle in with the kids first, to build trust, to see if this arrangement could work before complicating it with anything else. It was the smart approach. The professional approach.
I just hadn't expected it to be quite this difficult.
A gentle knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in.”
The door opened and Aria walked in, and I felt that same pull I'd felt yesterday—the one I was supposed to be ignoring.
She had her hair up in a ponytail, with her bangs framing her face, and the morning light from my office window caught in her eyes. She was wearing fitted jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt with a scoop neck, casual but put-together.
"Good morning," she greeted, hovering near the door.
"Good morning," I replied, standing. "How are you today?"
"I'm wonderful, thank you." She stayed by the door, looking slightly uncertain.
I motioned to the chair across from my desk.
"Come on in, take a seat. This shouldn't take long.”
She walked in and settled into the armchair, setting her purse on the floor beside her.
"Do you have two forms of ID?"
"Yes." She reached into her purse and handed me her driver's licence and social security card without hesitation.
"Thank you." I took them and began entering the information into our system, grateful for something concrete to focus on.
I was setting her up as an employee of my company—Rivers and Co. I'd found a dying baking company years ago, invested in it, and brought it back to life. I'd been investing in companies ever since I understood how money worked, building my fortune so I could give Hazel the life she deserved.
Money had always run in my family, and though I didn't take up the tradition of bank management like my brother did, we'd eventually reconvened after college to resuscitate the company together. He managed the banks while I managed the accounting firm.
I'd never expected Hazel to go into banking if it wasn't what her heart desired. But my ex had tried to force her into our financial footsteps, tried to map out her entire future before she was even ten years old. It was part of the reason we'd ended up splitting up.
"Is everything okay?”
I looked up to find Aria watching me with concern on her face. I'd gotten lost in my thoughts, my hands still on the keyboard.
"Sorry, yes, just a little lost in thought." I handed her IDs back to her and passed over a folder of papers.
"Let me explain how everything works.”
Aria put her IDs away and turned her full attention to me.
"Okay."
That focus was distracting. I cleared my throat and continued.
"Myself, along with the other dads, each put our twelve-fifty into an escrow account once a month, and then the full seventy-five hundred is released to you monthly on a day of your choosing. Or we can do bi-monthly, on the fifteenth and the last day of the month. Which would you prefer?"
"The bi-monthly would be wonderful," Aria responded.
"Perfect. And do you have a bank account you'd like it deposited into, or would you prefer paper checks?"
Aria chuckled. "I actually prefer checks. Does that make me weird? I'm a physical papers kind of girl."
"Not weird at all." I found myself smiling.
"Give me one second while I process that request."
While I entered Aria's payment preferences, I noticed her gaze wandering around my office. Her eyes landed on a couple of my hunting photos—one of me holding a rifle, another with a trophy buck.
"It's my hobby," I said.
"I've never known anyone who hunts," Aria responded, her tone curious rather than judgemental. "I've always been curious though."
I finished processing her setup and folded my hands on the desk. "What do you want to know?”
"What do you like about it?"
"My whole life has been paperwork and banking and numbers," I said.
"When I was in college, my friend took me hunting with him and I fell in love with it immediately.
It gets me out of the office, lets me disconnect from everything else.
There's something about being out in nature, having to be patient and observant—it's meditative, in a way. "
Aria's eyes lit up with genuine interest.
"I can see that. It's so different from what you do every day.”
"Exactly." I found myself leaning forward slightly.
"Most people don't understand that part of it. They just see the trophy photos."
"Well, I think it's fascinating," she said, and I could tell she meant it.
We held eye contact for a moment longer than necessary, and I felt something shift in the air between us. Then I remembered where we were, what we'd agreed to, and I sat back.
"Maybe I'll get a chance to hear more about it sometime," Aria said, and there was something in her voice—interest, maybe even a hint of flirtation—that made my pulse quicken.
"I'll tell you about it whenever you'd like," I replied, keeping my tone professional even as I thought about how much I'd enjoy that conversation.
"Good to know," Aria responded. "Did you need anything else from me?”
I'd been enjoying her company so much I'd almost forgotten this was supposed to be a business meeting.
"Oh, no. I think I got everything I need. Benefit information will come in next week and then you can opt in or out. Whatever you decide, any added benefits will be covered by us outside of your monthly salary.”
Aria nodded. "I understand. Thank you."
I stood and walked around my desk to open the door for her. She gathered her purse and approached, and when she turned to look at me, I noticed a strand of hair had come loose from her ponytail.
Without thinking, I reached out and tucked it behind her ear, my fingers barely grazing her cheek.
"Have a wonderful rest of your day," I said quietly.
Aria's face flushed pink. "Th-thank you. You too."
I smiled at her reaction, then stepped back to give her space. She slipped past me into the hallway, and I watched her walk away, already looking forward to the next time I'd see her.
Back at my desk, I looked at her completed file and allowed myself a moment of hope. Maybe this arrangement would work. Maybe she really was the missing piece we'd been looking for.
And maybe, when the time was right, there could be something more.
But for now, I'd respect what we'd agreed to. I'd be patient. I'd let her settle in with the kids, let her get comfortable with all of us.
Even if every instinct I had was telling me she was worth the wait.