Chapter 7 #2
“Of course. I don’t have time to do laundry.
I run a multi-million-dollar business. Not to mention all the traveling from here to the office and back, business trips.
” He wet his lips slowly, and I was annoyed by the way the butterflies in my stomach came alive from that gesture.
“Because I am so busy, it will probably be a while before I’m able to replace the staff, so it will just be you and me around here for a while.
I do use a lot of dry cleaning, so you won’t have a tremendous amount of my laundry to deal with.
Monica picks up the dry cleaning for me. ”
“And Sophia,” I added on, circling back to who would be in the house.
“Of course,” he replied. He paused for a moment before going on. “You’ll have off every Thursday and every other Saturday. Those days are not negotiable. It’s the only days I was able to have the ladies from work come and sit with Sophia.”
I nodded. “That’s fine.”
He pulled out the contract and put it on his desk, sliding it across to me. “One last thing.”
My brows knitted together as I met his gaze.
“No dating.”
“What? Why?”
“I want your focus to be on my daughter, not worrying if some guy is at a frat party you can’t attend, cheating on you.”
I took a deep breath as I thought it over. Thanks to my recent breakup, I wasn’t really looking to jump back into another relationship anyway.
“OK,” I agreed with a nod of my head.
He held out a pen with a brittle smile.
I couldn’t help but feel like I was about to sign a contract with the devil.
I even hesitated for a moment, but something inside of me pushed me forward.
I needed to sign that contract. Not only for myself and my need for a job and a place to live, but also for Sophia.
She needed me. She needed family. She needed consistency.
And my signing that paper would give us both what we needed.
I took the pen from his hand and signed my name on the paper.
He yanked the pen out of my hand the second I had written my name and pulled away the contract almost like he was afraid I’d destroy it. “Monica is waiting to show you to your room and introduce you to your niece.”
I nodded and stood, turning for the door.
“Oh, Sasha?”
I turned back to look at him.
“Don’t make me regret this.”
I didn’t say a word. I just pushed out the door. I found myself breathless the moment I stepped into the hallway. My heart was racing as I’d just escaped a meeting with the devil. Goosebumps were prickling my skin, and a knot in my stomach that had yet to release itself.
Monica stepped around the corner, coming to a stumbling stop. “Oh, you’re finished?”
I nodded.
“And you signed the contract?” Worry clouded her face.
Again, I nodded, still a little too breathless for words.
“I’ll show you to your room. Right this way.” She breezed past me, moving further down the hallway and up the stairs. She opened the door on the second floor of the apartment and entered a room. “Welcome home, Sasha.”
I stepped into the room, and my mouth fell open as I took it in. It was big and gorgeous. I knew that it was something that Roman’s designer had done because there was no way he’d done this himself.
The floors were made of a dark hardwood that matched the hallway. The walls were white. The cathedral ceiling and skylights left my mouth agape in awe. The windows were floor-to-ceiling and overlooked the city skyline.
I was lucky enough to get a room with a balcony, and when I stepped up to the glass doors, I found the balcony extended quite far, with a tall glass enclosure.
I winced, thinking I’d have a panic attack if I stepped out there.
There was a lovely patio area with a small table, chairs, and some flowers.
Despite how pretty it was, there was no way in hell I’d open those doors and go outside. We were on the thirty-fifth floor. The fall would not be pleasant if a strong breeze blew through, even if the railing was nearly to my chest.
I turned away from the windows to explore the room further.
There was an electric fireplace made of stone.
A large flatscreen TV hung above it, and there was a couch with tables and lamps for my own, private living area.
The large king-size bed was positioned against the front wall, featuring all-white and cream-colored linens that looked soft and inviting.
“You also have your own private bath and walk-in closet,” Monica said, beaming a wide smile. “Once Roman decided to have a live-in nanny for Sophia, he thought giving them their own suite would be best.”
I opened the closet and stepped inside. It looked like something out of a movie, with its built-in hanging racks, shelves, and drawers.
I didn’t have nearly enough clothes to fill the space, but it was impressive nonetheless.
The closet had a door in the back that led to the bathroom.
The bathroom was fresh, clean, and up to date, which I appreciated.
There were his-and-hers sinks with a massive mirror and vanity.
A gigantic whirlpool bathtub stood in front of a large window overlooking the city, with a separate glass shower just next to it.
Monica stepped into the room and leaned against the door frame. “The window is tinted so you can only see out.”
“This is amazing.”
She smiled. “I thought you’d like it. I haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t. Are you ready to meet Sophia?”
Her name made me stop dead in my tracks.
I turned to face her with a nod of my head.
I hadn’t seen my niece since my sister’s funeral.
She was just a tiny baby then. I’d seen the photos that Roman had around the house, so I was already prepared for how much she resembled my sister, but I wanted to see her with my own two eyes.
“Right this way.”
I followed Monica out of my room and down the hall. She knocked and then opened another door, leading me into a child’s bedroom. It was almost set up like mine, only it was more appropriate for a child. There was a bedroom area, but instead of a private sitting room, it was a playroom full of toys.
When she walked in through the archway, a woman and Sophia both looked up at us.
“Sophia, I’d like to introduce you to your new nanny. This is Sasha.”
Sophia’s blue eyes locked on mine, stealing the air from my lungs.
I knew she looked like my sister, but there was something in her eyes that told me it was so much more than that.
She felt like my sister, not physically, but spiritually.
For years, I’d been looking for a way to feel close to her.
I thought I’d feel her at the house she called home, but I didn’t.
I thought her childhood bedroom would do the trick, but it was completely empty.
My last effort was her headstone, but that didn’t work either.
All those years I spent looking and coming up empty-handed, and all I needed to do was look into the eyes of her child.
I forced a smile onto my face as I tried to will away the tears forming in my eyes.
“Hi, Sophia. I’m Sasha. Can I play with you?”
She smiled widely and nodded. She stood and ran over to me, where she took my hand.
“Tea!” she chirped, pulling me to the small table in the corner of the room where she had some dolls sitting.
She threw one of the dolls to the floor, so I took that as my sign to sit in the tiny chair.
When I did, she shoved a tiny glass teacup into my hands.
I watched as she took the matching tea pitcher and pretended to pour tea into my cup. Then I raised the cup to my lips.
I acted like the tea had burned my lip by pulling the cup away and gasping.
“Ouch! That’s hot,” I teased, making her giggle.
That sound made my heart grow wings and fly from my chest. I knew I’d never be the same again.
That little girl had stolen my heart in a second, and I knew I’d do anything for her.
I’d love her and protect her like she were my own child because that’s exactly what she deserved. She finally had a family.
Sophia and I played pretend for the rest of the evening with Monica watching from off in the distance.
We had tea, played with dolls, and moved on to coloring before bed.
I didn’t have a problem getting her down, and she fell asleep before I had even finished the story I was reading.
I watched her sleep for a moment, suddenly thankful that my mom had called and made me promise to try to get this job.
But it wasn’t a job.
It was everything I’d been needing.