Next Door Daddy Read online

  * * *

  I hoped that I would wake up the next morning with another application waiting for my attention, but it hasn’t happened. I roll out of bed with a groan, rubbing my temples. It was difficult to fall to sleep last night, and I’m feeling the lack of sleep now.

  But I have a young child, so I need to get up and see to her. Alicia has been perfectly sweet the last few days, at least; she seems to know that she did something wrong, but she isn’t repentant enough to not do it again.

  Speaking of…

  If I listen hard, I can hear her downstairs, probably playing with her toys while she waits for me to get up. I’m almost tempted to close my eyes for just a little longer, since it sounds like she’s playing contentedly, but I know I don’t have long before she comes to find me.

  So I drag myself up and, yawning, I make my way downstairs in just a pair of comfortable pants and a loose shirt. I wonder, in some amusement, what the public would think if they could see me now.

  “Alicia,” I call as I reach the lower level.

  There’s a clatter of something being dropped, and then Alicia is running from the living room, a wide smile on her face.

  “Daddy!” she says cheerfully, throwing herself at me.

  I catch her and feel a smile tugging reluctantly at my lips. Alicia has been the cause of every problem I’ve had over the last few days, but it’s impossible not to feel happy at her presence. She’s a handful, but she’s my little girl.

  “Sleep well?” I ask, allowing her to latch onto my hand.

  “Yep!” Alicia says, pulling me in the direction of the kitchen. “I’m hungry!”

  I laugh. “I can see that.”

  I put some toast in the toaster, and consider my daughter. Maybe it will be better if I just forgo the nanny and stay home from now? The constant turn-around of nannies is probably upsetting Alicia, even if she is the primary cause of that, and I can’t take the stress of wondering where I will find the next one.

  Then I remember, with a sigh, the large deal that I am in the process of trying to close. Angel Apparel, the clothing company that I built from the ground up, is trying to link hands with an international modeling agency. The boost we will both get from the partnership is more than worth the stress of making the deal, but there are still a lot of things that need to be taken care of, such as the financials.

  Possibly, if we work hard, we can get the deal closed within the week. But that still leaves me with needing a nanny for Alicia for a little while longer.

  “Alicia?” I ask as I set a plate in front of my daughter. She looks up curiously. “Do you know the lady next door?”

  “No,” Alicia says bluntly, crunching on some toast.

  I sigh. Part of me hoped that Alicia would recognize Zoe, making the introductions easier for everyone, but it seems that my daughter is as oblivious to our neighbors as I am.

  Still…I have no other choice.

  Before I can change my mind, I send Zoe an email, telling her that she has the job and that her duties are to start tomorrow morning.

  Then I grimace. I really hope I won’t come to regret this.

  Chapter Six

  Zoe

  “I got it! I got the job!”

  My hand trembles in excitement as I stare at the email that I woke to, still barely able to believe that this is real. Seth didn’t seem as impressed as I had hoped at the interview, likely over my lack of qualifications.

  It’s hard to remember if I did something that made him employ me anyway. Sitting right in front of the man, trying not to stare too much at him, had taken up most of my thoughts.

  “No experience, no qualifications… He must have been desperate,” Katherine says from the phone’s speaker, amused.

  “Yeah,” I admit. “I’ve seen how many nannies he’s had. I’ve lost count by now.”

  “You’ve said,” Katherine says, her frown clear. “Have you ever figured out why all the nannies keep leaving?”

  “No,” I say; it’s something that has been weighing on my mind, as well. “I wanted to ask at the interview, but Seth didn’t bring it up and I wasn’t sure if I should.”

  “From what you said, Seth isn’t around much, so I doubt it’s him that’s causing the nannies to quit,” Katherine mused.

  “Yeah; normally they leave the house right after he gets home,” I agree. “Some last longer than others, but they all end up quitting.”

  “Maybe it’s the daughter that’s the problem?” Katherine suggests.

  I laugh. “She’s only five-years-old, Katherine. What could she be doing that runs off so many nannies?”

  “Kids can be terrors, sometimes,” Katherine says sagely. “You should see my niece; she’s an evil scientist in training.”

  “Lucy is twelve,” I point out.

  “And when she was five, she was the world’s biggest brat,” Katherine counters, laughing. “Do you know anything about the kid?”

  “Just that she’s five and she has some separation anxiety issues,” I say.

  “Ah,” Katherine says, as though that explains everything. “So you have a very rich little girl who doesn’t like being separated from her father. That might explain why she’s been running off nannies.”

  “I just think those nannies aren’t worth the qualifications they apparently have,” I argue, rolling my eyes. “She’s just one little girl. How hard could it be to look after her?”

  “I’ll remind you of that later,” Katherine promises. “So, when do you start?”

  “Tomorrow,” I say, reading the email again, searing the words in my mind.

  Zoe,

  After careful consideration, I have decided that you are an acceptable candidate for the job. Please arrive at 8.30 tomorrow morning so that I can introduce you to my daughter.

  Seth

  The message is short and just this side of polite, as though Seth isn’t sure if he wanted to offer me the job, but that doesn’t matter. I am under his employment, now. I can prove to him that I’m up for the job.

  “You do realize that you’re not going to be spending a lot of time with Seth, don’t you?” Katherine says, breaking into my thoughts. “You’re going to be spending most of your time with his daughter. At most, you’ll see him in the morning as he leaves, and then you might get to speak to him briefly when he gets home, tired from work.”

  “I’ll just make use of the time I have,” I decide.

  Katherine is silent for a moment.

  “I know you want to seduce him,” she says bluntly, and I wince. “Just remember what you’re there for.”

  “I won’t forget,” I assure her.

  I’ll be there as Seth’s daughter’s nanny. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take advantage of the opportunity in front of me.

  Before I do anything else, though, I need to sort out one other problem. Hopefully, my current job will be okay with me quitting at such short notice.

  * * *

  As eight o’clock rolls around the next morning, I find myself ready. I sit at my table with a rapidly cooling cup of coffee. Seth’s email asks me to be at the house at eight thirty, but it feels foolish to wait that long when it’s right next door.

  I take a look down at my clothes once more. Choosing what to wear was agonizing; I want to look good enough to impress Seth but, at the same time, I need to remember that I will be working with a child for most of the day.

  As such, I am wearing a pair of worn jeans and a loose shirt that I can move around in. The shirt also has the added benefit of sitting nicely in all the right places; the collar not low enough to be indecent, but it will certainly draw attention if Seth looks.

  Which he will. I saw the way his eyes were drawn to me at the interview as I leaned towards him, or when I bent over to get my bag. It gives me some hope to know that there is some form of physical attraction between the two of us.

  Now, however, is the time to learn more about him. My days of pining for someone unattainable from afar are done; the
real Seth Gray is now in my life.

  I look at the clock again. Barely a minute has passed.

  “Okay, no more waiting,” I decide, standing.

  I grab my bag, lock up my house and take a deep breath before walking toward the open gate. I can see Seth’s car already waiting, and the driver watches me curiously as I leave my garden and enter his employer’s yard. His eyes widen and then he grins at me with a thumbs up.

  I laugh; I have never met the man, and I don’t even know his name. But it’s nice to see that he’s happy for me.

  The front yard is a lot larger than I expected. Looking at it out of my kitchen window is a lot different to standing among the beautifully-colored flowers that decorate the side of the path. There’s a huge, weeping cedar tree just off to the side, and a fountain on the other. My step falters at this display of money; I don’t know whether this is a good idea anymore.

  Still, it’s too late to back out. I’m here, now, and Seth is waiting for me. I gather my courage as I reach the front door, and press the doorbell.

  It rings somewhere inside; a strangely normal sound for such a grand place. I listen carefully until I hear the sound of footsteps, and I straighten as the door opens.

  If I think Seth looks good in casual clothes, it’s nothing on how he looks half-dressed in his suit. He is obviously in the process of doing up his tie; the top buttons on his shirt are unbuttoned, showing just a hint of his smooth chest, and his blue tie is hanging around his neck. The cuffs around his wrists are also loose, and I see the glint of a silver watch.

  My mouth runs dry, and I clamp it shut before any embarrassing sounds can leave it.

  “Zoe?” Seth asks, clearly startled to see me. “You’re early.”

  “I know,” I say, clearing my throat. “I hope you don’t mind. I thought if I came over early, you wouldn’t have to rush through introductions and information as much.”

  He blinks at me, and then he smiles. He had smiled at me a few times during the interview, but those expressions had been tight and anxious. Now, however, the smile blooms across his face, wiping away some of the worry lines on his forehead, and it makes me smile back.

  “Thank you,” he says, stepping back to allow me inside. “Alicia has been a bit…problematic this morning.”

  “How so?” I ask, looking around.

  It’s more normal inside than I had expected, with soft, cream walls and plush blue carpet. There’s a portrait on the wall, of Seth, a baby girl who must be Alicia, and a woman with short, blonde hair and a soft smile.

  The mother, perhaps? I wonder where she is.

  “She’s…” Seth hesitates. “You said you noticed that I have a lot of nannies, right?”

  “Yes?” I say, confused.

  “Alicia is a bit of a handful,” he continues slowly. “She wants me to stay home, but that’s impossible.” He runs an agitated hand through his hair. “You should probably meet her before anything else.” He looks up the stairs and raises his voice. “Alicia! Zoe’s here!”

  “Go away!” I hear from upstairs, the voice muffled.

  Seth rubs the bridge of his nose.

  “She’s a bit upset,” he offers.

  That’s an understatement. Unbidden, Katherine’s words from yesterday morning rise in my mind. She said that Alicia might be the cause of the nannies quitting. It seems ridiculous, but…

  “I’ll get her downstairs before I leave,” Seth promises. “Do you mind? I was in the middle of getting ready. You can look around and familiarize yourself with the house.”

  “Thanks,” I say as he rushes upstairs.

  Left alone, I look around, a little lost. I can see a massive kitchen to the left, gleaming and sparkling clean. There are a few more doors ahead of me, and all but one are closed. I head to the open door and peer inside.

  It’s a huge lounge room with a television set into the wall and a plush-looking couch sitting in front of it. One side of the room is covered with toys and there’s a desk on the other side, covered in papers and crayons. This, then, must be the room where Alicia spends most of her time.

  “No!”

  I jump, and swing around at the sound of thunderous footsteps on the stairs. I peer out the doorway, just in time to see a small blur with blonde hair race into the kitchen. Seth is on his heels, looking harassed as he shrugs his jacket on, his tie now firmly in place.

  “Should I…?” I ask warily.

  “Yeah…come meet Alicia,” Seth says with a brief, humorless smile.

  Feeling suddenly nervous, I follow Seth into the kitchen. A little girl is sitting at a massive dining room table, a childish scowl on her face as she glares at me.

  “Alicia, this is Zoe,” Seth tries. “She’s going to be looking after you today. Do you have anything you want to say to her?”

  She tosses her head and pointedly looks away. Seth sighs and I can suddenly see how this little girl could possibly be the reason why so many nannies have quit.

  “Alicia,” Seth says again, warning in his voice.

  Alicia’s shoulders stiffen. Then, reluctantly, she turns to look at me.

  “Hello,” she mumbles.

  “Hello, Alicia,” I say, smiling at her. Maybe she’s just nervous about being left alone with a stranger.

  She doesn’t smile. Her lips form a pout and her eyes become glassy as she looks at her father.

  “Daddy…” she whines.

  “I’m sorry, honey, but I have to go to work,” Seth apologizes.

  Alicia’s face falls, and she looks away again, crossing her arms. Where is the cute little girl that I always see playing in the yard?

  “She might be a little trouble,” Seth mutters to me. “Just do your best.” He pauses as I process this, unable to believe that it is the only advice he can give me. “If she gets too out of hand, remind her that I promised to take her for ice cream on the weekend.” He shrugs at my blink. “We rarely get to do much together, so telling her that I have a plan to spend time with her usually calms her down.”

  I think about all the toys in the living room; too many for one child. Seth, in his attempt to calm his daughter down and spend some time with her, seems to spoil Alicia rotten.

  “We’ll be okay,” I assure him, though I’m not as certain about that now. I give him a smile. “You’ll see.”

  He doesn’t look convinced. After all, he knows Alicia better than I do.

  “Thanks,” he says, though, and picks up his briefcase. He walks across the room and kisses Alicia on the forehead. “Be good, Alicia.”

  She’s not so mad that she doesn’t turn to hug him goodbye, and I almost melt at the adorable sight. Seth is incredibly hot, but fatherhood suits him, too.

  “Alright…I’ll be home later,” Seth promises me. “Are you going to be okay to cook meals?”

  “I cook my own meals, so it won’t be a problem,” I tell him. “Would you like me to leave you some dinner?”

  “Whatever you want to do,” Seth says with a shrug, unconcerned. “I’m heading out now; have a good day.”

  I hear the doubt in his voice as he says that, as though he knows I probably won’t. It doesn’t inspire me with much confidence in how the day will go.

  I listen to Seth leave the house, and then I turn to Alicia. To my surprise, however, she is looking right at me, clutching a cloth doll that has seen better days.

  “Would you like to play a game, Alicia?” I offer.

  “No,” she says.

  “Well… What would you like to do?” I ask.

  She thinks for a moment and then, like lightning, she slips off her chair and runs from the room. I’m so surprised by the sudden movement that it takes me a second to react. I get to the kitchen door just in time to see Alicia disappear into the living room.

  At least she hasn’t gone far, I decide, and follow her. Maybe she wants to watch television. I poke my head into the room.

  And I get a teddy bear in my face.

  It doesn’t hurt, because it’s mad
e of fluffy material, but I rear back in surprise. High pitched giggles erupt from the room, and I frown. Is Alicia playing a game with me anyway? A little more carefully, this time, I look around the door.

  There’s a block flying at me, and I quickly duck it, making Alicia giggle again. I’m not so amused, though; the teddy bear is fine, but that block could have seriously hurt me.

  “Alicia, that’s wrong,” I say sternly. “You can’t just throw blocks at me.”

  Alicia sticks her tongue at me and, to be contrary, she throws another block. It isn’t a very strong throw, and I catch it easily. Does Alicia not realize that she can hurt me doing this? Or has prior experience just taught her that these antics help her get rid of nannies?

  “Alicia, don’t,” I try again.

  The next block falls short and hits the floor.

  Thanks, Seth, for telling me that your daughter probably won’t listen to a word I say, I think sarcastically. Katherine’s theory is definitely looking more and more likely, now.

  Alright, I just need to do something about this.

  I step into the room, dodge a doll, and make my way to Alicia. She scrambles back, looking wary, but I sit on the floor with the blocks.

  “If you want to play with blocks, you can help me make a tower,” I say, putting four blocks together to make a square.

  Alicia watches as I build up a small tower, frowning. I’m pleased, however, when she picks up a green block. Maybe I’m getting through to her.

  Then she hits the tower with her block and makes it fall.

  I draw in a deep, calming breath, praying for patience.

  “If you didn’t like that one, we can build a new one,” I say, putting the blocks together again.

  I don’t get more than two layers up before she’s throwing the block with all her might at the tower. The corner of it hits a red block, and I’m not fast enough to block as it bounces up and strikes me, hard, on the forehead.

  At least Alicia looks shocked. It’s just an unlucky coincidence, I realize ruefully.