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Seventeen
Dustin
I could win over the most stubborn manufacturer in contract negotiations, but I couldn’t get my niece to say more than a syllable at a time to me as we drove away from her school. I’d talked to Daria on the way here. She assured me Alana had everything she needed at home, and that she’d be fine alone for a few hours at either her place or mine, while I went back to work.
“If you don’t tell me what you want, I’ll pick,” I said.
She sank lower in her seat, arms crossed. “Fine.”
“Milkshakes.” That had to be a winner. Phillip and Addie both said so.
“No.”
Uh, what? “Then I’ll drop you at your house and the babysitter will pick you up when she gets Harmony.”
“No.” Alana’s scowl was etched so deeply it was almost humorous.
Except it was so frustrating. I wasn’t used to this from a girl who was usually level-headed and disciplined. “Do you want to change your clothes and go back to school?” I was back to asking. So much for taking a firm stance.
“No.”
Daria and Addie both said to give Alana the final say. I was willing to do that, as long as she suggested anything. Hopefully it wouldn’t be illegal, but I’d consider it at this point. “What do you want to do?” I kept my frustration from my voice.
“It doesn’t matter. You won’t let me.”
“You won’t know unless you ask.”
“I’m keeping you from work.” Her tone shifted in an instant, the anger vanishing, replaced with... guilt?
Was this a hormone mood swing thing? A teenager thing? I had no idea. “What do you need in order to make today better?”
The instant her pout appeared, I’d lost. It didn’t matter what came next. I was such a sucker.
“I just don’t want to be alone,” she said.
That was easy enough. Unless it was followed by let’s go hold up a jewelry store. “What do you propose?”
“I want to change my clothes, get a brownie and coffee from Loading Java, and stay at your office the rest of the day. I promise I’ll be good.” Like that, her tone was clear.
I’d totally been manipulated. At least it was a simple request. I believed her that she’d behave, but letting her walk around the office... Sure, our game was 90% like any other game, but that 10% of pure adult content came largely out of my department. I wasn’t accidentally exposing my twelve-year-old niece to a gangbang.
We could make it work. I’d claim the empty office for the day—the one that should be mine anyway—and make sure Phillip and Adrienne were cautious. They were doing training, and it could involve the no-nudity variety. “No coffee.”
“Mom would let me.”
I could see Daria doing that, but I wasn’t sitting up all night with a strung-out kid. “Caffeine makes the cramps worse.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Google it.” I pulled into Daria’s driveway. “And while you’re doing that, grab what you need and get changed. We’ll get brownies and you can stay with me at work.”
She clapped and hopped from the car. “Thank you. You’re the best uncle ever.”
I absolutely was. I followed her inside at a more sedate pace, dialing Phillip as I walked.
“Are you surviving?” He answered.
I chuckled. “I’m managing. I have already caved to her demands, though.”
