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“What happened with you then?” I teased him.
Charles had no children and didn’t seem on the path to ever having any. A sports agent, he was completely immersed in his work and his clients’ success.
“I’ve got better things to do than run around after rugrats. There’s a world to conquer, and that won’t wait for me to change diapers. Plus, can you really imagine me having a kid with any of the women I sleep with? Christ, I don’t think a single one of them would know what to do with the business end of a baby.”
Spoken like a true bachelor.
His way of describing what I assumed was the part that needed a diaper made me laugh, and I lifted my feet up onto my desk to relax as I tried to imagine him with a baby. Nope. There was a picture my mind simply couldn’t conjure up.
“Tell the guys that we can do the poker game here this Friday, but you better come ready to go home poor,” I said with as much cockiness as I had inside me.
“Big talk from the one guy who couldn’t find an ace to save his life last time,” he teased.
With a shrug, I said, “That was then. This is now. I’m a new man today. Plus, you don’t need an ace in every hand to win.”
“Fine. I’ll give you that. What time Friday? So I can tell everyone else. Regular time? Eight?” he asked just as something flew by my office window.
I stood up to see what it was and answered, “Eight works. Come hungry. I’m in the mood for wings like my cook makes them. You know the ones with that tangy sauce he swears doesn’t have red pepper in them but my tongue says it definitely does? I’m going to have him make a ton of them, so you guys need to bring your appetites.”
Outside in the backyard, Tia and Grace played ball, tossing it back and forth. The little girl missed it every time, and when she threw it back to her nanny, she didn’t come anywhere close. Tia had to run to get it every time before the wind took it away, but for the first time, I noticed Grace smiling like she was genuinely happy.
“Hmmm, maybe she isn’t the worst kid in the world,” I mumbled, forgetting I was still talking to my friend.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I said as I continued to watch the two of them playing outside in the grass. “Just that the nanny has my niece outside and the kid is actually smiling and laughing. I wasn’t sure she had the ability to do either of those things after watching her for the past few days.”
Completely disinterested in the child, Charles asked, “So what’s your assessment of the nanny? Hot or not?”
I stared out at Tia and took a good, long look at her. She had a nice body, but she was petite. She seemed athletic, or at least it appeared so by the way she ran after that ball Grace kept chucking all over the yard. She was laughing too, and I had to admit she looked beautiful at that moment.
“She’s not bad. Young, but she has a nice smile.”
“Man, I’m not interested in her teeth. What the fuck do you think I am? A goddamned horse doctor? What about her body? Does she have a nice rack? Hot ass? Give me some details, Nico. I’m dying here.”
For a guy who didn’t want kids and had no interest in getting married, Charles was a horndog.
I let my gaze travel down Tia’s body and sighed. “Okay rack. They look a little small for your taste since you prefer bigger tits, but not bad. Her ass is sort of small, again not really your style. Come to think of it, Tia might be the polar opposite of your taste.”
A heavy sigh of disappointment filled my ear before he said, “Oh, well. They can’t all be movie stars. I’ll have to check her out this Friday when I come to take you to the cleaners. See you then!”
“Right! Eight sharp,” I said before ending the call and stuffing my phone into my pants pocket.
I should have gone back to work, but something about the way Tia and Grace looked playing outside kept me standing at that window. Who would have thought that not even an hour after arriving at this house the nanny would have made my niece change so much already?
Thanks to Mr. DeVille, my life was my own again and the kid was happy. I knew calling him would be a good idea.
Chapter Three
Tia
Graceand I sat at the table in her uncle’s cavernous kitchen eating breakfast, but I noticed she kept glancing over toward the empty chair where I assumed Mr. Allen sat for meals. She seemed almost sullen this morning, but then again, maybe she wasn’t a morning person. I’d only known her for slightly more than a week, so we hadn’t exactly learned all there was to know about each other yet.
“How is that French toast, Grace? I think Michael tried to make it extra special for you this morning,” I said sweetly.
Without looking at me, she answered, “Okay,” in her tiny voice but didn’t take another bite of her breakfast.
Something was definitely wrong.
