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“I’ll see what we can put together.” Raymond stood up and flicked crumbs away from his collar. “In the meantime, you should look into getting a date. Someone high profile and good for PR.”
“That’s what you say every time.” I picked up the phone on my desk and waved him away. “I don’t date for the sake of the company.”
Nor was I going to start just to draw some attention to us.
United already got enough exposure.
“Margaret, can you come in with your tablet, please? Thank you.” I set the phone down and turned my attention back to the glowing screen in front of me. A few moments later, Margaret’s shoes clicked against the tile floors. She brushed past Raymond on the way in, pausing to give him a polite smile and a nod. Without looking up at her, I motioned at the chairs. Then I sat up straighter and fixed my gaze on her.
“I need a new housekeeper.”
Mary’s dark eyes widened slightly. “Sir, I don’t think the agency has anyone else to send over.”
I frowned. “Ever since Mrs. Montgomery left, it’s been hard to find someone decent. How hard is it to find a good, dedicated housekeeper?”
And one who wasn’t trying to get into my pants whenever I was home?
Over the past few months, each housekeeper had been more brazen and persistent than the last, all of them doing very little in the way of actual housework. Instead, they wore ridiculously tight uniforms to show off their cleavage and threw themselves at me whenever I was in the house.
I’d been forced to fire another one this morning.
With a huff, she collected her purse and stalked off, shooting me angry looks the entire time. Fortunately, I hadn’t minded. I knew how to deal with angry people, especially in my line of work, but when it came to my house, I expected it to be kept in pristine condition.
Why was it so hard to find someone who knew how to do their job?
Mary cleared her throat. “I’ll contact the agency—”
I held a hand up. “No, don’t hire someone from there. All of the women they’ve sent me are young and only trying to get my attention. I don’t want someone who dresses provocatively or inappropriately. I want someone serious and dedicated.”
“I’ll put a few feelers, sir,” Mary replied, pausing to glance down at her tablet. Her fingers moved quickly, and she smiled. “There is someone here, sir. She’s young and well-dressed. And she’s good a good resume.”
“I’ll leave the details to you.” I switched my attention back to the laptop and rolled my shoulders. “Find me someone good, Mary.”
Mary stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles of her skirt. “Yes, sir.”
“Thank you.”
With that, she hurried away, heels clicking again until the glass door shut behind her. As soon as she was gone, I stretched my arms up over my head and blew out a breath. Then I returned my attention to the documents open in front of me, determined not to think about anything else for the rest of the day.
Mary was good at her job.
She could handle finding me someone decent.
Chapter 6: New beginnings
Rachel
“I can’t believe he’s going to start kindergarten tomorrow.” I sighed and leaned against the counter. “Can you believe how big he’s gotten?”
Taylor wrenched the refrigerator door open and rummaged around. She returned with two cans of iced tea and a tub of ice cream. Wordlessly, she pulled out two spoons and handed me one. “Yeah, I can’t believe it either. Our little Ron is all grown up.”
“I’m not little,” Ron protested from his spot in the living room. He glanced over at us, blonde hair tousled to the side and his blue eyes full of annoyance. “I’m five now, remember?”
“Of course, we remember, sweetheart,” I replied, in between mouthfuls of chocolate ice cream. “You’ve gotten so big, that’s all.”
He switched his gaze back to the sheets of paper strewn all over the floor and picked up his colors. For a while, I watched him, a slight furrow appearing between his brows, and marveled at the swell of emotion in my chest. I couldn’t believe the little boy coloring on the living room floor and watching cartoons in the background was my son.
Over the past five years, he’d gone from this tiny, scrawny baby to a little boy who was full of energy, life, and curiosity. While I did my best to keep up with him, now and again, I did feel like he needed more from me. Since moving to Los Angeles, the two of us had been staying with Taylor, but I knew we couldn’t stay this way forever.
