Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“If that’s how you feel, why did you have me come all this way to be interviewed?”
“Because I wanted to know my options . . . and see who I was really dealing with. So far, I am not impressed and am regretting that I ever asked. I do not have time for these mind games.”
Oh, boy. I leaned back in my chair just as Aleesa shot up with her Popsicle stick.
“I done!” she yelled. She rushed to the trash can and threw the stick into the bin, then she scurried my way and tugged on my N.W.A T-shirt.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Octavia,” I answered with a smile.
“Octava,” she said.
I laughed. Most kids her age struggled with my name. “How about you just call me Tavia?”
“Tava,” she said, trying to repeat.
“That works too.” I gave her a wink, and she grinned before wrapping her arms around me as best she could. Then she peered up and, once again, asked, “Can you play wif me?”
“What about Bluey, Leesa?” Javier asked, pointing over his shoulder at the TV. He gave her a sweet smile.
“No. I wan’ play wif Tava.”
Javier looked from his daughter to me, trying his best to suppress another scowl.
I shrugged. “Kids really love me.”
With an irritated sigh, he sat up taller in his chair. “Fine. I will take you on, but only because my schedule is about to get busier and I need someone to look after her right away. But if you mess up even once, Octavia, you are gone.” He raised a stern finger. “One strike is all you will get from me. Is that clear?”
“Sir, yes sir,” I answered, giving him a mock salute.
He growled something in Spanish as he pushed out of his chair. “I leave for Boston Monday night. Since you say you can start as soon as possible, I will want you here on Sunday so that we can go over contracts and agreements. Can you do that?”
“Sure.”
“Good.” He cut a glance at Aleesa, who had managed to climb onto my lap and started playing with my locs.
“I love you hair, Tava,” she cooed, running her fingers over one of the gold jewels.
“Thank you, angel.”
“Where will you sleep?” he asked.
“Oh, I’ll probably just book a hotel for the night.”
He shook his head. “Do not waste your money on a hotel. I have a guesthouse you can use. I will show it to you after you finish playing with Aleesa.”
“Aww.” I smiled at him. “See, I knew I could unthaw that heart of yours a little bit. Thank you, Javier.”
He rolled his eyes. “Thirty minutes to play with her, then you go.” He walked to the living room and slumped down on one of the sofas.
“Noted,” I mumbled.
Yay! At least I had the job. Still, I had to be careful. I had no doubt he would fire me in a heartbeat if I so much as coughed near Aleesa. He was a hard-ass, but it was fine. I’d dealt with my fair share of assholes. It helped that he would be traveling often, so I wouldn’t have to see him so much or be in the midst of his grouchiness.
Aleesa watched him for a few seconds, then she turned her gaze to mine and grinned. “Daddy’s mad,” she whispered.
That statement pulled a quiet giggle out of me.
Yeah. I was definitely going to have some fun with this little girl.
Three
Octavia
Over Six Months Later
Yogurt was in my Barbie doll’s hair again.
A shrill giggle split the air, and I gave Aleesa a sideways glance. This little girl was going to be the end of me, I swear. How could someone so tiny create so much mess?
On this particular morning, there had been an orange juice spill, oatmeal smeared on the table, and now yogurt in my Black Barbie’s silky dark hair. All this had been done, and it was only nine o’clock in the morning.
“Today is going to be a long day with you, isn’t it?” I got up to collect the pack of baby wipes from the counter. Plucking one out, I wiped as much of the yogurt out of my doll’s hair as possible.
Technically, this was Aleesa’s Barbie, but she had about fifty of them in her playroom and she’d given this one to me as a gift. She specifically chose this one because it looked like me.
“Sowwy, Tava.” Aleesa grinned when I glanced over my shoulder, then stuffed a strawberry into her mouth.
“That’s all right, angel.” I sighed. “What’s not all right, though, is that you’re getting oatmeal in your beautiful tresses. Let’s not rub our hands in our hair, okay? Would you like a wipe?”
“Yes, pwease.”
See? How could anyone be upset with her when she had such a cute voice?
I helped her clean up just as I heard footsteps thumping through one of the hallways.