Page 12

12

MIA

I glanced at my ringing phone and felt a pang of guilt for ignoring the many calls. It was my brother, but I was reluctant to answer. I knew he’d ask about the job I’d told him I’d gotten. The one I got fired from in just three days. It would be too humiliating to admit another failure, but I didn’t want to lie to him either. The only solution was to not speak to him at all.

When it stopped ringing, I blew out a relieved breath. I’d be able to comfortably talk to him when I secured another job and was on my way to being a productive member of society. That would happen in a couple of days because I got a stroke of luck after Michael gave me the boot. I’d landed a job. Waitressing wasn’t my dream job, but it was a source of income. I’d get the shark extorting me out of my life for good soon enough.

A knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts, and my heart stuttered. Lately, when I heard a knock, it was a cause for panic since it could be that scary guy from last week. The one who threatened to do very graphic and disturbing things to me if I didn’t tell him where my ex-boyfriend was or start paying his debt.

When I heard the knock again, I got up and backed away as if that would help. If there was a criminal on the other side, they wouldn’t let a door stop them from getting inside. Part of me expected it to be kicked in at any moment. The knocking continued, and I pulled in a breath and inched closer to it. I was so terrified that I didn’t even want to look through the peephole, so I asked, “Who’s there?”

“Michael...”

My heart, which was pounding rapidly, came to a screeching halt and then sped up again. “What?” I whispered. His voice was loud and clear and recognizable, but I still couldn’t believe he was outside my apartment, so I looked through the peephole.

I spun around and leaned against the door. “Oh my gosh.” It was really him, and it was too late to pretend I wasn’t home.

“Mia?” he called.

“Erm…” I swept my living room with disgust. There was evidence of my recent bout of depression everywhere. Cookie boxes and chocolate bar wrappers were strewn on the center table. Empty cartons of Ben and Jerry’s and wine bottles littered the floor…

Did I really consume all of that? That was the thing about stress eating. You didn’t realize how overboard you went until you clawed your way back to the shore of sanity and saw the wreckage you left behind.

“Just a minute!” I dashed around, scooping up some of the wrappers and ice cream cartons. I couldn’t let Michael see what a mess I was. At the same time, I couldn’t leave him outside forever, so I hid the wine bottles behind the throw pillows. I tugged at my wrinkled t-shirt and dusted cookie crumbs off my face as I hurried back to the door. A slight creak echoed as I pulled it open.

Our eyes locked, and I had to pull in a breath because something kicked me in the chest. How could I still be attracted to the man after everything that had happened between us? Although, in my defense, he was incredibly hard to resist. Michael was the kind of man who could turn heads in any room.

He had that effortless masculine magnetism about him. The way he towered over me and held me in his unwavering gaze, wearing that ridiculously sexy somber mask would melt my defense if I wasn’t careful.

“What… what do you want?”

His sharp gaze moved over my face and something like concern flashed in his eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked.

The question surprised me, but then I was reminded that Michael wasn’t a complete asshole under his serious mask. The guy I spent the night with last month had been incredibly sweet. He was observant, too. I was sure my distress was written on my face.

No, I wasn’t okay. My life was a mess, I was a mess, and my father thought I was the disappointment of the millennium. I’d been holding it together just fine even after Michael’s harsh firing until I spoke with Dad. I always spiraled after conversations with him… so I spiraled at least once a month.

I cleared my throat. “I’m great. Never been better.” Michael was right. I was a big fat liar. My gaze slid away from his.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked.

I looked back at him with disbelief. Was he for real?

“I really don’t want to,” I muttered.

His face remained in that annoying cool expression of his, but amusement flickered in his eyes. “Fine. I’ll get to the point. I’m here to offer you your job back.”

The hell you say?

Although my heart leaped, I couldn’t look too desperate. “Why?”

He lifted one shoulder nonchalantly. “I changed my mind.”

My derisive snort bounced off the walls. “You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”

His expression was schooled for a moment longer before he caved. I was sure if he wanted to keep up his grim facade, he would have. He had that stoney look perfected. However, Michael seemed to willingly drop his mask around me. I’d noticed how many times he had during our date and our erotic encounter after. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Did he like me or didn’t he…? It was nearly impossible to tell.

“Poppy is miserable,” he admitted.

My eyes narrowed to slits as I watched him. It killed him that he had to ask me to come back, I could tell. Stepping aside, I gestured for him to come in. He couldn’t help giving me one of his annoyed scowls as he brushed past me, and I smirked. Mr. Alpha Male didn’t have the upper hand for once, and I was living for it.

“Please, have a seat, Mr. Jackson. We can discuss terms,” I said primly.

I saw the slightest tick in his jaw, and I folded my lips to hide my smug smile.

“My surname isn’t really Jackson. It’s Hayes.”

I canted my head. “But Amber said?—”

“She didn’t want to reveal who I was until she was sure of… whatever it was she was looking for.”

For a moment, I was too caught up in confusion to realize where Michael Hayes was heading to take a seat. When I did, I jumped in front of him to stop him from sitting where I had hid the bottles behind the pillows. “Wait, not there.”

He cast a sideways glance at me, and my face heated up as I pointed to the other sofa.

Michael sat and held me in his stare while I took my seat facing him. “I owe you an apology,” he said.

“For?”

“Thinking that you were an insane stalker.”

I snorted loudly. “Well, I guess I can give you grace for that. I mean, if I were you, I’d be horrified to find my one-night stand who I wasn’t supposed to see again, standing in my kitchen.”

He shrugged. “You really had no idea who I was when I fired you. It was hard to believe you didn’t. I thought you applied for the job to get back at me…” He sighed. “You know what? That doesn’t matter now. Amber explained how she kept you in the dark. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head as I did the math. So that was why all the pictures I’d glimpsed the first day disappeared. I’d been curious but was too afraid of seeming nosey to ask. “It’s fine. I’m relieved that you at least know I’m not a psycho stalker out for revenge.” No wonder he looked as if he’d seen a ghost when he found me in his home.

“Let’s move on from that misunderstanding,” he suggested.

“If anyone is crazy in this scenario, it’s you and your assistant,” I grumbled. I couldn’t believe Amber lied. Michael Jackson? At the time, I thought it was an amusing coincidence, but now I felt so stupid.

“Again, I’m sorry. As you said, let’s discuss terms.”

“First, tell me how Poppy is doing. What do you mean she’s miserable?”

“That’s not relevant to you taking the job I’m offering.”

“Everything about Poppy is relevant.”

Michael went quiet for a moment. He then tilted his head to study me intently. After a while, something like approval flickered in his eyes. I felt like I’d passed some sort of test.

“She misses you,” he shared. “I don’t know what spell you put on her, but she hasn’t cracked a smile since you left.”

“No spell, we just connected. She likes me, and I enjoy spending time with her. Why is that so hard to believe?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Trust issues, remember?”

“Right.” I’d called him out on it during our date. “How about you tell me more about what’s going on with Poppy?”

He scowled in response, and I shrugged. “Fine, stay tight-lipped. I already have a job lined up, so I decline your offer.” It killed me to say that out loud, but as desperate as I was, I had my pride. “I’ll walk you out.”

When I moved to get up, he spoke. “She’s asked for you to come back every day, and she fucking hates the new nanny, okay?” he snapped.

My eyebrows elevated.

Michael scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “She threw a tantrum when I introduced her to the woman. Yesterday, she told the poor lady to get lost because she was old and boring . I was shocked and appalled.”

I slapped my hand over my mouth to muffle my snicker.

“This isn’t funny, Mia,” he growled. “My kid has never thrown a tantrum. I didn’t know she had it in her. She’s been acting out in some crazy rebellion because you’re not her nanny. She called me a ‘big ole’ meanie’ for telling you to leave.”

I sniggered again but pursed my lips to keep my laughter suppressed. “She isn’t wrong about that part. You are a big ole’ meanie . ”

That earned me another severe scowl.

“The point is that this isn’t Poppy’s normal behavior. I caved.” He shrugged. “Plus, Mrs. Peters threatened to not come back today, and as I found out this morning, she wasn’t bluffing. So, I’m down a nanny… again. I suppose Poppy was right. The woman was too elderly to keep up with her…”

His eyes became like twin daggers, boring into mine as if he was trying to see through me. “I’m still skeptical about you, Mia Clarke. I dug deeper than Amber did with the background check. You flitted from apartment to apartment before you settled into this one. You’ve never held a job for more than a couple months, and your social media tells a story of a chaotic woman who hangs out with an iffy crowd.”

My smug smile gradually melted away as panic set in. How the hell did he manage to dig so deep? Just who was this Michael Hayes, really? Did he know about my ex and the trouble he’d gotten me in?

As he stared at me, he didn’t mention anything about it. I suspected if he knew, he wouldn’t be here. Heat scaled my face. “The iffy crowd is in the past. I didn’t even really know them. They were my ex-boyfriend’s crew.” My gaze dropped to the floor because everything else about me was spot on. “I’m not irresponsible… Well, I mean, I would never be with a child.”

He didn’t speak, just continued to stare at me until I started to squirm. “Alright, so I’m not perfect,” I snapped. “Who is? You wouldn’t be here if you were all that put off by me babysitting your child.”

Michael inclined his head. “You’re right. Since Poppy is apparently besotted with you. I’m willing to give you another try.”

I snorted. “Would it kill you to admit that you need me?”

“I don’t need …” He looked up at the ceiling and then sighed. “Alright, I’m in a tight spot with the whole nanny situation.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Forget about that job you have lined up.”

I scoffed at the demand. The arrogant bast ? —

“The salary that Amber presented you… I’ll increase it.”

The generous, gorgeous man…

I stared at Michael, utterly speechless, because I was shocked, and I was busy calculating how fast I could buy my freedom from the mess I was in with his generous salary. However, he took my silence to mean I wasn’t convinced, so he added, “I’ll give you a sign-on bonus. Nannies don’t typically get that.”

He mentioned a figure that made my jaw slacken, and he explained, “I feel the need to add some incentive considering that being my nanny may get hectic at times.”

“You mean when you work long hours and go on business trips?”

“Precisely, and you’ll have to travel with us sometimes. It might take a toll on your personal life.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I don’t have a personal life.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Also…” He sighed. “I’m hoping you can start immediately… say this afternoon?”

I swallowed the delighted squeal that wanted to burst from me. “Let me think about it.”

He nodded and sat back.

Barely three seconds later, I said, “I’ve thought about it.”

Michael’s eyebrows popped up, and a ghost of a smirk played on his lips. I ignored his smugness and got up with my hand outstretched. “I accept your offer, and yes, I can start immediately.”

He rose, and I had to crane my neck to maintain eye contact. His presence ate up the space in my living room. His big, warm hand wrapped around mine, and I struggled to keep my expression neutral. Michael glanced down at our connected hands and something I couldn’t read—because he masked it so quickly—flickered in his eyes before he let go.

“Don’t make me regret this, Mia.”

I rolled my eyes. “Chill, will you?” Realizing that I sounded super unprofessional, I cleared my throat and straightened my shoulders. “I mean, I won’t. You have my word… boss… sir. Jesus, what do I call you now?”

“Michael will do,” he said.

“Gotcha.” I winked. “But I’ll use boss sometimes. I like it.”

He gave me a long-suffering look as if he’d been putting up with my antics for a while. He then shook his head and murmured something about chaos and trouble… I guess I was the chaos and the trouble.