“So what are you suggesting, Delilah?”
“I think Sophie should be enrolled in an art class.”
“And you got all this by spending only a week with her?” He took a sip of his drink.
“Anyone who bothered to pay attention to her would see it.” I could tell I had just overstepped my boundaries.
“Are you implying that I don’t pay attention to my daughter?”
“She told me that when she asks you to read her bedtime stories you only do on occasion because you’re too busy.”
He got up from the chair and walked across the room, looking out the window. “Like I’ve told you before, Delilah, I am a very busy man.”
“She’s starving for your attention, Oliver.”
“I love my daughter very much and if you’re insinuating that I don’t, you have just crossed a line with me.”
“I’m not saying that you don’t love her. I’m saying that she needs you to pay attention to her.”
He turned around and looked at me. “You’ve been here one week and now you think you know everything there is to know about my daughter. I hired you to take care of her, not analyze her and certainly not to tell me how I should raise her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day and I’m going up to bed. I suggest you do the same.” He walked out of the room.
I sighed as I set my glass down and went up to my room. Maybe I did cross the line with him, but I didn’t care. He had to be told that he needed to step it up a notch in the parenting department.
The next morning, I walked into Sophie’s room and she was dressed, sitting on her bed and reading the Monet book from the library.
“Good morning, sunshine. Are you ready for breakfast?”
“Yeah.” She jumped off her bed and took hold of my hand. As we stepped into the hallway, Oliver came around the corner.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well, princess?”
“Not really,” she spoke in a sad voice.
He looked at me and I looked away. We went down to the dining room and sat at the table, waiting for Clara to bring out breakfast.
“Good morning, Wyatt clan and Miss Delilah.” Liam smiled as he walked in, kissed Sophie on the head, and sat down next to me.
“Good morning,” I replied. This was the first time I had seen Liam since I moved in.
Just as Clara set breakfast on the table, I heard a voice from behind. “Good morning, darling.”
I watched as the blonde-haired woman from the internet kissed Oliver on the cheek and then sat next to him, glaring at me from across the table.
“You must be the new nanny. I’m Laurel, Mr. Wyatt’s girlfriend.”
“Her name is Delilah, Laurel,” Liam spoke. She shot him a dirty look.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled. Not. It wasn’t nice to meet her. In fact, what the fuck was she doing here?
“Sophie, say hello to Laurel,” Oliver commanded.
“Hi.” She looked down and took a bite of her scrambled eggs. I got the feeling Sophie didn’t care too much for her daddy’s girlfriend.
“I had such a good time on our trip, baby.” She reached over and touched his cheek.
I looked down at my plate of food because I couldn’t stomach looking at the fake blonde anymore. He took her on his business trip. Maybe that was why he didn’t bother to call and check up on his daughter. Asshole.
“I can’t wait for our golf game with the Sullivans. It’ll be good to see Barb again.” Oliver gave her a small smile and then looked at me.
If he was going golfing with her and today was my day off, who was going to keep an eye on Sophie? I had an idea.
“Hey, Sophie. How would you like to go with me to the art museum today?”
Her face lit up. “Really? Can Daddy come with us too?”
“No, Sophie, he can’t. Your daddy and I already have plans for today,” Laurel spouted.
Oliver sat there and didn’t say a word. A feeling of sickness overtook me, knowing he hadn’t seen his daughter for a week and he chose to go golfing with that fake bitch instead of spending the day with Sophie, fully aware that it was my day off.
“I have nothing to do today, Sophie. Can I come?” Liam asked.
“Yes. If it’s okay with Delilah.”
“Is it okay with you if I tag along, Miss Delilah?”
Oliver shot him a fierce look of anger from across the table. I silently smiled inside.
“Of course you can come. It’ll be fun.” I smiled at him.
I finished my breakfast and got up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I will go finish getting ready and then we can leave. Sophie, run upstairs and grab your sweater,” I spoke as I walked up to my room. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and sent a text message to Jenny.
“Hey. I have to cancel our lunch plans for today. I’m taking Sophie to the art museum.”
“Is hot stuff Oliver going with you?”
“No. He has plans with his girlfriend. Apparently she went on his business trip with him.”
“I understand what a shitty father he is. Have fun and we’ll talk later.”
As I slipped on my shoes, there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Oliver stepped inside and closed the door. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Today is your day off and you’re taking Sophie to the art museum. Why?”
“I really didn’t have anything else to do and I thought it would be good for her. It’s something she’d enjoy. Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
“I don’t. I was just curious and I already have someone coming to stay with her.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to call and tell her not to come today.”
“I’m sorry I can’t go, but Laurel and I had this golf outing planned for over a month.”
“No worries, Oliver. I know what a busy man you are. I’ll make sure Sophie has a great time.” I picked up my phone from the bed and it fell out of my hand and to the floor. We both bent down at the same time to pick it up. His face was inches from mine as he stared into my eyes. I gulped as twinges of excitement fluttered down below. He handed me my phone, turned away and stood up, opening the door and walking out of the room.
Chapter 9
When we walked into the museum, I thought Sophie was going to lose her breath. She was so excited as she looked around and begged me to find the paintings by Monet.
“I do believe those would be in the European Paintings Department, which is this way.” Liam pointed.
We found the area and stepped inside the room that displayed a lot of paintings by European artists. Liam was turning out to be a really nice guy. Did he have an agenda? I didn’t know, but I was going to be on my guard. He was the same height as Oliver. They sported the same build and their facial features were about the same. The only difference was that Liam had more of a sandy blonde coloring to his hair.
“So what did you think of Laurel?” he asked.
“You want my honest opinion?”
“Of course. I’m very curious.” He smiled.
“I think she’s a self-centered, self-absorbed, stuck-up bitch.”
Liam chuckled. “I think you’ve hit the nail right on the head.” He bumped my shoulder.
“I take it you’re not fond of Miss Laurel?”
“Not really. My brother can do better than her. She doesn’t give Sophie the time of day and that bothers me.”
“Much like Oliver, from what I’ve seen so far.”
“He’s trying, Delilah. It hasn’t been easy since Sophie’s mother passed away and she came to live with him. He doesn’t know how to be a father and he’s worried about her because of her behavioral issues.”
“She’s five years old. All five-year-olds have behavioral issues.”
“Laurel actually tried to convince Oliver to ship Sophie off to Vermont to live with her aunt. But Oliver wouldn’t hear of it.”
“So
he does have some redeeming qualities about him.”
“He’s a good guy. I think he’s just a little misguided about life.”
“What about your parents?” I asked.
“Our parents took off to Germany as soon as I turned seventeen. My father was born there and always regretted leaving. Once we were old enough to take care of ourselves, they packed up and left. Nice parents, huh? Oliver had just graduated from high school and I was in my senior year. They signed over their house to us and took off. Oliver was working as a caddy at a golf course and overheard one of the members talking about flipping houses and how much money he had made. He talked to me about it and we sold our house, moved into a small apartment, and used the money to buy and flip houses. Oliver made his first million by the time he was twenty years old. He’s always been the smartest one in the family and even smarter in business. I went off to college, thanks to him, and by time I graduated with my MBA, he was buying and selling buildings and that’s how Wyatt Enterprises was made.”
“Is it your company too?” I asked.
“Yep. We share it 50/50. Don’t ever mention my parents to him. He’s a bit sensitive when it comes to them.”
I looked over at Sophie, who was staring at the painting that Monet painted of his wife.
“That’s a beautiful painting, Sophie.”
“It’s his wife. She looks so sad. Just like my mommy always looked.”
I glanced over at Liam and he shook his head. Sophie walked over to another painting and we stood back.
“What was the relationship between Oliver and Sophie’s mother?”
He looked over and gave me a small smile. “That’s something you’ll have to talk to him about.”
We spent the day at the museum and Sophie’s mind absorbed all the information about the paintings and artists. When we arrived home, I said goodbye to Liam and Sophie and I headed inside the house. Oliver came walking down the stairs.
“How was your day?” he asked Sophie.
“It was so much fun, Daddy. I wish you could have been there.”
“Me too, sweetheart. I’m sorry. We’ll go another time.” He kissed the top of her head.
Sophie ran up the stairs and I went into the kitchen for a glass of water. Oliver followed behind.
“Laurel isn’t here?” I asked casually.
“No. I dropped her off at home after golf. Do you have plans tonight?”
“Yeah. Actually, I do.”
“How was Sophie at the museum?”
“She was great. Well behaved and in heaven with all the artwork displayed on the walls.”
I wanted to tell him about the comment Sophie made about her mother, but I was afraid he’d get mad if I brought her up. So I didn’t even bother. The impression I got in just the short time I’d been there was that there was no talking to Oliver about anything. It was his way or no way.
“I need to go and get changed for tonight.” I began to walk away and Oliver lightly took hold of my arm. I turned around and looked at him.
“Where are you going? Are you going out with Liam?”
Now that shocked me. “I really don’t think that’s any of your business, Oliver. It’s my night off.” He glared at me, pursed his lips, and then let go.
After changing into my jeans and a t-shirt, I slipped into my Vans, grabbed my guitar case, and stopped by Sophie’s room to say good night.
“Hey, buttercup. I’m going out for a while. I wanted to say goodnight.”
She set down her book and held out her arms. “Have fun, Delilah. Sing pretty.”
“I will. Be good while I’m gone. I’ll see you in the morning.” I kissed her head and left.
I opened the gate and walked down the street, hailing a cab and having the driver take me to Union Square. That was where Jonah and I would meet up occasionally and sing our hearts out for the good patrons of New York City.
****
Oliver
“Hello, Scott. Did you find out where she went?”
“Yes, Oliver. She’s in the subway at Union Station, playing her guitar and singing with some guy.”
“I’ll catch a cab there. Wait for me.”
“Will do.”
I stood around the corner and watched the crowd of people dance and tap their feet while they sang the song “Jackson.” I found myself moving to the beat of their music. She looked so beautiful with a wide smile on her face as she sang and played her guitar. I stood there for an hour while they sang together and then each of them sang solo songs. They finished their last song and then hugged and said goodbye. Was he her boyfriend? She said she didn’t have one. Did she lie to me? All these questions were going through my head and they shouldn’t have been. She put her guitar in the case and picked it up. She started to walk in my direction and stopped when she saw me standing there, smiling at her.
“Oliver. What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“I came to watch you sing. Is that a bad thing?”
She shook her head. “How did you know I was here?”
“Scott told me,” I answered with caution.
“So you had him follow me?”
“Maybe.” She walked past me and started down the street. “Delilah, wait. Are you mad at me?”
She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned around. “Yes, Oliver. I am mad at you. This is my night off. I expect a little bit of privacy.”
I held out my hands to the side of me. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to watch you play. That’s all.”
“You can watch me at home. What I do on my night off is none of your damn business,” she yelled and continued walking.
Shit. I really pissed her off. I didn’t think she pissed off that easily.
“Delilah, please.” I caught up to her. “Please say you’ll have coffee with me.”
“Now? And who’s watching Sophie?”
“Sophie is asleep and Clara is there. Please. Let’s go grab a cup of coffee together. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. There’s a diner around the corner.”
We walked through the door and sat down in a booth by the window. The waitress walked up and took our drink order.
“I’ll have a cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie.” She smiled.
“I’ll have the same.”
“You like cherry pie?”
“It’s my favorite pie in the whole world.”
“Mine too.” Her grin widened. “So what did you want to talk to me about? Did I do something wrong?”
The only thought going through my head was how she could never do anything wrong. She was too perfect. I know nobody’s perfect, but Delilah was. At least to me. Damn. I was starting to get hard.
“No, Delilah. You didn’t do anything wrong at all. So far, you’ve done everything right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to thank you for taking Sophie to the museum on your day off. It’s all she talked about after you left. For the first time since she came to live with me, she seems happy.”
“You’re welcome, Oliver. We’re going to tackle Sophie’s issues one at a time.”
The waitress brought us our coffee and set our cherry pies down in front of us. “Who was that guy you were singing with?” I asked.
“He’s my friend, Jonah. We met shortly after I moved to New York City. I stole his music corner.”
“Ah. He’s a good performer as well.”
“Yeah, he is. He and his boyfriend also bartend at the Red Room.”
I let out a sigh of relief. He was gay. That was the best news I heard all night. As I watched her eat her pie, I couldn’t help but imagine her beautiful lips wrapped around my cock and her big beautiful blue eyes staring up at me as she moved her mouth up and down my length.
“So did you have fun with Liam?” I asked to get my mind off her mouth.
“Yeah. He’s a great guy.”
“He didn’t hit on you, did he???
? I asked with seriousness.
She cocked her head and smiled. “What if he did?”
“If he did, then I’d kick his ass. My employees are off limits to him. He knows the rules.”
“Does that rule apply to you too, Mr. Wyatt?”
What the hell was she doing? Why would she ask me that? Was she trying to be cute? Because if she was, she’d succeeded.
“Of course it does. But since I make the rules, I can change them at any time.” I winked.
She had piece of cherry pie filling in the corner of her mouth. I wanted to reach over and lick it away with my tongue but instead, I reached across the table and gently wiped it away with my thumb. She instantly brought her hand to mine and stared at me as if she was unnerved.
“I’m sorry. You had some pie filling right there.”
She lowered her hand. “Thank you.”
I gave her a small smile. “If you’re ready, we can get going.”
“I’m ready.”
We walked outside and climbed into the limo. When we arrived home, Delilah asked where we kept the aspirin.
“There’s a bottle up in the cabinet next to the stove.”
I followed her into the kitchen, and as I opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water, Delilah reached up in the cabinet but couldn’t find the bottle. I came up from behind and stretched my arm up over her. My body pressed against hers as I found the bottle. She turned around and looked at me.
“Clara put it up high and far back so Sophie couldn’t reach it. Hold out your hand.” I shook two white pills out and gave them to her.
She was leaned up against the counter and it was taking all the control I had not to kiss her. To feel how soft her lips were against mine. We stared at each other for a moment; my heart beating faster than usual.
“Here.” I handed her my bottle of water and backed away.
“Thanks.” She softly smiled as she popped the pills into her mouth. She handed me back the bottle of water. “I’m going to go up to bed now to sleep off this headache.”
“I hope you feel better.” I wanted to tell her that the best cure for a headache was obscene and maddening sex, but I also wanted to gently press my lips against her forehead and make her feel better.
She began to walk away and when she reached the stairs, she turned around and looked at me.