A BABY FOR THE CEO

CHAPTER 2

EMMA

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Please let today be my lucky day, God.

I finish my prayer by opening my eyes and finding Benjamin looking at me with his fingers in his mouth, lying in his crib.

I crack a smile as I approach, and taking my son in my lap, who perks up quickly, I pull my top down before starting to breastfeed the baby.

Furthermore, I sit down on a chair in the small room of a rented house that I share with Coral and begin to rock my body in a slow rhythm as I watch Benjamin suck the milk from my breasts with a sleepy expression.

“Mom is going to try to get a new job today, my love; it's a nanny position for a child I found on the internet...”, I whisper as if he is listening and paying attention to what I am telling him now.

“Wish your mommy luck; we need this money to keep living; the diapers are running out and so is the money...”

I am interrupted when I see Coral enter the room with a cute face pointing at Benjamin, who grows more and more every day.

After his birth, I got a temporary job as a night waitress at one of the bars in the area. It was at a dangerous time, but we needed a small salary, but it didn't last long, and the bar closed two weeks ago.

So, I have been trying to find any available job positions. I managed to finish school, but did not have the opportunity to attend university because of my pregnancy.

Yes, I am a mother at 19, and it seemed scary when I found out that I was pregnant with Benjamin after meeting Alex at a club where we were celebrating Coral's birthday.

“You have to go, or you'll be late, Emma.”, I nod and kiss the baby once more with my eyes closed before putting him to sleep in his crib.

“Be well, my love...”, I whisper, caressing his little cheek as I turn to Coral.

“You'll manage, my friend, and don't worry because I'll be here to take care of him.”, She smiles, touching my shoulder, and at that moment I hug my best friend.

I found the nanny position on one of the job sites; I don't know if it is temporary, but the selection process opened, and I managed to be one of those chosen for today's interview.

“Do you think this outfit is okay?”, I asked, pointing to my sweater and jeans.

“You are naturally beautiful; good luck!”

I crack a confident smile, warning that I've taken out breast milk in case Benjamin feels hungry while I'm away.

It is the United States, but here it is a place like any other, where not all the people who reside here are well-off.

I don't have a car, so I walk to the center, where I catch the subway that will take me to the other center of the city, where the place I was sent by phone is.

Since Benjamin's birth four months ago, I have been trying to do the best for him, but sometimes I cry at night before going to sleep thinking about the possibility of my son growing up in better circumstances, and in the end, I always remember him.

Alex Laurent.

I swear I try my best not to think about him, but sometimes I waste my time googling his name and finding several articles and news stories that claim that the success of his company is growing more and more.

While he has everything, I have nothing but my beloved son.

Inside the subway, I try not to think about it because I know perfectly well that I will cry at some point, and now is not the right time for it.

I would ask my family for help, but my parents died a few years ago, and the remains of my remaining family members are in Brazil. My mother was Brazilian and married an American, but I was born and raised here, far away from everyone and other family members.

After arriving in the other city, I feel my legs hurt from walking so fast, and on the way, I ask some people about the location of the house, and I am surprised when I stop in front of a very luxurious residential condominium.

I straighten my tied-up hair before identifying myself to the security guards, who let me through, advising me that the place is two streets away.

I am even more surprised when I see the huge mansion in front of me. Furthermore, I take my cell phone out of my purse and check the address and the house number one more time, but I am in the right place.

I take a deep breath before walking towards the huge entrance door of the mansion, but before I have a chance to press the button available next to it, I see someone opening the door.

A lady with gray hair and clothes that are part of some kind of work uniform appears in front of me.

“Good morning, my name is Emma, and I came...”, I open a gentle smile, but she interrupts me when she opens the door completely, giving me room to enter the house.

I find myself in an extremely luxurious entrance hall; no doubt this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life. I walk a few steps, following the lady, to a room that looks like some kind of office.

“Have a seat.”, I sit down in one of the comfortable chairs facing the lady, who takes out some kind of paper before reading aloud:

“Emma Cooper, my name is Bethany, and I am the housekeeper of this house.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Bethany.”, I smile as she nods her head.

“I saw in your resume that you have no professional qualifications, you finished school, and you have no experience with children.”, She looks at me with an arched eyebrow.

“No, but I am a fast learner and good with children.”

“You are still very young; do you have children?”

“Yes, a four-month-old baby, but I can assure you that this will not interfere with the work.”, She nods before asking a few more essential questions, and I try to answer all of them briefly.

I need this job, God.

I am about to answer one more of her questions when I hear a baby cry coming from a baby monitor on the office desk.

Bethany sighs tiredly before standing up and picking up the device that monitors the crying baby.

“I am sorry; this is why we urgently need someone to take care of her; she is a very active baby, and it drives me crazy.”, She flashes an embarrassed smile for the first time.

Bethany is about to leave the room when we hear someone open the door, and I am surprised to see a little boy in pajamas and black hair enter the office, rubbing his eyes with a still sleepy expression on his face.

“Liza is crying again.”, he tells the housekeeper, who strokes the messy hair of the little boy, who starts to look at me curiously.

I open my mouth with a smile, and the little boy also returns the compliment by waving his little hand in my direction, so the job opening for drooling will be to take care of two children and not just one, as I thought before.

“Excuse me, I'll be right back!”, Bethany announces as she leaves the room, leaving me alone with the little boy who approaches me.

“She cries a lot...”, he says, pointing to the outside of the room, and I smile at his expression.

“Is that your little sister?”, I ask, and he nods.

“Who are you?”, he asks curiously.

“I'm Emma, and you are?”, I hold up one hand, and he wastes no time in shaking my hand in greeting.

“Enzo.”

I'm about to get to know the nice little boy better, but the office door opens, revealing Bethany holding a small baby on her lap.

“So you've met the little man of the house...”, Bethany points to Enzo, who smiles.

“Yes, a very handsome man!”, I joke, drawing a laugh from him.

“Liza!”, Enzo points with his finger to the little girl sucking a pacifier on the housekeeper's lap.

“The position is to take care of these two little ones. Enzo is a good and obedient boy, but this little girl is the opposite.”

I can see that this is not Bethany's job and that she is visibly tired. Before I can break the silence, Liza starts crying again, and I see that the housekeeper tries to do everything to make the baby stop crying.

“Can I try?”, I stand up without thinking and see Bethany hesitate a bit, but she also stands up and hands me the baby in my arms.

“Hey, pretty girl!”, I murmur, rocking her gently on my lap to try to calm her down.

“Why is such a pretty girl crying like that?”, I whisper, touching the golden strands of her hair and watching her look at me intently, as if trying to figure out who I am.