Things We Never Planned

CHAPTER FIVE:DID I JUST MAKE A MISTAKE?

RACHEL

I stared at the four crisp hundred dollar bills in my hand. What exactly would a child use four hundred dollars to buy?

I made my way to his car where the most adorable little girl I've ever laid eyes on sat. She watched me with wonder as I opened the door.

“Hello, baby.” I cooed, picking her up. She looked like she was about three or four years old.

“Where's daddy?”

“Daddy had to go in for a meeting, but guess what? We get to hang out and do whatever we want for the next hour till he gets back.”

“Ice cream!” She said, clapping her hands together.

“Yes, we'll go get some ice-cream. You like pizza?”

She shook her head. “Chocolate. I want chocolate.”

“Well, I don't think your father would be too thrilled about you having so much sugar in your system.”

“Don't tell Daddy.”

I giggled. “You're a sneaky little thing, aren't you.”

She looked just like Liam. The same dark curls, but her eyes were blue. I had so many questions. I hadn't seen her while I was at Liam's house, and who was her mother? Was Liam married? The thought almost made me vomit, my worst nightmare was sleeping with a married man.

“What's your name, sweetheart?”

“Charlie.” She said with a wide grin that showed off her dimples.

“Okay, Charlie, let's go have some fun.”

At least that would keep my mind off the thought that I might have slept with a married man out of my head.

***

Exactly an hour later, Charlie and I made our way back to the car with ice-cream in our hands.

“I see you both had fun,” Liam said, surprise written all over his face. “She usually hates new people.”

“Well, I guess she thinks I'm awesome, don't you baby?” I said, pinching her adorable cheeks.

“Rachy is awesome.”

“Rachy?” Liam asked.

“New nickname.”

Liam smiled. “Cute. Thank you for watching her. Get in, and I'll drop you off at work.”

I was about to respond when his phone began to vibrate. “I'm sorry, I have to take this.”

“Hey, man, what's up?”

“Come on, let's get you into the car,” I told Charlie.

“What?!” Liam screamed, startling me and drawing the attention of some of the passers-by.

“How is that even possible? Our systems are secure, and the codes are encrypted. Nobody should be able to breach it.” he thundered into the phone.

He listened for a bit. “I'll be there in a bit. I just have to do a few things. Thanks, mate,” he said, and then ended the call.

“Everything alright?” I asked, not out of curiosity but genuine concern, which surprised me because I was supposed to hate his guts.

“Yes, sure.”

***

The ride to my workplace was silent and awkward. Liam didn't say anything unless asked for directions. When we got to the restaurant where I worked, I was relieved.

“This is where you work?” Liam asked with horror on his face, but he masked it quickly.

My blood boiled with anger. “I'm sorry we can't all have fancy jobs.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't thinking. I just… how much do they pay you?”

“I don't think that's any of your business.”

“I'm asking you a genuine question. I'd like to offer you a better job,” he said.

That made me pause. A better job, one that possibly paid more than this one? One that would help me take care of my father's medical bills and also bring me closer to clearing my student loan.

“What type of job?” He was a jerk, but I was in no position to turn down a better-paying job.

“Watching Charlie. She seems to like you and the way things look, I'm going to be very busy at work for the next couple of weeks. I won't have time to watch her. She already has a nanny, but she isn't quite taken with her.”

“That doesn't sound bad. I love hanging out with Charlie, but your house is far from campus,” I pointed out.

“Oh, that's not my main house. Charlie and I live only thirty minutes from here.”

Two houses… of course. I held myself from rolling my eyes. I certainly didn't want to piss off the man that was giving me a way to make my life easier.

“How much?”

“Five days a week. You'll pick her up from school and stay with her till I get back. It'll be 60 dollars an hour, extra allowances for anything she may need and an added allowance for your transport,” he said.

If I had a drink in my mouth, I'd have spit it out. That was more than twice what I was currently making.

“That works, but I can't do Thursdays. Those are the days I spend with my dad,” I explained and prayed he wouldn't ask me anymore questions about why it was important I spend time with my dad.

“I'll work around it. That means you'll work just four days a week. I might need you sometimes on the weekend, but that won't be frequent. I'll pay 80 dollars an hour for weekends.”

I was conflicted. I knew it was unhealthy to spend so much time in the same place as Liam, but he sounded like he'd be gone most of the time.

“Okay, deal.”

“You have the rest of the week to put your affairs in order. You can start on Monday. I have your email, so I'll send you the details.”

“Thank you.”

He stood staring at me for some time. I held his stare, his expression was blank, so I didn't know what was going on his head.

“Well, see you Monday then,” I said.

He replied with a nod before pulling out of the driveway. As I watched his car go, I wondered if I'd made the right decision by accepting the job, or if I'd just further complicated my life.

I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.