Victoria
1918 Words
Calista POV
“Calista?”
“Calista is sleeping. This should be an emergency or else. Who is this?” I said drowsily.
I have just gone to dreamland, when my phone rang. It’s already late, my heavens!
“Shoot! I’m so sorry. I thought it was still early.”
“Your name, so I could kill you tomorrow.”
“It’s Aaron Astor.”
“Kill me now.” I sat up immediately, with sleep being the last thing on my mind.
Fuck. Why do these kind of incidents happen to me?
“I can’t. I have to keep you alive for Charlotte.”
“Right. What do you want?” I yawned loudly, forgetting my manners and forgetting for a moment that I was talking to my mom’s boss. And my boss, too, starting Monday.
“I was just thinking if you would want to come tomorrow and see where Charlotte is staying. I don’t want you losing your way and arriving late on Monday. And also, I will be showing you what Charlotte usually does around the house.”
“Fine. I’ll be there. What time?”
“Nine? She usually wakes up at nine.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Awesome.”
“Yeah, awesome.”
“I’m so sorry to wake you up.”
“No. No, you did not wake me up. I was just lying on my…” And I just had to yawn again. “bed.”
“I’m sure you’re wearing an oversized white shirt.” I looked at what I was wearing. And truth be told, he was right.
“How’d you know?” I hear a chuckle from the other line.
“Just a hunch.”
“Okay. I won’t bother you anymore. Sleep tight.”
“I don’t think I can sleep now.” I mumbled against the phone.
“You’re so cute.”
“I know, but are you flirting with me? I don’t flirt with old people.”
“And how did you know I’m old.” I don’t know if I had just cleared my head or his voice became husky.
“My Mom told me you’ll be forty next year.”
“So, you’ve been asking details about me from your mom.”
Oh no! He will think I’ve been checking him out.
“I have to do some background check on my employer, you know.” I heard him laugh out loud.
“You’re funny, you know.”
“I know. That’s why you love me.”
Shit! What did I just say?
“I do?”
“What?” I asked back, pretending that I don’t remember what I had just said.
“Never mind. But does it bother you that I’m old?”
“No. Why should it bother me? Do I have to be bothered about an old employer?” I tried to make a joke out of it. But the question just gave me chills. The good kind of chills.
“I have to go now. Have to get that sleep you stole from me.” I quickly said to him.
“Sure, angel. Dream of me.”
Then, Aaron’s gone.
He called me ‘angel’! Oh, goddess, help me tomorrow.
I woke up the following day with so much energy.
“Looking good, dear. Going anywhere today, Calista?” Mom asked as she put down the scrambled eggs on the dining table.
I curled the ends of my hair and put on a little make-up. I wore a button-down spaghetti strap blue summer dress with matching strap-on sandals.
“Thanks, Mom. Aaron called last night. He asked if I can drop by today so I could check out their house, familiarize myself with the surroundings, and see for myself what Charlotte usually does during the day.” I explained to Mom.
“Is that so? Well, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the house. And he will not be there tomorrow to show you around. But don’t forget that it’s Sunday.” She said as she went back to the kitchen.
“I didn’t forget, Mom. I’ll be home soon. I just don’t know how soon. I don’t have to baby sit today.” I said as I follow her.
Sunday is strictly family day. We usually go out for dinner, as Dad wants Mom to rest from the kitchen at least one meal a week. We would sometimes go out early in the afternoon to watch a movie before dinner or go visit a nearby town to unwind.
I then helped Mom with breakfast by preparing coffee and setting up the table.
After breakfast, I went on my way to Aaron’s house. It’s situated at a posh part of the city. And not later than thirty minutes I was there already. Aaron has an automatic gate that I needed to pass through. But what surprised me was the security guard that I did not see at first, made me pass through.
Just when I thought that his house is the smallest in the neighborhood, I was so damn wrong. He has the biggest lawn and longest drive way to the main house.
For someone who has lots of money, he couldn’t get a nanny for his niece. Tsk! And I thought money could buy everything.
I parked my car at the side of the house and then climbed my way up the steps to the front door. Just as I was about to knock, Aaron had already opened it.
Gosh! He’s so hot so early in the morning!
“Good morning! You’re early, angel.”
“Good morning! Why are you calling me angel?” I got curious, but I would like to know the answer.
“Because you look like one.” He smirked at me.
Aaaww…
“Really? Thank you!” I smiled and I could feel myself blushing.
“Yeah, an angel from down below.”
“Fuck.” My smile faltered.
“I intend…” Aaron was then cut when Charlotte appeared at the bottom of the stairs
“Cali?”
“Charlotte!” The little girl ran to me laughing and hugged my thighs. I knelt down and hugged her too. We had just spent half a day together, and yet we are like best buddies already.
“You woke up early today.”
“Uncle Ron woke me up. He said you were coming.”
“Okay. How about we prepare your breakfast, then you will tour me around your house?”
“This is not my house. It’s Uncle Ron’s.”
“Right. After breakfast, you will tour me around Uncle Ron’s house.”
“Okay. Let’s go find food, Cali.” She got my hand and pulled me somewhere around the house. I could not remember where we had come from. I got dizzy with Charlotte pulling me around through many halls. Aaron was just following and observing the two of us.
“Here it is . The food cave.”
“You mean the kitchen?”
“No. The food cave. Where you prepare food.” I looked at Aaron, but he just shrugged at me.
Funny. She was calling the kitchen ‘the food cave’.
“Oh, Charlotte. You call it kitchen.”
“Kitchen?”
“Yes. Like where we baked cookies at my house. Do you remember that? We baked in the kitchen.”
“Okay. Kitchen.”
We went inside and the first thing she wants me to get are the cereals. The rainbow-colored cereals, the one with lots of sugar.
“No, Charlotte. How about we make pancakes? You like that?”
She nodded, and so we made pancakes for her and Aaron to eat.
“You know, Aaron. Maybe the reason she is hyper, because she eats too much sugar. That cereal has too much sugar in it.” I said as they began to eat.
“But I cannot make any other food.”
“Try making her a sandwich. She ate peanut butter and jelly last time.”
“Okay. I’ll try that next time.”
After they ate, we went around on a house tour. The land area where the house stands is big. It has a four-car garage connected to the main house. A huge swimming pool at the back of the house. Then the main house itself, which has two floors. The house itself is not that big for a billionaire like Aaron. But it is big for the two of them living here. It has six bedrooms on the second floor. The first floor has a huge kitchen with a huge pantry, a small gym, a small laundry area, a home office, the dining area, a sitting area, and a living room. There’s even a maid’s room. Oh, I forgot to include the play room. Aaron said that it was not originally part of the house, but he had to put an extension to accommodate the play area for Charlotte.
“Why not convert one of the bedrooms?”
“No. Not the bedrooms.” He said shaking his head.
“Huh? Why not?”
“I want a big family someday.” He shrugged.
“Oh. But you’re already old. How can you have your children?”
“Simple. I’ll just get a young wife.” He then winked at me.
I lost my voice after that.
Why does he keep on teasing me?
I didn’t want to think much about his teasing, because I know that’s just it.
Aaron was showing me how the automatic gate works, when suddenly the security guard called through the intercom saying that a certain Victoria was there to see him.
“Okay. Let her in.” Aaron heaved a sigh, then asked me to entertain Charlotte for the meantime. He would just have to deal with Victoria first.
I was coaxing Charlotte to tour me again. We were behind the wall separating the front hall from the living room, when Victoria appeared at the front door. Charlotte, being a curious kid, went to check on the guest who had arrived.
A very alluring woman walked inside. Her hands went around Aaron’s nape, then she kissed him on his mouth.
“Miss me, darling?” She asked Aaron after the kiss.
“Who are you?” Charlotte asked loudly. “Why are you kissing Uncle Ron?”
I clasped Charlotte’s mouth. I felt my blood creeping up my face.
“I’m sorry. Bye.” I didn’t wait for their reply and just carried Charlotte away from the front door. I didn’t know how I had managed to find the playroom at the back of the house.
What a jerk! He kept on teasing me, when he already has a girlfriend.
- Writer
