Chapter 4
1097 Words
Melody’s POV
This guy was insufferable.
Who even talked like that? "Get out of my house" like he was some medieval king banishing peasants. All I did was show up for a babysitting job, and suddenly, I was public enemy number one.
Still, I couldn’t back down now—not with that smug look he gave me when he agreed to my terms. A week to prove myself. One measly week to show Mr. Rich-and-Broody that I was more than capable of handling a couple of kids and whatever power trip he was on. Easy, right?
Except…maybe not.
Mia leaned against the doorframe, sipping her mimosa like this was the best reality TV she’d ever seen. “Oh, I like you already,” she said, smirking at me. “Caden doesn’t let just anyone rattle him like that.”
“Rattle?” I scoffed. “The man needs a personality transplant. And a nap.”
Mia let out a laugh, the kind that was too loud for someone who clearly didn’t care who heard it. “You’re going to fit in perfectly here. Come on, let’s get you settled.”
I hesitated, glancing back at the driveway where Caden’s car had just disappeared. What had I gotten myself into? Babysitting for a family where the brother was a control freak, the sister drank mimosas at 11 a.m., and the dog apparently had more social skills than the humans? Definitely not what I’d imagined when I saw the flyer.
But Mia seemed oddly welcoming, in her chaotic way. She led me through the massive house, pointing out rooms like she was on a real estate tour. “Kitchen’s here. Kids’ rooms upstairs. Oh, and the backyard is fenced in, but don’t let the kids near the pool without supervision. We don’t need any accidents.” She paused, winking. “At least, none we can’t cover up.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
“Kidding!” she said with a grin, but the mischievous glint in her eye told me she wasn’t entirely joking.
We reached the living room, and that’s when I saw them—the kids. Two little girls, probably around six or seven, sitting on the couch with matching grins that spelled nothing but trouble. One of them, the one with curls that seemed to defy gravity, was whispering something to her sister, who nodded conspiratorially.
“This is Erica and Emily,” Mia said, gesturing grandly. “Or, as I like to call them, our resident troublemakers.”
The girls waved at me, but their eyes sparkled with the kind of mischief I recognized instantly. Oh, I was in for it.
“You’re the new babysitter?” one of them asked, tilting her head like a bird sizing up prey.
“That’s right,” I said, trying to sound confident. “And I’m here to keep you two in line.”
Emily—at least, I thought it was Emily—snickered. “We’ll see about that.”
Mia clapped her hands together. “Well, I’ll leave you three to it. Have fun!” With that, she sauntered off, leaving me alone with the tiny terrors.
“Alright,” I said, planting my hands on my hips. “Ground rules. No—”
Before I could finish, Erica (or was it Emily?) shouted, “Tag! You’re it!” and bolted toward the stairs.
The other one laughed, dashing after her sister before I could even process what was happening.
Oh, great. A week with these two? What had I just signed up for?
I ran my hand through my hair, frustration bubbling to the surface. There was no way I could start working today—it just wasn’t possible.
I walked out of their room and headed downstairs, only to find the place eerily quiet. There was no sign of anyone.
Where did they go? And where is Mia?
I grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper, scribbling a quick note to let Mia know I had left. She could deal with the aftermath herself—I was done for the day.
Approaching the front door cautiously, I peeked outside. The coast was clear. Thankfully, the dog that had nearly mauled me earlier was nowhere in sight.
Stepping out, I made my way to the gate. Just as I reached it, the security guard emerged from a small room nearby.
So they have a security guard? I thought bitterly, glaring at him. And where was he when the dog was chasing me?
He sauntered over to open the gate, completely oblivious to the chaos his absence had caused earlier.
This is all his fault, I fumed silently. If he had been here to open the gate, that dog wouldn’t have chased me, and I wouldn’t have run into Mr. Rich.
I walked out of the mansion, shooting the security guard a smirk as I passed him. He didn’t know it yet, but I’d be teaching him a lesson—just not today.
Reaching the street, I flagged down a cab and slid into the back seat, slamming the door shut.
"Downtown," I muttered to the driver, leaning back with a deep sigh.
The cab ride was mercifully quiet, giving me time to replay the last couple of hours in my head. What kind of job had I stumbled into? Babysitting? Sure. Dealing with eccentric family drama, runaway dogs, and a moody millionaire? Definitely not in the fine print.
As the city blurred past the window, my thoughts kept circling back to Caden. He was so infuriatingly composed, so used to getting his way. But that’s the thing about guys like him—they’re just waiting for someone to knock them down a peg.
I smirked to myself. Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The cab pulled up in front of my apartment building, and I paid the driver before stepping out onto the sidewalk. The cool air hit my face, grounding me. I had a week to prove myself, to show Caden I wasn’t some pushover. Piece of cake, right?
I entered the house and found my mom and sister sitting in the living room.
The moment I saw the couch, I let myself collapse onto it, exhausted.
“What happened?” Mom asked, her concern evident.
“I got the job,” I said flatly.
Their reaction was instant—they both screamed in excitement, clapping their hands like I’d just won the lottery.
I didn’t blame them. They had no idea what kind of job I’d actually taken.
- Writer
