AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve always been so self-aware. Decisive. In control. But this is why I hired a nanny. To make my life a little easier. Make me more efficient.
As it turns out, being selfish and letting someone else do my work isn’t without effort.
“Ms. Keller, do you need something else?” Remi’s question breaks me out of the intense argument in my head.
Setting the plate in the sink, I will my fingers to leave it and my feet to move out of the room. “No, I’m just going to get changed.” I shuffle past without looking him in the eye.
He has me so flustered it’s uncomfortable. Letting go of that foreign feeling, I head to my ensuite for a shower. I feel like I’m missing something because my arms are empty. Usually, I have Isabel with me for my morning routine.
I catch my reflection in the mirror and want to drop dead. Oh, for the love of Saint Lilith.
In all my spazzy surprise this morning, I didn’t realize I was still in my pajamas. I went for absolute comfort last night—Jay’s old threadbare t-shirt donning a humanoid hot dog with the phrase: It’s not a party until the wiener comes out. Rounding out the “I’ve given up” vibe perfectly are a pair of sweatpants with little Jay heads all over them.
“So you’re not so lonely in bed,” they said when they gave them to me on my birthday.
I smack my head. If this is ever going to work, Remi has to see me as a professional. There can be no casual encounters between us. He has a job to do, so I can do mine.
“Wee wee wee, all the way home,” echoes through the baby monitor.
Curious, I pick up the device and watch Remington changing Isabel's poopy diaper like it’s his favorite job ever, singing This Little Piggy, wiggling each of her toes. All the while my daughter mimics him, having the best time. Usually, she fights me and I get frustrated. I don’t mean to—I’m just so exhausted sometimes.
“What a pretty voice,” he praises her effort.
Watching the two of them sing happily does something to my chest that makes it achy and hard to breathe.
I feel like I’ve finally done something right by my baby. My little girl deserves the best of everything, and Kiara was right—he’s the best fit for us. I mean, her. The only reason he’s here is for her. Isabel is his only responsibility.
The sooner we both realize that, the better.
“As you can see by the numbers projected, when Deximo approves the proposal it will be lucrative, putting Ever Heart on the map with the biggest marketing companies and securing your investment for years to come.” And a much needed step-back for me. “We have our best team on this.” I stalk around the meeting room on four-inch stilettos and an air of superiority.
Every single eye is on me. Every ear listening to the words I utter.
“You said ‘when’,” Robert Pingman—our biggest investor slash pain in the ass—pipes up at the far end of the room.
Startled, I turn toward him. “That’s right. When Deximo approves the proposal. Which they will.”
“But they haven’t yet,” he points out, and the room breaks into dissenting murmurs.
A sure sign I’m losing control, and I absolutely cannot.
“Mr. Pingman, I assure you the proposal will go through.”
“Until the ink has dried on the contract, I’m going to have to consider pulling out. Ever Heart missed last quarter’s projected earnings by five percent.”
“But—”
“No buts, Ms. Keller. Your team is dropping the ball. You’ve been distracted lately. Maybe your team should think about finding a stronger leader. Someone that doesn’t have as many … obligations. Maybe then, I’ll have more confidence in the direction Ever Heart is going.”
Fury, mortification, shame, and resentment fall over me like molten lava, and I’m ready to spew fire. I know what he’s implying, and it’s complete, utter bullshit. If I were a man, he wouldn’t be inferring anything, but because he knows of my single-mother status, he thinks he’s justified in using it against me in a conference with other men. Like-minded men.
“I would highly advise you to watch what you are implying, Robert. You have witnesses.” A hawk flies past the window, and I imagine its sharp beak impaling Pingman’s carotid. The thought tempers my anger, marginally.
“Whatever I’m implying, Keller, is irrelevant. You need me more than I need this fledgling company. When it’s my money on the line, I pay very close attention to how it’s handled.”
I’m going to wrap my manicured nails around his saggy scrotum and squeeze until his balls pop out. Then, I’m going to feed them to him and make everyone watch. This is what happens when you mess with me. My gender will always be my strength, no matter what this imbecile thinks.
Everyone’s eyes ping-pong between me and Robert, and I’m determined to have the last word.
