Chapter Six
Maybe I shouldn’t have come.
Monique looked at her nails and contemplated relapsing into the old habit of biting them. Then she glanced at the closed door.
Less than twenty-four hours since she’d last seen Zaine—as Monday evening rolled in—she decided to show up at his place and surprise him. And now, even after ringing his doorbell three times, no one opened the door even though his car was in the driveway.
What if he had someone over? They hadn’t talked about exclusivity, and maybe he was a mega man-whore who wanted to enjoy his separation to the fullest. Her heart shrunk to the size of a cherry tomato.
Monique drew in a breath and made to move away when the door swung open.
“Hey,” he said, holding a…baby?
She frowned.
Certainly not his. She opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what to say. The only sound that went past her lips was a strange groan.
“She’s my sister’s,” he said, holding the cute little blonde baby. “She was desperate to go on a date with her husband and my other sister Emma, who was supposed to watch her, got sick.”
Relief poured down her spine, and her shoulders dropped a notch or two. “How old?” she said, clapping at the baby. “Six months?”
“Seven.” He motioned for her to enter. “Were you in the neighborhood?”
“Yes, of course. Why else would I drop by?” she said, totally downplaying how long it’d taken her during rush hour traffic to get to Hollywood Hills.
Amusement flickered in his eyes, and that crazy vibe passed between them. “I don’t know…perhaps you want to take advantage of a sexy uncle after he’s off duty.”
She stroked the baby’s cheek and cooed. “I do. But for now I want to hang out with this cutie. What’s her name?”
“Sarah.”
“Hi, Sarah,” she said, making some faces that warranted her a few coos and chuckles from the little one. Soon, Sarah stretched out her arms, and Monique took her, walking with her on her hip around the house.
“You’re good with kids.”
“I helped raise my three younger brothers,” she said, remembering the days when she helped feed, bathe, and put them to sleep. Her mother worked long hours, but Monique never minded one tiny bit. Her early experience with children had shaped her personality, caring for them when her own father didn’t. She hated seeing her siblings neglected by their father. That’s why she’d vowed to help kids without a voice when she became an adult.
“Where were your parents?”
“My mom was around, but she needed help after my dad bailed on us. I was a teen, but my siblings were younger.”
“Sucks. I’m sorry,” he said. “My father died when I was seventeen. He was a good one, though. Present.”
“Good. An honorable man who raised an honorable son,” she said, and peered up at him. Their gazes held for a moment that stretched beyond measure. He stared at her tenderly, sending some kind of secret message she herself didn’t know how to read. The intensity of their silent exchange squeezed the air from her lungs.
It would be safer to return to sexual innuendos and easy banter.
She’d be a whole lot safer if she turned away from him and their bizarre sex-for-money bargain.
Though she knew the right path to take, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Monique…”
“Yes?”
“Sarah needs a diaper change,” he said, pointing at the baby. “Give her to me.”
Monique shook her head and laughed at herself. Here she was waiting for him to say something romantic when he’d called her, and instead he alerted her about Sarah’s much-needed change. He grabbed the baby from her and took her to the living area, where a few items were scattered: a bottle, a blanket, and some toys. He didn’t ask her to change Sarah; he went ahead and did it himself, quite efficiently for a guy. “Do you babysit her often?”
“Not really. Megan and I are close, though.”
She remembered the pictures of a woman who looked like him but in feminine form. “Right. Funny thing, I never saw pictures of Sarah. Or saw your sisters around.”
He dressed Sarah and put her on the blanket. Sarah gurgled, playing with a rattle. “Megan, Emma, and Ashley never got along well. The tension escalated after Megan had a baby… Ashley always judged her for staying at home with Sarah instead of going back to work.”
“Seems like Ashley is a bitch,” she said, though she knew it to be truth. In their few exchanges, Ashley treated her no better than Paula—condescending and like she was some dumb foreigner because she was a cleaning maid.
He shrugged. “That’s the ruling.”
“Why didn’t you leave her sooner?” she asked, unsure if she’d like the answer. Rooting for people’s divorce was beneath her, yet she didn’t feel guilty for asking.
He scratched his chin. “I have a very rational side. I saw our relationship as an investment and wanted to make sure we tried everything before going our separate ways. But one thing she didn’t want to try was having a family.”
“Did she say she wanted one when you got married?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes. I think she changed her mind along the way.”
She bit back a smile. He’d make a fabulous dad one day. “C’est la vie, huh?”
“Yes. A hell of a vie,” he said, and they laughed in unison.
For the next four hours, they shared a laid-back night. He ordered Thai food from his favorite place, and they talked some more and played with Sarah. Monique hadn’t cared for a baby in a while, now that her brothers were in their late teens. She warmed Sarah’s bottle, fed her, and kissed the top of her head when she fell asleep in her arms.
She and Zaine had only exchanged a quick kiss, but she didn’t miss the sex. Spending time with him was all she needed, after all those months in Los Angeles she’d been alone with few confidantes. Her roommates were nice people, but they never established any type of meaningful connection besides respecting each others’ boundaries and sharing bills and greasy pizzas. Now, for the first time, she had someone to talk to about anything and everything.
In a strange way, Zaine made her feel like she was at home.
She swallowed. Twice. Note to self: this is just playing house. For once, she was happy for their arrangement. It kept things honest and kept her from getting hurt.
Sarah was sleeping soundly when the doorbell rang.
Zaine was picking a movie for them to watch in the media room, so Monique dashed to the entrance to make sure the baby wouldn’t wake. When she opened the door and saw his sister, it dawned on her. They didn’t have a verbal agreement on what to tell people about how they got together. And there she was, opening the door of his house with a smile on her face. “Hello.”
Megan did resemble her brother, especially the expressive chestnut eyes. She withdrew, visibly surprised. She wore a knee-length red dress that screamed date night. “I’m here to pick up my daughter.”
“Please, come in. Sarah’s asleep so I opened the door to make sure she didn’t wake.”
Megan nodded and tossed her long brown hair to the side. “Trust me, Sarah can sleep through an earthquake. She probably will,” she added, chuckling.
Phew. Friendly vibes exuded from his sister. Why not reciprocate? “Your daughter is so lovely.”
“Thank you. I’m Megan,” she said, stretching out her hand. “And you are?”
“Monique.” She shook her hand. “I’m a friend of Zaine’s.”
She heard Zaine’s footsteps before he reached them, holding a DVD. “Yes, she’s Monique. A very good friend,” he added, and stood alongside her.
Megan picked up her daughter and grinned at her brother. “Interesting,” she said, then glanced at Monique like she was seeing her for the first time.
“Let me help you with the rest of your things,” Monique said, but before she could grab the big diaper bag, Zaine took it.
“I’ll do it. I’m sure she wants to have some precious alone time with me so she can give me a hard time on the way to the car,” he said.
His sister smacked his arm. “You’re lucky my husband is waiting in the car, otherwise I’d make it so embarrassing for you. Payback for all my high school dates.”
Monique watched the sibling teasing with a pang of jealousy. She missed her own brothers. “Nice to meet you, Megan.” She waved at the door.
Megan smiled over her shoulder and nodded. “Same here, Monique. Thank you.”
Monique heard them talking in a low voice as Zaine carried his sister’s things all the way to the sleek parked car.
“A very good friend?” she asked when he returned, shaking her head. “What does that mean?” What made a regular friend different from a very good friend?
“Let me show you,” he said, closing the door behind him and pulling her into a kiss.