It turned out, Ayumi didn't have to worry about being late and having to face Wulf – he was locked in his office when she came in. She didn't see him all morning, which was unusual. On a typical day, they spent his first hour together, going over his schedule. Now, it was after noon, and his clipped voice over the intercom calling her into his office was the first she'd heard from him.

Maybe being two minutes late is a bigger deal than I thought ...

She smoothed out her jacket before walking into his office. He didn't look up as she moved across the floor and took her seat. It was another minute before he finished writing on a legal pad. Then he casually put everything away, even straightening out the pencil next to his blotter.

“So,” he finally spoke. Then there was an awkward silence.

Why is it awkward? What is going on?

“Yes?” she finally asked. His intense blue eyes locked onto hers.

“I like to think we're close, in our own way,” he started.

“Yes, I would say so,” she agreed slowly. “You're listed as my emergency contact on all my documents.”

“Really? I didn't know,” he sounded genuinely surprised.

“Yes. I always figured you'd be the first to notice me missing, anyway,” she told him, which earned her a laugh.

“Good point. You're in my will,” he replied, and it was her turn to be surprised.

“I ... I didn't know. Thank you,” she stammered.

“Don't thank me yet, you haven't seen how small your share is,” he joked. She wasn't sure how to respond, she wasn't used to silly-Wulf, he usually reserved that side for Katya. “Anyway, my point is, we're close. I spend more time with you than virtually anyone else in my life. When I really stopped to think about it, I realized you're almost like another sister to me.”

Actually, you treat me better than you treat your sisters.

“Thank you, Wulf. That's very sweet,” she said.

“Thanks. So I hope when I ask my next question, you won't sue me for sexual harassment or anything,” he said. She went still.

“Um ... excuse me?”

“Brighton told me you're dating Liam Edenhoff.”

The silence in the office was like a roar in her ears. In all the years she'd known Wulf, they'd never discussed their sexual habits. She knew all about his dalliances, of course, as she'd had to arrange a lot of his dates, and subsequently his rides home in the mornings. But they'd never talked about her. She never offered up any details. It wasn't professional. It wasn't seemly.

“I don't think that's any of your business,” she blurted out. Wulf leaned back in his chair and nodded.

“It's not. Not at all,” he agreed. She glanced around.

“Am I being fired?”

“What? No, jesus, of course not,” he snapped. “I'm not a monster. I'm just ... concerned.”

“Oh. Well. You don't need to be,” she told him.

“So you're not sleeping with him?” he asked.

“Why does it matter whether I am or not?” she returned his question with a question.

“It doesn't. But I know Eden very well. Too well. He's bad news, Ayumi. I just don't want to see you get hurt,” he told her.

Oh. Well. That was almost sweet. In a very annoying, oppressive, condescending way. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

“I still don't see how it's any of your business, and in the future, I would prefer not to discuss my personal life at work,” she told him.

“Duly noted.”

“But if it makes you feel better, no, Liam and I are not dating.”

Technically the truth.

The relief on Wulf's face was almost comical.

“Thank god. I'd just gotten away from him, I didn't want him ruining some other part of my life,” he chuckled. “But why would Brie say that? She called Vieve last night, who called Katya, who blabbered on and on about it to me, and what is it with women and having to immediately talk about everything?”

“When I was there to work on his books, Brighton was causing a disturbance at the club. It was more of a joke than anything, we were trying to make her uncomfortable,” she explained.

“She was at his club again? I knew she had a crush on Eden, but this is getting ridiculous,” Wulf grumbled, though he seemed to be talking to himself more than anything else. Ayumi was glad – she didn't want to tell him that Liam and Brie had slept together, but she wouldn't outright lie.

“Well, hopefully we put an end to it. I'm sorry they got you involved,” she said.

“I'm sorry if I embarrassed you,” he apologized in return. She waved her hand.

“I'm not embarrassed,” she assured him as she went to stand up.

“Don't worry, we've still got time,” he joked. “I've been thinking about Brie a lot lately, and I wanted to run something by you.”

“Oookay,” Ayumi said, settling back into her seat.

“I don't know what to do about her. The deal was she could stay in that top floor apartment at the Twin Estates if she got a job and registered for school next year, but I don't think she's done either. Vieve said the place is disgusting now, Brie isn't taking care of it at all. She's got a fake I.D., she's out all the time doing god knows what. I know she's only nineteen, but something's got to change,” he sighed. Ayumi cleared her throat.

“Twenty,” she said in a delicate voice.

“What?”

“Brighton is twenty,” she said again. “Her birthday was a couple weeks ago.”

Wulf blinked his eyes rapidly in surprise.

“I thought her birthday was in March?”

“That's Genevieve's.”

“Shit, then who is in May?”

“Your mother,” Ayumi said. He groaned and rubbed his eyelids.

“See why I don't want children? I can't handle this,” he sighed. “Okay then, twenty – she's out of control even for a twenty year old. I think it's time for something drastic.”

“Would you like me to look into options?” Ayumi asked, opening his planner that she always carried with her when she was at work.

“No. I thought of something the other night that I thought would be perfect. She needs a strong guiding figure. Someone who doesn't take any shit, but who can also be soft. Not abrasive. Can kind of show her how to be an adult without being an asshole about it,” he described.

“So ... you would like me to hire a nanny for your twenty year old sister?” Ayumi guessed, glancing up at him. He smiled.

“I think I already did hire one, years ago,” he replied.

Ayumi's blood ran cold.

“Surely, you can't think that I would be a good candidate to -” she started speaking fast.

“I'll make it worth your while,” he interrupted, and her jaw dropped.

“I-I'm sorry,” she stammered. “But no. No. I couldn't possibly. I've never had a roommate, didn't even have any siblings. I wouldn't know what to do, I wouldn't be able to help.”

“You're driven,” Wulf said, and started holding up a finger for each point he made. “You're successful. You're smart. You're clean. You don't take any shit, and you get a lot of shit done. I think you'd be a lot of help to a girl like Brighton.”

“I wouldn't even know where to being,” she insisted.

“You wouldn't have to do anything. I would set the rules – you would just enforce them. That apartment has three bedrooms, you can have the spare two for your own private use. I will double your current salary, you would essentially be getting paid twenty-four hours a day. I would also pay for any and all transportation while you live there, all groceries, and anything else you can think of,” he said.

She wanted to argue, but doubling her salary? That would be a lot of money. She wanted to buy her mother a Jaguar for Christmas.

But worse than that, it was a challenge. Her instant, gut-reaction was to say no. That she couldn't possibly do what he asked. But she'd been raised to be competitive. Never settle for just an A – strive for an A+. Never be second best, always be first. If you can't accomplish something, then you're not good enough. Not as a human being, not as a daughter, not in life in general.

So saying no to a challenge – any kind of challenge – just wasn't possible for Ayumi.

Even when I really, really, really don't want to do it.

“When would I have to move in?” she asked on a sigh. Wulf smiled big.

“Sooner would of course be better, but you should take time to pack and to find someone to take care of your house,” he suggested.

“Take care of my home? How long are you expecting me to live with Brie?” she asked. He shrugged.

“I don't know. Maybe you'll be such a positive influence, she'll start taking classes next semester. Maybe she'll rebel even more. I was thinking of putting a time limit on it. If she hasn't registered for classes by summer, I'm sending her home. So June, at the very longest.”

June. Jesus. Half a year, living in an apartment with Brighton Stone.

“Is my job contingent on my doing this for you?” Ayumi asked.

“Of course not. I offered it to you first because I know you'll do the best you can and you're worth every penny I pay you, but I could actually go out and hire a nanny, I suppose,” he said. She thought about it for a second longer.

“Double my salary, all transportation and grocery costs, and triple my normal Christmas bonus,” she negotiated.

“Triple! You're fucking stoned,” he laughed at her.

“Excellent point. Quadruple,” she upped her bid, narrowing her gaze at him. He glared right back, but she knew he'd take the deal. Wulf was a hard ass with almost everyone in his life, but for some reason, he'd always been somewhat of a softie with Ayumi.

“Fine. You just love taking my money,” he grumbled as he grabbed some papers out of his desk. While he made some notes at the bottom of it, adding her bonus stipulation, she glanced over the text that was visible to her. He'd already had a contract drawn up for her nanny job.

While he wrote, she stared out the window over his shoulder. How depressing. She worked ten hour days, and then she'd be going home to a full time babysitting job. More like asshole-sitting. Brie was not a very nice person. It was going to be awful. Definitely a challenge. A long, long challenge.

She frowned as she realized how nice it was outside. Bright sunlight was pouring through the windows, he didn't even have any lights on in the room. It looked like an amazing summer day, but she knew better – winter was making itself known in San Francisco. It was chilly outside, and blustery. It rained more often than not, which just made her situation more depressing. Babysitting in cold, shitty weather.

She sat up straight as a thought ran through her head. San Francisco was cold, but it would be warm in San Jose. Or Malibu. Or San Diego.

No, no, no, such a bad idea.

She licked her lips and glanced around. Six months of hell. Two weeks of sunshine. Could she stand annoying banter and constant tacos for that long?

“I want to make another amendment to the offer,” she found herself saying, even before her brain had made a decision.

I have sex with Liam Edenhoff one time, and he turns me crazy. He should come with a warning label.