Diana

I’d never talked to the handsome, driven CEO of Pinnacle Real Estate before yesterday, but… I’d noticed him. A lot. Our offices were on the same floor, and he was basically the definition of eye candy. Any glance I could sneak at him through the cracked door of my office or over the desk outside the elevators I sometimes worked at brightened my day - and sent my imagination careening into dangerous territory.

Yeah, I had a crush on my boss. He was dashingly clean-cut, permanently hard-working, a billionaire, and, well… the pinnacle of Pinnacle. Plenty of women in the office must have had a secret crush on him.

Cameron was rich. He was CEO of a worldwide real estate franchise. He had a lot of things that were unimaginable to someone with a job as simple as secretary.

Yet, when I spoke to him, I felt like… like I was just talking to a father who needed a nanny. Cameron just seemed like any ordinary guy who loved his son, worried about him and wanted what was best for his son.

Except I didn’t fantasize about any ordinary guy bending me over an office desk and taking me from behind. Even now, my cheeks warmed just thinking about some of the scenarios my imagination had managed to tease me with.

It was just like having a crush on a movie star, right? Actors were fun to moon after. They were unobtainable, just like Cameron.

Except now that I knew him a little better and had spoken to him, Cameron didn’t feel anything like one of those lofty, unreachable, handsome faces on TV. The realness of his personality and his problems with his ex-wife had shattered the screen that made my fantasies safe and without the possibility of coming true.

Oh please, I berated myself sharply. My fantasies still had no chance of coming true. Only rich models dated billionaire men. It wouldn’t be long before Cameron would be on the front of some business magazine next to a leggy example of optimal beauty underneath some headline about marriage.

He wouldn’t be interested in a woman like me. I had curves, but not just in the butt and chest area where men liked them, although I did have those. Curvy butts and boobs were sexy. Curvy tummies and thighs were not.

I sighed loudly. I should have been grateful to find extra work so quickly… but it was just such a tease to work for Cameron!

I AM grateful, I told myself sternly. The evening of the day on which I had learned that our house could get foreclosed, I had gone to see my mother at Blue Pines, the nursing home in which she was staying until she recovered from her surgery. Just as I had suspected, Mom had just forgotten about the mortgage payments completely and the calls from the bank had been going to our home phone.

Too little, too late, but she changed the phone number on her banking profile to her cell right after we had a good mother-daughter cry, of course.

When I mentioned my plan to get some extra work, she just nodded her head. I knew she hated it - hated that her daughter had to make all the money for our little family of two, hated that I had to somehow make even more now, hated that I worried about her and now had to worry about the house. She didn’t speak up about it. Why should she? There was nothing else to be done. No other way.

I won’t tell her yet. The decision was an easy one to make. She’d never expect that I got another job so soon, and when I brought it up again she’d get that same tight-lipped expression and waste time worrying about me when she should be resting and getting well again.

Besides, I had a kid to visit and a good impression to make.

Cameron had informed me that he’d be working late today, which meant I would just be going by to meet Noah a bit later than expected. I didn’t mind - in fact, this was perfect. Impressing the kid would impress the father, and I wanted Noah to like me. Dark-colored, formal clothing looked great around the office. Kids preferred color and approachability, and I now had time to go home and change into such an outfit.

For all my big words about impressing Cameron through Noah, it took me a solid two minutes of standing in the cold and dark to bring my hand up and knock on the door of the house that evening. While I waited at the door for a response, I nervously glanced around, hoping this really was Cameron’s house. After I’d pulled up to the wrought iron gate in my old oil-leaking Saturn and selected “Cameron Hart” from the list of names for visitors to refer to, I’d passed row after row of beautiful, unique houses that all looked like they could belong to a billionaire CEO.

The door opened and a beam of light blinded my darkness-accustomed eyes. Cameron stepped back and waved an inviting hand. “Thanks for coming, Ms. Hayes. Please, come in.”

“Just Diana is fine… Cameron.” He’d told me to call him that, and I didn’t want him to feel like he had to call me Ms. Hayes outside the office. He didn’t respond, so when I stepped inside I said the first thing I thought of that could start a conversation. “Thanks. It’s cold out there.” The weather. That was all I could find to talk about?

“Very,” Cameron agreed. The chill lingered in the folds of my green coat, and I followed Cameron quickly into the living room to escape it.

The living room. It had all the furnishings of a living room, but this room was probably the size of the entire first floor of my house and had about twice as much furniture - and that furniture was twice as nice. At least.

“Noah’s over - well, he was in front of the couch.” A few dinosaurs and some large Legos came into view as we rounded the side of the enormous couch, but no little boy appeared. “He usually hides when someone knocks. I’ll get him.” Cameron disappeared down a hall to the right.

I breathed in and out deeply. Middle school was a long time ago. I wasn’t a silly little girl who couldn’t contain herself around handsome boys. I was an adult with bills to pay and a job to do.

Cameron reappeared two minutes later with a bundle of limbs and clothes that seemed to be doing its best to shrink into him and disappear from the world. “Diana, this is Noah. Noah, this is Diana. She’s going to watch you and play with you while Daddy’s away, okay?”

Big, round, brown eyes peeked over an arm that clutched his father tightly. Three seconds apparently told him all he needed to know about this strange woman, because he tucked his head back into the safe familiarity of Cameron’s broad chest.

“Hi, Noah.” My encouraging smile reinforced my friendly voice, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “I’m Diana. Do you like dinosaurs?”

No answer.

“I like dinosaurs,” I continued without missing a beat. “I have a dinosaur right here.” Reaching into my purse, I quickly freed the business-card-sized, special-promotion movie ticket that I’d slipped into my wallet years ago. At the time, I had just wanted it somewhere out of the way and I hadn’t seen a trash can. After finding it still in my wallet a year later, it had become something to remember a friend by who had moved away, so I had kept it all these years.

It had a T-rex on it, because dinosaurs had been a big part of the movie. How lucky was that?

Noah perked up his head just enough to peek over his arm again, a little curiosity replacing the shyness.

“But I don’t know what it is.” I feigned confusion and flipped the ticket around comedically, looking at the thin edges and peering closely at it upside down - after I made sure he got a good look at it, of course. “What kind of dinosaur could it be?” I started mumbling dinosaur names. Come on... No kid I’d ever met could pass up the chance to tell an adult something new.

Noah might be shy - much shyer than any kid I’d babysat before - but he was no exception. “T-rex.”

I looked up from the ticket, heart bubbling with triumph and pride for Noah. His head was hidden again, but that little voice couldn’t have come from anyone else. “Yeah, that was it. Wow, thanks!”

Cameron bent his knees and set Noah down gently, his eyes smiling at me in approval. “Can you play with your T-rex, Noah? Diana and I are going to the kitchen.”

I felt his gaze on me until we reached the kitchen. “He seems like a nice kid,” I said, watching him lay on his stomach in his tiny Chicago Bulls jersey and clash two plastic dinos together.

“He is. I can’t believe he spoke to you, honestly. Usually, he just hides or stays completely quiet when strangers are around.” Warm happiness filled Cameron’s voice. “I really felt nervous about leaving him alone overnight, but... if you still want the job, I’d love to hire you. It would make me feel a lot better if I knew you were here with him.”

“I’d love the job,” I assured Cameron immediately, ecstatic.

“Great. I did some research on rates, and I was thinking $250 flat to stay each night, and $20 per hour during the day? Noah usually sleeps pretty soundly, once he gets to sleep. He might try to sneak in and sleep with you,” Cameron admitted. “He’s afraid of the dark and he climbs into bed with me fairly regularly. You might be able to carry him to bed once he falls asleep.”

“It’ll be fine either way,” I promised. Noah was starting to sound more and more like one of my little nieces who had also been afraid of the dark around his age. “But $250 a night? Are you… are you sure?” I’d also done a some research, since it had been so long since I nannied. $100 to $150 had seemed fairly standard... I hadn’t seen anyone who charged $200 at all, let alone $250.

“I added a little extra for the inconvenience since you already have a full-time job. And a little more for food, in case you decide to do any shopping. Although, I went shopping yesterday,” Cameron added hastily. “I didn’t mean you need to shop. Just, if you want to. Or if you want to take Noah for chicken nuggets or ice cream.”

Or if I needed a little extra money to help with the bills, and Cameron could provide that because he was a billionaire. I wasn’t going to argue with that. And Cameron clearly cared a lot about Noah. He could have left the shopping to me. I didn’t doubt that the CEO’s job was a little more intensive and busier than that of a simple secretary.

He wants to care for his son and do it properly. And he wants me to be able to take care of my mother.

Cameron gave me a few more details. Everything seemed simple enough, and the pay… well, great seemed like an understatement. We both smiled at Noah as he played, then shook on our deal. Cameron’s grip was strong, sure, and confident, and his fingers seemed to linger in mine a heartbeat longer than they should… A wistful touch as Cameron escorted me to the door after I said goodbye to Noah - or so I imagined.

Three days later after work on Monday, it was time to say hello to Noah again. I stepped over the threshold of the beautiful-

Brownstone! That was it. I knew there was a name for this kind of house, I just couldn’t remember it yesterday. Reddish-brown, almost like clay but not nearly so red - this was definitely a brownstone.

Anyway, I stepped over the threshold, this time carrying a suitcase of clothes, makeup, and whatever else I would need while I stayed here. Since I would be needed nearly as soon as I got off work, there was no point in going home during the three nights I would be here.

“Thanks again for doing this,” Cameron said as he led the way to a spacious guest bedroom with a king size bed. “I left a third of the money on the counter in the kitchen, and I’ll pay you the rest when I get back.”

“That’s very generous, thank you.” I managed to almost feel guilty about how much he was paying me, even though I needed the money… badly.

“Let me just say goodbye to Noah, then I’ll be on my way.”

After a couple more minutes of moseying around the room to give them a little time alone, I made my way into the living room. Noah had his arms wrapped around the shoulders of Cameron, who was trying to convince the boy to let go. “Daddy needs to leave,” he explained, not a single note of impatience in his voice. “Just like for work, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

Finally, Noah let go and went back to his dinosaurs -  but he only bounced them up and down, pretending to play while he kept an eye on me.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I brought some help. Other dinosaurs,” I added, the worry creases around Cameron’s eyes telling me this wasn’t the time to be cryptic.

“Oh.” He visibly relaxed. “Take care of him. And call me immediately if anything is wrong. Anything at all.”

“I will.” I’d never meant words more. Cameron’s fond smile in Noah’s direction told me that his boy was everything to him, and my own heart melted just a little because I was someone he trusted with his care.

In all my fantasies, somehow, I’d never expected the determined CEO of Pinnacle Real Estate to be such a loving, doting father.

The door swung shut behind Cameron. I locked it, as instructed, and jogged to the guest room to grab what I hoped would be the key to Noah’s heart. While he played, glancing up occasionally at the kids’ show playing on the large, flat screen TV, I walked around the room, preparing my little game.

I plopped down beside him. His wide, surprised, nervous eyes fastened on my face. “I see… a dinosaur!” I announced, staring hard at the far wall.

Noah’s eyes followed mine to the Pterosaur on the shelf next to a blue vase. He hopped to his feet to go and grab it. But I planted a kiss on top of his head before he could stand up. The surprise and shock on his face turned quickly to suspicion, and he trudged over to the plastic figurine and snatched it up. Despite the scathing glances, he came back… and sat down right where he’d been, just within reach.

“I see… another dinosaur!” This time, I pointed at the mantle above the fireplace, where I could just see the sail of a Dimetrodon peeking around a photo frame. Again, before Noah could run to grab it, I sneaked in a quick kiss.

And he came back again. And again. And again. Kids were smart, and if Noah didn’t like the affection, he would sit down further away or show me in another way that he wasn’t having fun. But he kept coming back and letting me sneak in those quick kisses to the top of his head, even though each time, he gave me a pouty look.

Too soon, the game was over; Noah found every dinosaur. He sat down for the last time, and we both played happily; dinosaur noises and laughter filling the warm living room.