Chapter 7 -Smart Like Your Dad

• The sisters reveal to me that they’ve wanted a cat for years, even admitting to putting it on their Christmas lists a few times. They were certain their father would finally bring them a cat, but sadly, he didn’t.
• “He says he’s too busy for a kitty,” Tris says sadly. She rubs at her eye, and I wonder if she’s considering crying once again.
• I take this into account. Derek’s busy work schedule must keep him running around all day and night. Not to mention these two little girls must make every day a handful.
• If he can’t do everything that the cat needs, then it makes sense Bea and Tris have never been given the cat they want.
• “Well,” I say, sitting on the floor to call Sammy back out of his hiding place. “Your Daddy probably thinks you three can’t care for a kitty. He’s always busy, right?”
• Bea nods her head emphatically. Her little braids smack against the side of her face. “Daddy says we’re not old enough for a kitty.”
• “Maybe that’s a good thing,” I assert. “Sammy is the first kitty I’ve ever had.”
• Tris’ eyes widen. “You never had a kitty?”
• Shaking my head, the girls come closer to me. “I wanted to make sure I could do everything for my kitty. Sammy is very special to me, and I want him to be happy.”
• “We’d make a kitty happy!” Bea swears.
• “Well, if you two take good care of Sammy when you come over, I’ll see if I can get your dad to think about a kitty for you, okay?” I bluff. I can ask Derek all I want, but the truth is, it’s not up to me.
• A pet is a huge responsibility. While I think Bea could learn the basics of taking care of a small cat or dog, Derek doesn’t have time for it when the girls grow bored and forget to feed or clean up after the animal.
• “Having a cat requires patience and money. And if your dad doesn’t want you to have a cat, you can always get a cat when you grow up!”
• As soon as I’ve said it, the girls instantly begin to bombard me with a myriad of questions.
• “What are you doing here?”
• “Why do you work for our Daddy?”
• “What kind of kitty do you think we should get?”
• “How long have you worked for him?”
• “Are you dating Daddy?”
• I feel the heat return to my cheeks, genuinely taken aback by the girl's intelligence at such a young ages. It makes me feel funny even talking to them at their age level.
• “I’ve known your dad for a while. We met a few years ago, and now we work together.”
• Bea sighs, and Tris sits back on her butt. The eldest sister sighs, though, in what sounds like relief. “Good. You’re not here to be our new Mommy.”
• I cough once, then twice. No, that’s absolutely not what was going to be happening, but I didn’t imagine hearing a seven-year-old talking so maturely.
• However, as shocked I am hearing her say these things, my curiosity can’t help but become piqued by her sentence. Derek’s love life?
• I mean, it’s normal for people to gossip in the real world, right? I’m but a mere mortal and I thrive on the human connection where I share information with others.
• There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know more about the man that has become my neighbor, right?
• Raising an eyebrow, I ask the girls, “Do many women want to be your new Mommy, girls?”
• The two girls exchange a glance before nodding and confirming the truth. “A lot of them,” Tris says quietly.
• “But we never liked any of those ladies,” Bea comments, scrunching her face up as if she smelled some bad food.
• Interesting.
• Then, Bea questions me as if this is a game. “Is our Daddy really a tyrant at work? Does he scare people with his loud voice?”
• She reaches her arms out and roars like Godzilla, making sounds with her mouth as she stomps across the wood floor.
• I can’t even stop myself from bursting out laughing at Bea’s thoughts about her own father. Seeing him as this huge, intimidating monster? That’s how it felt the first few weeks that I worked in the office.
• I imagine Derek’s serious face imitating a monster, and I laugh harder. His girls start laughing, too, though I know they don’t see what it is I do.
• Still calming down from the laughing fit, I wipe away a tear under one of my eyes, pushing some baby hairs from my face.
• “No, girls. He’s very professional. Your dad is the best kind of boss. He’s one of the best bosses I’ve ever had.”
• It’s not a lie, and it’s not an exaggeration. It’s the truth. Working with Derek has made me feel like I can do anything in this field. I can learn from my mistakes without fears of firing, and I received promotions faster than I know what to do with them.
• “Really?” Tris asks me with wide eyes.
• I reach out my hands to each little girl, and they both take them as we start to head back over to their place. Bea gives a series of interesting knocks, which I interpret to mean that it’s his daughter’s returning.
• “Our Dad is really a good boss?” Bea reiterates for her sister.
• Nodding, I smile wider. “The very best boss there ever was.”
• “Don’t you know this is how they get along?” Bea asks me, before looking over at her sister. “If Dad hears it, he’ll give her a raise!”
• We all turn to the door as it opens wide with Derek standing there, and I realize by the look in his eyes he’s heard everything we’ve just said.
• The two girls giggle and run inside their home, but I’m left speechless by the words they’ve said to me.
• Derek’s daughters…they’re really smart.
• I find myself having a hard time saying anything again as I stand alone with Derek. He’s put on a real shirt now, and his face seems kinder this time around.
• Maybe the shock of seeing me as his next-door neighbor has finally worn off.
• “They…” my voice teeters out. I try again, sucking in a large breath. “They’re clever, just like their dad.”
• Derek looks back, probably to see where his girls have gone. Then he gives me another look, and I swear there’s something brewing in his head.
• I want to ask Derek at least a thousand questions about Bea, Tris, and their lives. I want to know where their mother is, who takes care of them when he’s working, what they love to do other than begging for a cat.
• But none of those questions trickle out of me. Instead, I watch as a beautiful woman emerges from what I assume to be Derek’s bedroom.
• She’s absolutely stunning with one of the best figures I’ve ever seen. I watch as her tall, tanned self walks forward toward us. Her features feel familiar to me for some reason. But I don’t know this hazel-eyed woman.
• Whoever she is, I suddenly feel very average while standing next to her.
• Giving me a sharp once-over from head to toe, I watch her eyes snap to attention as she glares at my figure.
• “And who the hell are you supposed to be? The new nanny for those two?” She asks, a haughty tone ringing in my ear after her insulting questions.