"What is this supposed to achieve again?" Grace asked as we walked into the park.
It was Thursday afternoon the following week. I still hadn't spoken to her father yet because he still hasn't come back. Apparently there was a crisis wherever he is which meant he had to stay longer. Grace was allowed to sleep over at my place for the weekend, but she hasn't been to school.
"I know you're smart, but I'd also like to believe that there must be some kid out there who's curious about you," I replied.
She narrowed her eyes at me. "You mean you want me to make a friend?"
"Have you ever even had a friend?" I asked.
"Every kid I've tried to be friends with ended up not being friends with me because their parents forbid them from being my friend," she replied.
"And I'm guessing that these kids happen to come from high society," I said knowingly.
She nodded. "How did you know?"
"Only high society folks would want to avoid a scandal by having their children befriend the child of someone controversial. That's why I'm hoping you'll be able to make a friend who's not from those circles," I explained.
"Hey, I'm up for anything. You're great and all, but I need someone my age to relate to," she joked.
I smiled. "No offence taken there. I want that for you too."
"Alright, so how am I to go about this?" she asked, looking around the park.
"You can head over to the swings, and whoever joins you is curious," I told her my plan.
"Or I could look like an idiot," she countered.
I shot Fabio a pleading look. "I think Rose may be onto something. Give it an hour. You'll look like someone who came to think, and if it doesn't work, we can leave after an hour."
"Are you sure it will work?" she asked us sceptically.
I gave her a little push. "There's only one way to find out."
"Ok, ok," she said laughing before heading towards the swings.
Fabio and I headed towards a bench a distance away. "I can't remember the last time I saw her this happy. Even Mr Black couldn't believe it."
"Is she really happy? I mean she can't have changed that much," I commented.
"In many ways she is. There are a lot of gaps that still need to be filled in her life, but ever since you've come into it, she's been brighter. It sucks seeing a kid having to grow up before they should, so when they're carefree and happy, you want more of that for them," he replied.
I frowned. "I thought her relationship with her dad was good?"
"I'm sure that you're smart enough to know that it's about way more than that. He can only do so much, provide so much for her," he responded.
I looked out at her and there was a boy and girl watching her from a distance. "It's got to do with her mother right?"
"A lot, but also other things like the emotional toll that comes with being her father's daughter," he said.
I turned back to him. "Is he a good man?"
"He's as good a man as any normal man can be. People tend to forget that just because you're in the spotlight, doesn't mean you're not human too. Rumours can be nasty things, and what I've found with people is that once they've decided on their version of a story, there's not much you can do or say to change their minds. In his case, the falseness of one story set the tone for many others. A lot of what you'll probably hear about him is not true, but as I say, people will believe what they want to. It took him a while to realize that perhaps fighting isn't the way to go, so he stopped. Now he just lets people think what they want to think," he stated.
"But what about Grace? Doesn't she deserve him fighting for her?" I questioned.
"She's the reason he stopped. She was the reason he was fighting back, but she picked up on the same thing I did. Grace knows who her father is, and he keeps nothing from her. She understands that for as long as he is who is, people will always have something to say. While she doesn't like being treated as an outsider, she'd rather take that than have her father fight a losing battle," he explained.
I looked back at Grace and was surprised to find her laughing with the boy and girl who were watching her before. She looked so happy then, and I realized that I respect her immensely. She may be a child, but she has a heart bigger than most adults.
I found myself respecting her father too. The more I learn about him from the people who know him best, the more intrigued I am. I'm not so much curious about what it is he did that turned people against him, but rather more curious about who he is as a person.
He sounds nothing short of amazing.
"I see your plan worked out," Fabio commented.
"I honestly wasn't sure if it would," I admitted.
"You made some good points though. Those two probably don't come from high society," he pointed out.
I sighed. "I would hope not. She'll be heartbroken if they turn out to be like all the others."
"And she'll rise from it like she always does. Trust that much," he said.
I nodded. "How long have you been working for Olivier?"
"Ten years now. Mr Black and I met in college but the college thing wasn't for me. He was only there for a few months because Grace was still a baby, and for whatever reason, he trusted me to look after her. I had no clue about babysitting, so he let me call my sister to help. She took care of Grace while I watched over them. There was an attempt on Grace's life, but I saved her and I've been watching over her since," he informed.
"Wow, so you've been there through it all huh?" I joked.
He laughed. "You don't even know the half of it."
I was about to say something when Grace came up to us with her new friends. "Rose, Fabio, these are my new friends Tate and Nina. Guys, this is my teacher and my bodyguard."
"It's lovely to meet you both," I told them, while Fabio sent them a nod.
"We know we just met her, but we were wondering if Grace could sleepover at my house for the weekend. We're crazy about sci-fi and we're having a sci-fi movie marathon. We'd really like it if she could join us," Nina requested.
Grace is obsessed with anything sci-fi.
"Please can I go?" Grace begged.
I laughed. "It's not up to me sweetheart."
She shot Fabio puppy dog eyes, and he sighed, taking out his phone. "You're going to be the death of me little girl."
"Do you think my dad will agree?" Grace asked me while Fabio spoke to him a few feet away from us.
"I can't say I know. He'll probably be worried about your safety," I replied.
"She'll be safe. We have security at my house," Nina informed.
"You do?" I asked, surprised.
She nodded. "We do."
"Is this a good idea?" I asked Grace.
"If you're talking about them being from high society, we've already spoken about that. I explained my situation to them," she informed.
"We don't really know what the story is with her dad, and we don't really care. My dad is business partners with hers and my dad doesn't do business with anyone he doesn't trust," Nina argued.
"Besides, how is it Grace's fault if her dad is badly represented in the media? She's not her father. I think she's cool," Tate added as Fabio walked back to us.
Grace's blush couldn't be missed by anyone even if she was trying to hide it.
"Uhm Rose, please come here for a second," Fabio requested.
"Sure thing," I replied before we walked over to where he previously stood.
"So, this is very unusual and unexpected, but Mr Black is still on the line right now. Basically, whether Grace is allowed to go to this sleepover or not is up to you," he informed.
My eyes widened. "Me? Why me?"
"While he's worried about her safety, it would seem Mr Black holds your opinion very highly and he's come to understand that you care about Grace as much as I do. He believes you'll make the right decision for her," he replied.
"What do you think?" I asked him.
"You and I both know what I think," he replied.
I was stumped honestly. I haven't even met the man, but he already trusts me so greatly with his daughter. I looked to the said daughter to find her once again laughing with her new friends. She deserves to at least find out if Nina and Tate are different, right?
"I mean, she can go, but we have to talk to Nina's mom first. We need to know that we're not sending her into a potentially hostile environment. If Nina's parents are as chilled about this is she's making them seem like they'll be, then we'll let it happen," I told Fabio.
He nodded and put the phone back in his ear. "Did you catch that?"
"I hope I'm not making a mistake here," I mumbled to myself.
"Got it," Fabio said before hanging up the phone.
"And?" I asked.
He put his hands on my shoulders. "You, Miss Kidman, have to talk to Nina's parents yourself. If anything happens to Grace, you're dead."
"Gee thanks a lot," I said, smacking his arm.
He laughed. "You've got this. You're a teacher, so talking to parents is in your blood."
"Yeah yeah," I said, waving him off as we walked back to the friends.
"Can I go?" Grace asked anxiously.
"You can, but I have to talk to Nina's parents," I replied.
She ambushed me in a hug. "Thank you so much!"
"I'll let my parents know. Do you want to talk to them today or when you drop Grace off?" Nina asked.
"When would we be dropping her off?" I asked.
"She can come after school tomorrow," Nina replied.
"We can fetch you from school and then you and Fabio can drop me off," Grace offered.
That makes sense.
"I guess that works. Is that fine with you?" I asked Fabio.
He shrugged. "I don't mind."
"I can't believe I have my first ever sleepover," Grace said excitedly.
"Your first ever?" Tate and I asked in shock.
She nodded. "I'm not good at making or keeping friends."
"Well, you're in for a ride because I'm not letting you go that easily. You're too much like me and that's rare to find in a girl. Besides, we need you to balance our little group," Nina pointed out.
"You have another friend?" I asked.
Tate nodded. "My twin brother Nate."
"Nate and Tate?" Grace asked, giggling.
Tate's ears turned red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't even. Nina makes enough fun of us as it is."
"We'll text you the details on the sleepover. We have to go now because we've got homework to do," Nina told Grace.
They had their friend exchange before Nina and Tate left. On the way back to the mansion, all Grace could talk about was how excited she was for the sleepover. Fabio looked as amused as I was, and we just let her go on and on.
"What do people even take to a sleepover?" she panicked. She and I were in her room and she already wanted to start packing for the sleepover.
"Clothes are a good start," I teased.
She glared at me. "This is not the time for jokes Rose."
"Would you calm down? You're only leaving for the sleepover tomorrow," I reminded.
"I can't keep calm. What if it sucks and they don't want to be friends with me?" she asked, panicking once more.
"Come here," I told her, patting the spot beside me. She came over and sat down.
"I want you to promise me something," I requested.
"What's that?" she asked.
"I want you to promise me that you're not going to be somebody you're not," I replied.
She scowled. "I'm Grace Black. There's no running away from that."
"I don't mean that and you know it. We already know that Tate and Nina don't care that you're your father's daughter. What I'm talking about is your personality. You're an amazing person, and they clearly see the same thing in you that I do. Promise me that no matter what, you're going to stay true to who you are. Let them like you for the Grace I've come to love," I told her seriously.
She had tears in her eyes before she ambushed me in a hug. "I love you too."
I hugged her back and kissed her forehead before pulling back. "Now, you might want to start by packing a pair of underwear."
"Right!" she said laughing as she wiped away the escaped tears. She got up and disappeared into her closet.
"You're great with her."
I froze at the sound of his voice. I would know it from anywhere, and I was almost afraid to turn in the direction of the door, but I just had to confirm that I wasn't hearing things. He was standing there with his hands in his pocket, an amused look on his face.
"Dad!" Grace shouted in glee before running to hug him.
My jaw all but knocked on hell's doors.
He laughed, hugging her back. "Hey princess."
"I thought you were only coming back on Monday," Grace told him.
"I wanted to surprise you," he replied.
She laughed, looking my way. "It looks like I'm not the only one surprised. Rose, are you ok?"
"I, uh, what?" I stupidly rambled.
"Princess, I bought you some stuff. Why don't you head down and help Fabio unload them from the car," he suggested.
"Alright," she said before heading downstairs.
He walked into the room, slowly, and I found myself standing. My breathing was obviously erratic as I watched him carefully. He walked until he stood in front of me. Once again he towered over me, and a slight gasp left my lips when he gently tilted my chin, making me look up at him.
"Have dinner with me tomorrow night," he requested.
"No," I breathed in response.
He looked slightly taken aback. "No?"
I had the good sense to step away from him. "No."
"Do I at least get to know why you're saying no?" he asked.
"You lied to me and I'm only here for Grace," I replied.
"When did I lie to you?" he asked, seemingly amused.
"You told me your name was Myron," I reminded.
He smirked. "My name is Myron. I'm Olivier Myron Black."
"Did you pay that man to tell me that he's Olivier?" I dared to ask.
"No, I did not. His name is also Olivier, Olivier Castro. He's my nemesis if you may," he informed.
"Grace wanted you to be there with her. Why weren't you?" I questioned.
"I was going to , until she told me all about her new teacher and how she wanted to go with her. I was curious," he replied.
"And so you stalked us the whole day?" I asked dubiously.
He laughed, stepping up to me once more, before wrapping his arms around my waist. "Have dinner with me tomorrow night."
I was all sorts of intoxicated and confused. As tiny as I am, being in his arms felt right. There wasn't an awkward feeling based off of the height difference. His cologne was dancing on my senses, almost swaying me to give into his charm.
And then I thought about Grace.
"No," I said, once again stepping away from him.
He smirked. "You should know Miss Kidman, that I like challenges."
I was about to attack him when Grace walked back into the room. "You got me a puppy?"
"I missed your birthday this year, and you said you wanted one, but you have to remember my number one rule," he told her.
She hugged. "Thanks dad. I promise to take real good care of her."
"Good! Have you ladies had dinner yet?" he asked.
"I have to go," I suddenly announced.
Grace shot me a look. "But you always stay for dinner."
"I forgot that I have papers to grade for tomorrow," I lied.
"Aaaaw, that's too bad! But I'll see you tomorrow right?" she said hopefully.
"Of course sweetheart. Just send me a text when you arrive," I replied.
She came over to hug me. "Thanks for everything."
"You're most welcome," I said before kissing her forehead.
"I'll walk you out," Olivier said.
I wasn't about to argue with him in front of Grace, so we walked out together, walking all the way downstairs in silence. Fabio was at the car when we made it outside, and he opened the passenger door for me.
"I'll take Miss Kidman home. Stay with Grace," Olivier instructed.
Nope!
Not happening.
"I'll take a cab," I blurted out. Fabio shot me a confused look, while Olivier looked amused.
"No you won't. Get in the car Miss Kidman," Olivier told me.
In defiance, I turned and started my long walk to the gate. There was no way I was letting that man drive me anywhere. When I got to the gate, it opened and I walked out just as the car was driving out next to me. It stopped before he opened the passenger door.
"Get in the car Miss Kidman," he repeated, now seated in the driver's seat.
"I told you I'd take a cab," I replied.
"Cabs only come this side when they're bringing someone through. They don't just drive through this area," he informed.
I didn't know that much.
"Then I'll call for one," I said, taking out my phone.
I heard him take a deep breath in before opening the door and getting out of the car. He walked around to my side and grabbed my phone before I could start dialling. I tried to get it back, but he's too tall.
"Give me my phone back!" I demanded.
"Get in the car and I'll gladly give it back," he bargained.
"It should be my choice whether or not I get into the damn car!" I snapped.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah well I'm revoking your choice."
"You can't do that!" I shouted.
"Why won't you get into the car? It's not like I bite, hard," he added with a devious smirk.
I won't lie and say I didn't blush at the connotation.
"I'm only here for Grace," I commented.
"And I'm only saying I'm taking you home," he countered.
I narrowed my eyes at him but he wasn't letting up, so I huffed and got into the damn car. I didn't even need to see him to know that he was pleased with himself. He got into the car and started the journey to my apartment.
"I'm returning all your gifts by the way," I broke the silence, minutes into the drive.
"That's rude," he reminded.
"They're expensive and I did nothing to deserve them," I argued.
"Firstly, it's my money and I get to choose what I spend it on. Secondly, you did earn them by making my daughter smile again," he countered.
I sighed. "A thank you card and the flowers you sent were enough."
"Is it so bad that someone wants to shower you with gifts?" he questioned.
"It is if I don't know them," I replied.
"Then have dinner with me and get to know me," he suggested.
He had me there.
I sighed once more. "You won't let up with this, will you?"
"No, so you may as well accept," he responded.
I opted for not saying anything and the rest of the ride was spent in silence. Of course the man knew where I live since he didn't ask me for directions. He also wouldn't let me head up to my apartment alone, so he walked me there.
"Would you like to come in and make sure I'm tucked in bed too?" I asked sarcastically.
"Only if you want me to," he played back.
I rolled my eyes. "Goodnight Mr Black."
"Goodnight Miss Kidman," he replied.
He didn't move though. Instead we found ourselves engaged in an intense staring match. He stepped closer and I moved back until I was trapped against him and the door, forcing me to place my hands on his built chest. His heart was beating as fast as mine was, and before I knew it, we were both leaning in.
"Goodnight Olivier," I said lowly when his lips were inches from mine.
Knowing that I'd startled him, I managed to quickly get into my apartment and lock the door. I leaned against it, willing my heart to calm down. It was racing because of what I'd just done, but mostly because of what had just happened. My phone buzzed just seconds later:
Well played Miss Kidman. I look forward to seeing you again.
Something tells me that I'm going to have a problem with this man.
Something also tells me that I secretly like it.