Daniel was typing a report on his laptop, but his mind was elsewhere.
She captured his mind and heart from the moment he saw her, and now it was worse. Since finding out that he possibly had a chance with her, his mind was fuzzy, but at the same time, he felt sharper and more focused on his end goal.
"Knock, knock, mister man," Kentrell said as he walked into Daniel's office.
Daniel looked up from his laptop and tried not to curse Kentrell. "Normally, you knock before entering."
Kentrell waved his hands and took a seat. "Normally, you'd know that I don't do the normal thing," He countered and kicked his feet up on the desk.
"How can I help you, Kentrell?" Daniel asked, not wanting to be at work anymore.
Kentrell looked at Daniel and shook his head. "She rejected you or something?" He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure Daniel out.
"No! Thank God," Daniel sighed and facepalmed. "The other night we were watching The Bachelorette, and she started talking about how the show needed more diversity in age as well as race," He explained, making Kentrell confused.
"What's so bad about that? I would think that she's open to all men, not just young black dudes, but all dudes,"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "It's not bad. I'm actually glad that she said that. I was going to ask her how she felt about older men dating younger women, using someone else as an example, but then I got a phone call, so I didn't get to ask her,"
Kentrell covered his mouth to keep from laughing, but it didn't work.
Daniel glared at him. "What's so funny?"
"You were going to tell her that you like her basically. That's the worst trick in the book, man. I'm glad that someone called you," Kentrell shook his head in fake shame.
"Oh," Daniel cringed. "Anyway, ever since that day, I've been thinking of ways to make a move on her. I want something subtle yet obvious. She told me that she likes practical things, but she also likes being wined and dined," He explained, and Kentrell pursed his lips.
He scratched his head and tapped his foot. "I'm thinking, man. Give me a second," Kentrell was trying to find the best way to get his friend the woman he was basically in love with.
She liked being wined and dined, but she also liked simple things. She liked The Bachelorette. "I got it, man," He said and smiled triumphantly.
Daniel stared at Kentrell and waited for him to speak, but he didn't. He just smiled. "Kentrell, what's the idea?" He asked with a look of concern.
Kentrell stopped smiling and cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry, man. I was feeling myself for having such a clever idea." He shrugged. "Get your notebook out, man. You know that you'll most likely forget what I'm about to tell you,"
Daniel was going to say something, but he knew that Kentrell was right, so he grabbed his notebook and pen. "Alright, I'm ready," He said.
-
He was nervous. God, his hands were moist, and he wanted to call it quits.
"Don't fret, Daniel. It's just a friendly after-dinner hangout, calm down," He murmured to himself and walked to the mirror.
He was a handsome man, he knew that very well, but he was intimidated by Tyra's beauty, so intimidated that he felt unworthy.
A knock on the door came, and he took one more look at himself and opened the door.
Grant and Gianna came running in with smiles that calmed his nerves. "Don't you two look adorable! Gloria is going to be so happy to see you!" He said while kneeling to their height.
Gianna kissed his cheek, and Grant did the same. "Thank you, daddy! Nanny Baker helped me pick my clothes," Gianna twirled so her daddy could get a good look.
"Wow, she did a great job! You look like a princess," He winked, making her smile wider.
Grant pouted and sighed. "Don't I look nice too, daddy?" He asked hopefully.
Daniel gasped and kissed his son's forehead. "You look like a crowned prince, just precious," Grant smiled and clapped his hands with joy.
"Nanny Baker looks beautiful, daddy! Mrs. Gloria is going to think she's a fairy or something," Gianna gushed and grabbed her daddy's hand. "Come on, let's go!"
Daniel allows Gianna to pull him to the living room, along with Grant at his side.
"Good mercy," Daniel breathed out lowly as he laid eyes on Tyra.
She was beautiful, but there was something more to her today. She was unnecessarily gorgeous, and it made him even more nervous.
She turned around gracefully and smiled at him. "Hi, are you ready to go?" Her voice was like music to his ears, and he was putty in her hands.
Gianna tugged on his hand, and he snapped out of his trance. "Yes, and might I say, you look beautiful," He said sincerely.
Tyra laughed softly and grabbed her purse from the hall table. "Thank you, Mr. Watts,"
The Watts plus Tyra all gathered in Daniel's truck, and he drove to Gloria's house, which was only fifteen minutes away from his own.
When they arrived, Tyra helped the children out of the car, and they held both of her hands.
Daniel knocked on the door, and Gloria opened it seconds later.
"You look healthier since I last saw you! That nanny of yours must be feeding you well," Gloria noted happily.
She moved out of the way so everyone could walk in.
Daniel smiled and hugged her. "She sure is. This is Tyra. Tyra this is Gloria. She used to watch Gianna for me, and she took care of us all before you came along," He introduced them to each other, and Gloria grinned at the beauty.
"Oh, wow. When we talked, Daniel failed to tell me how beautiful you are! I hate to say it, Daniel, but this woman won't be your nanny for long. She'll marry or become a model. You're so beautiful!" Gloria gushed and hugged Tyra tightly.
Tyra blushed and hugged the woman back. "Thank you, Mrs. Gloria." She said with a bashful smile.
Gloria's heart grew warm at the beautiful young woman's demeanor. She was beautiful, beyond beautiful, but it hadn't ruined her heart. She seemed to be a very humble and kindhearted woman already.
"My babies! Come give me a hug," Gloria opened her arms, and the children ran into them.
Grant stood on his toes and tried to kiss her cheek, but he couldn't reach so she kneeled. "You've grown! Both of you have! My goodness," Gloria exclaimed dramatically, making both kids laugh.
She let go of the kids and walked to the kitchen.
"Go take a seat. I've just got to put the rolls out," She called out from the kitchen.
Daniel led Tyra and the kids to the dining room, where they all took a seat. Daniel made sure to seat himself next to Tyra.
Gloria entered the dining room with a round pan filled with rolls and placed them on the table.
"Dig in, everyone," She announced, but Grant shook his head.
"No, Mrs. Gloria! We have to wash our hands first!" He explained.
Gloria nodded. "Oh, you're right, dear. Let's all wash our hands, and then we may eat."
-
Gloria hugged Tyra, and she didn't want to let her go. "You were such a delight. God has truly made a home in your heart, darling. Bless you," She took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you, Mrs. Gloria. That means so much to me," Tyra only wanted one thing out of life, and that was to be more like Jesus.
Gloria let her go and kissed her cheek. "Daniel, you make sure to treat this woman right. She's just the best nanny you could've found," She said strictly and tapped his cheek.
"Of course, Gloria." He hugged her and tried not to wake Grant in his arms.
Gianna hugged Mrs. Gloria. "Will you come to see me, Mrs. Gloria? I missed you a lot," The little girl asked with curiosity roaming in her eyes.
"I will. I promise," Gloria answered and kissed her head.
She walked them to the door and watched as they got in the car. "Drive safely!" She said and went back into the house.
Tyra put on her seatbelt and turned to look at the children. Gianna was fighting sleep, her eyes fluttering shut.
The ride home was fast, and Mr. Watts carried the children to their bedrooms.
Tyra followed him and got the children dressed for bed as he went to do something.
"Goodnight," She whispered and kissed Grant's head.
She left the room and closed the door slowly.
When she went to Gianna's room, she noticed that the little girl had already changed and was fast asleep.
"Too cute," She murmured and closed the door.
As she walked down the hall and back to the living room, her eyes landed on a pretty setup.
She walked into the living room and found Mr. Watts standing near the set-up with his hands behind his back. He wore a nervous yet charming smile.
"What's this all about?" She asked with a curious glint in her eyes.
Mr. Watts cleared his throat and motioned his hand over the coffee table. "I wanted to treat you to a night of relaxation, and I figured that this would be something you liked," He explained.
It was a beautiful and kind idea. Somehow Mr. Watts had set up a makeshift candlelit dessert table with red wine.
"That's very kind of you, Mr. Watts," Tyra said softly, and he smiled.
Mr. Watts offered his hand, and she took it with a smile. "This is only minuscule compared to what you deserve," He noted and led her to the couch where they both sat.
"I want to know more about you, Tyra. You're a very interesting and beautiful woman, and our time spent watching The Bachelorette and Boy Meets World only allows me to know you partially," He admitted while looking into her eyes, his hand still engulfing her own.
Tyra flushed at the compliment and their proximity. She hadn't noticed before, only due to wanting to remain professional, but Mr. Watts was handsome. Very handsome, actually.
"Oh," She bit her lip, a nervous habit. "W--what do you want to know? I'm not as interesting as you may believe," She laughed softly and looked away from his captivating eyes.
Mr. Watts was making her unbelievably nervous.
"I find that hard to believe. You're always doing something eye-catching whenever I see you, whether it be baking or simply watching television." His tone was firm yet encouraging. "What do you enjoy doing other than baking and watching television?" He asked.
Tyra never liked being put on the spot, some would believe that she did due to her chatty disposition, but she never enjoyed answering questions about herself.
She shrugged and tried to think, though it was a little challenging with Mr. Watts's intense gaze. "Um, I like to read." She said passively, hoping that he would accept her simple answer.
Mr. Watts gripped her hand gently and sighed. "You have no reason to be nervous, Tyra. I want to know you, that's all." His words and gentleness calmed Tyra's anxiety. "What do you like reading?"
"Romance, mostly, but I could read anything." She answered. "Though, more than anything, I love reading the Bible. There's always something new that pops out no matter how many times I may have read a certain passage." She mused.
Mr. Watts nodded. "That's great. The Bible is a good read. Romance isn't my cup of tea," He scrunched his nose. "Would you like some wine?" He asked and grabbed the bottle.
Tyra nodded, and he poured some into her glass. She picked it up and tasted it. "Oh, this is," She tried not to gag. It was bitter, nothing like her pink champagne. "It's unique," She cleared her throat, trying to get the nasty taste out of her throat.
Mr. Watts narrowed his eyes at his glass and drank some. "This is much better than that sweet bubbly you like so much," He teased and took another sip.
Tyra scoffed and removed her hand from his grip. "You said it was good! You lied," She huffed and crossed her arms. She wasn't actually angry, she was annoyed a little. Her pink champagne was the greatest drink ever created, apart from the wine that Jesus made at the wedding reception.
"I only said that because you looked like you would've been upset had I given any other answer," Mr. Watts explained.
Tyra laughed and uncrossed her arms. "That's true," She murmured, slightly embarrassed.
Mr. Watts took her hand once more and gave her an understanding look. "What made you want to become a baker?"
"Oh, man, where can I start?" She mumbled and giggled a little. She pushed her hair away from her face with her free hand and grabbed a pillow. "When I was about seven, my parents got me an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas, but when I baked the little desserts, they weren't good at all. It made me upset, so I asked my mother if I could use the real oven and ingredients to make something, she said yes, and I made an apple fritter," She reminisced happily.
Mr. Watts raised his brows and cringed. "Goodness, it sucks to find out that a seven-year-old is better in the kitchen than I am at thirty-nine," A coy smile grew on his face. "Though, this thirty-nine-year-old wouldn't mind being schooled by a beautiful young woman if you're up for it," His tone was heavy on the flirtatious side, making Tyra's cheeks warm.
She felt silly for not noticing how dashing Mr. Watts was before, but God help her now. He was a grade-A charmer, and boy, was he good at it.
"I-i guess I could," She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip.
Mr. Watts's eyes gleamed, making her heartbeat quicken, and he picked up her hand. "Don't worry, sweetheart, Mr. Watts isn't as dull as he may seem," He teased and pressed a lingering kiss onto her hand. "Dessert?" He asked and motioned to the dessert spread out on the coffee table.
Tyra only nodded, not trusting the stability of her voice. She was royally screwed, and she wasn't upset at all.
Though, now that she knew about this side of Mr. Watts, she would be a nervous wreck going into tomorrow. He was a sly man, very smart, and very handsome.