FLASHBACK – SEVEN YEARS AGO“Hey,” Paul said, stopping in front of Natasha.Natasha glanced up from her books and immediately lowered her gaze on seeing him. “Hi,” she mumbled shyly. She looked back up at him.“How long have you been here?” He whispered, looking around the quiet library.She shrugged. “A while ago. I’m hiding from Alyssa,” she said. Alyssa was her best friend, but there were days she got so intense about certain things that Natasha felt she needed a break from it. Today was one of those days.Paul arched a brow. “Alyssa? Isn’t she your best friend?”“Yeah. Yeah, she is.” Natasha bobbed her as she answered. “I just….. she wants to drag me to this date with some guy and j honestly don’t want to go.”Something in Paul’s eyes darkened. “Did you tell her you had plans?”“Yes, I did. I have plans with you obviously. In supposed to tutor you,” she rambled. “But she said that’s something I can cancel.”His lips quirked up to a smile. “So, you ran away?”She nodded, fighting t
Natasha’s schedule as a nanny wasn’t as hectic as she expected it to be. It usually started with her waking up very early to prepare the kids for school. She would follow the driver to drop them off at school and afterwards, she would return home to clean their rooms. Then, she would eat her breakfast and wait for them to return while lurking around the kitchen. Once they returned, she would take them upstairs to get their baths and get changed, have lunch and drop them off at their different afternoon sessions. When it was time, she would go get them and they would have dinner, watch television a while, then, go to bed.That was pretty simple, right?So, why was she still finding it difficult?Why was she losing the kids at every give chance? All she had to do was look away for one second and the moment she looked back, they would no longer be there. It didn’t take long for them to wander off whether they were at home or outside.Why was she finding it hard to wake up early enough to
Today was a free day for Alex and Alexa, meaning they had no afternoon lessons, no singing or dancing lessons, no swimming or piano or football practice. It was a free day for them, but a free day for the twins meant a stressful day for Natasha and she had no idea how bad it was about to get. The door was pushed open and they both ran in. “Natasha!” Alex shrieked. The little boy was so fond of her and she was enthralled by him too, with his adorable smile and lovely eyes. Natasha squatted and hugged the both of them. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said as they threw their arms around her neck. Even though she was incompetent and sucked at her job, the kids somehow still adored her. Surely, that was a good thing, right?“Are you hungry?” she asked, as she rose to her feet, holding their hands and leading them to the stairs. “I want to watch television," Alex said, his lower lips pulled into a small adorable pout that could suck any adult in. Not Natasha though. "You can watch television on
By the time, Natasha hauled Alex and Alexa up the staircase to change and prepare for dinner, Malcolm had gone into his office, angry but somehow, amused. As she cleaned them up, Natasha wondered how long she had slept to the extent that the twins somehow snuck out and she had no idea until Malcom returned in the evening!As she led them down the stairs to the table, Natasha wondered if Malcolm would ask her to leave. She hoped and silently prayed that he wouldn’t. She made a mental note to go to him and beg to keep her job, damn her pride.As Alex and Alexa sat on the chairs in the dining room, they looked around expectantly. “Where is daddy?” Alex asked, a small frown on his face.Natasha shrugged. “In his office, I think. Why?”“Is he going to eat?” Alexa asked quietly.Natasha paused, her hands freezing mid-air as she tried to pick up the spoons to place in their plates. “I think so,” she said, carefully. “He might eat in his office.”“Is he angry at us?” Alex asked, still frownin
Natasha knew when Malcolm walked past them into the room. Thankfully, neither of the children noticed, she had made sure of that. But she watched him from the corner of her eyes as he jogged up the stairs, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion.Once Alex and Alexa were down eating, she gathered them and hauled them up to their room to sleep. After bathing them and tucking them into their respective beds, she walked back to the kitchen where she saw Evelyn trying to clear things up. “Hey Evelyn,” she greeted quietly.Evelyn turned around, giving her a tight smile. “Hey….” She answered, turning back to wipe down the cabinets.“Do you need any help?” asked Natasha.“No, I’ve got this,” Evelyn answered, not turning back.“Right.” Natasha leaned into the cabinet. She actually didn’t come downstairs with the intentions of helping Evelyn. She had other things in her mind and was simply looking for the best way to approach the issue. “So…. Mr. Grayson did not have dinner with us in the living r
Saturdays were one of Natasha’s worst days as a babysitter, mostly because the kids were usually around and she had to take them out to the park or the beach. She had to watch over them every fucking time and no matter how hard she watched them, they still always managed to get missing. Luckily, she often found them before anyone could do and by anyone, she meant Malcolm or his annoying best friend, Brian.But Natasha knew that this particular Saturday was going to be even more stressful than the other ones, mostly because her annoying elder sister, Diane, had decided that it was a good idea to bring Cameron, Nicole and Mirabella over to hang out with Alex and Alexa. Natasha had protested against it, obviously. She couldn’t be going through the stress of looking after five children. Looking after two was already enough problem for her, imagine looking after five!She couldn’t do it.But somehow, Malcolm had overhead their discussion and agreed that it would be a good idea for Alex and
Malcolm was every definition of agitated. He sat in his office, an anxious and brooding look and his face and despite the air conditioner in the office, he could still feel beads of swear forming down his forehead. He couldn’t believe he had just that. He couldn’t believe he had just….The door to his office opened and his best friend, Brian, sauntered into the room, looking a bit pissed. “Why did you call me so hurriedly?” He asked, in a bland tone, trying not to glare at Malcolm. “What do you want?”Malcolm looked at him in silence for a while. Then, he said slowly, “I did something stupid.”“Not your first time but what did you do this time?”“Sit down,” he answered, gesturing to the chair across him. He watched as his friend sat down with a curious look now on his face. “Did I tell you that I arranged a meeting with the McClains?” McClains was a new yet fast rising Enterprise that Malcolm had hoped to invest in and he had been working on pitching a business idea to them for months
Natasha stood in front of the mirror, her eyebrows furrowed deep in concentration as she stared at her reflection. She was dressed in a tight white mini-dress that stopped right above her knees. Her long black silky hair had been packed into a bun and she had applied slight make-up of powder, eyeliner, lip-liner and lipstick. She looked beautiful and she knew it. So, why wasn’t she confident? Why was she feeling so nervous? Why were her palms sweating? Why were the lower parts of her legs trembling?The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she swung around suddenly, turning towards the door. “Who is there?”“Natasha?” Came Malcolm’s voice. “Can I come in?”Natasha glanced around frantically, searching fro anything that needed to be taken out of the way. Seeing nothing, she hollered, “Yes, come in.”The door was pushed open and Malcolm came in, saying, “The kids are waiting for you to get……..” His words died down in his throat as his gaze landed on Natasha. He stared at her,
Natasha stood in front of the mirror, her eyebrows furrowed deep in concentration as she stared at her reflection. She was dressed in a tight white mini-dress that stopped right above her knees. Her long black silky hair had been packed into a bun and she had applied slight make-up of powder, eyeliner, lip-liner and lipstick. She looked beautiful and she knew it. So, why wasn’t she confident? Why was she feeling so nervous? Why were her palms sweating? Why were the lower parts of her legs trembling?The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she swung around suddenly, turning towards the door. “Who is there?”“Natasha?” Came Malcolm’s voice. “Can I come in?”Natasha glanced around frantically, searching fro anything that needed to be taken out of the way. Seeing nothing, she hollered, “Yes, come in.”The door was pushed open and Malcolm came in, saying, “The kids are waiting for you to get……..” His words died down in his throat as his gaze landed on Natasha. He stared at her,
Malcolm was every definition of agitated. He sat in his office, an anxious and brooding look and his face and despite the air conditioner in the office, he could still feel beads of swear forming down his forehead. He couldn’t believe he had just that. He couldn’t believe he had just….The door to his office opened and his best friend, Brian, sauntered into the room, looking a bit pissed. “Why did you call me so hurriedly?” He asked, in a bland tone, trying not to glare at Malcolm. “What do you want?”Malcolm looked at him in silence for a while. Then, he said slowly, “I did something stupid.”“Not your first time but what did you do this time?”“Sit down,” he answered, gesturing to the chair across him. He watched as his friend sat down with a curious look now on his face. “Did I tell you that I arranged a meeting with the McClains?” McClains was a new yet fast rising Enterprise that Malcolm had hoped to invest in and he had been working on pitching a business idea to them for months
Saturdays were one of Natasha’s worst days as a babysitter, mostly because the kids were usually around and she had to take them out to the park or the beach. She had to watch over them every fucking time and no matter how hard she watched them, they still always managed to get missing. Luckily, she often found them before anyone could do and by anyone, she meant Malcolm or his annoying best friend, Brian.But Natasha knew that this particular Saturday was going to be even more stressful than the other ones, mostly because her annoying elder sister, Diane, had decided that it was a good idea to bring Cameron, Nicole and Mirabella over to hang out with Alex and Alexa. Natasha had protested against it, obviously. She couldn’t be going through the stress of looking after five children. Looking after two was already enough problem for her, imagine looking after five!She couldn’t do it.But somehow, Malcolm had overhead their discussion and agreed that it would be a good idea for Alex and
Natasha knew when Malcolm walked past them into the room. Thankfully, neither of the children noticed, she had made sure of that. But she watched him from the corner of her eyes as he jogged up the stairs, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion.Once Alex and Alexa were down eating, she gathered them and hauled them up to their room to sleep. After bathing them and tucking them into their respective beds, she walked back to the kitchen where she saw Evelyn trying to clear things up. “Hey Evelyn,” she greeted quietly.Evelyn turned around, giving her a tight smile. “Hey….” She answered, turning back to wipe down the cabinets.“Do you need any help?” asked Natasha.“No, I’ve got this,” Evelyn answered, not turning back.“Right.” Natasha leaned into the cabinet. She actually didn’t come downstairs with the intentions of helping Evelyn. She had other things in her mind and was simply looking for the best way to approach the issue. “So…. Mr. Grayson did not have dinner with us in the living r
By the time, Natasha hauled Alex and Alexa up the staircase to change and prepare for dinner, Malcolm had gone into his office, angry but somehow, amused. As she cleaned them up, Natasha wondered how long she had slept to the extent that the twins somehow snuck out and she had no idea until Malcom returned in the evening!As she led them down the stairs to the table, Natasha wondered if Malcolm would ask her to leave. She hoped and silently prayed that he wouldn’t. She made a mental note to go to him and beg to keep her job, damn her pride.As Alex and Alexa sat on the chairs in the dining room, they looked around expectantly. “Where is daddy?” Alex asked, a small frown on his face.Natasha shrugged. “In his office, I think. Why?”“Is he going to eat?” Alexa asked quietly.Natasha paused, her hands freezing mid-air as she tried to pick up the spoons to place in their plates. “I think so,” she said, carefully. “He might eat in his office.”“Is he angry at us?” Alex asked, still frownin
Today was a free day for Alex and Alexa, meaning they had no afternoon lessons, no singing or dancing lessons, no swimming or piano or football practice. It was a free day for them, but a free day for the twins meant a stressful day for Natasha and she had no idea how bad it was about to get. The door was pushed open and they both ran in. “Natasha!” Alex shrieked. The little boy was so fond of her and she was enthralled by him too, with his adorable smile and lovely eyes. Natasha squatted and hugged the both of them. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said as they threw their arms around her neck. Even though she was incompetent and sucked at her job, the kids somehow still adored her. Surely, that was a good thing, right?“Are you hungry?” she asked, as she rose to her feet, holding their hands and leading them to the stairs. “I want to watch television," Alex said, his lower lips pulled into a small adorable pout that could suck any adult in. Not Natasha though. "You can watch television on
Natasha’s schedule as a nanny wasn’t as hectic as she expected it to be. It usually started with her waking up very early to prepare the kids for school. She would follow the driver to drop them off at school and afterwards, she would return home to clean their rooms. Then, she would eat her breakfast and wait for them to return while lurking around the kitchen. Once they returned, she would take them upstairs to get their baths and get changed, have lunch and drop them off at their different afternoon sessions. When it was time, she would go get them and they would have dinner, watch television a while, then, go to bed.That was pretty simple, right?So, why was she still finding it difficult?Why was she losing the kids at every give chance? All she had to do was look away for one second and the moment she looked back, they would no longer be there. It didn’t take long for them to wander off whether they were at home or outside.Why was she finding it hard to wake up early enough to
FLASHBACK – SEVEN YEARS AGO“Hey,” Paul said, stopping in front of Natasha.Natasha glanced up from her books and immediately lowered her gaze on seeing him. “Hi,” she mumbled shyly. She looked back up at him.“How long have you been here?” He whispered, looking around the quiet library.She shrugged. “A while ago. I’m hiding from Alyssa,” she said. Alyssa was her best friend, but there were days she got so intense about certain things that Natasha felt she needed a break from it. Today was one of those days.Paul arched a brow. “Alyssa? Isn’t she your best friend?”“Yeah. Yeah, she is.” Natasha bobbed her as she answered. “I just….. she wants to drag me to this date with some guy and j honestly don’t want to go.”Something in Paul’s eyes darkened. “Did you tell her you had plans?”“Yes, I did. I have plans with you obviously. In supposed to tutor you,” she rambled. “But she said that’s something I can cancel.”His lips quirked up to a smile. “So, you ran away?”She nodded, fighting t
FLASHBACK – SEVEN YEARS AGOMalcolm sat in the waiting room with his girlfriend, her hands enclosed in his. He tried to look okay, to look normal, but he could feel the beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He glanced at Yvette and he could se the wide smile on her lips. She was really excited to be pregnant. She kept glancing at him with bright smiles and he had to force himself to smile back at her.She leaned closer to him. “Hey,” she said, “You excited?”“Yeah…. I…. I am.” He hoped she couldn’t feel how sweaty his palm was. He hoped she couldn’t hear how loud his heart was beating against his chest. Was he really ready for this? Was he ready to have children? He still had his whole career going on for him. He needed to concentrate on that. Bu what could he do now? Yvette was excited at the prospects of having a baby and so were his parents. he couldn’t ask her to get rid of it now.“We are going to be amazing parents,” Yvette whispered to him. “Right?”“Right.” He choked ou