A Job

                                                               Isabella’s POV:

Here I am, back in my room, sitting on the edge of my bed, trying to piece together the blurry fragments from last night. But nothing. Every time I try to push past the part where I pulled him close, it's like hitting a wall. What happened after that? And... did he change my clothes?

I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. 

Who the hell told you to drink so much, Bella? I silently cursed myself.

"Isa, sweetheart! Breakfast is ready!" Nanny’s voice floated from the kitchen.

Dragging myself out of bed, I headed to the kitchen. Nanny had already laid the table and served breakfast for both of us. She eyed me suspiciously as I slid into my chair.

I kept my gaze fixed on my plate, trying to act casual. But Nanny was having none of it.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, her tone pointed.

I looked up, nervously laughing. "What are you talking about, Nanny?"

"You know very well what I’m talking about, Isa."

Feigning innocence, I shrugged. "Nope, no idea."

Nanny narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. Was it Lucas? Was he the one? Isa, I swear if that sleazy jerk was your first, I would kill him!"

I gasped, clutching my chest. "Nanny! Calm down! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

She grabbed my arm, her glare hardening. "Tell me the truth. Was. It. Lucas?" Her voice was dangerously low.

I gulped, shaking my head. "No! No, it wasn’t Lucas. I swear!"

Nanny let go of my arm and sighed in relief. "Then who was it?"

"Umm...," I hesitated, trying to find the words.

"Tell me, Bella! Was he tall? Handsome? Young?" she pressed, a grin spreading across her face.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Can you please stop asking?"

"Okay, okay," she relented, but her mischievous smile remained. "But didn’t you have a job interview today?"

"Yeah, it’s at 9 a.m. I still have some time."

She frowned slightly. "What job is it again?"

I took a deep breath. "It's for a babysitter position. I saw the notification on my phone last night and thought I should give it a shot. We need the money, Nanny. If I get this, we might finally be able to save up for a new place."

Nanny nodded, though her expression was tinged with sadness. I kissed her cheek, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don’t worry, Nanny. Everything will work out," I said with a reassuring smile.

"Just be careful, Isa," she whispered, still concerned. Then, her teasing tone returned. "And, by the way, did anything else happen this morning? You know... after last night?" Her grin was back in full force.

"What's wrong with you?!" I exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief.

"Oh, come on! Did you guys do it again? How many rounds? Did he use protection? Because if not, I swear, I'll find him and make sure he—"

"NANNY!" I cut her off, mortified. "Whose nanny talks like that?! And just stop. I don’t remember anything after I pulled him close. I was drunk, okay? Drunk!"

Nanny shook her head. "Ugh. You’re no fun."

"You don’t understand! I was freaking out this morning. I thought I was the one who... seduced him or something! So, I panicked, threw on my clothes, and ran out of there before anyone saw me."

"You ran away?" Nanny blinked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, I left a sorry and thank you note. Then I bolted."

"Isa," Nanny sighed, exasperated. "You are such an idiot."

"Hey, it was my first time in this kind of situation!" I defended myself.

Nanny just shook her head again. "Go to your interview, Isa. And please, for the love of all things holy, don’t mess this up."

— — — — — — — — 

I soon arrived at Parker Enterprises, staring up at the towering building in front of me. 

Wow. This place is huge.

I took a deep breath and walked inside, finding a crowd of women waiting for their interviews. They were all busy checking their makeup and adjusting their clothes. I glanced down at my simple outfit and sighed. 

Well, this doesn’t bode well.

One by one, the women went in, only to come out with disappointed faces. Each time, my confidence dropped a little more.

Finally, it was my turn. "Miss Brown, please come inside," a woman called. 

I nodded and followed her into the office. As I stepped inside, my eyes roamed around the sleek, modern space. 

Woah. Everything here is so cool.

Then my gaze landed on the man sitting behind the desk. My heart stopped. 

Wait... is that...

Oh no.

No. No. No.

It was him.

Liam Parker.

The guy from last night.

My eyes widened in panic as his lips curved into a smirk. Oh no. I am so not getting this job. I bit my lip nervously, and his smirk deepened.

"Miss Brown," he said, looking down at the file in front of him. "Please take a seat."

I sat down, my mind racing. 

What do I do? Should I apologise? Explain me. Stay silent?

"So, how are you feeling, Miss Brown?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, his tone casual but laced with amusement.

"I-I..." I stammered, completely lost for words.

"You seem nervous," he observed, leaning forward slightly. "I don’t appreciate that."

I bit my lip again, looking down. 

Great, Isabella. Way to make things worse.

He stood up, walking around the desk and leaning against the edge, dangerously close to me. His eyes bore into mine, and my breath hitched at the proximity.

*Say something. Explain. Just... anything!*

"I-I’m sorry about last night," I blurted out. "I was drunk, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I never drink that much, but I was so upset, and I ended up at the club. I didn’t mean to call you a kidnapper, I swear! I was just scared, and I panicked, and then I ran because I thought I’d made a huge fool of myself. I’m not like that! I promise!"

Liam’s smirk deepened as he bent down to my eye level, his face inches from mine. "And what exactly do you think I thought, Miss Brown?"

"I-I..." My heart pounded in my chest. 

I can’t do this.

But I need this job….Arghh!!

"You’re what?" he pressed, his voice dangerously low.

I gulped. "C-can you stop coming so close?"

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk never fading. "But last night, you seemed to want that very thing when you pulled me."

I shot up from my chair, putting distance between us. "That was because I was drunk!"

Liam chuckled, straightening up. "Give me one good reason why I should give you this job, Miss Brown. What if you get drunk again? What if you pull something like that in front of my child? I can’t take that risk."

His child? I froze, my chest tightening. 

Does he have a kid? 

"I promise I would never do that again. I’ll take good care of your child. I know I made a bad first impression, but I swear, I’m not like that," I pleaded. "Please, Mr. Parker, give me a chance."

His smirk finally faded as he studied me for a moment. "Fine. I’m giving you this job, not because of all your begging, but because I think you can handle him."

"Thank you! Oh my God, thank you so much!" I exclaimed, relief flooding me.

Liam stood up, adjusting his coat and said, "There are rules you need to follow, Miss Brown. 

First, don’t lay a hand on my child. 

Second, respect my privacy. 

Third, there are areas in the house that are off-limits.

Fourth, don’t take him out without my permission. 

Fifth, I don’t want any man visiting the house whether he is your friend or boyfriend."

*I don’t even have friends! HUH!!*

I nodded, absorbing each rule.

"And your salary will be $5,000."

My jaw dropped. "$5,000?"

"Yes," he said, not looking amused. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no problem!" I quickly shook my head.

"You start tomorrow at 9 a.m. Don’t be late," he said. 

I nodded again, still in shock. 

**Five thousand dollars?**

“Remember, arrive at sharp 9 a.m. Hope you remember the address!” he said with a smirk. 

As I left the office, I couldn’t help but smile.

**Finally, I have a job.**