Meeting Leo Parker

ISABELLA'S POV:

Today is my first day of work, and I’m standing in front of Mr. Parker’s house, feeling an odd mixture of nerves and curiosity. Yesterday, I left in such a hurry that I completely forgot to ask him something important. It’s been gnawing at me all night, and I need to ask him now or else I won’t be able to focus when he’s around. I take a deep breath and press the doorbell, hoping to catch him before he leaves for work.

A few moments later, the door opens, revealing a well-dressed woman who greets me with a polite but somewhat stern look.

“Yes? Can I help you?" she asks, her voice crisp.

“Hi! I’m Isabella Brown. I’m here for the babysitting job. Mr. Parker hired me yesterday,” I reply, trying to sound more confident than I feel.

Her expression softens just a little. “Ah yes, he mentioned you. Come in.” She steps aside, allowing me to enter.

The moment I step into the house, my jaw practically hits the floor. Yesterday, I was in such a rush that I didn’t notice how stunning this place really is. The interior is straight out of a magazine: marble floors, modern art, and furniture that screams money. The house feels elegant but cold like it’s missing something human.

"Please wait here, I’ll go fetch Sir," the woman says as she heads upstairs.

While she’s gone, I can’t help but let my eyes wander around. The place is immaculate, too perfect almost, and it makes me wonder what kind of man Mr. Parker really is. Yesterday, things were such a blur. I didn’t get a real sense of him other than...well, that one night.

The woman returns a few minutes later, her heels clicking against the polished floor. "Sir has already left for work," she informs me with a slightly apologetic smile. "But don’t worry, I’ll show you around."

"Oh...okay." I try not to let my disappointment show. I guess my burning question will have to wait.

“What’s your name?” I ask, realizing I should probably know more about her.

“I’m Maria, the housekeeper. I’ve been working here for a few years now,” she says, her voice softening. "And you are...?"

“Isabella Brown. You can call me Isabella though,” I reply.

“Nice to meet you, Isabella," Maria says warmly. "Now, shall I take you to Leo's room?”

Leo. I had almost forgotten the child’s name in the middle of my nerves. “Yes, please! And...how is he?” I ask cautiously, not sure what to expect.

Maria’s face shifts slightly, and for a moment, it looks like there’s something she’s hesitant to say. “Leo is a good kid, but he’s very quiet. He doesn’t talk much. He prefers to be by himself most of the time.”

“Oh.” I frown, trying to imagine a child with no friends or playmates. “Does he not have any friends?”

Maria shakes her head. “No, he keeps to himself. He doesn’t interact with other children and barely speaks with the staff. He’s happiest when Sir is around, but even then, he’s not exactly a chatterbox. Sir has arranged a tutor for him though. They come daily, so your work will mostly be to keep an eye on him.”

I nodded, absorbing the information. This doesn’t sound like a typical babysitting job. "Okay, got it. Could you show me to his room now?"

“Of course. Follow me,” Maria says, leading the way up the grand staircase.

As we walk, I can’t help but notice the eerie quietness of the house. There are no sounds of laughter or running footsteps that you’d expect in a house with a child. It feels...lonely.

Maria finally stops in front of a door. “Here we are. This is Leo’s room,” she says, giving me a brief smile before walking away.

I take a deep breath, push the door open, and step inside. The room is adorable—painted in soft blues and whites, with toys neatly arranged on shelves. There’s a race car bed in the middle of the room, and toy cars scattered across the floor. It’s a beautiful space, but something about it feels oddly untouched, as though it’s more of a display than a room a child actually lives in.

Then I spot him. Leo is sitting in the corner, playing quietly with some toy cars. His back is to me, and he hasn’t even acknowledged my presence.

I clear my throat, hoping to get his attention. “Hi there, Leo,” I say, walking closer. "I’m Isabella. Your dad hired me to be your babysitter."

Nothing. He doesn’t even look up.

I try again, this time kneeling down in front of him. "Hey Leo, do you want to play together? I can help you with the cars." I smile, trying to seem approachable.

Still, nothing. He just focuses on his toys as if I don’t exist.

I sigh, feeling a bit defeated. "Okay, do you maybe want to go outside? We could go to the garden and play." I suggest, trying to keep my tone light.

Leo just shakes his head without looking up.

I stand up, feeling a little frustrated. What is with this kid? He’s acting so distant, almost rude. I walk over to a nearby chair and sit down, watching him as he plays in silence. This job is going to be harder than I thought.

After what feels like an eternity of awkward silence, I decide to distract myself. I pull out my phone and start searching for a new apartment. Nanny and I desperately need to move out of our current place, and I’ve been trying to find something affordable for us. After an hour of scrolling through listings, I finally find one that looks promising. It’s cheap, but decent enough for us to live in comfortably. I make a mental note to talk to Nanny about it later.

I glance at Leo, who’s still playing silently with his cars. His stomach growls loudly, and I raise an eyebrow. "Are you hungry, Leo?" I ask, standing up. “I could get you something to eat.”

He shakes his head again, but his stomach betrays him once more with another growl.

I smile to myself. “I think your stomach says otherwise,” I teased lightly. “I’ll be right back with some food.”

I head downstairs to the kitchen, where Maria is busy chopping vegetables. “Hey Maria,” I say, walking over to her. “Could I use the kitchen? I need to make something for Leo. He’s hungry.”

Maria looks up, surprised. “Hungry? Did he actually tell you that?”

“Well...no,” I admit sheepishly. “But his stomach did. He hasn’t eaten all day.”

Maria chuckles softly. “That boy. He never admits when he’s hungry. Sir has given strict instructions that I handle all of Leo’s meals. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Oh, okay. Could you make him something then?” I ask, relieved that I don’t have to cook after all.

“Of course, I’ll get something ready for him right away,” Maria says, already moving to prepare a meal.

As she works, I can’t help but ask, “Why doesn’t Leo talk much? He seems...so closed off.”

Maria pauses for a moment, her face thoughtful. “I wish I knew. He’s been like this for as long as I can remember. He’s always been a quiet child, but it got worse after his mother passed away. Since then, he’s withdrawn even more. The only person he talks to is Sir.”

My heart aches a little for Leo. Losing a parent must have been incredibly hard for him. No wonder he’s so distant. "That’s so sad," I whisper, feeling more sympathy for the little boy than frustration now. 

“It is,” Maria agrees softly. "But Sir takes good care of him. He’s very protective of Leo."

“I can see that,” I say. I want to know more, but I don’t want to pry into their lives too much. After all, I’m just the babysitter.

Maria finishes preparing the meal and hands me a plate. “Here you go. I made something light for him.”

“Thank you,” I say, taking the plate and heading back upstairs.

When I return to Leo’s room, he’s still sitting in the same spot, playing quietly. I walk over and place the plate on the small table near him. "Hey, I brought you some food. You should eat."

Leo glances at the plate for a brief second but doesn’t make a move to eat. I sigh, sitting back in the chair.

“You know, I’m not going to force you to eat, but you’ll feel a lot better if you do,” I say gently, hoping he’ll listen.

After a few moments, Leo finally picks up the plate and starts eating slowly. I smile, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. At least I got him to eat.

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Later that evening, I finally return home, exhausted from the long day. I didn’t get to see Mr. Parker at all, which means my burning question will have to wait another day. As I walk into the kitchen, Nanny is already setting the table for dinner.

“Isa! Come sit down, dear. You must be starving,” she says warmly, pulling out a chair for me.

I sit down with a heavy sigh.

"You have no idea, Nanny. Today was... exhausting."

Nanny serves me a plate of food, then sits across from me, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Exhausting, you say? Tell me everything, Isa."

I push my food around with my fork for a moment, thinking about the strange and silent day I had. "Well, the house is absolutely gorgeous—seriously, it’s like something out of a movie. But...the kid, Isa, he barely talks. He’s so quiet, it’s almost like he’s living in his own world. He didn’t want to play, didn’t want to go outside, and even refused to eat until his stomach growled so loudly that he couldn’t ignore it anymore."

Nanny looks thoughtful as she takes a bite of her food. "That’s odd. Is he just shy? Maybe he’s having a hard time adjusting to you being there."

I shrug, feeling a bit helpless. "I don’t know. Maria—the housekeeper—told me that he’s always been quiet, especially since his mother passed away. He barely speaks to anyone, except his father. And I didn’t even see Mr. Parker today, so I have no idea how that dynamic works."

Nanny raises an eyebrow, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Ah, Mr. Parker. That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Tell me, how did that encounter go?"

I groan, rubbing my forehead. "I didn’t even see him today! He left for work before I got there, and by the time I finished, he still hadn’t come home. I wanted to ask him something, but I guess that’ll have to wait."

Nanny leans forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You know, Isa, this is the man you spent that one night with. The man who—you think—well, you know..."

I roll my eyes. "Nanny, please. Don’t remind me. I’m trying to forget that ever happened."

"Forget? Oh no, my dear. You can't forget something like that. This is fate, darling! You slept with him, and now he’s your boss? You couldn't write a better romance novel if you tried!" she exclaims, practically bouncing in her seat.

I stab at my food. "This isn’t a romance novel, Nanny. This is my life, and I’m just trying to do my job without embarrassing myself."

Nanny laughs, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Oh, Isa. You’re making it sound like it’s the worst thing in the world. Just imagine it—a forbidden workplace romance, secret glances, and the tension! Oh, how thrilling! The babysitter and the boss. You’ve already got the perfect setup."

I glare at her. "Nanny, stop. He’s my boss, and he has a child. A cute child, by the way, who is clearly going through something. I’m not about to entertain any fantasies about him."

"Not even a little?" she teases, waggling her eyebrows. "What if he’s single and interested? You’re young, he’s obviously attractive, and if he likes you, that’s a huge plus."

"I’m not interested, Nanny," I insist, though my mind can’t help but wander back to that night. I don’t remember much, just flashes—him leaning over me, our lips meeting, and then...nothing. I can’t even be sure if anything truly happened between us. And now, being his employee, I don’t know how to navigate this situation without making things awkward.

Nanny is still smiling mischievously. "You’ll see, Isa. Something’s going to happen. Mark my words. You can’t fight chemistry, especially when fate has clearly put you two together like this."

"Right. Fate," I mutter sarcastically. "Well, fate can take a break, because I’m not interested in complicating my life right now. I’m just trying to figure out how to connect with Leo."

Nanny softens, sensing that the subject is bothering me. "I’m sure you’ll find a way, dear. Just give it some time. Isa’s been through a lot, it sounds like. He probably just needs to feel safe with you."

"Yeah, I hope so," I say quietly, finally taking a bite of my dinner. The food is comforting, but my mind is still racing with thoughts about Leo, Mr. Parker, and how strange this job is turning out to be.

After dinner, I pull out my phone to show Nanny the apartment I found. "By the way, I found this place earlier today while I was at work. What do you think?"

Nanny leans in, squinting at the screen. "Hmm...it looks nice. Affordable, too, which is good for us. Are you planning to visit tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I say, nodding. "I want to check it out before work, just to make sure it’s as good as it seems."

Nanny smiles, patting my hand. "Good. We need a fresh start, Bella. This place has been good to us, but it’s time for something new."

I smile back, grateful for her support. "I agree. I just hope everything works out.

"It will," she assures me. "Now, make sure you get some rest tonight. You have a big day tomorrow—checking out the apartment and surviving another day with your mysterious little charge."

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