“Do you want to hear the details or not?” I fix her with a warning glare.
“Sorry, I’ll shut up now,” she says, pretending to zip her lips. “You may continue.”
“We mostly talked about the custody arrangement between him and his ex-wife, the hours he’ll need me to work, and his son Jake’s nightly routine. Then he showed me around his gorgeous home, which has an amazing family pool with an integrated spa.”
Sofia waggles her eyebrows at me with that devious grin of hers at the mention of the spa. I shake my head and snatch the empty muesli bar wrapper in front of me, launching it at her. She’s too quick, though—dodging it with a precision that would make even Mike Tyson proud.
“Anyway,” I continue, “he practically handed me the job on the spot. Then, on Saturday afternoon, I had my first shift babysitting Jake. That kid is so smart and witty—it’s honestly astounding how much he knows. He spent a full hour talking about bees and pollen, rattling off surprisingly accurate facts. There were even things I didn’t know that he schooled me on. He’s a like this tiny genius.”
Sofia chuckles. “Aww... that’s cute!”
It didn’t take long for Jake to warm up to me that first day. After a few rounds of Super Mario Kart we sat down for dinner, where I asked him questions about his interests. That’s when he launched into an enthusiastic rant about bees and pollen. We ended up watching theBee Movieafterwards before going to bed and—yes, you guessed it—read him a book about bees.
The following day I arrived at the Hawkins’ home a little more prepared. I had brought along enough supplies and materials to build a bee house with Jake. It took us two hours to complete, and afterwards we hung it on their tree out the back—with his dad’s permission, of course. I also packed a pair of swimmers, so Jake and I could go for a swim.
During dinner Jake delivered a whole monologue, about ants this time, reciting random facts about the tiny insects. By the end of the evening, we found ourselves watchingAntz,the movie, and then read a book where the main character was—you guessed it—an ant.
Jake’s deep fascination with sharing insect facts has quickly become the one thing I look forward to throughout the week. I’ve even found myself googling more information on bees and ants, hoping to contribute to his ever-growing bank of knowledge.
“He seems like an easy-going kid. That definitely makes the job easier,” Sofia points out, before shifting gears on the topic. “But what I’m really curious about is his ridiculously attractive and sexy single dad. Wait, he is single, right?” she asks.
“I’m not sure about his relationship status. We’re not the kind of friends who discuss personal details like that. But according to what Skylar mentioned last time, he hasn’t dated anyone since his divorce. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s been celibate, though—I’m sure he has no shortage of admirers to choose from,” I muse, my voice carrying a slight hint of jealousy.
“What about the mother?”
“Oh, she’s definitely still in the picture. I’m sure she and Jason still see each other frequently. I mean they share equal custody of their son, after all. I just haven’t met her yet.”
And honestly, I’m really looking forward to meeting her. If Jake is anything like his mother, I have no doubt we’ll get along just fine.
“So, what you’re saying is that your boss is hot, single, and available? I don’t know about you, but I’d be making a move and marking my territory asap, before some other bitch gets a chance to claim him.”
“I’m not going to do that,” I say, shaking my head. “Not only is he my sister’s friend, but he’s years ahead of me in life. He’s accomplished and successful, has been through a marriage and a divorce, and has a child who’ll be starting school next year. Not that I wouldn’t date a single dad. He just seems way out of my league, and I can’t help but feel a little inadequate around him. There are so many other women out there better suited for him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, girl.” She brushes me off like I’m talking nonsense. “You’re an absolute catch. Being a twenty-three-year-old uni student who tutors and babysits kids on the side, doesn’t make you incompatible. You’re working towards a career as a Speech Pathologist, and you’re one of the most driven and hardest workers I know. You achieve everything you set your mind to, and let’s not forget—you’re absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Thanks for the confidence boost, but right now, my focus is on my studies, my family,you, and my jobs. My schedule is so full, I don’t have the time or energy to invest in a relationship. Honestly, I’m not even sure how you manage it, Sof.”
“Want to know the secret?”
“Sure, why not?” I reply, rolling my eyes, fully expecting her to say something utterly ridiculous.
“Have as much hot, steamy, unrestrained sex as you can,” she declares, flashing me a cheeky wink. “You’d be surprised what that does to the mind and body afterwards. For some reason, it always leaves me feeling happier, more energised, and more focused in my work and studies. I highly recommend it.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head. “You, Sofia, are such a little fiend.
Now I have this awful visual of you and Brody going at it like animals, so thanks for that!” I say mockingly.
“Pfft! You know it’s hot!” “No, it’s not!”
“Keep telling yourself that.” She smirks, shifting in her seat to slide her legs back under the table. She pulls her laptop from her bag and sets it down in front of her. “Well, enough chit-chatting. We got some studying to do. Library closes soon.”
For the next two hours, that’s exactly what we do. As I read through my textbook and jot down notes on the anatomy of the speech system, my mind keeps wandering to thoughts of Jason—imagining what it would actually be like to have hot, steamy, unrestrained sex with someone like him. And if it turns out he’s an absolute sex god in bed, I doubt I’d be able to focus on anything else.
Ah, fuck! Damn you, Sofia!
CHAPTER 5
Jason
