I sat back in my chair and closed the laptop. I stretched my arms over my head and checked the clock. I hadn’t realized I was on the computer for hours. I put away the notepad and laptop, storing it away.
I looked around my apartment, wondering what to do with my new free time. Sierra would be coming over in a couple of hours.
I eyed the television and knew that I had a date with sexy doctors for the rest of the day. I hoped I didn’t get too used to this lifestyle, but for now, it felt good to do something for myself.
Chapter Three
Noah
While this weekend hadn’t started off on a good note with Layla quitting, I looked forward to the highlight of my week: spending the weekend with Gina. I tried as much as I could not to have Layla come over on the weekends, since that was my time, but recently she’d worked many of them. Gina would have my full undivided attention, something that hadn’t happened for a while. Layla had stuck around for the better part of the last year. Always having someone else to take Gina when I needed to make a phone call or go into work unexpectedly had been a great help. I asked Allison to divert any non-emergency phone calls to my voicemail. I’d return them on Monday. At least I had the on-call sales team to take care of the rest. I thought back to when I started the company, and I was the only person on call. I shuddered at the thought. Though at the time, I didn’t have Gina, so my life was a little more flexible.
For Gina’s next nanny, I’d take my time finding the perfect person for her. One who would last and become a part of our family, instead of a temporary fixture in Gina’s life. She was at an age where she needed a female role model, and I wasn’t in a position to remarry anyone. I barely had time to spend with Gina. She would be the only girl in my life for a long time. And that was okay with me. I had no interest in dating at the moment.
Though having someone to watch Gina on Monday morning would have been nice. I tried to shake off the thought, but the looming work week with no help weighed on my shoulders.
I focused my energy on making breakfast for Gina. She was the type to eat the moment she woke up. I hadn’t cooked for her in a long time, probably long enough for her not to remember. I wasn’t ready for Top Chef, but I knew my way around a kitchen. I scrambled some eggs and made a stack of pancakes before I heard the slapping of bare feet on the marble floor behind me.
“Daddy, you cooked?” Gina asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
I glanced at the clock. It was seven on the dot. I could set a watch to this girl. “I did, honey.” I moved the pan with the eggs to the back burner and turned to scoop Gina into my arms.
She yawned and then dropped her head on my shoulder. “I’m hungry.”
I kissed her cheek and squeezed her against me until she started to squirm. I placed her in the booster seat at the kitchen table, strapped her in, and started plating the food.
“What do you want to drink?” I asked.
“Milk.”
“Milk, what?” I prodded.
“Milk, please,” she said with a smile.
Just because there wasn’t a female figure in the house didn’t mean her manners would falter. I shook my head and smiled; when had I turned into my parents?
I poured her milk into a leak-proof cup and placed it on the table next to her before handing her the plate of food.
She wrinkled her nose at it.
“What?” I asked. “You love eggs and pancakes.”
“I want seeerup,” she said.
I’d already put the syrup out on the table. I almost handed it to her, but then I thought better of it and drizzled the sugary liquid over her pancakes.
“More! More!” she said, clapping her hands.
I poured as much as I thought she needed and closed the top. She frowned but sensed that she wouldn’t get any more.
She dug her fork into the pancake and dragged it to her mouth.
I watched half of the pancake fall off the fork and into her lap. She jumped. Well, as much as she could, testing the limits of her chair straps.
“I’ll get it,” I said, picking up the pieces from her lap.
“Layla cut for me,” she said with a pout.
This peanut loved her food. Which was why I made plent