Alpha Billionaire Series

ALICIA

About a month later...

I looked over my shoulder at Ceejay asleep in his car seat. I looked at the stairs up to the apartment, and the shopping bags on the passenger seat next to me. I could picture myself trying to wrestle everything in the front door all at once. I could do ittoo, if I was an octopus and had eight arms.

Somehow, Ceejay weighed twice his normal weight when he was asleep. He was getting bigger all the time. I could carry him or the shopping, which included dinner. I couldn't do both.

I grabbed all the bags, my work tote, purse, and the shopping, and keys before climbing the stairs. It felt like I was sprinting, opened the door and got everything on the kitchen counter and was back outside in no time. I was paranoid that Ceejay would wake up when I wasn't there and get scared. He could handle it on his own for the minute or less that I would have been away. I wasn't worried about him; it was the neighbors calling child services on me for abandoning my crying child in the car that had me concerned.

I didn’t know if anyone would actually do that, but I was suspicious enough that someone would think I wasn't doing the best for my baby that I could.

I carried him straight into the bedroom we shared and put him into his big-boy bed. I took his shoes off. He made some grunting noises and rolled over before he was back under in deep sleep. I had a fifty-fifty chance that he would sleep through the night. He'd been eating a lot lately. All the eating and all the sleep meant another growth spurt soon.

I'sighed. At least it was warm enough that he mostly wore shorts. He wouldn't grow out of those before the end of the summer, and it got cold enough to need long pants.

I kissed my sleeping prince on his forehead and headed back out to the kitchen. I had to put away my things and make dinner.

“Where is my boyfriend?” Hannah asked as soon as she stepped in the door.

She sounded happy; she must have had a good day. She always called Ceejay her boyfriend when she had a surprise for him Asking her to be my roommate had been one of my brightest ideas.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Ceejay’s asleep, I said.

“00ps, sorry” She made a face and started to tiptoe around.

Ishook my head. “Nothing is going to wake him tonight. He's out cold. And when he wakes up he'll be four feet tall.”

“You think he'll grow that much?”

“He will because I just bought him new shoes. I doubt they'll last the rest of the summer”

“Well, when he wakes up, I have paper for him." Hannah always brought home the coolest paper samples. They came in all different colors and textures.

Ceejay loved them all, especially since he could color and draw to his heart's content.

“Are you just getting home?” Hannah picked up my tote, which I had left on the counter.

“Sorry,” I said as I reached for it to put it away. “Today was crazy. Christopher had me stay at the last minute to help him with a presentation. Fortunately, Miss Linda was able to keep Ceejay later”

“You know, when you get stuck like that, I could help and get him, so you aren't paying her after-hours fees.”

I put down the wooden spoon I was cooking with. “Really? I mean, you had been very clear early on that was a boundary for you. I don’t want to overstep.”

Hannah pulled out one of the dining chairs, pulled it into the kitchen area, and sat. “So, I've been thinking. Tell me what you think about this.

As she laid out her proposition, I continued to brown the chicken in the skillet, and I started the noodles in a pot full of water.

“I really hate having two jobs. Like, I can't even tell you, really really hate it,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I figure you're paying an additional, what between three to five hundred a month in late fees?”

I'groaned deep in my gut. “Yeah, it's up there." I liked my job. I lied spending time around Christopher, he was fun. But I hadn't told him I had a child, so I hadn't exactly ever told him no on the few late nights that happened every week or so. Miss Linda charged a premium for after-hours care. After the first hour, it went up. And she charged even more when it was a last-minute addition.

I knew that my expenses would lower if I told Christopher about Ceejay. But if I told him about having a child, he might figur out that he was the father. It was just a snowball effect before I was dating him.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to date an older man,” I whined out loud as my thought process ran away with me.

“Excuse you, what? Who's talking about dating older men?”

“I thought you were going to tell me that I needed to tell my boss about Ceejay."

“Your boss doesn't know you have a kid?”

Ishook my head. “No, that's one of the reasons I've been paying Miss Linda's after-hours and late pick-up fees.’

She pointed at me. “And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. But we will get back to this older man thing?’

I shrugged. “Okay.”

“I wanted to ask if you would be willing to lower my rent in exchange for me taking Ceejay in the afternoons-evenings. It doesn't look like they are going to give me back my hours at the mill, and I'd much rather hang out with Ceejay. I know you could use the help there. And I was hoping...

“I need more help with the kid than I do the rent money? Yeah, I do. I think that's a brilliant idea.’

“Yes! Okay, now I don't need to know the thought process of how you got there, but we are going back. Older man? Who? Dating? Fill me in."

“My boss is really attractive. When I first started, he asked me out. But he stopped once I told him I wasn't comfortable pursuing that idea.’

“And... She gave me a side-eyed look. Yeah, she knew I didn't believe that anymore.

“And nothing. Older men are a no-go. My bio dad was older, knocked up the trophy wife, and then left her for getting pregnant. As if he had nothing to do with any of it. Ever since then, I don't trust rich older men. They don't care if they ruin your life, all they want is someone who looks good, and the second that changes they're gone. Forget making a commitment forget sticking around when shit gets real and there are children, or emotions involved. They just ditch and run.”

“Not all men are that shallow,” Hannah replied.

“I'm not so certain.’

“Well, look, not all men are like your father. I get not wanting to date some guy who looks like your dad, that's kind of icky, but really, how much older are we talking?”

“He's forty, maybe forty-one.’

Hannah stared at me, calling my bluff. “That's not so bad. But you know exactly, don’t you? I don't believe you don't know how old he is and when his birthday is. You probably know his social security number”

“Okay, fine, he’s forty. His birthday is in February. Forty is a lot older”

She laughed. “You didn't even know he was that old until you had to look up his personal information for some reason, right? That means you think he's hot.”

“He is hot. I know he doesn't like having his picture taken, but the man looks like a freaking model when he smiles. The rest of the time, he's mister serious.” And he was probably even better looking when he was being all focused and stern.

“Has he asked you out again?”

I shook my head. “But working so closely with him, especially when the office has been empty, and everyone has gone home Iswear I felt sparks.”

Her eyes went wide, and she giggled. I felt a flush burn my cheeks.

“I know. It's all kinds of a bad idea.’

Hannah held up her finger as if she had a brilliant idea. “What's the official company policy? I wouldn't want to give you advice that could end up getting you in trouble with HR?"

Ibit my lip. “There is no official policy. I mean, dating the boss is such a cliché, but it wouldn't be breaking any rules.” “Okay, so you've already checked."

I nodded in confirmation.

“What's the worst that could happen? Look, I have to assume he’s not married and not seeing anyone else, or we wouldn't by having this conversation, right?”

I nodded.

She bit the side of her cheek and looked at the floor for a while. “Pros and cons?”

Pro, dating Christopher would give me an opening to eventually introduce him to his son.

“What if it didn’t work?”

“How far into dating him before you knew it wouldn't be a good fit? Hours, weeks?”

“Big con, I'd have to find a new job if it didn’t work out.”

“Big pro, he could be the love of your life”

I bit my lip and tried to smile. I was afraid of that the most.