Page 10 of I Won't Be In On Monday

"Oh, my. What is going on? Is everything okay, Mr. Parker? You don't sound well."

"I think that I am about to have a panic attack because my life is crashing down around me."

"Is that why you needed me to call you back? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is not okay. Karen, my one-night stand, is bringing Canyon to the office tomorrow."

"But tomorrow's Saturday."

"I know, and I wasn't thinking. I suppose she thinks I work weekends, which I sometimes do, but I wasn't planning on working tomorrow. Anyway, she's bringing Canyon to the office tomorrow."

"Oh, well that will be nice. Like a father-daughter date?”

"Yes, but one that will last months."

"Months?" I blink in surprise. "Sorry, I don't really understand."

"Karen has some job in Southeast Asia that she really wants to take, and I guess Canyon's been wanting to get to know me, and now I've got full custody of her for the next few months, but I don't have a bed for her. My apartment is not exactly in the right condition for a child, and Karen's dropping her off at 2:00 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, and I'm beside myselfwith worry. I need your help."

Um, my help?I sit on the couch and turn on the TV. "How can I help you, Mr. Parker?"

"Well, you're a woman."

"Yes. The last time I checked I was."

"And I'm sure you have maternal instincts and you like shopping and all that good stuff."

I press my lips together. His words are quite offensive.

"Sorry. That came out wrong, didn't it? Do you like shopping?"

"I guess sometimes, but..."

"I need help, and I have no one else to ask. You are the best assistant I’ve ever had. You’re very diligent. You’ve always been there for me, and I know this is asking a lot, but could you possibly come over to my place tomorrow and help me get it in order and maybe do a little bit of shopping and..."

"What? I actually have plans and..."

"Please. I wouldn't ask you if this wasn't really important," he says, sounding strangled. "And if you and your girlfriend have plans to do something, you know, just let me know. I can pay for a nice dinner if you change the..."

"I mean, you don't know that it's not with a boyfriend," I say, feeling slightly annoyed.

"Oh, excuse me. Is it with a boyfriend? I didn't even think to ask you. Maybe you and your boyfriend have plans. I'm sure he’s not happy that I’ve been calling you so much."

"I mean, I don't actually have a boyfriend." I’m embarrassed now. Why did I even bring it up? Maybe because I wanted to hear jealousy in his voice, but he didn’t even care. He had never once noticed me as more than his mousey little assistant.

"That’s what I thought. I didn't think you had a boyfriend," he says as if his words are not burning shame into my soul. "You're always in the office working, morning, noon, and night. And I assumed that if you had a boyfriend he’d want to see you more often. I also noticed that…" He pauses, realizing he's about to cross a line, even though I’m desperately curious to know what he’s noticed. "Anyway, I'd really appreciate your help tomorrow, Juniper, and you could go to dinner with a friend anywhere you want on my credit card. No expenses spared.”

“What exactly are you asking me to do? Clean your apartment or something?”

“No, of course not. Let’s just say I would like to ensure that it’s kid friendly. So if you see anything that you think might not be appropriate for a kid, you can just remove it or ask me about it. Does that sound all right?"

"I suppose so." I lick my lips as my mind races and ponders what potential items I could possibly see. "Um, I guess you'll have to tell me your address and what time to be there."

"Juniper, you are a lifesaver. What about 8:00 a.m.? That should give us a couple of hours, and then we’ll go to the office and Karen will drop off Canyon, and then maybe you can accompany us shopping."

"What? What are you talking about?" Is he out of his mind? Does he think I’m agreeing to be his nanny or something? This is quickly spiraling out of control, and I know I’m going to need to grow a backbone.

“Well, I know Canyon is going to want a bed and other items, and I have zero experience with kids. And don’t know how she communicates."

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