Page 31 of You've Got Male

“Her mom was an artist. It runs in the family.”

“I’m really sorry,” she said.

“When I got the potty-training policy notice, I thought I’d get more time than a single week.” He looked at his watch and realized he was late. A month ago, he would’ve blown off the meeting, but something inside of him had changed. Maybe it was the momentum of the to-do lists. He definitely wasn’t trying to prove he didn’t need organization. But damn if it didn’t feel good to try again. And he wanted to hold onto that feeling. “Look, I get it, you have rules, but I promise you we’re working on it. Can you make an exception this one time?”

“If it were up to me, I would,” she said with genuine apology—and a hint of blatant interest—in her eyes. “But it’s completely out of my hands. I’m just a parent volunteer.”

Jonah gripped the back of his neck. He didn’t need to go in today. But he knew his old boss was always in the best mood on Monday morning, the earlier the better, relaxed from his long Sunday golfing. As the day wore on, Frank’s mood would get worse. Getting him early increased the chances of him listening to the reasons why he should hire his top earner back, even if Jonah hadn’t worked in two years. Every cell in Jonah’s body was telling him that he needed to make this meeting. If he did, he could finally afford to hire someone who knew how to prune a pomegranate tree right. It was time he took the next step.

“Who do I need to talk to?”

“Unfortunately, Ms. Hathaway, and she was part of the splatter mural, so I don’t think she’ll be as easy to convince.”

“Ms. Hathaway was the one who told me to use underwear instead of pullups, since it confuses them. So I used underwear.”

“That explains why she wet her panties three days in a row.”

“So I should go back to pullups?”

“You should potty train her. If you want…” She hesitated, and her cheeks turned pink. “I’d be willing to walk you through it. Maybe over coffee?” Her eyes lingered on his mouth. She was cute in a soccer-mom kind of way with pretty brown eyes, lush lips, and couldn’t be more obvious than if she’d tattooed her number to his forehead, but all Jonah felt was the urgent need to shut things down.

Just like the other day, a woman who probably had a PhD in Potty Training had offered her help to clean up his world. Unlike the other day, he wasn’t interested.

“Thanks, but I think I can get a handle on it.”

She handed him a paper. “My number, in case you change your mind.”

“Thanks, and have a good one,” he said, walking away and wondering what the hell he was doing. He clearly needed help in the parenting department if he had any chance of impressing Ms. Hathaway, but the thought of a beautiful woman walking in his and Amber’s house, knowing it was more than an offer for nannying, made his gut churn.

At least the thought of this woman. Which was a firm reminder of why Evie’s fake dating scheme would never work.

…

“I swear she’s a sweetheart and quiet. So quiet, she’ll probably sit in the corner and read her book the whole time I’m in there,”Jonah said to the receptionist.

Stacy, as the nametag proclaimed, eyeballed Waverly, who was staring up at her with the smile of an angel and gave two innocent blinks of those long lashes. Her mother’s lashes. God, if Amber could see him now. Nearly broke, two years unemployed, his life a disaster, begging his old boss, Frank Rochester, for his job back while using their daughter as arm candy to get in good with the receptionist.

“He’s really busy this morning, Jonah. Like really busy. He has zero fuc—” Stacy looked at Wavery, who was looking back with excited wide eyes, waiting for her to finish the dirty word.Sorry,she mouthed.

Jonah waved a dismissive hand.

“Her brother is seventeen. She’s heard it all.”

Stacy did not look impressed at his parenting skills. He did not give a fuck. Not today. Today Jonah had to get into Frank’s office and convince him how instrumental Jonah could be to their success. How he could take them to the next level. Problem was, Frank hated kids, hated parents more. Thought they took the focus off work and misplaced it on other things like family and having a balanced life.

Jonah had to prove to him that he could do it all. Right after he proved it to himself.

Fake it till you make it, buddy.

“Seriously, today is not the day to go in there. The last guy came out crying.”

“You know Frank, he loves me.”

“Loved. Past tense. You left and he sent out a memo that you were dead to him.”

“My wife had terminal cancer.”

“The memo also said that was a you problem.”

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