Page 40 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
“Are those unicorns and rainbows?” he asks, amused. “Rosie has something similar.” Gabriel chuckles softly. “You don’t need to change just for me. I just wanted to come by to go over a few details and see if I can count on you.”
“So, I didn’t dream this, then?”
“No.”
I take a deep breath and gesture to the couch. Two, maybe three people can fit on it. I also have a beanbag chair, but it’s impossible to get out of easily—not just because it’s fluffy and insanely comfortable, but because over the years a lot of the little beads have escaped, leaving the deepest dip ever. Gabriel sits down, and I sit beside him.
“You’d better start from the beginning so I can get a clear picture. So… what’s the deal with Rosie’s mom, and why do you plan to adopt her?”
“Catherine’s a year younger than me. Twenty-nine. As kids, she was always the stubborn one. Our parents let her get away with everything, while I had to bring home perfect grades. My father was set on me inheriting the company. Catherine was never part of that plan—not even as a backup. When I realized that, I understood how tough it must have been for her to grow up knowing that.”
“I see.” I pull my legs up on the couch and wrap my arms around them.
“When she got pregnant, our parents didn’t really care that much. Of course, they were happy about the baby, but since there was no father and no wedding, it quickly became clear that they were also ashamed. It just didn’t fit our family image to have an illegitimate child with no known father. Catherine said dozens of men could be possibilities.”
Our eyes meet.
“Dozens?”
“It was a very wild time in her life, and now that Rosie is a bit older, she’s continuing that wild lifestyle. About six months ago, things started to escalate, though before that she behaved much better.”
“Oh.” I study Gabriel, and it’s obvious how exhausting this is for him.
"Repeatedly, she would just drop Rosie off with me and disappear for a day or two. Then I would take care of her." Gabriel takes a deep breath. "I bought her a house and support her financially to make sure Rosie is well cared for. Catherine doesn’t work, you see. She used to be in college, but then she got pregnant, dropped out, and now she’s a full-time mother. Unfortunately, my sister takes extreme advantage of my love for my niece. She’s always demanding more money, or else I’m not allowed to see her. And of course, I worry about the little one. Catherine drinks, uses drugs, and doesn’t take proper care of her daughter. Unfortunately, she won’t voluntarily give me custody because she thinks I would cut off her financial support." Gabriel gives me a severe look. "I would immediately put her in rehab and make sure she couldn’t see Rosie again until she got better. Rosie is already seeing too much. She knows her mother isn’t a good person, but my hands are tied."
"That’s why you want to adopt her…" That makes sense.
"I’ve hired a private investigator to follow her. But Catherine always manages to slip away and disappear for days without anyone being able to track her. Sometimes she can be shadowed.But a few photos from parties simply aren’t enough to take Rosie away from her. The big problem here, unfortunately, is Child Services. They might place Rosie with a family who would then get custody. Nobody except my lawyer knows that Rosie is constantly with me. He’s documenting everything so that we have better chances in court. As soon as Catherine finds out I’m talking to Child Services or my lawyer, she’ll make sure I can’t see Rosie anymore. Then I’d have to explain why so much money has changed hands and why I bought my sister a house. She’ll lie—tell people I’ve been trying to buy Rosie from her. She’s been threatening me with that for years."
"So, it’s complicated. When I was at your place Monday morning… did she just drop Rosie off like that? Without letting you know beforehand?" I ask.
Gabriel nods.
"This time she was gone for almost two weeks. I had to buy Rosie new clothes since I couldn’t get into my sister’s house. She vanished without a trace." He looks at me seriously. "I’ve been thinking for a while about simply paying some woman to marry me to increase my chances of adopting Rosie. My lawyer advised against it, though. As a businessman who’s constantly traveling, I’m not a stable environment for her. But a wife seemed like a good solution to me. Unfortunately, it isn’t after all. But if I have a reliable nanny who can take care of Rosie, someone who would be a good substitute mother for her, who also has diabetes and knows how to manage it… that would significantly improve my chances of getting custody."
"So, you’re actually serious about this?" It still sounds like a damn bad joke.
"Rosie can already be heard in court, and her wishes will be taken into account. But of course, a judge knows that you can influence a four-year-old."
"What exactly would my job be if I were to be Rosie’s nanny?" I swallow hard.
"You would live with us, take care of Rosie, and be paid a proper salary for it."
"How much money are we talking about here?"
"I can offer you 300,000 a year if you commit to the job for at least five years." I swallow hard when he makes the offer. That’s 1.5 million over five years.
"That would be your salary. Christmas bonuses would, of course, be possible. You’d live with me, have no expenses whatsoever. As a nanny, you’d have many amenities at your disposal: travel, clothing, handbags, a private driver to take you to friends or family, for shopping."
I swallow again.
"And what about a personal assistant?" I press. "You still need one of those too, right?"
"Actually, that’s exactly the job..." Gabriel looks at me seriously. "I need someone to take care of Rosie and travel with me, maybe handle a few appointments and go along. I originally wanted two women for this, but now..." He looks at me. "You could do both. That’s why the salary is so high." Gabriel stands up and gives me a brief smile. "Think about it. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But if you do, let me know. Make an appointment or just call me." He pulls a golden case from his breast pocket, opens it, and takes out a business card—black with gold lettering. "Call me if you have questions, or if you’ve made a decision. Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it."
"I really need to think about this," I tell him, taking the card. Am I dreaming, or am I actually awake?
"You’re the first person I’m asking. With you, I’d probably have the best chance of adopting Rosie. I’d do anything for that little girl, so she doesn’t have to grow up with her mother anymore."
