Chapter 4

Ryan

I reviewed Amy’s resume again. It was quite impressive. She had a degree in child development, and, as she said, she had also minored in child psychology. The confidence in her voice and the way she answered were both excellent. I may have pushed a few buttons for my child's future, and maybe for those spitfire eyes of hers.

“So, who do we like? I think we can agree that Amy is the one.” Mark barged into my office before I could delve deeper into my thoughts.

“Are you following her like a puppy now?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

He smirked, “Well, no, I was just getting acquainted with Liam’s future nanny.”

“Who said that she was Liam’s nanny? Nothing is final yet,” I replied.

“Oh, please, if you did not prefer her as Liam’s nanny, you would have thrown her out of the interview like the previous one. And you know you are a little impressed with that little dynamite. You cannot lie to me,” he replied.

I squinted my eyes at him, giving him a warning. “Mark, don’t tempt me.”

Mark, undeterred, continued to press the matter. “What? Okay, so we have decided that the cute blonde will be our Liam’s nanny,” he declared.

“We? Our?” I asked.

“Of course! We! If she is Liam’s nanny, and I am your business partner and your best friend. We are bound to interact, so we should get along. And I can say with confidence we will get along well,” Mark replied, wearing a self-satisfied smirk.

I groan. “You do not have any kind of interaction with Liam’s nanny. I am warning you.”

Mark seemed undeterred, stating matter-of-factly, “So she is Liam’s nanny. That’s awesome.”

Okay, I walked right into that.

“Don’t you work? Or is bugging me the only job you are competent at?” I asked.

Mark contemplated for a moment, feigning deep thought before responding, “Nope, I am okay. I like bugging you better than the work. Also, we need this done immediately, you know, Liam’s future and all.”

“Mark!” I said, warning him that I was pissed.

“Okay. Fine. Jeez. Relax. As we have decided that Amy is Liam’s nanny, let me call her to confirm,” he suggested.

I glared at him, and he raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, I am willing to leave. Stop shooting daggers at me,” he remarked as he walked out of my office.

Once Mark was gone, I turned my attention back to Amy’s resume. Despite my initial resistance to Mark’s banter, I had to admit that she was the most impressive candidate by far. It pained me to acknowledge that Mark was right, and I had no intention of admitting it to the smug bastard.

My office phone buzzed, and I picked up. “Mr. Crawford, Mr. Martin is here,” Cain said.

“Okay. Lead them into the meeting room. I will be there in a minute,” I replied, setting aside my thoughts about Amy for now. Duty calls.

After buttoning up my suit jacket, I walked towards the meeting room, determined to focus on the upcoming discussions. But, no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to Amy Castello. I silently chastised myself, trying to pray away those distracting thoughts.

As I entered the meeting room, the hushed chatter of my executives fell silent. I took my seat at the head of the table and addressed Mr. Martin, our key player in the crucial project. “Mr. Martin, I hope everything is on track. I do not want any hiccups in this launch,” I said.

The man gulped nervously and replied, “Yes, sir. Everything is in order.”

I nodded, and the meeting continued. This project was my dream, a monumental development in the realm of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence. It had consumed our resources, time, and effort, with millions of dollars invested to bring our vision to life. I was determined that it would lead the world into a new era.

Hours passed as we discussed the project’s intricacies and challenges. The pressure was on, but I had to stay strong for this new project.

After the meeting, I retreated to my office, once again confronted by Amy’s resume on my desk. Again, I was pulled back to her beautiful blue eyes.

No. No. I cannot go there, but she will be a great tutor and nanny for Liam.

She held all the qualifications to become Liam’s nanny. Will she be able to handle Liam is a different story altogether. But she put Mark in his place, and Liam is better than that big baby. Caine had conducted thorough background checks, and all reports had been positive.

With a sense of resolve, I picked up my phone and dialed the number listed on Amy’s resume. She answered after just two rings.

“Hello,” she answered in her soft voice.

“Hello, Ryan Crawford here. Am I talking to Miss Amy Castello?” I inquired, maintaining a professional voice.

A cacophony of noises erupted on the other end as if something had fallen over before she managed to respond, “Yes, Mr. Crawford. How can I help you?”

“Ms. Castello, I have checked everything, and I would like to offer you the position as my son’s tutor and nanny,” I replied professionally.

“Really? Oh, my God. Thank you. I am so happy I could kiss you right now. Ahh,” she shouted. There was a pregnant pause after her outburst, as she might have realized what she had said. I was not impressed, but also amused by her reaction.

“Hmm. I am so sorry, Mr. Crawford. I just blabbed out in excitement. But thank you so much for the opportunity,” she quickly corrected herself.

“Yeah. Report at my house at 9 am sharp. My assistant will send you my address and the rest of the details. Don't be late or you will be fired,” I said and ended the call before she could answer.

As I wrapped up my work in the headquarters, the remaining resumes found their way into the trash bin, leaving only Amy Castello’s file on my desk. I think she is a bit immature, but hopefully, she could handle Liam. It will be clear by evening tomorrow.

Hours passed, and as the night grew late, I finally completed my work. With a sigh, I packed my belongings and left my office behind. However, I wasn’t afforded the luxury of a peaceful exit as my assistant, Caine, intercepted me.

“Mr. Crawford,” he called out, causing me to stop in my tracks.

I stopped and glared at him. I do not like to be stopped. “What?” I stated tersely, my jaw clenched in annoyance.

Caine hesitated before addressing me. “Hmm... Sir... the background check you asked for Miss Amy Castello?” He handed me a file.

“Next time, bring the necessary documents to my office. If there is a next time,” I said. Without waiting for a response, I continued walking, holding the file in my hand.

“Where to, sir?” my driver asked.

“Home,” I replied and glanced at the file. I read through the file, which had the criminal and social background of Amy Castello. When I was satisfied that I knew every detail about that woman, I closed the file. The car stopped, and I realized I was home.

I scanned my thumb and entered the passcode to enter the house. I was immediately greeted by Jim chasing Liam with chaos around them. Toys and books lay strewn about haphazardly, the living space a disorganized mess. My anger flared at the sight.

“Liam!” I roared. Both of them came to a halt. Liam looked at me, scared. The fear in his eyes made me think about how scared my son was right now to see me. Maybe I should control myself. But if I do that, he will never learn to behave.

“Why are you up?” I roared at Liam. He lowered his head in response.

“It’s S... Saturday tomorrow. So I thought I could....” Liam stammered.

“You thought wrong,” I interjected firmly, clearing my throat before announcing, “I have hired a nanny for you. She will be here tomorrow at 9 a.m. I want you to be on your best behavior. If not, I will have no choice but to send you to boarding school.”

"Sir..." Jim started, but one look from me and he quickly retreated and slumped.

Liam gasped, and Jim gulped as he realized how angry I was right now. “O.. okay, Daddy,” Liam mumbled. The severity of my words pushed Liam to the brink of tears.

“And this is a home and not a garbage can. Why are there toys everywhere?” I yelled, gesturing at the clutter around us. Both of them looked down. Liam was twiddling his fingers, looking terrified. I looked at Jim and said, “I want this cleaned in the next fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” he said and started his work.

I shifted my focus back to Liam, my tone unwavering as I instructed. “I want you to brush your teeth and be in your bed in the next ten minutes,” I said and stormed to my bedroom. I could not see tears in Liam’s eyes, but I didn’t have any other choice. If I become lenient, he will take advantage of it. He is already getting out of control with his pranks.

I walked into the restroom. As soon as I stripped, I walked into the shower. The hot water flowed, relaxing my tense muscles and providing a brief respite from the evening’s turmoil. I knew the challenges with Liam, and I needed to find a way to navigate them.

I dried myself and changed into clean track pants. I dropped down onto the bed, thinking about all this. I don’t know what to do anymore with Liam. I sincerely hope Miss Amy Castello is ready for the anarchy that is about to enter her life.