A Blooming Life

I called my sister. She was reluctant about it at first, but I explained that it was just for two days and that would be it.

After I settled into the house, ready to begin my newfound job, Aleksander introduced me to his daughter, Nora. She’s such a sweet girl and oh, she speaks English too. I guess I just found out that a lot of Norwegians speak English fluently in addition to their native language.

The little girl tugged at my hand and said she wanted to show me something. Aleksander introduced me to her as a new friend, and she told me how her nanny, her real friend wasn’t feeling well and had left her all alone with her dad, who was always busy.

I was caught off guard by how well-spoken she is for a five year-old. And now here I am, laughing and playing with her on her bed.

Her father, Aleksander well, I guess I’m calling Mr. Billionaire by his name now. Maybe just for now. Unless he goes all rude on me again, which I still feel like he will.

Night came, and I decided to prepare some spaghetti for dinner. As I cooked, I found myself hoping Nora would enjoy it also hoping that even after she left on Monday, she wouldn’t forget the little moments we shared together.

If someone had told me two days ago that my life would take such a twisted turn, that I’d find myself caught up in a messy situation with some Norwegian billionaire my sister met online, I would’ve laughed it off. It sounds ridiculous. But somehow, it’s all true.

Right now, all I want is to pay off the debt I owe Mr. Billionaire and get my life back on track.

I dished out the food after Nora helped me prepare it. It was around 7 p.m., and we sat at the table to eat. One of the guards from the penthouse assigned to ensure our safety was present too.

Just as we started eating, we heard the front door open. Nora guessed it was her father, back from his day, and I followed her to check. She was right.

Her father stood in the middle of the room with his shirt unbuttoned and a tired, slightly disheveled look clearly worn from the day’s stress. From head to toe, he looked exhausted… but still so good. Handsome, as always. He smiled as Nora ran to him, scooping her up and showering her with kisses. He was so different with his daughter gentler, warmer. Nothing like the way he was around others, including me.

When he noticed me standing there, he gave me a brief nod. Nora, excited, pulled Aleksander toward the dining room, urging him to eat with us. But he politely declined, saying he needed to freshen up and would spend the rest of the night with her.

So we went back to our meal. Later, I helped Nora take her bath, and afterward, she went straight to her dad’s room to spend some time with him.

I cleaned the dishes, then made my way to the guest room I’d been assigned for the little while I was meant to stay.

Aria had packed everything I needed for my stay. After a warm shower, I slipped into my pajamas and lay down on another luxurious bed not quite as big as the one I’d slept on for three weeks… until, well, you know what happened.

I picked up my phone and replied to a few messages from friends, including Collins, who was worried about me.

After a while, I lay back, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how I’d ended up here. The ceiling wasn’t much of a view, so I got up and walked over to the window. The stars shone brightly, their blinding light spilling across the sky. From where I stood, I could see the tops of tall trees swaying gently in the night breeze.

I took in the fresh air, letting my mind wander through the whirlwind of recent events, dramatic, chaotic, and oddly funny.

I stood there for a while, lost in thought, before finally climbing into bed and letting sleep take me.

On the weekends, Nora and I did lots of fun things together. I took her to the mall, where she made some new friends, and then to the children’s playground. We walked a dog at the park and even went to the cinema to watch Moana. She told me it was her tenth time seeing it in the theater. We squeezed so many activities into those two days.

Throughout Saturday, we didn’t see much of her father. Since we spent most of the time out, Nora fell asleep early too tired to even talk to her dad, who came home late that night. I watched him from my bedroom window.

On Sunday, we stayed in. Nora said she wanted us to swim together so she could show off her swimming skills.

I wasn’t a good swimmer, so I was hesitant. But I didn’t want to say no she looked so excited. I searched through my things to see if I’d packed anything remotely swimwear-like and found a pair of tight black pants that hugged my butt a little too well, exposing just a bit of cheek. I paired it with a crop top. I’m kind of endowed just a little in the boob department, so I made sure the tiny top still covered enough. I’ve always been shy about my body.

Nora wore a very cute yellow swimsuit and grabbed her swim goggles, then dragged me to the poolside. We had lots of fun splashing around and laughing.

Later, we had some drinks and were so exhausted that I ended up on the couch, still in my swimwear, with Nora sleeping on top of me. I had already changed her into a fresh dress. I gently laid her down more comfortably on the couch and started to head upstairs, but I was too tired so I fell asleep there too.

I was deep in sleep when I was startled awake by noise coming from the entrance. I assumed it was Aleksander and his bodyguards. That was usually the case.

It wasn’t until I tried to get up that I realized I was still in my swimwear. I moved carefully, trying not to wake Nora, who was still asleep beside me. As I rose, I heard footsteps, Aleksander’s. He appeared in the living room, looking furious as he spoke into his phone.

I forced myself upright just as he got closer, almost forgetting what I was wearing. He froze mid step, the phone still pressed to his ear. His gaze dropped to me, slow and intense from head to toe.

I knew why.

I wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately. A flush crept up my cheeks as embarrassment bubbled in my chest. His stare felt like judgment. Instinctively, I tried to cover my chest with my arms. His eyes followed the movement, but he still didn’t say a word.

“We were at the pool,” I said, trying to explain.

He looked at me again, his jaw tight, then continued speaking into the phone in an angry voice as he disappeared up the stairs.

I waited a while, listening closely for the sound of his door closing before heading upstairs to change, careful not to wake Nora, who was still resting on the couch. The moment I heard his door shut, I ran upstairs and went straight into my room.

I closed the door behind me and flopped onto the bed, still burning with embarrassment. The way he had stared at me, it was intense, almost too much. I grabbed a mirror and looked at myself. My cheeks were still visibly red from the moment before.

But beyond that, I couldn’t shake the image of how angry he looked more furious than usual. What could possibly have happened?

Later that evening, I made dinner, mac and cheese, steak, chips, and vegetable sauce for Nora and me. This time, I made enough to share with the red-haired bodyguard, Erik. I’d heard Aleksander call him that yesterday. As for the other guard… I still didn’t know his name.

I dished out plates for everyone well, everyone except Mr. You-Know-Who. He was still locked away in his room, as usual. He hadn’t even said a word to Nora since he came back.

Nora and I sat at the dining table, laughing between bites, when we heard footsteps descending the stairs. We already knew who it was. Nora lit up and wanted to run to him, but I gently told her to stay seated he was already heading toward the kitchen.

He appeared within seconds. Nora jumped up anyway, and they hugged and kissed like always. They exchanged a few words in their language, soft and affectionate, before Nora excitedly gestured for him to join us at the table.

The food was a lot I had cooked with everyone in mind but I secretly prayed he would turn it down. He’d never tasted anything I’d made since I got here. And sure, I know I’m a great cook, but let’s be honest ,he’s a foreigner, and this one in particular seemed very judgmental… even without saying a word.

But to my surprise and slight horror he agreed. All it took was his daughter giving him the cutest puppy eyes.

I got nervous the moment he sat down. And now? Now he was about to taste my food.

He glanced at the table, obviously wondering what was what.

“I made a variety of things,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Salad, vegetable sauce, mac and cheese, some steak… even a bit of soup. I don’t really know much about Norwegian meals, but Nora likes my food, so… I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

His face was unreadable, like he was lost in thought. I gestured to ask if he wanted me to serve him, but he signaled that he’d rather do it himself.

A few minutes later, Erik returned, probably to ask if there was more food , he had clearly devoured everything on his plate but froze the moment he saw his boss at the table. I glanced between the two of them, then motioned to Erik to come get more. I was sure Aleksander wouldn’t eat everything on the table.

Dinner at the table was mostly quiet between the two of us, although Nora kept asking him little questions here and there. He barely responded just a few nods or soft hums. He took a few bites of his food, his expression blank, like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with him.

To be honest, I was kind of glad he wasn’t talkative. The last thing I needed was him saying something mean especially about my cooking. But from the way he was eating, I think he liked it. At least, he didn’t push the plate away.

After a while, he quietly got up from the table and stepped outside.

No words. No goodnight. Just gone.

The guards helped clean up after dinner, and later, Nora and I curled up to watch some movies together. She had wanted her dad to put her to bed, but he was nowhere to be found again.

After tucking her in, I headed to my room to shower and finally get some rest. As I moved around, I glanced out my window and there he was.

Aleksander.

Standing by the pool, pacing back and forth, speaking into his phone. He looked tense, deep in conversation. Still, even in that state, he looked… good. Really good.

I found myself just standing there, watching him, admiring him from a distance. It’s just a me thing, I guess , admiring beautifully crafted things. I even laughed a little at my own thoughts.

I didn’t realize how long I had been staring until he looked up and caught me.

We locked eyes for a moment. A long, loaded moment. He ended the call slowly, sliding the phone into his pocket, still holding my gaze like he had something on his mind. Something he wasn’t saying.

Panicked, I yanked the curtain shut and rushed into the shower.

That man is starting to get to me… and I really don’t like that feeling.