Chapter 0034
ALEXANDER
“I need a favor!” Ben exclaimed, storming into my office with a smiling Brinley in tow. She had purple paint all over her face in the shape of a butterfly, and her hair looked like she had been attacked by a second-grade classroom with unlimited access to colorful ponytails and clips.
“Benjamin Evans. What did you do?” I asked, making sure to look at him so it was clear he was the one I was speaking to.
“What? I didn’t do anything! She looks great, and we’re having a blast! We went to the zoo.” Ben exclaimed before shoving her toward me. “Brynn, go to Alex. He is going to watch you for a few minutes, okay?”
“Wait, what? I never agreed to this!” I exclaimed as I stared at him in horror. I had no experience with kids, and while I was sure I would love Brinley since she was Bailee’s daughter, I was scared to mess things up. “What do I do?”
“Look, man! Do you know how hard it is to go to the bathroom when a toddler is hanging on you? I thought this would be easy, but I’ve been prairie-dogging it for like two hours now, but I can’t leave her unsupervised, and I can’t exactly take her into the men’s restroom with me!” Ben shouted as he turned and raced back out of my office and down the hall to the bathroom.
My mouth was open in shock, but I didn’t have a good argument because he was right. I had no idea what men did with kids when they needed to go the bathroom.
Shit, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with her, and I was just sitting at my desk.
“Hey, Brinley. Do you remember me?” I asked, terrified that she would remember me attacking her dad even though I wasn’t
sure she had even seen it.
She nodded.
“My name is Alex. I’m your Uncle Ben’s best friend.” I moved my chair back, about to stand, but I paused. I didn’t want to scare her, but she surprised me when she walked over and began pulling herself into my lap as if my moving had been the invitation
she was waiting for.
“You working?” She asked, staring up at me with a bright smile that made my chest tighten as I questioned every life choice I had ever made. Would Bailee and I have had a daughter by now if we had stayed together? Would she look like Brinley?” Mommy works. I work now, too. Okay? Okay.”
Brinley leaned forward, slamming her hands down on my keyboard before I could respond.
“No!” The shout of shock made her jump, but I reached around her, quickly closed what I was working on, and locked the screen.
The whites of her eyes turned pink, and her chin quivered as she stared up at me.
“No, no, no. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to yell at you!” I rushed out. “Everything’s okay. You can still type on the keyboard, look!”
I leaned forward, holding her on my lap with one arm around her, and jammed my fingers into the keyboard.
“What happened in here?” Nathan asked, and I stared wide-eyed at him
“Oh, thank God. Get in here and help me!” I begged him but was surprised when Brinley clung to me when Nathan reached for
her.
“No!” She cried. I froze and slowly leaned back in my seat, amazed when she moved with me, staying against my chest.
“What just happened?” I whispered, and Nathan laughed.
“My niece gets like that when she’s either hungry or overtired.” He explained before holding his tablet up. “I need to know who your plus one will be for the Food Bank Foundation dinner. Are you bringing anyone?”
1/2
“I’m undecided about my attendance,” I already had someone in my mind though. It had to be her. “Have we already purchased the plates?” I asked, staring down at Brinley like she was a bomb, ready to detonate at any moment.
“Yes. From what I understand, we are the last to respond.” Nathan said and raised an eyebrow at me. “Even Johnson confirmed his attendance with a plus one.”
Chapter 0034
ALEXANDER
“I need a favor!” Ben exclaimed, storming into my office with a smiling Brinley in tow. She had purple paint all over her face in the shape of a butterfly, and her hair looked like she had been attacked by a second-grade classroom with unlimited access to colorful ponytails and clips.
“Benjamin Evans. What did you do?” I asked, making sure to look at him so it was clear he was the one I was speaking to.
“What? I didn’t do anything! She looks great, and we’re having a blast! We went to the zoo.” Ben exclaimed before shoving her toward me. “Brynn, go to Alex. He is going to watch you for a few minutes, okay?”
“Wait, what? I never agreed to this!” I exclaimed as I stared at him in horror. I had no experience with kids, and while I was sure I would love Brinley since she was Bailee’s daughter, I was scared to mess things up. “What do I do?”
“Look, man! Do you know how hard it is to go to the bathroom when a toddler is hanging on you? I thought this would be easy, but I’ve been prairie-dogging it for like two hours now, but I can’t leave her unsupervised, and I can’t exactly take her into the men’s restroom with me!” Ben shouted as he turned and raced back out of my office and down the hall to the bathroom.
My mouth was open in shock, but I didn’t have a good argument because he was right. I had no idea what men did with kids when they needed to go the bathroom.
Shit, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with her, and I was just sitting at my desk.
“Hey, Brinley. Do you remember me?” I asked, terrified that she would remember me attacking her dad even though I wasn’t sure she had even seen it.
She nodded.
“My name is Alex. I’m your Uncle Ben’s best friend.” I moved my chair back, about to stand, but I paused. I didn’t want to scare her, but she surprised me when she walked over and began pulling herself into my lap as if my moving had been the invitation
she was waiting for.
“You working?” She asked, staring up at me with a bright smile that made my chest tighten as I questioned every life choice I had ever made. Would Bailee and I have had a daughter by now if we had stayed together? Would she look like Brinley?” Mommy works. I work now, too. Okay? Okay.”
Brinley leaned forward, slamming her hands down on my keyboard before I could respond.
“No!” The shout of shock made her jump, but I reached around her, quickly closed what I was working on, and locked the screen.
The whites of her eyes turned pink, and her chin quivered as she stared up at me.
“No, no, no. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to yell at you!” I rushed out. “Everything’s okay. You can still type on the keyboard, look!”
I leaned forward, holding her on my lap with one arm around her, and jammed my fingers into the keyboard.
“What happened in here?” Nathan asked, and I stared wide-eyed at him.
“Oh, thank God. Get in here and help me!” I begged him but was surprised when Brinley clung to me when Nathan reached for
her.
“No!” She cried. I froze and slowly leaned back in my seat, amazed when she moved with me, staying against my chest.
“What just happened?” I whispered, and Nathan laughed.
“My niece gets like that when she’s either hungry or overtired.” He explained before holding his tablet up. “I need to know who your plus one will be for the Food Bank Foundation dinner. Are you bringing anyone?”
1/2
“I’m undecided about my attendance,” I already had someone in my mind though. It had to be her. “Have we already purchased the plates?” I asked, staring down at Brinley like she was a bomb, ready to detonate at any moment.
“Yes. From what I understand, we are the last to respond.” Nathan said and raised an eyebrow at me. “Even Johnson confirmed his attendance with a plus one.”
