“Donkey!”
The voice startles me, and I peer down to see an adorable toddler rushing to my feet with a grin so wide you’d think I was dressed as Santa Claus. He’s wearing a light blue T-shirt with a juggling dinosaur on it, the baggy pants matching, and his icy grey eyes bore up at me with a mixture of curiosity and gratitude.
“Um, hi,” I say weakly, and he giggles, flexing his chubby fingers, reaching up for the stuffed animal. Giving it to him without hesitation, I watch him embrace it.
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but time feels as if it’s standing still because there’s no way this kid’s nanny just left me alone with him, thinking I was Evan West’s sister.
Who rushes out without giving the other person a chance to explain themselves? Did Alexander set this up? Is this some kind of test to see if I can handle the promotion?
I sigh. It’s wishful thinking.
“Where was Donkey?”
I click my tongue, unsure what I’m supposed to do now. “You left him at Starbound.”
The kid gawks up at me like I’ve just spoken in gibberish, and I suppress a chortle.
“Um, I mean… he was just competing in… the NationalEee-aawDonkey Competition. I offered him a ride home.”
The child’s eyes widen, and he stares at his cuddly toy with adoration. “Did he win?”
A chuckle slips from my mouth. “You know what? Yeah, he did. Trophy should be on its way.”
“Wow! Thank you!” He points up at me. “What’s your name?”
“It’s Flo.”
“My name is Leo.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Leo.”
He immediately takes my hand and leads me into the house, like he knows me. Like I’msupposedto be here.
“Hello?” I call loudly as I hover, and when no one responds, it’s clear there are no other adults around.
Leo looks up at me, full-on, unblinking. Like he’s trying to work me out, and after a few seconds, he tips his head and breaks out into a genuine smile.
I thought kids were supposed to be easily distracted, but he’s locked in on me like he’s waiting for me to do something.
Why am I intimidated by a toddler?
“Your hair is long.” His eyes hone in on the strands that are tumbling down towards my belly button. It’s due for a cut, but I just haven’t had the time. Juggling work at Starbound and my hobbies doesn’t allow a ton of time for my to-do list.
“So is yours.” I nod towards the boy’s brunette locks, tousled and peeking past his ears, but he only mutters a low, “Yours is pretty, though,” before waddling over to his toy box.
Pulling out my phone, I dial Alexander’s number, but of course, all I’m met with is his fake chirpy tone telling me to leave a message. A text telling him he needs to call me urgently will suffice. Calling the police seems a tad dramatic at this stage, and that’s sure to get out to the press. The last thing I want is to be plastered all over the front cover of a magazine as the woman involved in a child endangerment scandal alongside Evan West.
There are no neighbours nearby—the house is in a secluded area just outside of Missarali City, near Great Falls—so for now, the only thing I can do is wait for someone to come home. Or for Alexander to get his head out of his ass and pick up his phone.
His wife’s birthday, my ass. Last month, he told us he was getting a divorce. He was probably just looking forward to getting home and rubbing one out.
“Do you want to play with me, Flo?” Leo waves me over to his toy box in the corner of the rustic-looking living room. The smell of black coffee wafts up my nose as I manoeuvre through, and overall, the place is pretty clean, except for the occasional sock and racecar scattered on the floor.
I take a deep breath and smile, dropping to my knees to be at Leo’s level. “Sure.”
I can’t lie, he’s a cute kid. He seems polite and respectful, which I appreciate. Most of the adults I worked with at Starbound didn’t harness an ounce of courtesy that this child does.
Leo laughs, rummaging through the box and yanking out everything he owns. He shoves them into my lap as he introduces me to each toy, attempting to explain their wild and wacky backstories, but he can barely finish one without getting sidetracked and moving on to the next.
