Eight

"Finally, I have your time." I narrowed my eyes at his sturdy figure, which was dressed casually for the first time, surprising me even more that he'd gone out that way. As he took a seat on the couch opposite us, I felt like a little girl about to be scolded, especially with the intensity of his stare.

It had been two days since Ruby's little prank—which she refused to explain—and since Mr. Powers accused me. And it had been almost two nights since the... encounter.

I was about to leave after my day's work when Mr. Powers called me back, insisting we needed to talk. And now... he hadn't said a word. His eyes kept darting between me and Ruby, who leaned back on the couch, her elbow resting on the arm, waiting patiently for what was to come.

I checked my phone, my impatience mounting. He must have noticed because he cleared his throat and said, "Ruby will no longer be attending that ballet school." Ruby and I exchanged a glance and shrugged. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of surprise on Mr. Powers's face. "Did you guys hear me? Ruby will no longer be attending that school," he repeated, as if to elicit the reaction he expected from us.

"I never liked the school anyway. They didn't care about me being bullied," Ruby said calmly, her face a mask of indifference. Mr. Powers looked my way and I shrugged.

During our chats over the past two days, Ruby had confided in me about the bullying, which had been ongoing for nearly four months. She had been too scared to tell anyone, even Fiona. So, I was relieved when she opened up to me—a girl her age shouldn't have to endure such things.

That she wouldn't be attending the school anymore was actually good news. And if need be, I'd teach her myself, with YouTube's help.

Mr. Powers was still visibly thrown by his daughter's nonchalance. "Ruby, I'm saying you're done with ballet classes." She shrugged again. "Why are you shrugging? I thought you liked ballet."

"I joined because you promised to take me to classes yourself. Since you don't have time for me, it's a waste to continue," she said, getting up, bidding me goodnight, and walking away.

Her father and I couldn't hide our surprise as we watched her leave. I was particularly struck by her shift in mood. Instead of the always-smiling Ruby, I saw a serious, somewhat angry girl.

I felt Mr. Powers's gaze on me and turned to face him. "What was that?" he asked, squinting.

"Well, Mr. Powers, she's angry with you."

He pointed a finger at me. "Did you put her up to this?"

Surprise, verging on anger, widened my eyes. Why does he always try to pin things on me? "No. You did this to her."

It was time to set Mr. Sexy straight.

"I did what to her?" His voice was calm, a stark contrast to the tension that had built up between us.

I resettled into my seat, ready to confront him as if we were about to discuss some serious business matter. "Sir, Ruby is looking for a bit of your time, that's all. She wants to spend moments with you, father to daughter. It's not about the grand gestures; she misses the small things. A 'hello' isn't enough; she wants interaction, even if it's just ten minutes when you come home from work. That would mean the world to her."

He nodded, his expression contemplative. "Ruby told you all this?"

"Yes, she did. And she pulled that prank to catch your attention."

"So you did know about it. You are such a..."

"Liar? Oh, come on!" I couldn't contain my frustration. "Stop blaming me for the consequences of your absence in your daughter's life. It's not fair." I rolled my eyes and turned away, my gaze falling on the mark on my forehead. "And for the record, I didn't start any fire. That teacher might have done this," I gestured to my forehead, "but I didn't start any fire."

He observed me for a moment, his gaze intense and searching. Finally, he stood. "Alright. I’ll take what you’ve said into consideration, though it won't be easy." His words left me wondering what he meant by 'not easy.' "Goodnight, Miss Sands. And about the other night..."

I interrupted him quickly, "I didn't see anything."

"Very well. See you tomorrow." His eyes swept over me one last time, this time with an intensity that seemed to linger. Then he turned and left.

What was that all about?

I had to rein in my hormones. That look was nothing, I told myself. He was just seeing me as any person would. As the realization sank in that I had effectively communicated Ruby's needs to her father, a wave of relief washed over me. Despite the fact that he was quick to blame me, the conversation hadn't been as bad as I'd feared.

Longing for the comfort of my own home, I picked up my bag and exited the house, summoning an Uber as I went. Stepping into the elevator, the memory of what I had seen the other day replayed in my mind, and I let out an audible groan.

---

My hand came in contact with my throat, which felt extra dry. I tried to moisten my mouth with saliva, but it was no use. I needed water.

And I needed to get off this seat. "Mr. Roberto," I called out to the fairly young man who looked much older than his age due to his grumpiness and receding hairline. He sneered at me, and I got my answer before I could even ask my question. But I asked anyway, "Could I get a bottle of water, please?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't..."

"...like strangers touching your stuff. I got it, sir." Oh, if only the two hours spent here could be the end of this torture. I stood up, receiving a deeper frown from Mr. Roberto. Ignoring him, I walked over to where they were seated. "Ruby, I need to quickly go get water upstairs," I said. She nodded, her attention more on the book in front of her. "Do you need anything?"

Her full attention finally on me, she requested, "A juice box, please." She smiled broadly and almost immediately returned to her work. I nodded and shot His Grumpiness a side glance on my way out.

I just can't stand the guy. And I hate having to sit for such a long time. I rubbed the moist area of my jeans and pouted at the thought of returning to that dull room. I punched in the floor number I was heading to. Within two seconds, I was out and walking toward the penthouse entrance.

As I slightly opened the door, I heard giggles from inside. It seems the man had a visitor. I entered fully and couldn't be happier with the scene before me. The woman from the other night, who was just a fierce kiss away from Mr. Powers as I entered, sneered at me. She must really, really dislike me now.

I offered the pair a brief smile and said, "I came to get water." Mr. Powers didn't react; he just kept staring at me. But his gaze soon shifted to his model-figure companion, who was already approaching me.

"Darling, you never told me who she is," she said with feigned delight, her expression as venomous as possible. A few steps from me, she offered a curt smile and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Regina, Dom's girlfriend," she emphasized, as if to assert her place in his life.

"I'm Grace, Ruby's babysitter. Your panties fell while you were walking," I informed her. She completely forgot the handshake, her face lighting up with horror. I glanced back at Mr. Powers, who was facing the city through the French doors, appreciating that he didn't interfere. I watched Regina as she hurriedly retrieved her fallen panties. "Nice meeting you, Regina," I said, mirroring her earlier smile, and headed for the kitchen.

After quenching my extreme thirst, I grabbed two more bottles of water and two of Ruby's juice boxes. I needed to be well-stocked to endure in that room. I soon left the kitchen, the bottles and boxes pressed against my chest.

Mr. Powers was the only one in the living room when I emerged. As my footsteps caught his attention, he looked up from his phone and stared quite intensely at me, his lips forming a thin line.

"I need them to survive," I said, gesturing to the items in my arms when his stare became uncomfortably intense. It felt as though he was undressing me with his eyes. And I found it hot, but still uncomfortable. So I hurried out of the room, heading toward the worst part of my job.

I took a deep breath, gathering enough courage to sit through the remaining four and a half hours or so before her lesson for the day ended. As I reached for the metallic door handle, I heard Mr. Grumpy's voice from the other side, "How does it feel?" My ears pricked up, and my entire being became alert. I opened the door slightly and leaned in to listen to their conversation.

"I can't touch that," I heard Ruby say.

"But how does it look?" What on earth was going on in there?

"Uh... long and hard?" Eh? What? I barged into the room, my eyes scanning for the long and hard object they were discussing.

And it was really hard. I charged at the frightened man who was screaming at me to back off. I grabbed one of the bottles from my arm, dropped the rest, and began to beat his erection through his obviously slightly oversized pants.

"Ruby, go upstairs and call your father!" I shouted, swinging the bottle, with swear words spilling out. I paused for a second to see the result of my thrashing.

The man was actually enjoying it! His face was filled with pleasure, and he soon groaned, returning my surprised, disgusted look with a satisfied, even thrilled, expression. "What the heck?" His erection had grown even firmer. I looked back at his face, now sporting a smirk.

Soon, the door behind me slammed shut. "What is going on here?" The heat from Mr. Powers's body was palpable as he stood just behind me. If I turned, I was sure to bump right into his chest, so I kept my eyes on the disgusting scene in front of me.

"Well, he decided to sport an erection in front of a five-year-old. He even asked her to touch it!"

"He asked me to touch it," Ruby's voice confirmed after a few seconds of silence. I listened as Dominic's breathing grew heavier.

"Miss Sands, take Ruby upstairs," he instructed firmly. I nodded and walked away, not bothering to look at his face. His voice was laden with anger.

"Come on, Ruby, let's go," I said, taking her hand, and we walked out, Mr. Roberto's pleas fading behind us as something got slammed. "Are you fine?" I asked Ruby as we left the elevator and walked toward their apartment.

"I was scared when he asked me to touch it," she replied in a quiet, shaky voice. I stopped walking and crouched to her level.

"It's okay now. Daddy is going to deal with him," I reassured her, hugging her tightly. I couldn't help but wonder if this had happened before. My chest tightened at the thought of what she might have felt.

"There you are," Mr. Powers's voice interrupted our embrace. I stood up, still holding Ruby's hand. "The police are dealing with him. And uh... Ruby," he turned to his daughter, "are you okay?"

She nodded. He gave her a brief smile, followed by a sigh. His gaze then met mine again. "Miss Sands, I have a favor to ask of you," he said. I gestured for him to continue. "Move in with us."