Chapter 2

"So, you"re Janetta Summers," the man from the coffee house who introduced himself as Alexander Holt sits behind my desk in my office.

"You can call me Jane if you"d like," I mumble, looking at my entwined fingers on my lap, still embarrassed about the way I acted towards him at the coffee house.

"Lucifer said you like children," he states, emotionlessly. "And you took care of his kid whenever Elaine asked him to bring Theo to work."

"Yes," I murmur, looking up. Jeez, Mr King had to mention his kid?

"I understand that Lucifer recommended you without your knowledge," he proclaims the obvious.

"The job requires you to live in my house so you can take care of the child full-time."

The child? Is that what he calls his kid? How strange... "Um...can that term be negotiated?"

"No," he objects."I need round the clock care for it."

It?! "Sir, I feel that the need for me to be there around the clock to be...um...atrocious..."

Squeezing my hands together, I look into his eyes," Your baby does need you...you know as your his father and all..."

His eyes darken at this, and I feel a chill go down my spine like I"m being buried six feet under by his gaze alone.

"I don"t need you to tell me how to be a father," he snarls. "I just need you to take care of it."

I wince at his harshness. "I"m sorry...I didn"t mea-"

"You know what," he huffs, standing up. "I don"t think you"re the one for the job. I need someone who just does their job."

I stand, mustering what little courage I have, I snap at him," The person you"re looking for isn"t human that"s a dog. I never asked for this job, I was volunteered."

"You don"t want me for the damn job, fine. I have no qualms about it, I"d feel sorry for the dog you employ to look after "the child"."

He is about to snap something else at me but I cut him off.

"If you"ll excuse me," I gesture to the door. "Unlike you, I have a living to work for."

Once he leaves my office, I slump into my chair, my limbs and hands shaking from the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

He is an imbecile!

*****

"Hey, Etta," Mr King calls after me as I clock out for the day. "Do I want to know why-"

I shake my head, knowing he"s referring to Alexander Holt when he had stormed out of the office building.

"That bad?" He asks, clocking out after me.

I nod,"It"d be better if you asked him why I threw him out of my office."

"I haven"t seen you this upset since you know when," Mr King murmurs, as we leave the building. "I know he"s an ass but he"s just broken."

Broken...that is not the word I"d use to describe a man who would call his own child an "it", warped describes him better.

"Even if he is...that is no need to call an innocent child "it"."

Reaching his car, I climb into the passenger seat and Mr King takes off, a routine for us when we get off work late, his way of saying "thanks for staying with me till the early hours of the morning".

Fishing out my blackberry, I check the grocery list I had compiled earlier in the morning.

Eggs, bacon, bread, flour, margarine, jam, and strawberries.

Stopping outside the 24-hour supermarket next to the apartment complex I call home.

I get off the car, thank him for the ride and go in, grabbing a basket, I quickly get all that I need when I hear the most peculiar sound. Wailing? No, crying...

Moving around the aisles, I look into each and every one of them. Trying to locate the sound.

Looking down the baby"s aisle, I see a small blue stroller with the cover pulled over in the middle of the walkway, a sharp wailing sound emits from the stroller echoing through the empty supermarket.

Placing my basket by the pram, I look inside to see the most adorable, chubby cheeked, grey-eyed, brown haired baby wearing a blue and red onesie.

Picking him up, I cradle him to my body, rocking him gently, his loud, drawn out wails turn into soft gurgles and baby love noises, rocking him to and fro, I soon realise he has not only a wet diaper but also a growling stomach.

What idiot leaves a baby on its own in the supermarket, hungry and with a wet diaper?!

"Looks like someone needs a changie and a yum yum," I coo in the motherly voice I seem to take on every time I deal with a child. "Now, let"s see..."

I look over the shelves upon shelves of baby diapers, food, wipes, oils, formulas, powders, and soaps.

Locating my n.o 1 and most reliable brand of diapers, I grab a three for the price of one Baby Johnsons wipes, assuming that the baby in my arms is around five to ten months, I go on my tip toes to get the milk formula on the top most shelf.

"All...most...there...just a little bit more..." I mutter, my fingertips brushing against the metal tin. "Come on..."

The little baby giggles at the faces I"m making to get the formula.

"Okay...okay...I know I look silly but it"s rude to laugh at someone who is at least trying to help you."

Suddenly an arm with a white shirts sleeve rolled up to the owner"s elbow, reaches up for the tin I couldn"t reach. Smiling triumphantly, I turn to thank the stranger when my heart stops.

Holding the baby formula in his hands, looking like he"s examining a new specimen, with his white office shirt loose and untucked, matched with a pair of black jeans, at one o"clock in the morning... is Alexander Holt.

"Good morning," he murmurs tiredly, passing me the formula. "I see you"ve met my son."

My jaw hits the ground with a thump. This adorable baby...is HIS?!

Dedicated to @graciousamisha for following me and voting on the story and ShannonQuick for adding my story to her reading list. Thanks soooo much for reading!!!