Hope

by Tia Wylder

  “Jenny’s been feeling rather lonely since her mother expressed…,” he paused, his eyes darkening. “Expressed being so busy,” he finished coolly. It was obvious that there was more to the story, though Jasmine couldn’t begin to understand why Jenny’s mother wouldn’t want to see her. Perhaps it was an issue with Mark himself? That didn’t seem to fit either, however. Mark was a rather charming and all around good looking man, and Jasmine could only wonder why a woman would feel inclined to leave him. It was certainly none of her business, however, and she dared not voice that thought.

  “Daddy’s been lonely too,” Jenny piped up innocently, and both Mark and Jasmine turned several shades redder.

  “Oh, honey, you know that you’re all the company I need,” he assured his daughter, only for her to roll her eyes in response. “However, I do have a bit of news,” he continued, taking Jasmine by the hand and pulling her to her feet. She thought to resist, uncertainty welling up inside of her. Certainly, he wasn’t going to announce their affair of sorts to his daughter as it would be entirely inappropriate. He met her gaze, and his bright eyes revealed nothing but amusement. She failed to see the humor in the situation, but it wasn’t as if she could fight the man’s wishes. Sixty thousand dollars was a huge chunk of change, and she had already put her morals on hold to an extent. He turned a broad smile upon his daughter, wrapping an arm around Jasmine and pulling her in for a warm embrace. She braced herself for his words, but nothing could have prepared her for what spilled past his lips. “Miss Jasmine will be your nanny for the next few months, isn’t that exciting?” He announced with a broad smile. Jenny’s expression lit up, and Jasmine turned incredulous eyes upon the man.

  “What?” She deadpanned. This was not what she had signed up for by any means, but Mark didn’t stutter or show any sign of insincerity as he spoke. He turned to face her, turning a panty dropping smile upon her.

  “When I found your… ad, of sorts, I must admit, I was exceedingly lonely,” he began. Jasmine blushed a bright shade of red, eyes darting towards the young girl who looked curiously between them. “Honey, go play on your swing set, please. Miss Jasmine and I need to hammer out the details,” he said with a faint smile. Jenny scrutinized the both for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and slipping away. Jasmine watched the young girl go, feeling as if her safety net had been ripped out from under her.

  “As you were saying…?” She prompted reluctantly, turning to face the strikingly handsome but exceedingly odd man. She drew her lip between her teeth, unable to ignore the stirring in her gut as Mark’s eyes fixed upon her lips. He smiled warmly, his icy eyes glinting with mirth.

  “Yes, of course. When I found the auction for your first night, I initially placed my bid with the full intent to receive what was offered. However, I rethought the possibilities, and…,” he trailed off for a moment, averting his gaze. “You look so innocent, I couldn’t bear to simply rip that away from you. So, it occurred to me to offer you this alternate position,” he smiled. Jasmine looked him up and down, wondering if she should feel offended or relieved. Perhaps a mix of both was most suitable.

  “An alternate position as… your daughter’s nanny?” She murmured, glancing in the direction the young girl had gone. Mark nodded, paused for a moment as he considered her.

  “That, and… well, I have been lonely. I know this is perhaps more unorthodox than the original auction, but… I would be much obliged if you would play the part of my paramore of sorts until the bid is paid off,” he said somewhat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Jasmine’s eyes widened, and she took a moment to consider his words before speaking again.

  “You mean you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend…?” She inquired with uncertainty embedded deep in her tones. The man tapped his fingertips together, looking rather unsure himself.

  “If it’s reasonable, of course. It would be taken into consideration along with your services for my daughter, to pay off the sixty thousand dollars. At the rate I’m willing to pay, it would only take three months for you to work off the payment. Then, of course, you’ll never have to see me again,” Mark smiled tentatively. Truthfully, Jasmine couldn’t help but feel pulled in by those sad eyes of his, not to mention those perfectly plush and kissable lips. She tried to shake off her attraction, knowing that it would do little good regarding their plot. If she could get out of the situation with her virginity intact and still be sixty thousand dollars richer, she failed to see any reason to back out of the scheme.

  “Alright. Sounds reasonable enough. I’ll be your daughter’s nanny for the next three months, as well as playing the part of your girlfriend. I won’t lie, Mark, this seems almost too good to be true,” she muttered. He grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. The sudden affection caught her off guard, and she nearly lost her footing trying to stumble away. He caught her with a hand pressed to the small of her back, and she smiled nervously up at the handsome man.

  “Too soon?” He inquired softly. Jasmine smiled nervously, shaking her head.

  “You just caught me off guard,” she explained, steeling herself and pressing a kiss to his cheek. He brightened at the show of affection, and as he led her to the estate she would apparently be living in for the next 3 months, she could only wonder just what she had gotten herself into.

  Chapter Two

  Stepping into the house, Jasmine was even more impressed than she had been upon laying eyes on the exterior of the estate. The entire decor of the place screamed that the owner of the home was exorbitantly wealthy. Of course, she could have guessed that from the amount that her auction had risen to. She just wasn’t sure of Mark’s wealth.

  She shook off the thought as he guided her further inside the house, her eyes traveling along the intricately patterned walls. She felt as if she were living some dream, as if she had died and Mark was the angel who had arranged her ascent into heaven. She couldn’t imagine living in such an extravagant place for the three months they had arranged, let alone the years that the father and daughter would likely spend here.

  “I want to show Miss Jasmine my room,” Jenny piped up excitedly, grabbing the woman in question by the hem of her skirt. Mark chuckled, reaching out to muss up his daughter’s hair.

  “Soon, sweetheart. We should show her our home, not just one room. She’ll be staying with us for a while,” he murmured, receiving a melodramatic sigh in response. Jasmine chuckled, offering Jenny a kind smile.

  “You can show me your room in a bit, and we’ll play whatever you want,” she said warmly. Jenny grinned ecstatically, trailing behind the two adults as Mark led Jasmine through the house. Jasmine silently took in the sights, idly listening as Mark described each room and hallway they passed. He spoke with warmth as if he took immense pride in every nook and cranny of his home. It was like everything in the house had been selected for a specific purpose, to accentuate the perfect spot. Jasmine couldn’t help wondering if the father was truly the picture of calmness, or if he had something hidden much deeper inside of him. She’d hate to get on the bad side of someone with so much obvious wealth. There was no telling what he could have done to her, what he could do to her… but why were these paranoid thoughts running through her head? What she had told Mark before rang true enough, the situation indeed seemed too good to possibly be a reality. Here she stood, however, receiving the grand tour of the place.

  “And of course, this is the master bedroom. You are free to come and go as you please. The guest bedroom at the end of the hall will serve as your quarters for the time being,” Mark said with an air of finality. He turned to consider Jasmine with a kind smile, gesturing towards the room at the end of the hall. She almost suspected it might be some sort of wild sex dungeon that he planned to keep her locked away inside. However, father and daughter simply waited patiently as she approached the door, pushing it open and peeking inside her assigned room. Her eyes widened in delight as she took the room in, from the large windows to the pale blue color of the wall
s. The room had a sort of beachy theme in the decor, reminding her of the last time she went to the coast; back when she’d been a child.

  “This is… amazing,” she murmured, turning to smile cheerfully at Mark.

  “It is our most favored guest room. The windows face the sunrise, I’m told it’s a wonderful view,” he hummed, watching her from the hall. She stepped further inside, stepping towards the massive mattress that she would be sleeping on. She sat on the edge, giving an experimental little bounce. She giggled at how soft and plush the material was, and Jenny rushed in behind her to leap on top of the mattress. The young girl bounced up and down, and it was all Jasmine could do to keep from following suit.

  “The bed is super soft and bouncy!” Jenny announced as she bounced higher and higher into the air.

  “Jenny, what have I told you about jumping on the beds?” Mark said with a hint of amusement in his voice. Jenny heaved a sigh, hitting the mattress with a plop. She sank into the padding just slightly, and Jasmine laughed at how utterly defeated the girl looked.

  “I’m sorry, daddy. I just got excited,” the girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Jasmine nudged her, leaning in to speak in a stage whisper.

  “Wait until he leaves. What your dad doesn’t see won’t hurt him,” she said clearly. Jenny grinned toothily, and Mark chuckled softly.

  “Great, now I’m going to have two disobedient girls on my hands,” he sighed dramatically. Jasmine could clearly see where Jenny got her sense of dramatics, and she looked between father and daughter with a small smile. She’d had her doubts, though she was certain anyone would have doubts if they were shoved into her position. It was a strange situation, that much was for sure. However, Mark seemed harmless enough. Compared to some other scenarios she could have found herself wrapped up in, the man and his adorable daughter seemed a godsend.

  “Oh, there won’t be too much misbehaving, Mark,” she smiled, rising from her bed and offering a hand to the man’s daughter. Jenny grasped Jasmine’s larger hand in her own, pulling herself up and hopping down on the floor. “Now, didn’t you promise to show me your room?” Jasmine grinned teasingly, and Jenny gasped before dragging Jasmine out of the room. Laughter bubbled past Jasmine’s lips, and God, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. It had been ages since she felt so cheerful, and all around good. Strange how circumstances worked out sometimes.

  If she had been startled by how nice her guest room was, she was entirely stricken by the exorbitance of Jenny’s room. The young girl even had a miniature carousel in her room, and toys stacked up to the walls in great big piles. Jenny dove into a pile, and Jasmine watched with some concern as the girl’s legs dangled almost comically out of the pile of stuffed animals. Moments later, Jenny popped out and offered Jasmine a large toy poodle.

  “You can be Miss Puffinstuff. I’ll be her friend, Rico!” The girl announced, grabbing a life sized chihuahua toy from the pile as well. Jasmine considered the pink poodle, booping its large nose and cackling with delight as the toy began to make barking sounds. “Miss Puff can be pretty grouchy, sometimes,” Jenny hummed, dropping to her rump on the floor and making panting sounds for her stuffed canine. Jasmine dropped to her knees in front of the girl, making the poodle strut its stuff across the floor. She was abruptly aware of the sensation of someone watching her, and she glanced towards the door to see Mark watching the two girls with a broad smile. He waved his fingers at her upon being noticed, bringing a single finger to his lips in a shushing motion. She smiled, turning her attention back to Jenny.

  “So, tell me about Rico. How do he and Miss Puffinstuff know each other?” Jasmine murmured idly, setting the poodle’s bark box off once more. Jenny made a whimpering sound for Rico and tucked his stuffed tail between his legs.

  “Miss Puff is recently out of a divorce, and she’s very cranky about it. Rico is her boyfriend, but he’s not very brave. He usually just lets her bark her head off at him,” the young girl hummed, smiling a secretive little smile. Jasmine chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

  “And does Miss Puff have a little puppy she takes care of?” She prompted, making the poodle toy loom over the stuffed chihuahua. Jenny laughed, though it was a strangely humorless sound, especially coming from a child.

  “Miss Puff doesn’t like to talk about her puppy. She got sick of puppy sitting, so… Mister Puff is taking care of their pup,” Jenny mumbled, making the Rico toy quiver and shake. Jasmine’s eyes shone with sadness, and she reached out to rest a hand on the young girl’s shoulder.

  “I know I’m just your nanny, but I hope we can be good friends. Miss Puff is an old stinker, as far as I’m concerned,” she winked. Jenny hesitated before lurching forward to grab Jasmine in a hug.

  “I’ve never really had a girl to play with before. Daddy tries to play with me, but you know how boys are,” the girl murmured. Jasmine hummed her acknowledgment, brushing a hand through the girl’s curls.

  “Girls! It’s time for dinner,” Mark called, looking a bit misty eyed where he stood at the door. Jasmine pretended to be startled to see him, smiling gently at the obviously doting father.

  “Can we go to the pizza buffet, daddy? Please?” Jenny inquired, tossing Rico over her shoulder. Jasmine hesitated before giving Miss Puff a bit of a careless toss as well. Mark hesitated, looking at the two females.

  “Pizza sounds good to me,” Jasmine smiled, meeting Mark’s gaze. His eyes glinted with some unrecognizable emotion as he considered her, but he quickly shook it off. He reached out to take her by the arm, and she fell obediently into place beside him.

  “Pizza it is, then,” he said agreeably, receiving a cheer from his young daughter. She bounded past the adults, racing down the stairs.

  “I’ll be waiting in the car,” she called back over her shoulder, and Jasmine chuckled. The nanny took a moment to see how the father was feeling, and it was obvious that he was still troubled by the exchange he had seen. He reached up to brush a tear from his eye, clearing his throat loudly.

  “I thought… I thought she bought the excuse that her mother was just busy. I never thought her mother would allow her to catch on to the fact that… she just didn’t want to see Jenny anymore,” he murmured. Jasmine frowned, drawing her lip pensively between her teeth.

  “I can’t fathom why anyone would want to give up their right to see such a bright and darling little girl,” she muttered. Mark laughed hollowly, glancing down the stairs in the direction his daughter had gone.

  “Apparently, being reminded of our marriage was just too much to handle. I expected her to be cold to me, but to her own daughter?” He bit out scornfully. The two lingered at the top of the stairs for a moment, and Jasmine reached out to offer the older man a hug. He considered her with a quirked brow, looking unsure.

  “You’ll have to pull yourself together. Her mother may be a lost cause, but you have a little girl to take care of,” she asserted. He looked vaguely taken aback, but after a pause drew her into his arms.

  “We have a little girl to take care of,” he corrected gently. Jasmine smiled, nodding her head as she pressed her cheek against his chest. The two remained locked in the embrace for a long moment, and Mark’s agitation eased off as his breathing evened out.

  “Guys! Come on! Quit making goo goo eyes at each other so we can get some pizza!” Jenny called from downstairs, and Jasmine lurched away from the man, looking down the stairs to see the young girl staring plaintively up at them. Mark rolled his eyes in exasperation, a laugh escaping him despite himself. Jasmine tucked her hair behind her ear, shyly glancing towards the older man from the corner of her eye.

  “Well, you heard the girl. We have a mission,” Jasmine announced grandly. Jenny squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together.

  “Yes, daddy! A mission! A dangerous and delicious mission,” the young girl called out. Mark quirked a brow at Jasmine, but the young woman simply quirked her lips in a sly smile before looping her arm in his.

  �
��You do favor one of those handsome secret agents,” she hummed, tugging him along. He laughed as he was pulled along, and Jasmine found that she rather liked the sound of his genuine laughter. It seemed that the household had quite a bit of bitterness, but she aimed to do her fair share to see the bad blood washed away.

  “A secret agent, huh? Does that make you my sexy sidekick? Or some temptress trying to drag me to the dark side?” He grinned, opening the passenger side door for her. Jasmine coughed, trying to obscure her embarrassment at the comment. Jenny scrambled into the backseat, leaning up to make sure her voice was heard.