Chapter 21

“FIRST, we need to talk about your place in my house,” Justin began. His arms are crossed and looking earnestly at her as if she’s a specimen under a microscope.

“My place?” Penelope laughed. “Is that really what we’re going to tackle first?”

Justin arched his brow. “I just want to make it clear to you that you will work for me as my son’s babysitter, nothing more, nothing less.”

Penelope looked at the man unbelievably. “Are you saying that I might fall for you while I’m staying in your house?” she laughed so loud that she started to cough. “Oh, my God, I didn’t expect that you have that level of confidence!”

The man’s face suddenly turned red. “That’s not what I mean, Miss Caceres…” he said and cleared his throat. “I just want to make it clear that I am your employer, and you’re my employee—”

“I know, I know!” She caught her head. “My gosh. FYI, Justin, I am not interested in you, even a bit. I don’t find you attractive.”

Justin laughed. “That’s good to hear because I don’t want to have a lunatic fan,” he said and leaned on his seat. “Then, we’re cleared on that matter. No feelings were involved between the two of us. What binds us as employer and employee is my son.”

Penelope wanted to throw the mug on the man’s face. She can’t believe that a man like him existed! She bet his ego is bigger than his… Her eyes fell down on his stomach. Too bad the table blocked her view.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, brows furrowed. “I thought you don’t find me attractive?”

Penelope felt the heat risen to her cheeks. “I’m just wondering where did you get that shirt? I think it will look cute to Nicholas.”

Justin raised an eyebrow. “Really?” he smirked. “You will never see me naked in my house.”

“Thank you for doing me a favor,” Penelope replied quickly and faked a sigh of relief. “I won’t be bothered that I might have nightmares.”

“If not for my son, I won’t hire you as his nanny,” he said, shaking his head.

“If you didn’t show up at the church, I might refuse your offer now,” Penelope said with a roll of her eyes. “We’re now bound into this mess. Let’s just work it out.” She said and put out a folded bond paper from her bag. She unfolded it and spread it on the table. “These are my terms and conditions.”

The man looked at the paper with furrowed brows. “So, this is the reason why you arrived late?” he shook his head. “Who told you that I will allow you to make your own rules inside my house?”

“Who told you that these rules were house rules?” She made a ‘tss’ sound. “These are my conditions regarding our act in front of Nicholas.”

Justin took the paper and looked at it. “Rule number 1? I thought these are terms and conditions?”

Penelope curled her lips. Why does this man have to notice her choice of words? “It’s just the same, terms, conditions, rules, whatever!”

“We’re going to the church together?” he laughed. “And you want us to attend the mass at the church where that Nicholas is assigned? And you think that Nicholas won’t notice that you are intentionally showing off to him that you’ve finally moved on?”

“That’s what I wanted him to think,” she said. “I want Nicholas to think that I don’t need him anymore in my life. I want him to experience the same feeling that I had when he said in front of my face that I am no longer part of his life—that I should start doing the same thing too.”

Justin didn’t speak for a moment. His sleepy brown eyes were focused on her, just like how he looked at her when he came to the church and saved her from embarrassment.

“If that man wanted you out of his life, don’t you think these things won’t benefit him?” he asked, clenching his jaw. “If I were in his position, then I saw you with another man and finally starting a new life without me. I will feel relieved—relieved that finally, I am free from you.”

Penelope felt like she was being slapped in the face with his words. It hurts so much that she has to bit her lower lip just to prevent the tears from pooling in her eyes. But it doesn’t help. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke.

“Why do I feel like I am a bad person?” She blew her breath as tears stung her eyes. “I thought love is never wrong.”

“To love a person that doesn’t love you is not wrong, but to not let him go because you believed that he should return the love that you’re giving him is a different story. That is called selfishness,” he said and put down the paper on the table. “Penelope, if you really love Nicholas, you should support him with all the things that made him happy, even if—”

“I’m not part of it anymore…” she said and lowered her head. “I know, I know…”

Justin pushed the paper to her. “Revise this. If you don’t, I’ll set the rules—”

“I don’t have intentions on pulling him out of his profession as a priest,” she said, not looking up at him. “I just want to know if he… if he really had feelings for me.”

“What?” Justin asked, and Penelope can imagine that his brows were drawn together again. “I can’t believe you.”

“I know it’s weird… But I may bring this question to my grave if I didn’t make ways to find it out,” she said. “And, besides, I felt it… I felt that Nicholas loves me.”

Justin looked at her for seconds, then heaved a sigh. “Okay,” he said. “But, if your plans affect your duty as my son’s babysitter, this agreement or rules that you made will be disregarded.”

Penelope’s face brightened up. “Deal,” she said and offered her hand to him for a handshake, but the man didn’t accept it. “We have to seal this deal with formality.”

Justin shook his head. “I haven’t told you about my terms and conditions.” He then leaned on the table. “First—”

“Second,” she corrected. “Your first rule is to not fall for you,” she said with a smirk.

“Second, you’ll stay at my house on weekdays, on weekends you can go wherever you wanted, it’s you off. But make sure that all Vince’s needs were prepared and organized before you take time off,” he said without batting an eyelash. “Are we clear?”

Penelope nodded with a knotted forehead. “How much is my salary?”

“I’ll give you fifty thousand pesos a month, divided in two so you could get the half every fifteen days,” he said casually. “Fifty thousand per month with weekends off, is that okay with you?”

Penelope thought about it. Fifty thousand pesos salary for a babysitter is too much. Still, their case is far different from the main job description. And until now, Penelope couldn’t understand why this man is willing to pay that much for his son’s babysitter.

“It’s not bad,” she said. “Wait, do house chores included in my duties?”

Justin shook his head. “I want you to focus on my son. He’s your top priority at all times,” he said, stressing on every word. “And, lastly, I want to keep it a secret. You’ll never say to anyone that you’re working for me and that—”

“And that you have a child?” she asked. “I got it. You don’t have to worry about that,” she said, then remembered about her Uncle Johnny. “How about Uncle Johnny?”

Justin paused, then glanced at the man on the counter. “Talk to him about it. I will promote his café in return for his silence about our agreement. But leave the sensitive details unsaid.”

“Okay,” Penelope offered her again. “It’s a—” Her phone rang when she looked at it; her eyes showed excitement. “Look who’s calling me.” She showed her cellphone screen to Justin. “It’s time to do Plan B.”

***