Chapter 2

Amara’s POV:

Three years later…

My baby was now a little over two years old. I ended up having a boy, Sebastian Silas Reid. I chose my father’s name for his middle name. I always wanted to name my child after him. Raising Sebastian wasn’t easy, but Nicole helped me out a little. And my sister, Amelia, ended up helping tons. Somewhere around six months, she contacted me, and we started talking again. It turned out she and her husband had bad luck trying to have their own child, so they decided to hold back and save up some money before looking into adoption. In the meantime, Amelia gladly babysat her nephew.

Nicole and I ended up finding a good apartment with two rooms and one small office that we converted into the baby’s room. Her job was going well. As for me, I was head chef at a restaurant named Helene’s; however, two weeks ago, the FBI busted the owner. It turned out that it was a front for his drug smuggling. I had enough money to last me a good five months, but you never know what could happen, so I’d been looking for a new job and was getting ready for an interview.

This position would be slightly different: a personal chef for a person with a busy life. That was how it was described, and it did sound a little fishy, but I decided to still call in. A woman answered. I packed up my knives and picked up my bag and the little dinosaur bag that belonged to Sebastian too.

“Ready to go to Aunt Amy’s, baby?” I asked as I watched Sebastian trying to adjust the Velcro on his shoes. It was his favorite thing to do. Every time he put on his shoes, it was like he rediscovered the Velcro.

“Yeah, Mommy,” he mumbled, his olive eyes still focused on the straps of his shoe. I gave him a nod, held out my hand to him, and led the way out to the car.

After dropping him off at Amelia’s, I drove straight to the address given by the woman on the phone. It was a penthouse. A fancy place meant good pay. Hopefully, these people weren’t involved with any cartel members. Once I arrived, a woman led me to an office, and as I stepped in, I immediately noticed the room’s theme. It was modern, black with a touch of silver. The woman introduced herself as Tessa Collins. When she sat down behind the desk, she went through a pile of folders and picked one out.

“Mrs. Reid, mother of one and 24 years old. Am I correct?” she asked, looking up from the folder. It made me nervous now that I saw how many options she had.

“Ms. Reid, and for the rest, yes,” I confirmed with her.

“Your CV seems good, but you know I will be doing a taste test, yes?”

“Of course. I brought my knives,” I replied, patting my bag.

“Before I show you to the kitchen, I was just wondering about your son. Will it be a problem for you to be working here?” She got up and put the folder to the side.

“Not at all. The hours will be discussed before signing the contract, right?” I asked, getting up too. Of course, Sebastian would always be my priority, but I needed this job to make sure he could be given the best life.

“Yes, of course, along with your payment and any other rules there may be,” Ms. Collins replied.

“Okay.” I nodded. With that, I was led to the kitchen and given a list of things to make. I made all six dishes along with three desserts. It took a long time, but once I was finished, I set all the plates down in a row for Ms. Collins to taste.

“Oh my god, this cake! I’m supposed to start a diet, but that can wait,” Ms. Collins hummed with her mouth full.

“Oh, definitely.” I chuckled.

“If Mr. Fuentes didn’t need a cook, I’d be hiring you for myself.” She laughed, gathering some more cake on her fork.

“I’m confused; I thought I’d be working for you?” I frowned, wiping my hands on the towel. Who was this Mr. Fuentes? Why did his name seem familiar to me?

“Oh, no. I’m his assistant and best friend. He couldn’t find the time to do this himself, so I decided to do it. I say we go over your contract. On my part, you’re hired. Though, I do have to warn you: he’s a stubborn man, and the woman whose place you’ll be taking did this job for around 15 years.”

“Oh, I see…I see here on national vacation days I’m expected to work?” I turned to face her. I tried keeping those days for myself and my family. Those were the few times I got to actually spoil them with my cooking.

“Oh, not all of them. Those you’d have to discuss a week before. Usually, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are spent at the family house, so you wouldn’t have to cook for him. Don’t worry—extra pay is guaranteed.” She shrugged, getting up and walking over to wash her hands too.

“Health insurance is also covered?” I asked, surprised. At my last job, I had to pay for half of my insurance, and it wasn’t even good.

“Yes, we’ll be hiring you through the company so that tax filing will be easier on both sides. This will be your salary. Do you agree with it?”

Damn, this wasn’t paid per hour. This was an annual salary, and it was good—more than enough. “Yes, definitely,” I replied, a little too excited.

“One more thing: you don’t have to cook here; you can make the meal at home and drop it off during the given hours.” Ms. Collins led the way back to the office.

“Perfect. When do I start?”

“Tomorrow, perhaps?” she asked, raising a brow at me.

“Of course.” I nodded. We both heard the door open and looked over to see a man heading in—and not just any man. It was Zavi…my heart skipped several beats as my eyes landed on his emerald ones. The way he stared me down made me gulp.

“Zavi, you’re back early,” she said as he walked into the office.

“Yeah, the meeting got canceled. Who’s this?” he asked, looking me over from top to bottom. I raised a brow at him. Did he not remember me? Part of me wanted to be offended, but the other part reminded me this was a good thing…

“Amara Reid, your new personal cook.” She smiled widely while looking at him. He seemed unamused.

“Good to meet you, sir.” I held my hand out to him.

“I expect you to have breakfast done by 7 a.m. every day but Sunday, lunch at 3 p.m., and dinner at 8:30 p.m.,” he replied, staring at my hand.

“Understood. I read that in the contract,” I replied, wanting to roll my eyes at his brusqueness.

“You make sure you remember my allergies,” he warned.

“My son has the same allergies, so no need to worry,” I blurted out without thinking. It seemed Sebastian got those from his dad. We continued to stare at each other. Did he remember me or not? God, I hoped not. This job would be good for me. Seeing him again reminded me just how much my boy inherited of his dad. Those big, gorgeous green eyes, the dimple he had in his right cheek and right cheek alone, and his full rosy lips. At least he had my hair, right?

“Tomorrow, then.” Tessa cleared her throat after there was a long moment of silence.

“Yes. Goodbye, sir, ma’am.”

“Bye.” She smiled then turned to her friend. “She seems like a nice lady and makes good food. Don’t be an issue again this time,” she whispered, but I was still able to hear her.

~~~

“Amelia, Nicole, are you guys even listening?” I paced around the room.

“I know; I know. It’s just not fair that you’re keeping his child from him,” Amelia mumbled, and I looked over at Nicole to hear what she had to say. “On the other hand, you could be accused of coming back for money.”

“I swear I’m not. This job will be good for Bash and me. I just don’t know if I should tell him or not. I mean, he didn’t seem to recognize me.” I sighed and leaned against the TV table.

“Then don’t tell him,” Nicole replied simply, though I could tell Amelia disagreed with her. “At least, not yet,” she added.

“Wow, you scored the Zavier Fuentes,” Nicole then mumbled.

“You know him?”

“Of course. The Fuentes's have a big ass company. They make designer clothes and shoes and own a lot of property,” she explained, and I nodded. “I did a job for them once. That’s where I got enough money to pay off some of my student debt.”

“I had no idea,” I mumbled. I knew the people at the party would be rich, but I never imagined they could be THAT rich.

“These people and their children…they try keeping their lives secret.”

“Hmm, well, it’s settled. I won’t tell him. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” I replied, only feeling the tiniest bit bad. Sebastian didn’t need a father. He had his uncles as good role models. I wished Dad were here. He would be the only man Sebastian needed in his life.

~~~

I woke up early the next day and got myself and Sebastian ready for the day. I checked my phone and saw the breakfast Zavier had requested. He seemed like he was trying to give me a hard time.

“Okay, bud, you look as handsome as ever,” I said as I finished combing his hair back and then kissing his forehead.

“Thank you, Mama!” He giggled and held onto me as we got up.

“Listen, baby; Mama woke up a little late. I made your breakfast, but we won’t have time to eat at home, so you can eat in the car, okay?” I said, packing up the French toast I made along with some fruit in, of course, his strawberry lunch box.

“Otay!” He grinned and ran to grab his shoes, always ready to go out.

After dropping him off at his aunt’s, I went to the penthouse and was led in by a maid. Amelia’s car was in the shop, so I left her mine and took the bus. Once I was in, I wasted no time and headed straight to the kitchen and started preparing Zavier’s food.

I cooked oatmeal in a small bowl topped with cut-up strawberries, a whole wheat pita stuffed with spinach and strips of chicken, an oddly specific coffee order, and a smoothie. A lot of things he wanted were very specific, but they weren’t difficult to make.

Just as I was done setting the table, I saw Zavier coming out of his room dressed in a charcoal black suit paired with a navy dress shirt that he tucked in. His hair was swept back neatly. I greeted him and watched as he sat down and dug in immediately.

~~~

Zavier’s POV:

I looked down at the meal in front of me. It seemed delicious. I looked up at Amara, narrowing my eyes at her for a moment. She seemed so familiar, probably because she looked similar to a model I knew. I took a bite of the pita. Damn, this was good. I was hoping it wasn’t because I preferred the previous cook...sadly, I had to let her retire and be with her grandkids at some point.

“Sir?” she asked, lips pressed together. I could tell she was desperate to know what I thought.

“Hmm, not bad. Just lay off the salt a little next time, and make sure the oats aren’t this hot,” I replied sternly and watched as she nodded.

~~~

By now, a whole week had passed, and each meal she made me just kept getting better. It bugged me that I couldn’t figure out who she was. Her face seemed so familiar, yet I couldn’t remember her.

I finished up work late today. I had one last call to make, but it was scheduled for midnight. Mr. Wilkens was somewhere in Germany, so the time difference was the reason for the midnight call. I put no request in for dinner because I wanted to see what she could come up with herself.

I walked into the kitchen, the delicious aroma filling my nose and making my stomach grumble. I walked up behind her while she was busy behind the stove, my large hand resting on her back as I leaned over to see what she was making. Amara let out a soft gasp, and her body tensed then relaxed again when she saw it was me.

“Would you like a taste?” she asked, stirring the pot and then scooping some food onto a wooden spoon.

“Sure.” I shrugged, and she held the spoon to my mouth. I let out a hum of approval, wanting more but knowing I had to wait till it was finished. “This is good.”

“Thanks, I get paid to do it.” She chuckled and continued making dinner.

“What made you go to culinary school?” I asked, walking to the fridge and pouring us both a glass of soda.

“Think I’m not fit enough?” Amara joked.

“No, not at all. When I saw you, I thought you were a model for the company,” I replied, a slight smirk tugging on my lips as I walked back to hand her the other glass.

“I wish, but no, I’m just a cook.” She blushed a little as she took the drink, her dainty fingers grazing mine.

“If you ever consider switching careers, you can try it out here.” I cleared my throat, watching as she nodded and stared into her drink.

“I’ll take that into consideration if my boss decides to fire me.” Amara laughed and took a sip of her soda.

“You didn’t answer my question from before,”

“Oh, simple—Mom’s a terrible cook. Dad served in the army, so he’d teach me all these delicious recipes before going, and ever since, I preferred cooking myself,” she explained, setting the glass to the side and continuing to make my dinner.

“I see. I’ll be out of your hair now,” I announced, setting the empty glass in the sink and walking to my room.

~~~

After speaking to my mother on the phone, I took a shower and got ready for dinner. I walked into the living room and could hear her on the phone with someone.

“I love you too, baby. Can’t wait to get home. Tomorrow will be all about you,” I heard her say into the phone. Who was this baby? I didn’t know she had a man. I couldn’t shake off the hint of jealousy I had over this woman I barely even knew. I walked up to her.

“I have a family gathering tomorrow, and I expect you to come along,” I said to her without thinking twice and immediately regretted it.

“But, sir, I have—” Amara wanted to decline, but the way I stared down at her made her sigh, “Okay. What time?”

“You come here at 5. We’ll leave at 5:30,” I announced, walking to the dining table, which was already set for me.

“One more thing: I feel bad eating alone, so do join me.” I pointed to the chair across from me. She stood still for a moment then walked to the kitchen, returning with a plate too, and sat down. We ate in silence. Her professionalism impressed me a lot. I had to fire many people because they kept stepping over the line, but this one seemed to want the job. Once we were both finished, Amara ended up helping Miss Elsa clean up the table, though it was not in her job description.

~~~

Amara’s POV:

Amelia said she’d pick me up from work. Since Ivan, her husband, was out of town for business, she’d join Nicole and me. It was great being close to her again. Once I finished up with Mr. Fuentes, I was finally able to go downstairs. When I saw the car, Amelia stepped out with Sebastian, who ran up to me.

“Mama!” he shouted happily, and I welcomed him into my arms. He started kissing my cheek and telling me how much he missed me.

“I missed you too, baby.” I kissed his cheek too and took in his baby scent.

“Amara?” I heard Zavier’s voice, which made my eyes widen, and I looked over at him.

“Yes, Mr. Fuentes,” I asked, covering Sebastian’s face as I stood up and held the little boy in my arms.

“Is that your—” he asked, unlocking his car.

“My son, yes,” I replied, rubbing Sebastian’s back as I got nervous. Why was he stepping away from the car and walking over to me?

“What’s his name?” he asked. Sebastian peeked over at him, curious to know who this man was.

“Sebastian Reid,” I replied in a shaky voice. This was the closest these two had ever been to each other, and I was hoping this would be the last time.

“Nice to meet you, bud,” he said in a friendly tone with a smile, but Sebastian hid his face in my chest.

“Sorry, he’s a bit tired,” I said awkwardly, rubbing his back.

“I can imagine how hard the life of a toddler can be,” he joked, walking back to his car again. “Have a good night, Amara.” He got into his car.

“Goodnight, sir.” That was a close call. I got Sebastian into his car seat while Amelia stared at me.

~~~

The next day at 5 p.m., I walked into Zavier’s penthouse and saw him coming out of his room, adjusting the buttons of his shirt and looking at me from top to bottom. He was dressed in all black as if his closet didn’t have any other color. Although, I did have to admit that he was just as handsome as that night.

“You’re not going dressed like that,” he said, looking me up and down once again, making me shift my weight from one foot to the other.

“Excuse me?” I raised an eyebrow at him then looked down at myself. The periwinkle dress looked good enough for his family dinner.

“I can’t have you going to this family meeting dressed so…pedestrian,” he spoke, stopping at some point to find the right word as he motioned to my outfit. “Follow me.”

“Oh. Why am I even needed at this meeting?” I asked, rolling my eyes a little as I followed him.

“Soon, I want to host a family dinner, so I’ll need you to take note of their allergies and preferences. I understand that’s a bit much, so let me know how much I should add to your salary for this,” Zavier explained. He turned around and looked through a rack of clothing. I looked around his room. There were many pieces of clothing strewn about. It was neat but messy at the same time. I turned my gaze back to him, now noticing how tight his suit was from the back. His muscles could be seen so clearly.

“Oh, it’s fine.” I cleared my throat and looked over to the window.

“If you say so. Here, wear this.” He walked back to me, holding a dress on a hanger, and handed it to me. I looked down at the emerald satin dress then at the tag that said, “Fuentes.” He pointed to the blinds hanging from the roof, indicating for me to get behind them and change.

“Please turn around, sir,” I asked him and walked over. I swapped my dress for the one he gave me. To my surprise, the dress fit me perfectly. I loved how the fabric felt against my skin. It flowed down to my ankles. However, there was a long slit leading up to the mid-thigh of my right leg. I struggled with the straps at the back. The laces were meant to crisscross! How was I supposed to do that by myself?

I walked out after strapping on my heels again. “You can turn around,” I said, awkwardly staring at myself in the mirror and fixing my hair. Wow, I looked beautiful in this dress. I looked at Zavier’s reflection in the mirror and could see him staring at me. The way his eyes widened for a moment was almost as if he remembered something.

“Uh, sir, could you please help me?” I asked kindly, watching as he nodded and stepped closer to me.

His finger trailed up the middle of my back, sending shivers down my spine as he did so. “This dress suits you, Amy,” Zavier commented, olive eyes staring straight into mine, which widened. Amy was the name I had given him that night, and it was never to be used again…