CEO's Baby Mama

~ Indiyah

The day was coming to an end, and all I could say was… Phew. Aside from Alexander's constant interruptions with my tasks, it went pretty well. My job was much more than I had imagined. I used to think personal assistants simply scheduled meetings, but I learned that any meeting the boss would attend had to be scheduled a month in advance. No visitors were allowed unless the boss had an appointment, and emails had to be sorted promptly. I also discovered that Alexander could get cranky in the mornings without his go-to coffee.

As I sorted through the emails on my computer, Naomi stood beside my chair, chattering away. I could barely make out what she was saying; my mind was focused solely on my task.

Then, the door to my office creaked open. Naomi and I looked up to see who it was. At the doorway stood Alexander, clutching a laptop to his chest.

"Did you get in touch with Miss Forbes?" he asked, walking into the room.

"Who is Miss Forbes?" I blurted out, my eyes shifting from Naomi to Alexander.

Naomi gasped as if she remembered something. "My bad. I forgot to tell her about the new project. I'll fill her in on all the details quickly. Do you need anything, Boss?"

Alexander's brows furrowed as he ran a hand through his hair, looking visibly unsettled. He glanced briefly at me, assessed me for a moment, then looked away, muttering something I couldn't catch.

"It's fine. You can leave, Naomi. I'll tell her all she needs to know about Miss Forbes," he said, waving her off with a slight gesture.

Naomi nodded and excused herself. The moment she left the room, Alexander approached me, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Miss Forbes is, uh... She’s a business partner. We're working on a top-secret project together. Can you, um... arrange for me to meet her tomorrow?"

I bit my lip and nodded. Meeting with Miss Forbes tomorrow, done. I pressed send on my phone and exhaled. When I glanced up, I found Alexander's intense gaze still fixed on me.

"Do you need something, Boss?" I asked.

"Yes. I mean... no. Have you scheduled my meeting with Miss Forbes?" He began pacing the small office, his gaze wandering everywhere except at me.

I scowled; I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. I needed my space to work. But it was hard to focus with my restless boss pacing around.

"Do you need something else, sir?"

"I have a favour to ask of you. I know I'm your boss, and you're expected to do these things, but I won't make you do it without your willingness. There's a function—more like a dinner—I have to attend. Would you like to, uh... go with me?"

I blinked, taken aback by his straightforwardness. "Are you asking me on a date, sir?"

He stopped pacing, his gaze locking onto mine. Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded sheepishly. "I know it's out of place. I'm your boss, and it's not appropriate, so..."

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his flimsy excuse. "It's a date. Yes or no?"

Alexander shrugged. "Call it whatever. I just need a woman by my side for the function. Are you in or out, Indiyah?"

I bit my lip, running through a mental list of pros and cons about the offer. The idea of going out again... with my attractive boss. It had been a while since I let myself have some fun.

Fun? Indiyah? Are you having fun when you have a child? What example will you set if your daughter wakes up and sees her mommy home late and dressed up?

Wasn’t that the case? Single mothers are allowed to go out, as long as they come home at a reasonable hour and don't let their children question...

"It's a yes," I finally said, flashing Alexander a genuine smile.

He sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "That's perfect. I'll pick you up at... seven. Will that work for you?"

My lips parted and closed almost immediately. I was trying to think of a good excuse. I couldn't let him pick me up, not with Jemayah in the apartment. Alexander wasn't foolish; he would connect the dots.

"Why don't you send the driver to pick me up instead?" I suggested meekly.

He hesitated but then shrugged. "So, seven?"

"Seven," I confirmed.

***

Six.

Six-thirty.

A few minutes until seven, and I was far from ready. A black dress I had steamed earlier lay on the bed, strappy heels were on the floor, and a purse was thrown carelessly on the sofa. I dashed around the apartment in a frantic rush, a towel wrapped around my chest.

And my three-year-old was right on my tail, talking away. I had lost count of how many times I heard "Mommy" since I returned from work. My head was spinning. I desperately needed a break from Jemaya and her relentless questions and complaints.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

"Mommy, the water is running."

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Mommy, come over and look at my drawing of you."

"Baby, hold on. I'm fixing you something to eat. Ramona is supposed to be here right now..." I frowned when I glanced down to see Jemaya her lips blue with jam smeared all around her mouth.

"Broken," she pouted while I bit my tongue, my gaze drifting to the living room where she had been playing. I could see the huge mess on the floor: blueberry jam smeared all across the ground and broken glass. Her little feet had tracked some of the mess over to the kitchen.

I sighed, glancing at the clock. It was six forty-five—could I juggle getting ready and taking care of my daughter? I had handled worse before, back when I was working three jobs. But she was so little then and easier to manage. Now, I had a restless toddler who wouldn't leave me alone.

"What happened?" I gave her a cold stare.

"I don't know," she shrugged, infuriating me even more.

"Can you sit in one spot for a little while, Jemaya? Can you be good for Mommy? You're giving me so much work to do, baby, and I'm... I'm tired." My voice cracked on the last word, and I sighed, ignoring the lump in my throat.

"Be good," Jemaya repeated with a nod.

"Don't just say it. Be a good girl so I can think, okay?" I lifted her and set her on the counter so she wouldn't move while I cleaned up the broken glass.

As I finished cleaning, the last trace of blue stain left on my linoleum floor, a familiar voice came from the door. I opened the door and threw myself at Ramona.

"Hey... Easy," she giggled.

"You are a lifesaver. I have a date in less than five minutes." I sighed in relief, watching Ramona laugh and toss Jemaya up in the air, just like she usually does when she sees her after a long time.

When I heard giggles and a stern voice coming from the living room, I knew my daughter was in safe hands. I rushed through curling my hair and getting dressed.

At exactly seven, I heard a light rattle at the door, and I jumped up to walk over. Before opening it, I glanced back and whispered to Ramona, "How do I look?"

She smiled and said I looked amazing. I sighed again, then pushed the door open. When my eyes locked with Alexander's, I gasped and abruptly shut the door behind me.

"What the hell are you doing here?"