Bec confided this to me as we went over the interviews from the last group of ladies. I was more calm with this batch. I knew what to ask and how to ask. After some of the answers from last time, I knew better what to look for in the applicants responses too. And Dani was in much better spirits, which helped tremendously. Her 'problem' seemed to be cleared up, matter of fact she gave me a huge dump in her diaper just as I got her buckled into her car seat to leave for the office. I left it until we got here. Remind me not to do that again. Thank god it was nice and I could open the windows.

"Are you sure? She's old."

"I think so Nick. She's old...er, but she seems to have common sense and an understanding about your situation. She's got excellent references and education."

"Not like that one last night that told me I was going to hell because I conceived my daughter out of wedlock?"

Bec laughed out loud before covering her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. "You're going to hell Nick, but I think you were heading there before Dani was conceived!"

"Why thank you!" I mock bowed over the table. "At least I know I'll have company there." I winked and gave Bec a smirk. She slapped my arm in return.

"Let's go let her know so that she can be ready for tomorrow." Bec stood up and went to the door.

"What's tomorrow?"

"The Today show interview, don't you remember?" Bec paused, with her hand on the doorknob.

"Shit! No. I had a meeting with the boat crew tomorrow. I'll have to call and push it back."

"I'll write it in my book." Bec assured me, before she left to usher in the new addition to Dani's and my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nice to meet you again, Mrs. Hudson." I extended my hand and offered a bright smile.

"Thank you for hiring me, Mr. Carter. It will be a pleasure to watch your adorable little girl."

Mrs. Hudson beamed down at Dani as she held her on her knee. Dani wavered between looking up at this new person or over at me. She wasn't crying though, she just seemed curious.

"Well, I think Dani likes you too."

"Do you want her to be called Dani? Or may I call her by her proper name?"

"Um...I guess..I don't think it matters that much. I call her Dani myself, but her name is Daniella. I can't see a problem calling her that as well."

"Now you are aware this position starts almost immediately?" Bec sat beside me, looking over some papers. "Mr. Carter needs someone first thing tomorrow morning and for the rest of the day."

"Of course. What do you have tomorrow, sir?"

I squirmed in my seat. I wasn't used to being called sir This would take some getting used to.

"An interview, a meeting with my boat team, I think I need to hit the recording studio too." I looked over to Bec to confirm my last statement.

"Yes. A busy schedule tomorrow."

"Are you two dating?" Mrs. Hudson inquired suddenly.

"I'm Mr. Carter's personal assistant. I will be at his house quite frequently." Bec dodged the question nicely.

"I know about groupies, Mr. Carter. I don't think it would be good for the baby to have a strange woman in your bed every night," Mrs. Hudson advised sagely.

My mouth gaped open and I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Mr. Carter is a single gentleman. You have been hired to care for his child, not for him," Bec informed her firmly.

"I understand." Mrs. Hudson hugged Dani and then returned her to me. "You two make a good couple."

Bec blushed a bit, I'm sure I did too. "Thank you Mrs. Hudson."

"I'll go prepare my things. I'll have my nephew drop me at the house later tonight. I'll call first."

Bec and I heaved a sigh of relief as the door shut behind Mrs. Hudson.

"Oh my God!"

"Unbelievable!"

"I guess we better fuck before she gets there tonight, huh?"

Bec stared at me. "What did you just say?"

"I guess we better..." I stopped to edit myself. "..make love before she arrives."

Bec giggled self consciously. "You want me to stay again?"

"I was hoping you would, unless the wrath of Mrs. Hudson is going to scare you away?"

"I really don't think so." She leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss before bending down to Dani and kissing her cheek. "What you think little girl? Big changes coming up in your life."

Dani gurgled and smiled. "You're gonna be a big girl about it all, aren't you?" Bec cooed to her. "Daddy's big girl."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We got home and put Dani down for a nap before her new sitter arrived. Bec helped me clean up from last night's supper and love making.

"She doesn't need to see my bedroom!" I protested as Bec sorted through a pile of clothes on the floor.

"Yes she does. What if Dani gets sick in the night and you don't hear her? Mrs. Hudson will need to bring her to you."

"You'll hear her."

"What if I'm not here?"

"You better be."

"Nick. Let's not move this too fast, okay? I...last night was great...amazing. But I...."

"I understand." I said quietly, not sure that I really did.

"I like you Nick, really. But, you're young."

"I'm not stupid."

"No." Bec said kindly, turning to me and resting her elbows on my knees. "But you are young. Young and horny. I'm here and available. Once you get out there again, who knows?" She shrugged

"Bec, I didn't ask you to sleep with me just because...." I stopped, part of me had. I just needed relief, something other than my hand. A nice, soft body to hold for a change. One that I knew would still be there in the morning.

"I know." Bec raised herself up to kiss my lips. "Let's just go one day at a time, agreed?"

We agreed with another kiss, and then another, and then, before we knew it, we had another mess to clean up before Mrs. Hudson arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope you had a good dinner Mrs. Hudson?" My new sitter had just finished telling Bec and I about her visit with her nephew before he had dropped her off at the house.

"Oh yes. Wonderful. But I'm a bit tired now, and we have an early morning tomorrow!" Mrs. Hudson smiled at Bec and I. "My first day with my new charge."

"Absolutely. Nick and Dani need to be at the studio by 5am. Nick's interview is scheduled for around 7:30am, and he needs to be in makeup and pre-interview talks before then." Bec read, as she consulted her notes.

"Your not taking the babe and putting her on television?" Mrs. Hudson sounded horrified.

"No." I assured her. "But I want her with me. I want to be able to see her when I'm done. I think I'll be pretty emotional."

"I see." Mrs. Hudson mused, but she didn't sound convinced. "I didn't realize the babe would be keeping your hours."

"I want her with me as much as possible, there will just be times when I can't take care of her. That's why I need you. I want to be a hands on father."

"That's admirable."

"Thank you." I looked at Bec quizzically, but she just shrugged and smiled.

"If you don't mind showing me to my room, Mr. Carter. I need my rest."

Bec picked Dani up from her blanket and carried her to the couch, balancing her on her lap.

"Good night, Mrs. Hudson, we'll see you in the morning!"

"She's not staying, is she?" Mrs. Hudson whispered to me as we climbed the stairs.

"As a matter of fact, she is." I whispered back.

"I knew it!"

I didn't need to see her to know that Bec was laughing hysterically on the couch at Mrs. Hudson's exclamation.