"Good evening Miss Rachel."

"Oh, hello Arthur. Still up?" I greet politely the old man. He is our housekeeper, I prefer to call him that, I was never fan of the word "butler", and I practically grew up around him.

"You know me, miss. Sleep doesn't come easy to a man my age." he smiles politely and his wrinkled eyes sparkle with humour.

"Come on now Arthur, you're not that old. Please go to sleep, no need for you to stay up this late. Go get some rest."

"Mister Dan is not home yet, I will wait for him in case he needs something."

"He is a big boy. He can handle himself." I say checking my watch. One in the morning. Is my brother still working?

"As you wish. Goodnight Miss Racher." he bows a little and makes his way through the hallway to his room. I nod smiling and throw myself to the neatly arranged couch in the main living room.

I replay the events of the night in my head and a smile is plastered on my face as I lightly rub my tingling lips. Oh God I want him so bad. I mean I knew I was attracted to him from the first look but now that I had a taste, I want so much more. I want him all for myself!

With one little kiss and I felt weak. I've never felt like this before. I've been with a lot of guys, the exact amount is not important, but the way I felt with him is so new to me. It wasn't just lust. It was more.

I hear my phone ringing and with swift motions I fished it out of my purse, my heart going a hundred miles per hour thinking it might be him.

"Hello?" I answer mostly out of breath.

"Hey, pumpkin."

"Daddy!! How are you? Oh, i miss you so much!" hearing his voice I feel so much joy. I know we talked a couples of days ago but still. I miss him so much. I was never the one who took his trips lightly. I would cry and beg him not to go everywhere, throw tantrums, you know typical drama queen.

"I know honey, me too. How is everything there? I don't suppose i woke you, right?"

"Oh, please. of course not. I just got home." like he doesn't know I'm a night owl.

"Just got home, huh? I would have figured you are getting ready to leave. What no parties tonight?" he asked and I knew he was smiling. Try to fish informations out of me. He doesn't need to though. I always tell him everything. Well, not anything that can cause him a heart-attack of course, but you get the point.

"No, no. No parties for me tonight.Just a movie, that's all." thinking about it the image of Noah is filling my head and I smile again.

"Huh. That's new. I'm glad you girls decided to finally do something different for a change."

"Dad, I wasn't with Tina. I was on a date." I say to save him the trouble of asking more questions. Suddenly the line falls silent. I check to see if the call is still going.

"Dad?" I say again a little worried but when I hear him breathe I relax.

"A date, date? The normal kind of date?"

I narrow my eyes.

"What other kind of dates are there?" I asked confused.

"Well, I don't know honey what you kids are doing these days but I'm guessing what you've been doing so far? I've never heard you say you are dating someone. Not since you were sixteen."

I laugh out loud with how lost he sounds but I don't blame him. He doesn't know all my shenanigans obviously but he is a smart guy, he gets the picture of what's going on.

"You are right. Thought to try something else, you know, to shake things up."

"I'm glad, honey. Is he a good guy?" he asks and clear his throat. it's like I see him, he is taking his serious tone now.

"Oh, daddy you're gonna love him. He is smart and witty, maybe a little too stubborn with a little too much pride, but I can work with that. I can't wait for you to meet him." I feel so giddy and excited as I'm thinking it.

"Oh, we are keeping him? Pumpkin you are scaring me." he sounds surprised.

"I'm hoping." if he gives up, that is. A girl can dream, right?

"Well, ok then. How's Danny?"

"Tired mostly. He is killing himself to work. You know what they say, like father like son." I say getting up and start walking to my room.

"I'm hoping the daughter will do the same when the time comes?"

"The daughter will do her best." I answer laughing.

"Ok. That's good. He told me he hired someone to help him. Did he tell you?" Oh, no, no. Don't go there. I don't want to lie to him but i can't exactly tell him I'm going out with the guy Danny hired. Not today at least. When he comes home I will tell him but I don't want him thinking that with him away i'm meddling with the company's employees.

"Yeah, he mentioned it. Hey, when are you coming back?" I change the subject as quickly as I can cause I don't want to be dragged by details. I suck at lying and he will see right through me, even from a phone call.

"Hard to say. Maybe in a couple of weeks, maybe more. We will see." he says and my hearts drops to my feet. I stop in the middle of the stairs and sigh out loud but i continue my way up dragging my feet a little disappointed.

"Ok."

"Don't pout pumpkin. I'll make it up to you by getting all the things you wrote to that God awful long list." he says and I smile.

"It's still not enough. And I have a few additions to that list, FYI."

"I should buy another suitcase then."

"You should." I say laughing.

"Ok pumpkin I gotta to go. Love you."

"Love you more." I say and I end the call just as I got in my bedroom.

#

The morning came pretty quickly and I found myself smiling stupidly at the rays of sunshine coming through my window.

I got up and proceed in my morning routine, you know the usual, taking a shower,brushing teeth, applying moisturizer and peeing,duh!

Checked my phone in case I missed a call or something but strangely it was nothing there. Well, that's too bad but what can you do,right?

After I put on my floral satin robe I made my way down to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast.

"Good morning Mary." I greeted our cook smiling.

"Morning sunshine. Coffee?" She greeted back her pitch black eyes shining and a genuine smile plastered on her face.

"Yes,thank you. I'll be in the breakfast bar. Is Danny up yet?"

"Someone called my name? Morning Mary." I heard my brother say behind me as he put on his blazer.

"Ooh, aren't you looking handsome today, darling. I can't believe nobody tried to snatch you yet." She said wiggling playfully her shoulders and my brother laughed out loud but his cheek were marked red. Aww, it's cute how shy he looks right now.

He reached and kissed my head lightly.

"So breakfast?" He asked and I pointed to the breakfast bar as we walked there. It was so beautiful there in the morning near the wall glass looking in the garden and if you looked carefully you could make out the sparkling waters of the ocean. So damn peaceful.

"So what did you do last night?" Danny asked after he took a sip of his coffee that Mary brought us along with french toast and yogurt with fruit.

"I had a date." I said and he coughed. He looked like choking. I rolled my eyes at him.

"My God, you are gonna kill me. Like an actual date?" He said wiping his mouth looking surprised.

"Yes! Now let's move past that. Why don't you tell me what did you do last night?" I say cupping my coffee with both my hands trying not to look to suspicious.

"Well, I was working and then I went out for a drink with a group of friends." He said straightening his tie and looked at me with an emotionless face. Damn he is good at this. I can't tell if he is lying or not.

I nodded slowly and started eating my yogurt.

"Wanna have lunch today? Or do you have something else planned?" He said when he was done eating.

"No,no. I'm free. I'll come by the office later." And maybe check to see how's Noah, you know since he is literally next door. My day is getting better and better!!