The Billionaire's Pixie

Jacob Blackwood, Personal Maid

Running late for meetings was not my thing. No matter what I did the night before I was always on top of my game at work. Merigold Chocolate was going to be my responsibility in a few years. If I was not on top of my game I didn’t deserve it.

“What’s with the long face?”

Glancing up from my laptop screen I narrowed my eyes on my father who walked in without a care in the world. It was so like him. He seemed like the type of person who was wishy-washy. Who did things without considering the consequences.

Sometimes it seemed like he lived on another planet.

How my parents ever fell in love was beyond my comprehension. Sometimes I wondered if it started the same way Nina’s relationship with that guy started. Mom was ambitious enough to marry a guy who’d start his own company.

"I was late for a meeting," I admitted to him.

Dad laughed, behaving like it was the funniest thing he ever heard in his life.

Weirdo.

“You were so late.” Dad agreed, wiping a tear away, “It was funny watching you fumble around.”

I narrowed my eyes on him, not believing that this was currently happening in my own office. Dad made himself comfortable in his chair. Exactly behaving like a man who owned this place. The confidence radiating off him reminded me so much of him, the future father of Nina’s baby.

Dad shifted in his chair, “What’s with that look?” He demanded to know now, “Did you argue with Jacob again? You two are like little boys but instead of fighting over the latest toy you’re fighting over Nina which is just odd.”

“I’m wary of him.”

Dad nodded, “Me too.”

That surprised me because dad was always so friendly toward the guy. Treating him like the son he never had which hurt.

Dad leaned forward in his chair, overanalyzing everything, "If he ever hurts Nina or my grandchild I’ll bring him down, that’s a promise. Nina, however, has everything handled. The pregnancy is rough on her and she looks like the walking dead these days but she’ll be fine in her second trimester your mother assured me.”

That’s the first time I heard dad speak his mind like that. He was always all over the place. I know Nina preferred his ancient wisdom. Always told me dad gave good advice, that he was always on top of things even though it didn’t look like it.

She might have been right.

“This is what she meant then.”

“Who?” Dad asked.

The knowing look in his eyes said it all. The man got to his feet and straightened his tie, "Don't worry about silly things like that, Nick. You're doing good work here. Next year I'm leaving, you'll make things company even better.

I got to my feet, my desk chair bumping into the wall behind me. Dad chuckled as he made his way to the door, pretending as nothing happened at all. He just dropped a major bomb and then carried on as nothing happened at all.

Weirdo.

“You can’t just say something like that and walk off.”

Dad glanced over his shoulder, showing me his massive grin, “I can and I will. Watch me walk out of the door with my head held high. Something your mom does to make a statement. It’s always very effective.” He chuckled.

He left my office, closing the door behind him. He looked content and in a good mood. I couldn’t stop him even though I had so many questions. My night with Tinkerbell and the confusing day I had with her recently didn’t seem like an issue at all.

That was a little hurdle along the way.

Taking over Merigold Chocolate was a huge deal and I’d be doing it in less than a year. No way I’d be late to a meeting ever again.

***

Guarded with chocolate ice-cream and every fruit tea I could find at the store I paid a visit to my sister at almost ten in the evening. If she felt like crap like dad so charmingly described I wanted to be there for her.

Jacob was the one who greeted me at the elevator, “Your sister will be happy to see you.”

He sounded tired, looked like the walking dead too. I didn’t ask how he was doing, weren’t close enough to share crap like that. We probably never would share personal things. It was for the best. We both knew where we were standing.

That was better than forced kindness for Nina’s sake.

“Dad mentioned she wasn’t doing well.”

Jacob nodded, following me into the living room, “He also mentioned that he’s stepping down soon.”

There it was again, sharing things with the man who wasn’t even his son. Nina mentioned she thought mom was overreacting too when it came to Jacob Blackwood. I didn’t understand what was so great about that man which made the people around him behave like fools.

“He’s stepping down in a year without telling me about it.”

Jacob chuckled, “Sounds like your dad.”

He was right and it had been on my mind that morning yet I still didn’t want to agree with him. We were family, kind of and I was supposed to accept him. There were days I did like him as a friend but deep down it still felt like betraying Lucas if I spent too much time with this guy.

“You need to get over it.”

Turning around I eyed the man, not quite following what he was saying.

“Over what exactly?” I asked him cautiously.

He wasn’t budging, puffing his chest out like the overconfident man that he was. Honestly, I couldn’t see what made Nina want to marry this guy. Overconfident with so much baggage that we’d stay up all night discussing them.

A s*x tape out there which his kid could probably get their hands on.

“We’re family now even if you don’t like it.” Jacob shoved his hands in his pockets, his look never wavering, “In a few months you’ll be the uncle of my child.”

Nina wasn’t showing yet which made it sometimes hard to imagine that in a few months we’d be welcoming a kid into the family. It wouldn’t help that child if they felt like their dad and uncle didn’t get along. Jacob’s past was a mess but he wasn’t a jerk to Nina and dad was right.

My sister did have it handled.

“You’re right.” I told him, “It’s not you, it’s me.” That sounded like a break-up which made this whole thing even worse, “Mostly.” I muttered.

Jacob had that smug look on his face, “I get it. Big brother always needs to protect his sister. But you know, I’m here now. You don’t have to protect her all the time all you need to do is be there for her.” He nodded to the bag I was holding, “She appreciates that more and yes it hurts knowing you can comfort my wife and not me.”

It must have hurt more admitting that to me. His pride wouldn’t let him. He was trying which made me feel like a f*****g asshole. I’ve been like that a lot lately. A lot had to change before I really followed through with taking over the company.

“You’re trying so I will try to let her past stay in the past.”

Jacob shrugged, “Must be hard when you’re also friends with them so I appreciate it.”

Fuck, he was definitely on a roll tonight. I didn’t come here to share secrets with Jacob Blackwood and cuddle on the couch. I held up the bag and then motioned to the stairs.

“I’m going to check on Nina.”

Jacob smiled an actual smile which didn't look like he thought he was better than everyone else. Maybe the overconfident smirk was the smile I always wanted to see on his face to hate him more but tonight I didn't see much of it. I saw a man who cared a lot about his wife, caring so much he lowered his pride and caved.

“I’ll get the tea ready.”

I flashed him a knowing look, “Thanks.”

Heading upstairs I dared to enter the bedroom I wanted to avoid. It was just a bedroom though. Nina was curled up in bed, looking so small and without color. It was not a good day for her. It reminded me of when she was sick and mom and dad weren’t there to care for her.

It broke my heart to see her like that.

Jacob was right about me, I was always the protective brother trying to shield her from everything. But I had to be when our parents weren’t around that much. It wasn’t that we blamed them for it. We had a life a lot of people dreamed of having.

The kids who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth or the spoiled brats. It was like because we had money we never had a care in the world. It was why Nina never had many friends. Reminding myself of Joy the woman she considered a friend months ago was like I kicked myself.

Nina sat up and glared at me, “I’m the one feeling like s**t right now but you look it.” She pointed at me, “Come here and tell me all about it.”

I stood frozen in the doorway, “No, Nina. I’m here for you so scoot up an tell me about your issues and why you look like a vampire drained you of all your blood.”

She rolled her eyes at me as I closed the door behind me, made my way to the bed. I placed the bag on the bed and got more comfy, getting rid of the shoes and tie, tossing my jacket somewhere. Nina laughed at that. She peeked in the bag and grinned.

“We’ll eat that soon, but it will melt if we keep it in the bag.”

She was right about that.

“I’ll bring it downstairs, I’m sure Jacob made our tea too.”

She brushed me off, “You don’t need to do that.” She smiled, “I have this now.” She grabbed her phone and called someone.

“Nina, it will just take five minutes-“

She gestured for me to be quiet, “Hey baby, can you come up and get Nick’s bag. He brought ice-cream but I’m not in the mood right now.” The baby voice she used made me shake my head at her. She was manipulating that man and she was doing it well, “Bring some tea too?” She asked, “Love you.”

She placed her phone back on the bedside table and shrugged when she noticed me staring at her.

“He feels guilty so right now I can enjoy watching Jacob do everything and care for me like my own personal maid. It’s the best thing ever.”

Smiling I sat down beside her on the bed, she settled down too. Grabbing the remote she turned on the TV and lowered the volume.

“So tell me about your issues because despite me feeling like crap right now, I’m still okay.”

I had to change my opinion on Jacob Blackwood because if he was okay with getting manipulated by my sister like this he was a good guy. I also realized that dad probably knew about their situation, it’s why he smiled like that when he told me about Nina handling herself.

I was the one who always had things together, who had their life in order. Yet when I looked at my sister I could tell how f*****g happy she was even though she felt like crap and it made me realize that I wasn’t happy at all.

There was so much I had to tell her yet I didn’t know where to start.