The Texas Property Billionaire's Nanny

Chapter 1

Eric

“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Harper.”

I smirked in victory. 

“Likewise, Mr. Page,” I replied smoothly, not letting my voice reflect the intense satisfaction I’m feeling inside. “Enjoy your newly acquired 1.1 billion dollar property in Sunnyvale.”

“My company intends to,” said the voice with a southern Californian accent on the other side of the phone before chuckling. “You’re still young, Mr. Harper, and already brilliant. I shouldn’t have expected any less from the son of the renowned Samuel Harper.”

I let a genuine smile spread across my features, surprised and pleased by the tech mogul’s compliment.

“Thank you, Mr. Page.” And with that, the phone call ended.

I jumped from my seat with a big grin on my face, raising my clenched fists in victory.

Another billion dollar deal closed!

Deciding that a victory drink was in order, I went to the impressive liquor display case occupying the entire right side of the living room. Elegantly designed and made of glass, it showcased only part of my father’s vast liquor collection personally gathered by himself back when he was still alive. The bottles came from different parts of the world and from different past decades. 

I used to watch him choose a bottle from the case whenever there was something to celebrate. Birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and even the little important stuff. I remembered how my mother teased my father when she told me he took a drink of his prized Henry IV Cognac when he heard my first words as a baby were “Dada,” something that my father didn’t admit or deny.

Choosing a 62 year old Dalmore whiskey for the occasion, I poured myself a glass.

“To you, Dad. Mom.” I murmured, raising my glass before taking a sip of the liquid gold. “Wish you were still here.”

A polite cough interrupted my melancholic thoughts, and I turned to see my butler looking apologetic.

“Sorry, Mr. Harper. Mr. Collins is here to see you.”

I winced at the mention of the name, all the positive emotions from earlier slipped away as dread settled on the pit of my stomach.

“Thank you, Kevin. Please see him in.”

I downed the rest of my whiskey, barely registering the taste, as Dale Collins, the family lawyer of the Harpers’ of many years, walked into the room.

“Dale,” I said in greeting.

“Eric, I trust you know why I’m here.”

Plopping on the nearest loveseat rather ungracefully, a conduct I show only to a group of my most trusted friends, which Dale is a part of, I sighed. “I know.”

“So?”

“So what?” I replied moodily.

The older man sighed in exasperation. “You only got one month left, boy. If you don’t marry and have a kid by the end of the month, you stand to lose everything! The business, your whole fortune, even the family estate we are currently in, everything will go to your uncle. And we all know how Donald doesn’t have a single generous bone in his body.”

Despite the gloom threatening to devour me, I couldn’t help but chuckle at his wording. “Not one bit, I can attest to this. I still remember how he invited the whole family to vacation at the Caribbean for a day, and we all went there expecting that he will pay all expenses since it was his birthday and going by how generous he was suddenly being. But when we were about to leave, he passed the whole bill to my father.”

“Nasty man,” the lawyer snorted before turning serious. “At this rate, you’ll be thrown out of your own home, son. So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know!” I moaned in despair, massaging my temples to keep the coming headache at bay. “I don’t understand why Dad had to leave this kind of clause on my inheritance in the first place!”

Dale shrugged. “He knew you too well. If he left it up to you, you’d end up not marrying at all.”

“Marriage and—and procreating are simply not on my list of priorities! I’m just too busy with the business.”

“And that’s the reason why he gave you that condition. Don’t think that we—yes, including your father—haven’t heard of your weekend trysts. Back when Samuel was still alive, he constantly bemoans to me how you are yet to introduce a girl to him.”

“You two have too much free time if all you guys talk about is my boring love life.”

“Boring, you got that part right,” the elderly gentleman chortled. “Look, Eric, your father had you late. He knows what it’s like to be lonely before he met your mother. He’s only looking out for you.”

At his words, I softened up. Ultimately, I couldn’t fault my old man. Of course, my father wanted me to inherit the business and the whole fortune, but he also wanted me to be happy too with a family of my own. He didn’t want me to be lonely.

Father has his own reasons of giving me this stipulation, and one of them is because he knew I could do it.

“Okay then, I’m up to the challenge.”

Dale grinned. “Atta boy.”

**********

I swerved to my right, barely avoiding a collision with a man who’s rushing down the sidewalk.

“Watch it!” I muttered despite knowing the man couldn’t hear me anymore as I carefully held my iced coffee on my right hand.

As the late afternoon approaches, Dallas’ streets were getting busier than ever. The roads and sidewalks were starting to congest as people got off from their schools and jobs and into the streets.

Dallas’ hectic atmosphere reflected my state of mind as I considered solution after solution to my problem at hand.

So how exactly do I get a girl to marry me by the end of the month?

My first thought was to get in contact with some of the girls I had flings with in the past. The problem was I didn’t have any contact information from any of them at all. I couldn’t even recall a single name who I’d like to see and meet again.

Second, I thought of getting my friends to help me with this predicament. They’ll be helpful for sure, but I still run the risk of exposing myself with this ruse. With my uncle in the hunt for any kind of deceit that will get in the way between him and my fortune, it’s too dangerous. Besides, like the adage, to fool your enemies, you must first fool your friends.

If I could just hire someone to be my pretend wife until I claim my inheritance, everything would be peachy.

The problem was where to find such a girl. Posting an ad on Craigslist was impossible. It’s just inviting trouble. 

It had to be someone that people think I’m attracted to. Someone respectable, driven, pretty and perhaps funny— to make the whole ordeal less awful, I really need someone who’s not stiff.

But then, there’s also that ideal solution— falling in love with a woman who would also feel the same way about me. It would solve everything perfectly. 

No way, this isn’t a fairy tale. It has the least chance of happening. It’s never happened before too. It’s just impossi—

With these thoughts occupying my mind completely, I must haven't noticed the other equally distracted person.

With a crash, the other person dropped her things, and my coffee took a tumble towards the ground.

With a curse on my mouth, I looked up only to meet the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen gazing back at mine.