Chapter One: Macaroni and Cheese
She left and never looked back. That town held too many memories of him and of them and who she used to be. She still kept in touch with the people she grew up with and at times it killed her to be on the opposite coast so far away from them but she couldn't go back. Los Angeles was so different from Tree Hill. All the girls looked like Barbie and all the guys looked like Ken; she didn't fit in and she knew that. She had moved there six months ago, a few weeks after her world had come crashing down. At first, her friends had thought she went there to get away from everything for a little bit and to clear her head but she had decided to stay. She had told them it would be too hard for her to return and try to go back to living a normal life when every single place she went reminded her of him.
She had once been bubbly and vivacious and full of life but that all went away six months ago. He had encouraged her to go after her dream of opening her own restaurant where she was the head chef but all that changed six months ago too. Now, she was waiting tables at a small café near the apartment building in which she lived. She was struggling to get by and she was two months late on the rent but the landlord was a nice older woman who told her not to worry about it. As she strolled through the park one sunny afternoon she never imagined it would be the day her life would completely change…again.
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He had been hurt in the past and he had never gotten over it. He was bitter and resentful and every time he looked at his daughter he couldn't help but see the woman who had left them behind because she wasn't ready to be a mother at nineteen. He wasn't ready to be a father at nineteen either but he didn't abandon his child like she had. He loved his daughter more than anything but he didn't know how to show it so he buried himself in his work. His mother and father had pretty much raised his daughter and he was grateful for that because god only knows how she would have turned out if he had raised her. Granted, she was only five years old and she still had a lot of growing up to do but they had taught her right from wrong and all that other important stuff from the very beginning. She was polite and funny and the best little girl in the world...or so he was told.
He didn't know her favorite color. He didn't know her favorite food. He didn't know if she slept with a nightlight or in the dark. He didn't know his daughter. His parents took her on the weekends and on Wednesdays when the nanny of the week had her day off. He left in the morning before she was up and returned late at night when she was already asleep. He was amazed his daughter even knew who he was since he was never around, he wanted to change that but he didn't know how.
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She saw her sitting on a park bench crying. The little girl reminded her so much of herself when she was that age. She had long chestnut hair that curled at the ends. She was dressed in a green sundress with white sandals. She was a beautiful little girl minus the tears. She looked around to see if the little girl's parents were around but she didn't see anyone so she cautiously walked over toward the girl.
"Hi, sweetie," she said as she knelt in front of her. "Where's your mommy or daddy?"
The little girl shrugged. "Daddy's at work. Sarah was supposed to be watching me but I can't find her."
"Who's Sarah?"
"My nanny." The little girl sniffled. "I'm scared."
"I know, sweetheart, but Sarah has to be around here somewhere." She said as she looked around the park.
"Grandpa says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." She said quietly as she kneaded her hands together. "You're a stranger."
"I am." She nodded. "But how about if I tell you a little about myself while we sit here and wait for Sarah? Then I won't really be a stranger anymore."
The little girl hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
"Well, my name's Brooke and I'm twenty-four years old." She started. "I used to live in a small town called Tree Hill and it was in North Carolina before I moved here about six months ago. When I was little like you I used to have a nanny too."
The little girl's eyes widened. "You did?"
Brooke nodded. "But most of the time they couldn't handle my mother and her bad attitude so they left. I felt like I had a different nanny every week."
"I do." She said sadly. "Today was Sarah's first day since Amelia quit. I don't think any of them like me and that's why they quit or leave me in the park."
"You've been left in the park before?" Brooke asked as her eyes widened.
She nodded. "This is the third time. It was really scary the first time but not anymore since I'm used to it. Why don't they like me?"
"I'm sure they love you, sweetie." Brooke said as she wrapped her arm around the small girl. "What do you say we call the police so they can help get you home?"
A short while later after the police had taken all the information they needed, they were getting ready to take the little girl back to her house when she started calling for Brooke.
"I don't want to go by myself." She cried from the backseat of the cruiser.
"You're not by yourself, you have these nice two policemen who are going to bring you back home and stay with you until your daddy gets home from work." Brooke explained.
"He comes home really late. The policemen are strangers." She said.
"So am I." Brooke pointed out.
She shook her head. "No you're not. You're Brooke and you used to live in Tree Hill before you moved here six months ago and you used to have a lot of different nannies just like me. You're not a stranger."
Brooke smiled before looking at the police officers. "Do you mind?"
Both of them shook their heads and Brooke thanked them before sliding into the backseat of the cruiser. "So, are you going to tell me your name now?"
She giggled. "Olivia."
"That's a really pretty name." Brooke said as the cruiser pulled out of the parking lot and began to make its way back to where Olivia lived. "I bet your dad is proud that you know all the important information to give to a police man in this kind of a situation."
"My grandma and grandpa taught me it. My daddy is never around, I hardly ever see him because he's always working." Olivia said sadly.
"I bet he wished he didn't have to work so he could spend every day with you instead of at his job." Brooke said.
Olivia shrugged. "I don't know. He really likes his job."
Brooke felt terrible for Olivia. She knew how it felt to grow up in a household where your parents are never around and care more about their job than their own child. "So, what do you feel like having for lunch when we get home?" She asked trying to change the subject.
"Macaroni and cheese." She smiled. "It's my favorite food."
"Mine too!" Brooke agreed. "I could eat it all day every day."
"I could too but grandma tells me that if I do noodles will come out of my ears!"
"She's right," Brooke nodded. "It happened to me."
"No way!" Olivia squealed.
"Way. Now I can only eat macaroni and cheese once a week or else noodles will spill out of my ears again."
"We're home." Olivia said when the cruiser stopped in front of a sprawling mansion in suburban Beverly Hills.
"Wow." Brooke said as she stared out the window. "You live here?"
Olivia nodded. "Just daddy, the nanny and me; grandma and grandpa live down the street."
Brooke thanked the police officers before Olivia pulled her away and toward the house. To her surprise, Olivia knew exactly where the spare key was hidden and she knew how to unlock the door too. "How old did you say you were again?" Brooke laughed.
Olivia smiled as she held up five fingers. "I'm really smart for my age. Daddy sends me to the bestest private school in all of California." She said proudly as she pushed the heavy oak door open. "I'll be right back." She said as she scurried up the staircase.
Brooke was floored when Olivia opened the door. She felt her jaw drop as she stepped inside and into the foyer. The house was immaculate and it was by far the biggest house she had ever been in or even seen for the matter. It really didn't look like anyone lived in the house because it was so clean, neat and orderly. She wondered how the house was kept so clean with a five-year-old living in it but she figured there were house cleaners, a butler and a chef who all lived in the house to keep it in shape. There was a grand staircase that led upstairs right when she walked in the door and she could hear Olivia slamming dresser drawers closed. A large ornate crystal chandelier hung in the foyer and the crystals twinkled in the sunlight casting prisms onto all the surrounding walls. To the left was a big room that looked to Brooke to be a living room but she wasn't sure just how much living was actually done in it since it was so proper looking. She could see what looked to be the kitchen was further in the house and past the living room. Off to the right was the formal dining room where the table looked to have enough room and chairs to seat at least twenty people. "All changed!" Olivia announced as she bounded down the elaborate staircase in a Cinderella nightgown.
"Ready for some mac n' cheese?" Brooked asked as she reached for Olivia's hand. She nodded and took her hand as she led Brooke into the kitchen where her jaw dropped again. This kitchen was a culinary artist's dream and Brooke was in heaven as she ran her fingertips along the smooth granite countertops and looked at all of the state of the art appliances. "Does your dad like to cook?" she asked.
Olivia giggled. "Daddy doesn't know how to cook, he burns everything! Marco, our chef, cooks everything. Today is his day off."
"Well," Brooke smiled. "You're in luck because I can cook pretty well and I've been told that my homemade macaroni and cheese is the best in the whole world."
Olivia crinkled her nose. "Homemade? Can't you just make it from the box like my grandma does?"
"I could," Brooke said as she looked around for a pot. "But I'm going to make this one and you're going to love it, I promise." She smiled.
"If you say so." Olivia giggled.
They talked as Brooke made the macaroni and cheese from scratch. Every so often she'd earn a questioning look from Olivia as she put different ingredients in like spicy mustard. "Are you sure you're supposed to put that in there?" Olivia asked as she peered into the pot.
"Trust me." Brooke grinned. As she continued to listen to Olivia tell her all about kindergarten and what she was learning Brooke couldn't help but feel a little out of place. This was not how she had envisioned her day when she set out to go for a walk earlier in the morning. Olivia had taken an instant liking to her but she still felt strange being in a stranger's house with his child, but at the same time being around Olivia felt natural and she liked it. She could tell Olivia liked spending time with her too which made her smile a little wider.
"So what should I do?"
Brooke looked up at Olivia who was staring at her with waiting eyes. "I'm sorry, what should you do about what?"
She groaned. "You weren't listening! Tyler at school told me he liked me under the slide last week but around his friends he's really mean to me. I don't know what to do."
Brooke turned the stove down and placed the lid on top of the pot. "He's scared to show his friends how he really feels so that's why he acts the way he does." She said as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter. "I think you should ignore him until he starts acting nice to you in front of everybody because eventually he's going to get tired of being mean to you and realize that if he's nice you'll play with him again."
Olivia smiled. "You're really smart about boys."
"I've had a few years of experience." She laughed.
"Is the mac n' cheese done yet?" Olivia asked as she tried to look into the pot.
"Almost," Brooke said. "Why don't you go and wash your hands and get some plates and forks out and by then it should be ready to eat."
Olivia leaped down from her seat and scurried into the bathroom only to return a few moments later. "All done!" She announced proudly as she held up her hands for Brooke to inspect.
"Good girl." She said as she scooped some of the macaroni onto a plate for Olivia. "Why don't you sit at the counter?" She suggested.
"I have a better idea of where we can eat." Olivia smirked as she reached for her plate. She waited for Brooke to scoop some macaroni for herself before leading her further into the house. She stopped in front of two more heavy oak doors and smiled before pushing them open.
Brooke's jaw dropped. Before her was a standard sized movie theater that belonged at the local cinema, not somebody's house. "Are you kidding me?" She asked in disbelief.
Olivia shook her head. "We also have a bowling alley, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool and a merry-go-round."
Brooke stared at the little girl. "It's like you live in the White House."
"Our house is tan." Olivia said matter-of-factly.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, so what movie do you want to watch?"
"Henry's already taking care of it." She responded as she pointed to a man in the back of the theater that smiled and waved. "He's in charge of the movie theater."
Olivia definitely had more than a lot of other five year olds but she didn't act like she did. She didn't act spoiled or entitled. She wasn't bratty or mean. Brooke wondered if she had been born into wealth or if it was new to her and her father. As they settled into the seats in the theater, the screen sprang to life and Cinderella began to play before them. Olivia fell asleep about half-way into the movie. Brooke took her empty plate and set it on the floor before taking off her sweatshirt and draping it over the small girl's body. She felt funny sitting in the movie theater watching Cinderella. She felt like a child but she liked it.
The movie finished and Brooke carried Olivia up the stairs in search of the little girl's room. Upstairs there were dozens of closed doors, something Brooke was not expecting. How big of a house did a man and his daughter need? To her surprise, Olivia's room was not hard to find; it had a pink O hanging on the door. She pushed it open and walked over to the bed before gently laying Olivia down. She pulled up the covers and lightly kissed her forehead before turning to leave.
Downstairs she felt out of place. Olivia wasn't there with her and she was just standing in the middle of a stranger's kitchen. She was dreading the moment Olivia's father walked through the front door because she wasn't sure what she was going to tell him. She began to pace back and forth in the kitchen thinking of what to say when she had enough. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out several different things. She opened cabinets and retrieved pots and pans. She cooked when she was stressed; it calmed her down and made her feel in control. She was so consumed with cooking that she didn't hear him walk in and didn't know he was standing in front of her until he cleared his throat causing her to jump.
"Oh!" She exclaimed when she saw him. "I uh- I'm Brooke." She said as she extended a flour coated hand.
The man looked around his kitchen. She had cooked and baked enough for a small army. "Julian Baker." He said warily as he shook her hand before wiping his on a towel. "Who are you?"
She stopped stirring and looked up at him. "I'm Brooke Davis. I found your daughter in the park this morning. She said her nanny Sarah just left her there."
"Why are you still here?"
Brooke didn't like the man's tone. "She was scared and didn't want to be by herself. Aren't you concerned about your daughter?"
He nodded. "I got the message from the police department and that's why I'm here."
"Six hours after they called you." Brooke pointed out.
"I have a very demanding job. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come home the second I found out about Olivia. I knew that the police were equipped to handle the situation and that she'd be okay. This has happened before, you know."
"I know." Brooke nodded. "Don't you think there's a problem with the nannies you hire?"
He shrugged. "Maybe."
"Don't you think you should hire a nanny who cares about your daughter and won't leave her alone in the park? Olivia told me today that she doesn't feel loved or cared about by any of the nannies who have taken care of her in the past. She doesn't like them and she knows that they don't care about her. That's a little sad if you ask me."
"I didn't ask you." Julian said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Clearly the two of you hit it off today."
"We did," Brooke smiled proudly. She had only known Olivia for a few hours but she already loved that little girl. "She's a great kid."
"That's what I hear." He replied as he glanced around the kitchen. "So, who's going to clean up this mess?"
Brooke's face reddened. "I'll take care of it and then I'll be out of your way." The man obviously wasn't a people person and Brooke didn't feel welcome in his home. She had gone out of her way to be nice to his daughter and he had been rude to her from the second he walked into the kitchen.
Julian stayed in the kitchen as she cleaned it. She had hoped he would offer to help but he didn't. Instead, he sat at the table and was eating the apple pie she had made from scratch. "Okay," She said once she had finished. "I'm going to leave now. I hope you enjoy all this food." She said as she motioned around the kitchen. "Tell Olivia I enjoyed her company today and I'm going to miss her."
Julian nodded toward the door. "Okay."
Brooke shook her head. She couldn't believe how different Olivia was from her father. "Bye." She said quietly as she reached for her coat. Her hand was on the door knob when she heard him call her name. Seconds later he came running into the foyer and placed his hand on the heavy oak door in an effort to stop her from leaving.
"I need a new nanny."
Brooke stared at him. "I don't think I'm qualified to do something like that." She said as she shook her head.
"Neither were the previous ten I hired to take care of Olivia." He said. "Hearing you talk about my daughter the way you were I can tell you care about her and you've only known her for a couple hours."
"I don't know," She hesitated.
"I'll pay you five thousand a week." He offered.
Her jaw dropped. "I don't want that kind of money, that's way too much to pay a nanny."
"Not if I can afford it." He shook his head. "Brooke, please."
"Drop it down to one thousand a week and I'll do it."
He blinked. "You're seriously asking me to decrease your pay?"
She nodded. "I don't need that kind of money, Julian. I'd do this job for free if it weren't for the fact that I have a car payment and rent and food to pay for."
"Okay," He said as he shook his head. "One thousand a week it is."
She smiled proudly. "Okay."
"Can you start tomorrow?" He asked.
She nodded. "What time?"
"I leave at six and my parents are here to wake her up and get her dressed and onto the bus. But, if you wanted to be here tomorrow morning when they do that so they can get you into the routine that would be great. Say around six-thirty? Olivia won't wake up until about seven."
She nodded. "Sounds good."
He smiled as he opened the door for her. "See you tomorrow, Brooke."
"Bye." She replied as she walked down the steps.
He closed the door behind her and leaned against it. A smile spread across his face as he thought about what had just happened. He suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"I just realized I don't have a car. The police dropped us off." She smiled meekly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. "Take the silver one in the driveway." He said as he tossed her the key. "It's yours now, by the way."
"Seriously?"
Julian nodded. "I picked it up today as a thank-you from me for taking care of Olivia today."
She shook her head. "It really wasn't that big of a deal. I mean I don't need a car as a gift or a reward, I didn't do it because I wanted something I –"
"Stop it." He interrupted. "You took care of my daughter and made her feel safe. This is the least I can do."
Brooke started the car and pulled out of the long driveway. She couldn't believe the day she had had. Her life had just completely changed but this time she had a feeling it was for the better. She didn't know what to think of Julian. He had been a jerk when he first came home but he had just given her a brand new car as thank you for taking care of his daughter for a couple hours. He was an attractive man but she couldn't let herself go there. She wasn't ready yet; she still missed him and feared she would never be ready to move on. The next day would be interesting…she had no idea what it took to be a nanny but she was excited. She was looking forward to tomorrow; something she had stopped looking forward to the night of the accident.
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Review please!