Olivia (Babysitter’s Club 3)

“Are you guys serious?” I asked Tony and Carlo who were the ones pitching the idea.

“Yeah, why not? Make up a business proposal before we leave in a couple days.”

“You said it’ll take about a month and a half for our six since you have all this man power right. And with what you have here, I’m sure we could be up and running in no time. We just have to deal with that slow ass harbor you got here. I’d let uncle Sal handle that.”

Sal waved his unlit cigar as approval as he eyed the bikes like he thought they were toys. “I’m thinking boys. You think if I got Teresa a pink one she’d leave my nuts in place?” Even my guys laughed at that one.

By the time they left on Wednesday evening my life had been turned upside down. I learned that when these people say they’re gonna do something, they don’t fuck around.

By the end of the first day Junior had called me about the shop idea. He seems to be the most serious of the bunch, which made sense since he’s the heir to the throne.

It was amazing to watch my kids say goodbye to them all on the last day. We’d spent time with them in some way or another while they were here and it was plain to see that the kids had grown attached.

They even talked to their new cousins on Skype a time or two. Now my daughter was talking about styles and makeup because Junior’s oldest who is all of seven was into that shit and the two of them had bonded over ways to make their fathers crazy.

Life started to settle down in the next few days and I didn’t notice any changes in Olivia. Which left me to wonder how the hell she’d got so grounded?

She didn’t try to change my house, or get me to sell it for something bigger in a better neighborhood. None of the things I’d dealt with in the past. In fact, she was the same girl she’s always been.

She looked at her ring so much I was convinced she loved it and she was knee deep in wedding plans every spare second. It took me the whole of that time to come to terms with how good my life really was.

I’m not gonna lie. Knowing that if the market took a turn, or if for some reason people stopped wanting bikes that my wife and kids wouldn’t starve was a weight off my chest.

So instead of looking at her wealth as a hindrance, I begun to see it for what it was. A safety net. The only fly in my ointment was my ex and how she was going to react to my getting married.

By the time I dropped the kids off the following Sunday night, I’d made up my mind to tell her myself instead of her hearing it from the kids.

I’d gone back and forth in my head about whether or not to tell her, since I didn’t give a shit what she thought, but to be an adult, I figured it was the right thing to do.

She came to the door with red puffy eyes and nowhere near the bitch she usually is. She was reserved and too damn quiet and I noticed neither of her parents put in an appearance.

“Is everything okay?” I felt compelled to ask since I was leaving my kids here. She sent the kids inside and folded her arms as she stood in the doorway. When she finally looked at me I saw something like defeat in her eyes.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. You didn’t have to sic your woman’s family on me and mine.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Like you don’t know.” She rolled her eyes and looked away.

“No, I don’t.”

“Her dad paid mine a visit. Apparently we were warned about making things difficult for the little princess since you two are now getting hitched. It’s really unfair for people to use their money and position to browbeat others.”

You have got to be shitting me. Isn’t that what she and her family have been doing to me this whole fucking time? Or trying to anyway. I just shook my head and laughed as I walked away.

Back at the house I asked Olivia about it but she didn’t know about it either. Until she put in a call to her mother who filled her in. Apparently that Monday they were here her dad and uncle had paid a visit to my ex father in law and in no uncertain terms let him know what would happen if he tried any of his shit with their daughter and niece.

Not to perpetuate any stereotypes, but the gist of it was that his ‘little’ business would go belly up in no time if that shit was to happen. I guess in the end his money meant more to him than anything his daughter had going on and he had the good sense to back down.