I Am Very Tired

"Two!" the boy bargained instantly, his eyes wide, hopeful.

"I am very tired, actually," Alex said with exaggerated weariness, leaning his head back against the couch as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

The boy squinted, leaning in dramatically. "What did you do that made you tired?"

Alex hesitated for half a second. How much of the truth could a seven-year-old handle? "I was helping a very nice lady get to safety."

The boy tilted his head. "Is she like a princess?"

Alex smirked. "Sort of. She used to be your aunty's friend, yes."

The little boy went quiet, processing. "Is she sad?"

Alex nodded slowly. "She's been through a lot. Kind of like us. But she's strong. And funny. I think you'd like her."

"You should bring her home for dinner," the boy said.

Alex chuckled softly, flipping through the channels absently. "I don't think so, kiddo."

He raised an eyebrow—an expression so comically identical to his father's that Alex found himself biting back another laugh. "Why not? Betty says it's good for kids to meet the people their parents are dating."

"Betty needs to mind her own business," Alex muttered under his breath, what in the world was the nanny teaching his child? "We're not dating."

"Can she cook?"

Alex threw his head back and laughed. "Where are all these questions coming from? Lets just play a game."

One game turned into two, and predictably spiraled into a third—their little ritual of bonding that started with competition and always ended in giggles or pouting. When Beth finally entered the living room with a pointed glare and arms crossed, both father and son froze in mid-play.

"Mr. Baldwin," she snapped, "screen time ended thirty minutes ago."

"We lost track—" Alex tried.

Beth arched one eyebrow.

"Okay, we ignored the time," he admitted sheepishly, taking the controller from the child with an exaggerated sigh.

Beth guided him away gently. "Time for bed, sweetheart."

"Good night, Daddy," he called back, yawning but still grinning.

"Good night, Don. I love you."

"I love you too."

Alex chuckled as the boy disappeared around the hallway. The apartment was quiet again.

*****

He was halfway buttoned into his suit jacket when Fred approached, his face drawn tight with concern. They were by the foyer, marble gleaming beneath their shoes, the early light streaming in through floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Boss." Fred's voice was low but firm.

Alex glanced up, instinctively sensing something was off. Don was already waiting in the car for the school drop-off, kicking his feet impatiently in the backseat.

"What's up, Fred?"

Fred didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, and handed it to Alex.

It was a news site. One of the gossip-focused ones Alex loathed.

The headline read:

"Gay Media Personality Eva Winslow Escorted by Mystery Man After Mayor's Party."

Underneath it, the grainy but unmistakable image of Alex ushering Eva into the back of his car, shielding her from flashing cameras. His face wasn't entirely visible, but to anyone who knew the man behind Norland Finance Management, it wouldn't take long to connect the dots.

Alex exhaled through his nose, fingers tightening around the phone.

Since Don entered his life, he had tried very hard to maintain a clean, controlled, quiet life. He made sure there were no scandals involving his name, no interviews, no lovers parading in and out of his life. Just a man, his empire, and his son. And now, because of Eva, that delicate structure was at risk of unraveling.

"They didn't get a clear shot," Fred said, trying to sound optimistic. "But they'll put it together. Mary used to handle your public image. I think its time you found someone to continue the job."

Alex rubbed a hand over his face. Mary. That ache never left. It would never leave.

"It's gotten out of hand. It's on all the gossip blogs," Fred said, his tone brisk but weighted. They walked to the car together, pausing beside the door. "The attention is still on Eva, but it is merely a matter of time before they figure out it's you in the picture. How do you want to handle this?"

Alex Baldwin adjusted the cuff of his jacket slowly, the Tribeca morning buzzed around them—city buses roaring past, parents hurrying kids to school. But around Alex, there was stillness. His brain working overtime.

"We'll deal with it later," he replied flatly, as if the matter of his identity being tied to one of the country's most infamous disgraced media personalities was just another Tuesday morning inconvenience.

Fred looked skeptical but didn't argue. This wasn't his first circus with Alex. He always came up with a solution for everything. "Let's drop off Don at school."

Alex nodded. "Any word from her yet?"

"No. She hasn't called."

"She's still at the penthouse, right?"

"Last I checked, yes. But I got word that Mr. Brian—the actor—came by last night."

"Yeah…he must've been worried about her." Then his voice lost the edge of playfulness. "Come on. Let's go."

They approached the Bentley, its exterior gleaming under the crisp morning light. The security detail opened the back door where Don was already buckled in, swinging his legs and humming.

Alex slid in beside him, resting a palm lightly on the boy's head and smoothing his dark hair. "You ready to face the world?"

Don gave a toothy, exaggerated grin. "Yes!"

Alex smiled. "Good boy. Perfection...?"

"Is what Baldwins do!" Don declared.

Fred chuckled from the passenger seat, and Alex leaned back in his seat as the car pulled smoothly out of the compound. The gates of the Tribeca townhouse slid closed behind them with a soft mechanical hiss.

But Alex's mind wasn't on school runs or morning meetings anymore.

It was on her.

*****

The penthouse was bathed in gentle morning light that spilled through the wide windows. Eva stood barefoot in the middle of the marble kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself. She wore one of the robes from the designer rack that had been delivered last night—cream-colored with pale gold threading.

(Imagine Alex told you...yes, you... "You cannot cum until I tell you to." Express your reaction with a meme in the comments. This should be fun.)