Temptation

by Kris Bryant

  “Yes?”

  “Can I help you with something?” He leaned closer so his face was even with mine.

  “I’m here to pick up a student. Noah Wellington. I know I’m early, but I thought I could wait for him here until school lets out. Do some homework, you know.” I flashed him my credentials even though he didn’t ask to see them.

  “You’re going to have to either go inside and wait, or come back in twenty minutes.” He looked at his watch to confirm the time.

  “Look, it’s my first day. I don’t really know all the rules yet.”

  “There’s a nice air-conditioned foyer with comfortable couches. You could get a lot done in there.”

  The car was so quiet I almost forgot to turn it off. I grabbed my laptop and scratch pad and followed him.

  “I’m Al. Maddie, Pete, and I are the campus monitors at Hessick.”

  “Hi. I’m Cassie. I’m Noah Wellington’s nanny.” I cringed at the description. Caregiver sounded like I was looking after an old man. There really wasn’t another way to put it.

  “Noah’s a good kid. Introvert, keeps to himself most days.”

  “You know all the students here, Al?” He struck me as the kind of guy who liked it when people called him by his name.

  He shuffled his belt around his waistline as if preparing to say something very important. “I try to. Our school has a strict enrollment policy, and we keep the classes small for more one-on-one interaction.” He sounded like a brochure. I found it endearing how he was so proud to be a part of Hessick. “Here. Let me get the door for you.” He jogged up the stairs, the keys on his belt clanking against one another in repetition with every step he took, and swiped his key card to get us inside.

  “Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.” I emphasized really because I meant it. I showed Mary my credentials, and she pretended not to know me even though I’d just interacted with her that morning. I was the only one in the waiting area, but Al assured me that would change soon. Fifteen minutes later, five women disturbed my peace with their laughter and clicking heels. I looked up and made eye contact with two of the five. One smiled at me. The other did not. Everyone else pretended I didn’t exist. I sat up straighter and focused on the words in front of me, but I knew the pack was watching me. A few hushed whispers, a sprinkle of giggles, and finally one of them walked over to me.

  “Hi. I’m Amanda. Do you work for Brook Wellington?”

  She couldn’t have sounded snottier if she tried. Thanks to my Nana’s sarcastic wit, I had the perfect response.

  “No.” I looked at my laptop and ignored her as if the entire exchange didn’t happen. She stood there for a solid ten seconds and stared at me. “Did you need something else?”

  “Ah, no. No.”

  Probably not the best way to make new friends, but Amanda had bitch written all over her face. I was aware of the games of bored, rich girls. Amanda was about thirty and had more makeup on than she needed. Her outfit was top-of-the-line but casual. I was curious if she worked, but not enough to strike up a conversation. When the bell rang, I closed my laptop and waited for Noah. I saw him before he saw me. He was quietly making his way to the front to check out. I met him at the desk and showed Mary my credentials again after she asked.

  “Hi. Did you have a good day?” I turned to Noah and straightened out his backpack. He was smaller than most of his classmates.

  He shrugged. “It was okay.”

  “Want me to take your bag?”

  “I got it.”

  He was tough, but I was determined to make him warm up to me. “Well, then, will you carry my stuff?”

  “Why would I do that?” Noah sounded genuinely perplexed.

  “To be nice. To help me out.”

  “But you don’t need help. Your hands are free,” he said.

  “I’m just playing around.”

  A hint of a smile appeared on his lips.

  “Guess who I met today?” I exaggerated my voice and drew out each word to bait him into further conversation.

  “Ms. Trina. And Leonardo.”

  “True. But I also met Al, the security guy. He’s nice. He knows you.” I walked Noah in front of me until we reached the steps. “We’re parked right over there.” He reached for my hand to walk down the stairs, and I melted. He was so trusting. I gently held his small fingers against mine and pretended it didn’t mean everything. When we got to the Range Rover, he climbed in. I helped him buckle up, and we carefully made our way down the drive. “So, we have violin practice today.”

  “Yeah. I need to get my violin and change my clothes.”

  Noah’s uniform was khaki pants, a white polo shirt, and brown boat shoes. The school colors were navy and red, so those were also appropriate shirt colors, according to the pamphlet I’d read that morning. White surprised me because children were notoriously messy and awkward around anything that could possibly spill on their clothes. Noah’s shirt was untainted.

  To my surprise, Noah’s violin teacher, Ms. Natalie Rowman, made house calls. While I was racing around trying to find an address for Natalie and refraining from panic-texting Brook, the front gate chimed, and a video of a person at the gate popped up on the video monitor in the kitchen. I had no idea what to do.

  “Noah? Can you come here, please?”

  I hit the button that said answer at the bottom of the video and wondered if she could see me, too. “Yes? Hello?”

  “This is Natalie Rowman. I’m here for Noah’s lesson.”

  Well, fuck me. All this stressing for nothing. “Sure. I’ll buzz you in.” I hit the button marked open and watched Natalie park and walk to the front door.

  “Hi. You must be Cassie. I’m Natalie. Brook let me know you’re helping her with Noah.”

  How anyone managed to work with all these beautiful women was beyond me. I smiled at her before inviting her inside.

  “Hi, Natalie. Welcome to day one of me trying to figure this all out.”

  Her small laugh was sweet. She was charming with her hazel eyes and slight overbite that she hid behind her full lips. Natalie was probably in her early thirties, with brown hair pulled back in a single twisted braid that reached the middle of her back. Her blouse was fashionable and freshly pressed. Her black pants fit her perfectly, and she had the body to pull it all off.

  “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.” Natalie was ten minutes early, which she apologized for.

  I sat at the kitchen counter while we waited for Noah. “How long have you been teaching Noah?”

  “Oh, gosh. About a year now.”

  “Is he good?” I thought back to my piano lessons and guitar lessons from ages five until ten, when I got into sports instead. I’d hated playing an instrument.

  “Well, you’ll hear him in just a little while. We practice in the library. It’s the quietest place in the house and has the best acoustics.” She carefully put her messenger bag on the counter and rifled through its contents until she pulled out sheet music.

  I felt like I was in the way, but I wanted to make sure Noah was ready for the lesson and had everything he needed. Brook had never told me the plan other than he had violin lessons Mondays and Thursdays. I wanted to know more about Natalie because I wanted more insight into Noah’s world.

  “Hi, Miss Natalie.”

  “Hello, Mr. Noah. Have you been practicing?”

  He ducked his head. “A little bit.”

  “Well, let’s go find out.” Natalie followed him into the library.

  I pulled out my tablet to read for my next class. We were learning about soil management and how to best utilize what was available in a region to grow crops or plants. Both were important for survival. I would read a page, stop and listen to Noah and Natalie, go back and reread the same thing, stop and listen again. I decided to move to the living room, where it was quieter and where I could hopefully concentrate better. Three pages later, I gave up. I could pick this up after work. I had to concentrate on dinner. What time
did kids eat?

  I poked around in the oversized refrigerator. Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, organic this and that. It was fully stocked for two people. The pantry to the right of the refrigerator was also full of healthy foods. I smiled when I saw the sugary cereals and cookies tucked in the back, where Noah couldn’t see them unless he used a stepladder. At least Brook wasn’t a processed-sugar hater like Henry and Robin Minks.

  “Cassie?”

  My eyes widened at being caught rummaging through Brook’s pantry. “Yes?” I tried to sound like I was there for a reason and walked out carrying a jar of natural peanut butter and a roll of aluminum foil.

  Natalie looked at my haul and back at me. She cocked her head like she was trying to figure out what I was doing.

  “Oh, I’m a scientist.” Like that meant anything. “A chemist, really.” Still did nothing to explain my weirdness.

  “Okay, well, we’re done here. Please tell Brook that Noah is doing well, but I want him to practice more than he has been.”

  “He sounds really good for six years old. I mean, I was a horrible music student, but my parents pushed me until I couldn’t do it anymore.”

  She placed her bag on the counter to tuck the sheets of music back inside. “What did you play?”

  “Piano and guitar. By ten, I begged to do something else, so I got into soccer and softball. Now I wish I’d stuck with music.”

  “Why’s that?” She leaned against the counter, giving me her complete attention. It unnerved me. She was so quiet, so confident.

  “I love music more than sports. It’s hard to make big decisions when you’re young.”

  She shrugged. “It’s never too late to get back into it. I’d be more than happy to give you private lessons, too.”

  I tried not to notice the soft sigh that escaped her lips or the fact that she was leaning toward me. I wasn’t an expert in body language, but if I were to take a guess, Natalie was interested in me. My ego inflated, and I bit the inside of my cheeks to prevent myself from giving her the cheesy smile that instantly made me uncool. “Maybe so. Let’s see how all of this plays out and what kind of free time I have after taking care of Noah and going to school.”

  “You’re going to school, too?”

  “I’m going for my master’s in environmental sciences and eventually my doctorate. I dropped out of med school, much to the disappointment of my parents.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you aren’t a disappointment to them.”

  I kept the bitter retort back and nodded instead. Natalie didn’t need to know about my almost nonexistent relationship with my parents. “At least I’m doing something I want to, you know?”

  “Good for you for taking a chance.”

  We stood there smiling at one another until Noah walked in. “Miss Natalie. You’re still here.”

  “Out of the mouth of babes.”

  I laughed. “It was nice to meet you, Natalie. We’ll see you Thursday.” I walked her to the front door.

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Chapter Four

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not just going to let you take him.” I was facing off with a woman who had somehow gotten past the gate and was demanding Noah. I squeezed the door handle tightly so this woman wouldn’t be able to tell that I was nervous.

  “He’s my son. It’s Wednesday. I pick him up on Wednesday nights. If you ask him, he’ll tell you.” She tried to lean past me, but I stood in front of her.

  “It’s not going to happen.”

  “I’m going to call Brook and tell her this is unacceptable.” The woman stepped away from the front door and angrily dug in her purse for her phone. If she weren’t such a bitch, I would have found her attractive. First impressions were everything, though, and people who were ugly on the inside made any attractive physical qualities instantly unattractive to me.

  “You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops.” I spoke with more conviction than I felt. I was still shaking.

  “Look, I don’t know who this flavor of the month is, but she’s not letting me have Noah,” she said into her phone.

  My mind was spinning. First of all, if this lady was Noah’s other mom, that meant Brook was a lesbian, or at least had been in a relationship with a woman at one point. Secondly, why the fuck hadn’t anybody told me about her? Brook would have mentioned it if this woman regularly picked up Noah. And why hadn’t Noah said anything? Wouldn’t he be excited to see his other mother?

  “Do you want to talk to her? He has to be at soccer in thirty minutes, and I have errands to run before I drop him off. I don’t have time for this.” She disconnected the call and stared at me.

  I folded my arms and waited. I would win this stare-down contest. I was a college student who sat in the longest, most boring classes in the world. I could handle this. My phone buzzed. I broke eye contact to see who was calling.

  “Hello, Brook.”

  “I should have told you about Lauren. She’s Noah’s other mom and has him on Wednesdays and every other weekend. She hasn’t seen him for three weeks, so I honestly didn’t expect her to show up.” Her voice was even and didn’t hint at the stress levels of Lauren’s voice.

  “Are you okay with me letting him go with her?”

  “Yes. That’s fine. She’ll have him for the rest of the night. Thank you for looking out for him.”

  “Okay. I’ll get him ready, but I’m not letting her in to wait. She can sit in her fancy car.” I swore I heard Brook chuckle through the phone.

  “Thank you, Cassie.” She disconnected the call.

  “All right. I’ll send him out in a while.” I stepped back and firmly shut the door with the palm of my hand; our eyes held until the door broke the stare. What a complete douche canoe. “Noah! Your—” I stopped because I didn’t know what he called her. “Your other mom is here.”

  “Mama’s here? Really?”

  I stopped him from running out the door. “Hold up, buddy. Get your soccer stuff together because I don’t want you to be late for practice. Then I’ll hand you over.” I silently added to the Kraken because this woman was a total bitch. I understood the situation and would be upset, too, if somebody didn’t let me have my kid, but calling me the flavor of the month to Brook was degrading to both of us.

  “Bye, Cassie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And out he darted. He hugged Lauren, crawled into the back seat, and waved to me. I closed the door after I watched them leave the gate. Well, that was interesting. I’d learned a lot in the last ten minutes. Brook had a child with Lauren, but they were no longer together. Brook dated women. Lauren was unreliable and their parting was not amicable. My mind swirled. Wow. My boss was hot, rich, presumably single, and a lesbian. Life just kept getting more interesting around here.

  With my newfound free time, I decided to move in some more of my things. Maybe tonight would be my first night in the apartment. I stripped the bedding, threw it in the stackable washer, and headed to Nana’s. I picked up sandwiches on the way, hoping Nana hadn’t eaten yet.

  “You’re home early.” She greeted me at the door with a bat.

  “New security system, Nana?” I looked pointedly at the bat and raised an eyebrow at her.

  “I wasn’t expecting you for another two hours.”

  “Yeah, change of plans. Apparently, Noah’s other mother has custody of him on Wednesday nights, but she’s sporadic in her visits, so nobody thought to tell me. It was crazy. She was crazy. I wouldn’t let her in, so she called me a few things, yelled, and finally called Brook, who called me back to let me know it was okay.”

  “Wait. What? Brook is a lesbian?”

  Nana and I had similar minds.

  “I know, right? Surprised me, too. And I think Noah’s violin teacher is, as well. Who knew Rhode Island was the mecca of hot lesbians?”

  When I came out to my parents in high school, they ignored me for a long time. Nana hugged me and we baked a cake together when she found out. It was exactly what I n
eeded—comfort and love during such an emotional confession. She wasn’t surprised, but I suffered a fracture in my relationship with my parents. My mother chalked it up to a phase, and my father refused to accept it.

  “The last thing you want to do is sleep with your boss,” Nana said.

  “Well, it’s not really the last thing I want to do, but I know what you’re saying.”

  Nana gave me a stern look. “You focus on school and not your libido.”

  “Nana, stop. We aren’t going to talk about my sex life.” I put my hands over my ears and sang to block out whatever words of wisdom she was trying to get across. When her mouth closed, I put my hands down. “Seriously, there are a zillion women out there. You don’t have to worry about me and Brook. I will remain professional.” I gave her the Brook Wellington single nod.

  She pointed her finger at me sternly. “I will always worry about you.”

  “And I will always love you for it. Let’s eat. I want to move some stuff over to the studio before I have to sit down to study. I think I’ll stay there tonight. Is that okay?”

  Nana bit into her sandwich and nodded. “You should. Then by the weekend, you can show me the place.”

  Thank God there was a separate gate. I could sneak Nana in without attention. Not that I didn’t want Nana to see where I was living, but I didn’t want Brook to think I intended to have a lot of traffic. “Definitely. I can pick you up after church if you want.”

  “Perfect. Then we can go to lunch. You’re making good money. You can buy your Nana a delicious meal.”

  I held up my half of the sub. “What the heck is this then? You know Tony’s has the best chicken parmesan in the world.”

  “I want a sit-down lunch. With cloth napkins.”

  I still had a hundred from the Minks job. I got paid every other Friday with Brook, but I was only three days into the job. I had to make the hundred work for gas and food for the next nine days and didn’t want to dip into my signing bonus because that was the car fund. I felt Nana’s hand on mine.

  “I’ll buy lunch. You can take me to dinner when you get paid.”