by Katy Kaylee
“Yes, I am.”
“Oh my god, thank you so much! When would you like me to start?” I asked, glancing at Claire, who did a happy and excited dance around the pool table.
“As soon as you can. I’ll have a car pick you up at your house, or apartment, and I’ll need you to fill out a few documents and sign our contract.”
“That is perfectly fine. Can I text you the address to this number?” I asked.
“Yes, this is my personal number. I am always reachable on it.”
“Okay, great,” I said, wondering if I was imagining the flirty and suggestive tone he used. Of course I was imagining it. He wasn't hiring me as his girlfriend or his wife or whatever. I was now the full-time nanny of the daughter of a billionaire. A smoking hot billionaire, which may possibly present some problems, but I was sure that I could handle it.
Pretty sure, at least.
“Great. I look forward to having you here. Willow is really excited.”
So am I, Mr. Marsh.
“So am I. Tell her I say hey and I’ll see her soon.”
“I will,” he answered, and it sounded like he was smiling.
“Bye, Mr. Marsh. Have a great evening,” I said, “and thank you again.”
“You too, Malia.”
The call disconnected and I glanced blankly at Claire.
“Oh my god. You’re going to be living in a billionaire’s house!” Claire shrieked.
“I know,” I cheered as well.
“We have to celebrate,” Claire said and dragged me over to the bar.
“Wait, what about the game,” I protested.
“I was losing anyway, so what the hell?” Claire scoffed.
Claire had never been very good at pool, so I understood where she was coming from. She was good at numbers, hence the degree in accounting she was completing in the Fall.
We’ve known one another for almost a year, and she was the person who I felt most comfortable with, which was saying a lot, and she at most time she knew me better than I knew myself. Her short red hair, longer on the one side, was always styled to perfection, and she had the kind of face shape which looked amazing with any short hairstyle. She kind of resembled a sassy and smart little pixie, without the wings or the pointy ears, and she had the most beautiful eyes. The left eye was a bright blue, and the right one was a piercing green, which was extraordinary to me.
Of course, us normal people with both eyes the same color, wasn't nearly as magical as she was, and I was totally jealous.
Claire lined up a row of shots, which I knew, much to my dismay, was tequila and we celebrated for the rest of the night, until the early hours of the morning. I just hoped I had the strength to get out of bed in the morning.
It was a really good night though.
The next morning, after nursing a bit of a hangover from the night before, I called Mr. Marsh and arranged for him to have a car sent out to my apartment building, where Claire and I stayed. Of course Claire was sad that I was moving out, but also excited for the new opportunity that I had been given. My last job ended so abruptly that I didn’t quite get the closure I needed, but it was okay.
My future looked as bright as the sparkly clean Jaguar that pulled up in front of my building to take me to my new job, and my new home.
Malia
The alarm clock buzzed loudly beside my bedside and I opened her eyes sleepily. The dream that I had was too good to end so abruptly, but I knew that there wasn't any room for snoozing. At least not yet. Summer vacation was around the corner, which meant I could at least sleep a little later, if Willow allowed me, of course. The sun was already out and the bright rays of sunshine shone through the shutters on the large window of my bedroom. I reached out to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock and stared at ceiling for a few minutes. I could already hear Mr. Marsh, although he insisted that I call him Dillon, but it didn't feel quite right, even after working for him for three whole years.
The past three years have been great, and I was in no position to complain. I lived with the Marshes, in a beautiful room which actually resembled a suite at a fancy and very expensive hotel, and I had full access to the entire house, which even had a spa, a sauna and a gym. Mr. Marsh gave me a brand new phone, so that he could reach me and I could reach him at any given time. He even gave me my own car, a beautiful midnight blue BMW X1, to drive Willow anywhere and everywhere she wanted and needed to go. I was even allowed to have every other weekend off, if I wanted to. Of course I only took a few hours to spend time with Claire, but for the most part I spent my time at the Marsh mansion, as I aptly referred to it. It was fucking massive, I kid you not.
It was one of the biggest estates in Palm Beach, with a view of the ocean on the one side of the house, and the river on the other side. It was a magnificent home, which was not surprising. Mr. Marsh was a billionaire after all, and I had to admit, the man had very impressive taste in décor. Over the last three years, we’ve also had the opportunity to get to know one another better, but it obviously didn't resort to anything. I was his employee and we were to act that way. I didn't want to do anything that would get me fired, since this was totally my dream job.
Willow was the most amazing kid, and although she was only nine, she was incredibly bright, intelligent, snarky and tactless, which I loved about her. She was also musical, playing the guitar and the piano, and I was in awe of her grace as she immersed herself in the world of music.
I sat up in bed, threw the covers off me and walked to the large window which overlooked the backyard, the pool and the river. It was the most amazing view and there was nowhere I would rather be than here.
I stretched my arms above my head, still staring at the view and smiled happily. My bedroom door opened, followed by a knock and I glanced over my shoulder.
Willow peered in, only her head visible to me and she smiled. “Good, you’re up already.”
“Good morning to you too,” I said and placed my hands on my hips. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, I just thought we could get a head start this morning,” she answered, stepping into the doorway, already fully clothed, and clearly ready to go.
“And why is that?” I asked and cocked my head at her.
“No reason. I love school.”
“Really,” I asked, and crossed my arms. “So it has absolutely nothing to do with the new boy in your class. Mark from Washington, was it?”
“It’s Max, and he’s from Boston,” Willow blurted out and rolled her eyes.
I raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled.
“Whatever,” she scoffed. “I’m too young to have a boyfriend. Daddy said so.”
“I tend to agree with him. Boys your age are still immature babies,” I pointed out. “Actually, they don't really change when they get older.”
“Daddy isn’t an immature baby, except when he gets sick. Then he acts like he’s dying,” Willow said.
I laughed and nodded. “That’s pretty accurate.”
“So are you going to get dressed or what?” Willow asked.
“Yes, Miss Marsh. I’ll be right down.”
“Good. Are you having cereal today, or are you still on a health binge?” Willow muttered.
“Well, I remember seeing Crunchy Puffs, so cereal it is,” I answered.
“Good choice.” Willow turned on her heel and left my room.
I took a quick shower, got dressed and went downstairs. My bowl of cereal was already waiting on the marble kitchen counter, beside Willow who was already chomping down on her Crunchy Puffs. Mr. Marsh was sitting beside her, quietly drinking his coffee.
“Good morning, Mr. Marsh,” I greeted him with a smile and he nodded in acknowledgement.
“Good morning, Malia.”
“You look tired this morning. Did you work late again last night?” I asked as I slipped onto the chair beside Willow.
“I had to. There was a problem with some of the new contracts and I had to check every single one of them,” he answered and ran his f
ingers along his temples.
“You work too hard, you know,” I said as I poured milk over my cereal.
“I agree, Daddy. You should take some time off, especially when school closes. We could have a bit of fun, and you can relax a bit,” Willow agreed.
“Mr. Marsh glanced at Willow briefly, before averting is eyes towards me. “It’s like I’ the only one in this house that doesn't think I work too hard.”
“Well, you are kind of outnumbered,” I shrugged.
Mr. Marsh nodded, drank the last of his coffee and stood from his seat. “Then I’d better go before you gang up on me.”
“Too late, Daddy.”
Mr. Marsh smiled, the most gorgeous fucking smile I had ever seen, and kissed Willow on the cheek. “Have a good day, baby.”
“You too, Daddy. Love you,” Willow said.
“Love you too, baby,” Mr. Marsh said and glanced at me. “Have a good day, Malia.”
“Good luck at work, Mr. Marsh.”
“I’m going to need it,” he said and winked at me, before he left the kitchen.
It was a good thing I was sitting down, or my knees would have buckled from under me and I would have fallen flat on my face.
So, I had to admit, ever since the day I met Mr. Marsh, I had a major crush on him, which was weird for me, as a twenty-one year old woman. I obviously pushed it aside out of respect for Willow, and to save myself the embarrassment, as well as potentially losing my job. Three years later, that crush was even more intense than I could have ever imagined, but I would never, ever do anything about it. I had too much respect for Mr. Marsh, and myself. Willow was the only woman in Mr. Marsh’s life, and that was the way it was going to stay. I accepted it, sure, but that didn't mean that I wasn't allowed to fantasize about him.
That happened a lot, especially at night when I was alone in my room. I’d imagined what it would feel like to kiss those lips, have his arms wrapped around me. I’d imagined running my fingers down his bare back and chest…
“Hello, Earth to Malia,” Willow suddenly said beside me and I glanced at her. “Your cereal is getting soggy.”
“Maybe I like it soggy,” I defended.
“No-one likes it soggy,” she pointed out and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. “What were you thinking about?”
“I was just wondering if your dad was okay,” I answered nonchalantly. “He is working too hard.”
“He’ll be okay. Going on vacation always helps,” Willow says. “Maybe we can finally go to Disneyland.”
“You’ve never been?” I asked with a mouth-full of soggy puffs, which was disgusting, by the way.
“And you have?”
“I hear it’s awesome,” I chuckled.
“It is awesome,” Willow said dreamily and suddenly gasped. “I have a great idea. You should come with us.”
“To Disneyland? What am I going to do there?” I asked.
“Look after me, of course,” she answered.
“We can talk about it later,” I said as I glanced at the clock on the wall. “We better get going. We wouldn't want you to miss when Max’s mom drops him off, would we?”
Willow rolled her eyes at me and all I could do was laugh.
The drive to her school wasn't very long, and the traffic was surprisingly smooth. When I parked in the parking lot, I turned to her and smiled. “You have a good day, Okay, Willow?”
“I will,” she smiled back at me and handed me a list. “Remember to get all the things on this list. I’ll need it by tomorrow.”
“Got it,” I said and took the list from her.
“And I have my piano lesson this afternoon at three instead of four, which gives us a whole hour extra. Maybe we could go swimming. It’s going to be hot today. I checked the weather channel,” she told me in one go, without even taking a breath.
A smile formed on my lips and I nodded. “That sounds great.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at two,” she said and opened the car door.
“Have a good day, Willy.”
She sighed at my nickname for her, which she hated from day one, but I was the only person who was allowed to call her that, and slammed the door shut. “Remember the list.”
“Yes, Ms. Marsh,” I said and gave her an army salute.
“Bye!” She waved at me through the window, turned around and made her way to the school building.
I rested my hands on the steering wheel as I watched her disappear in through the entry doors and smiled. A few of the other nannies and au pairs waved at me as they passed me by and I reciprocated the gestures. I started my car, drove to the gas station to fill up my car, and drove to the stationary suppliers, as instructed by Willow. It didn't take me very long to find all the items on her list, and I purchased it with the credit card I was given by Mr. Marsh.
Afterwards, I drove back home, did a bit of yoga, sat in the sauna until I felt like a prune, and took a shower. I made lunch, placed it in the fridge for me and Willow to enjoy as soon as she got home and headed out again. The day flew by, and pretty soon I had picked Willow up at school and dropped her off at the Music Conservatory where she had her piano lessons. I sat in the car, which was only an hour, and listened to an audiobook from my phone about a sexy cowboy and a conservative school teacher set in a small town somewhere in Colorado. The story wasn’t that great, but it kept me engaged while I waited. It was better than sitting by myself and thinking about Mr. Marsh
It was hard not to think about him, his broad shoulders, his brown eyes that swirled like two cups of mocha lattes. His square jaw and his lips were perfectly in proportion and the way his eyebrow pushed together when he concentrated, was so sexy it was almost criminal.
I rested my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes, knowing that it would be the biggest mistake, but there he was in front of me, beckoning me closer with those eyes, those hands. It made me shiver and before I could help myself, I started fantasizing about him running his fingers along my naked body, skimming his lips over my bare skin.
I shivered once more and knew I had to stop. It was almost time for Willow to emerge from the large wooden double doors of the conservatory, and run towards the car, even though her piano instructor, a middle aged woman who looked like she belonged in seventeenth century England, clearly asked her not to run.
I opened my eyes and took a few deep breaths, just to calm myself down, and compose myself. Willow was very perceptive for her age, and she’d know that something was wrong. I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror, checked if everything was okay and pursed my lips. I stopped the audiobook, as it was just making me horny for no reason, getting me all hyped up for nothing.
A few minutes later, Willow came running out of the building, and a very stern Ms. Blanchard glancing at her in disapproval. I waved at the old woman, but she only gave me a nod in return.
The door opened and Willow climbed into the seat beside me.
“Hey kiddo. How was your piano lesson?” I asked.
“It was great. Thank you,” she answered and buckled her seatbelt. “Can we go swim now, please? I’m really hot.”
“Of course.”
“Did you get everything on my list?” she asked as I started the car.
“I did, and I have a surprise for you at home.”
She glanced at me with wide, inquisitive eyes and asked, “What is it?”
“If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?” I asked with a smirk.
She narrowed her eyes at me and said, “You’re mean,” causing me to laugh as I backed the car out of the parking lot.
Dillon
Dillon
Fuck, I was tired.
This was not an understatement. It was the god’s honest truth and I felt as though I could sleep for ten years. The new contracts for the upcoming investors had two errors in them, which in turn delayed the whole process. Today mainly consisted of various meetings with the personnel department and Human Resources, renegotiating the i
nvestors’ contracts, so that the attorneys and the administrative personnel could rectify the mistake as soon as they could. Then the contracts had to be sent to the proofreader, which was me – unluckily – and only when I gave it the all clear, could it be sent out.
There were fifty eight different contracts which needed to be overseen, and signed by me, which was the reason why I had been working late, and into the early hours of the morning. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to keep this up, but all I knew was that I was heading home. It was only just after three, but it was better than spending another minute in that office building.
Talk about spreading myself too thin.
God, what was I thinking?
Not even the music on the radio could ease the tension in my shoulders and I knew I had to make a call to my masseuse. She would definitely get rid of all this tension in my shoulders and back.
The garage door opened after I pressed the button on my remote panel and I slowly drove inside. I turned off the car and climbed out. I walked into the house through the inter-leading door and as I stepped into the hallway, I heard Willow’s excited voice and a bunch of water splashing. They could only be in the pool, which was a good thing. Willow loved water from a very young age, and I still remember how I would take her into the water when she was still a baby. She splashed around, fearless and carefree while I held onto her for dear life. I was so afraid that something would have happened to her, hence my over-protective nature.
I walked up the staircase, as I was in no mood to say hello to Malia and Willow, as they’d immediately know there was something wrong. Plus, I was not in the right frame of mind to be chatty right now. I just needed a long hot shower, and then I should be okay.
I yanked my tie off in frustration and gazed out of my bedroom window, which overlooked the pool, the backyard, as well as the river and our private dock. I glanced down at Willow in the water, and a smile formed on my lips. That smile, however, was replaced by another expression I failed to recognize. Malia had climbed out of the pool, drenched in water, wearing a bright blue bikini, and I couldn't help but stare at her. I wasn't sure how long it was, but at that moment the concept of time was irrelevant to me. Her bikini clung to her wet body, showing her curves in a way I had never seen before.