The Baby Package

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “I’m always on time.”

  Both Patrick and Anna broke into laughter at the idea. Maybe I was exaggerating a little, but I could be on time for this job interview. There was no doubt in my mind that this job was meant to be.

  “Always?” Anna teased.

  “Okay, okay, maybe not always. But I’ll be on time for this. I promise. Thanks for helping me out Jason; I really appreciate it.”

  “Not sure how much of a help I was, but at least you can go in for the interview. Tyler is really picky, and I think he’s been through a few nannies in the last few months. But I know he’s getting desperate to hire someone and so hopefully, it works out for the both of you.”

  “Is he mean or something?” I asked.

  “No, he’s a really nice guy. I think he’s just particular about his children and their schedules. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he wants the kids to maintain a schedule so their life isn’t stressful. From what I understand, the last nanny went back to college or something. So not a big dramatic firing or anything like that.”

  This was so exciting. My bad mood had totally been turned upside down by the prospect of being a nanny. I loved kids, and without a doubt, I could hang with them and feed them. I couldn’t imagine why I hadn’t thought about being a nanny before.

  As we ate pizza and played party games, even Patrick seemed to lighten up a bit. He stopped being grumpy and even smiled a few times while we played. For the first time in several months, I finally felt like a job was going to be the perfect fit for me.

  Chapter 4

  Tyler

  “So she has experience?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I think so. I’ll make sure, though. Just interview her. She really needs a job, and I know her, she’s a nice girl.”

  “Man, I don’t know. This is so stressful. Everyone who has come to interview is so awkward around the kids. Is it too much to ask that someone actually can play with them as well as take care of them?”

  “Just remember, Tyler, you’re not looking for their mom. You’re looking for someone good enough. And don’t be turned off by this girl’s appearance. Look beyond that, okay?”

  I wasn’t exactly sure what he was implying, but I didn’t care what the nanny looked like. I wanted someone the kids would like who could also follow the rules I set out. To me, it didn’t seem like I was asking for too much, but yet, over and over the women I interviewed weren’t a good fit.

  Sometimes, it was the way they answered the questions I’d asked. Other times, it was how they described their previous work history. There were fake answers for everything, and I longed for someone to come in and just tell the truth.

  “I don’t care what she looks like. Just have her come at two o’clock. I’ve got the last of my other women to interview before that. But if I find a nanny earlier in the day, I’m going to cancel her appointment.”

  “I hope it works out for you.”

  “Thanks for the referral. I appreciate your help.”

  “Of course, let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” Jason replied.

  Hanging up with Jason made me realize just how isolated I’d become since my wife had passed away. I didn’t go out with the guys. I didn’t meet up with friends. Basically, I was wrapped up in work and kids so much that I didn’t get a single moment of time to myself. I didn’t mind though because my kids were the most important thing in my life, and I’d give up every second of my free time to them gladly.

  ***

  Saturday morning, I prepared the kids for a long morning of interviews. They were set up in the living room with some toys and cartoons, and I was set up in my office for the interviews. This was the last day of interviews, and if I didn’t find someone I loved by the end of the day, I was going to have to pick just anyone that would do. There wasn’t enough time left. I had to get someone on board and training right away.

  The morning interviews were total duds. The three women and one man I interviewed seemed more interested in describing how perfect they were than telling me about who they really were. It was exhausting to listen to that much fakeness going on all morning long.

  By lunch time, I needed a break, and the kids and I went to the backyard to run around and play. It was a beautiful late summer day and nearly ninety degrees out. After being cooped up in the living room all morning, the kids were excited to have some play time and took off so fast I couldn’t catch up to them.

  “So did you like any of those nannies?” I asked Faith.

  As the oldest and a girl, she tended to pay more attention to this decision than Thomas did. For Thomas, I was fairly sure anyone who was nice to him and would make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was all he wanted. But for Faith, it was going to take much more to make her happy. I wasn’t sure what that was just yet, but I was happy to search for it with her and eager to see if any of these people met her wish list.

  “I didn’t really like them,” she said sadly. “But if you think they are good, then I’ll try to like them.”

  “I’ve got two more ladies coming this afternoon. If we don’t like these ones, we will have to talk about everyone we have met so far. I did do some interviews while you were at school. You might like one of them.”

  “Why didn’t you hire them?” Thomas asked.

  “Because I wasn’t sure yet.”

  “You said that Mom used to say you know if a person is good or not from the moment you first meet them,” Faith said as she repeated back my own wisdom from the first day of school speech.

  “Well, I think most of these people are good. But there’s more to taking care of the two of you than just being good.”

  It was true. I honestly thought the people I was interviewing genuinely would be good nannies for someone, just not me. There was no connection – not a sexual connection, just a connection in that I felt comfortable around them and vice-versa. I was searching for this mythical connection, and I just couldn’t figure out what exactly it was just yet.

  “Maybe one of the last two will be perfect,” Faith said in her usual cheerful way.

  “I bet they will.”

  After an hour playing and laughing in the heat, we came inside to eat our sandwiches and cool off before the 1:30 p.m. interview showed up. I had a good feeling about this afternoon. Or maybe it was just hopeful dread that something good would turn up from the two women I had left to talk to.

  I was getting desperate for a nanny. When Annette pulled into the driveway, my gut sank before she even got to the house. She was wearing a full-blown business suit to an interview to be a nanny. I tried not to be too judgmental of what people wore, but it was 90 degrees outside, and she was interviewing to work with kids. It wasn’t quite the right choice, but I put on a smile and opened the door to greet her.

  “Hi, are you Tyler?” she asked with her hand extended to shake mine.

  “Yes, Annette?”

  “Yep, it’s so nice to meet you.”

  “This is Faith and Thomas,” I said as we stood in the living room.

  The kids looked up from the newly started television show and then back at it again. They both looked like they were about to fall asleep after our afternoon of playing outside. I was exhausted too, and I probably didn’t smell the greatest, but I plugged along with the interview.

  “It’s nice to meet you guys,” Annette said nicely.

  Again, the kids didn’t turn around and continued with their show. I already didn’t have a great feeling about this girl, but we were running out of choices, so I continued.

  “Should we go sit in my office and talk for a minute?”

  “Sure, I’d love that.”

  Annette followed me down the hall to my office. I left the door open so I could hear if the kids needed anything, and we sat down in the two wingback chairs I had in the corner. I’d tried interviewing people while I sat behind my desk, but it just felt really impersonal and awkward.

  “So, tell me a little about yourself,” I said a
s I pulled out her resume that she had emailed over to me.

  “As you will note, I spent three years at the Stepping Stone’s Daycare. I worked in the big kid room and with the recreation team. I’ve got experience in crafting for kids as well as wellness education.”

  “Wow, that’s really exciting. What about your hobbies? What do you like to do away from work?” I asked, desperate to hear anything that made this girl seem like a real person and not a robot repeating her résumé.

  “I volunteer at the boys and girls club of America and really enjoy my time there. It has helped me learn self-discipline and compassion for the children I work with.”

  “Okay, how about stress. How do you handle stress?”

  “I majored in children’s psychology, so I know how to take time out for myself and the kids I help take care of. It’s been very helpful over the years, and I don’t yell or take it out on the children.”

  Our interview went on and on like this for well over the half hour time slot I’d allotted. When I finally walked Annette out to the front room, I was a little shocked to see there was a woman sitting on the couch braiding Faith’s hair.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Sorry, Dad, I let her in. You were busy with your questioning,” Faith said.

  “Hi, I’m Summer. We have a mutual friend, Jason Hartley,” she said with a smile. “I’d totally shake your hand, but Faith said her hair was really hot, and I offered to French braid it to get it off of her neck. Give me just a minute.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Summer,” I said as I realized this was the feeling I’d been looking for. “Thank you for coming in, Annette. I’ll let you know.”

  I practically rushed Annette out the front door as I sat down in the living room and watched Summer working on Faith’s hair. She expertly twisted the strands of hair together and within minutes had it beautifully braided.

  “Um, could you get in my purse and grab a ponytail?” she asked me. “It’s probably in the side pocket.”

  “I’m not sure whether it’s legal for a man to go through a purse of this size.” I laughed as I saw her giant duffle bag of a purse next to the couch.

  “Don’t worry; I won’t have you arrested for it, at least not this time.” She laughed.

  There was no hiding how stunning this girl was. Suddenly, I realized what Jason had been saying when he warned me about her looks. He wasn’t telling me that because she looked strange in some way – he was telling me that because Summer looked like she belonged on the cover of a Vogue magazine and not in my house braiding my daughter’s hair.

  I dug into her bag and found a ponytail for Faith’s hair. I didn’t look at anything while my hand was in her bag, but I could have sworn I felt the wrapper of a condom in the side pocket she had guided me to. But hell, a woman like her was probably having a lot of sex, and at least she was safe about it.

  “Should we head back to my office for the interview?” I asked.

  “It was very nice meeting you, Faith, and you too, Thomas,” Summer said, and both of the kids turned around to talk to her.

  “He’s not as mean as people say he is,” Thomas said. “And it was nice meeting you.”

  “My dad is like a candy bar with nuts in it. At first, you think it’s disgusting, but after a few bites, he’s not so bad,” Faith said.

  “Wow, okay then, we are going to go back and talk for a minute.” I shook my head at my kids and how they had described me. I really wasn’t mean, just firm. And I wasn’t at all sure what Faith meant by the candy bar analogy. “Sorry about that,” I said to Summer as we went into my office.

  “About what? Your kids are adorable and so nice. I’m sure they got that from you and their mother. So nothing to apologize for.”

  “Thanks, now let’s do this interview. Jason didn’t tell me anything about you, just that you might be a good fit for the job. Could you tell me a little more about you?”

  “Let’s see – I like to shop, probably more than any woman should admit to. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I really do love kids, and I need a job right now.”

  For a moment, I just sat and took in the honesty of her answer. I’d hoped an honest answer would have made me feel much better about this whole process, but I wasn’t sure that it was doing it for me. Although, it was refreshing to get something other than what was on a resume.

  “Did you bring a resume?”

  “No, I’m sorry; I don’t have one. My last job was in retail, and they don’t need resumes to hire you there. What else would you like to know about me? I’ve had a few retail jobs recently, and I help my family with charity work and things like that. Or at least I used to until my father insisted I find my way in life.”

  “What way is that?” I wondered.

  “I really have no idea yet. I’m still working on that.”

  “What are some of your hobbies?” I ventured into one of the old interview questions I asked everyone I talked to.

  “I’m not one to have a lot of free time, but I do enjoy fashion a lot. Not just shopping but actually learning about it and how designs are made. And I like …” she started to say and then stopped herself.

  For a moment, I let the room fill with silence while I waited to see what she was going to say. Summer looked like she had something else she was going to tell me, but she just stopped and smiled at me.

  “What else?” I urged her.

  “It’s silly and has nothing to do with taking care of children. We can go on.”

  “It’s okay – what else do you like?” I was genuinely curious.

  “Hair and makeup. I’ve had a passion for it, but none of my hobbies are big careers. So I’m still searching for a more grown up thing to do with myself.”

  “I don’t know. I think fashion designers and professional makeup artists make pretty decent livings. It sounds like a lot of hard work to me.”

  The look of surprise on her face at my comment was undeniable. She smiled so big that I swore she forced me to smile back at her.

  “Usually people just tell me it’s silly to think of those things as careers.”

  “Hell, I make a living off of having pictures taken and selling a dolled up experience of a company. Basically, I’m just lipstick for hotels.” I laughed.

  I hadn’t actually thought about advertising as makeup before. It was pretty much what it was, though. We took a bland company like a hotel chain and jazzed them up with commercials and pictures. It was all about perception.

  “I’ve never thought about advertising like that.”

  “I’m sorry; I’ve gotten distracted a little from my questions. Let’s move on. How do you manage stress?”

  “Ice cream.”

  “Me too.” I laughed at her answer.

  This was the girl. I was sure of it. Not only had Jason recommended her, but she was down to earth and real. Plus, Faith already adored her and could really use a girly girl around to play dress up and do hair.

  “Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?” Summer asked boldly.

  “Sure, anything.”

  “Jason thought you were going to want me to move in here. Would I have to stay here all the time or would I get time off?”

  “Good question. You’d have Sundays off unless I were out of town. I’d coordinate with you ahead of time if I was traveling, and of course, I’d pay you extra when I traveled.”

  “Do I work all day every day?”

  “Another good question. You know, no one else I interviewed even asked these. I like that you’re thinking ahead like this,” I said to genuinely compliment her. “Usually, I’m home around six, but you might be out with the kids at their activities. If I can make it to the activity, you could get off work right then, or I’ll take over whenever I get home. You should have most evenings free unless things are really crazy. So to be honest, that might mean one or two nights where I’ll need you to make dinner too.”

  “I’m a horrible cook.”

&nb
sp; “Wow, that was really honest; I’m not the greatest either. Whatever you whip up is just fine, and I’m happy to leave a credit card for you to order dinner in if that is easier.”

  “Okay.”

  “So could you start on Monday? I think it would be good for us to do a run through of the school drop off together. It’s pretty complex. Probably my least favorite thing to do.”

  Summer looked a little nervous at the idea of doing the school pick up. I’d been just as nervous when I had to start doing it, and still today I preferred when I had a nanny to manage the chaos. The school was wildly strict about all their rules, and it was exhausting trying to keep up.

  “Um, yeah. I could come over. Like when?”

  “Maybe around three. We could drive over for the pickup, and I’ll show you the process. Once you do it a couple of times, you’ll be an expert at it. It’s annoying, but you seem like an intelligent woman. I think you’ll get the hang of it rather quickly.

  “Thanks,” she said with a demure smile. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  I weighed the idea of telling her about the other nannies and some of the issues I’d had with them. But I really couldn’t risk scaring her away, and I was going to work really hard at not acting like an ass when things didn’t go right with the kids.

  Over the years, I’d learned that nannies get really upset when I yell, so I obviously wasn’t going to do that anymore. I also wasn’t going to correct them on what they wear, which was something I normally would have done if Summer had worked for me before.

  She was a beautiful girl, no doubt about it. At least she had on jeans and not a ridiculous business suit. The four-inch heels she had on though weren’t all that practical for dealing with kids.

  “I think we can go through more things this week. I’ll try and keep my schedule as open as possible so we can work through things, and you can learn the ropes. But the kids are pretty good at answering questions when you have them. I have a huge trip in a few weeks, and I’m really excited to get you comfortable enough so you can handle the kids for those two weeks.”