by Claire Adams
“Do you want me to turn up the heat in here?” I asked.
He pulled a face and stripped off his jacket, but left the scarf. “I think I’ll be fine.” He went over to the window and sat on the couch. “Dude, this vacation was one of our best ones.”
Brandon and his wife, Amelia, took at least one big trip every year. Last year, they toured Europe for two months. The idea of that was fun, but with my job and Gina, I’d never be able to swing it.
“We laid by the water almost every single day.”
“You look it.” His face was much darker than it had been the last time I’d saw him. What I wouldn’t give to be on a beach in the middle of winter.
“You should try and come with us next time,” he said.
“And be your third wheel?” I asked and shook my head.
“Since when do you have a problem being a third wheel with us?”
He was right. Brandon and I met in high school, and he met Amelia in college, so we’d all known each other a long time.
“I couldn’t leave Gina for a month,” I said. “Unless you plan a child-friendly vacation.”
Brandon paled.
“That was a joke,” I said.
Brandon clicked his tongue. “These vacations are definite perks of not having children. No offense.”
“None taken.” I wouldn’t trade Gina for any vacation. I’d rather be shackled at home and have her then go on fancy vacations each year. Brandon and I had different priorities.
“We drank and ate so much on the cruise,” Brandon said, patting his flat stomach for emphasis. “I need to get back to the gym as soon as possible.”
I sat down next to him and prodded for him to tell me more about the vacation. At least I could live vicariously through him. Eventually, I’d go on vacations again, when Gina was older. But for now, I liked hearing all of the places that Brandon visited. He somehow always managed to find really great local restaurants or shops or new places off the beaten path to explore. Something that wouldn’t be possible with a toddler.
“Did you find a new nanny?” he asked when he finished talking about the trip. I wasn’t sure if he sensed my attention fading away. I had a million things to do before getting home to Gina and Jess.
“I did,” I said. “It’s funny how it worked out.” I recapped the hiring process for Jess. “Gina loves her. Jess is a sweet girl. She’s Australian, and Gina always has a new slang word to tell me each day. Jess has been taking Gina to all of these different places around the city to keep busy. I’m glad to have scooped her up when I could. She’s fantastic. She’s a lifesaver, and I’m not sure what I would have done without her.”
Brandon furrowed his eyebrows.
Had I said something wrong? “What?”
“Are you talking about a nanny or your next girlfriend?”
“What do you mean?”
“Dude, you’re grinning like a man in love.”
“I’m not in love with her,” I said. “She’s my kid’s nanny.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Of course I’m sure,” I said. I thought back on how I described Jess. I didn’t see anything wrong with complimenting the way she was with Gina. That was Brandon though. He and Amelia were always scheming to get me together with any single female they knew.
While Brandon was away, I’d had a nice break from their obsession with my single status. I knew they meant well, but they were happily in love and married, I was happily in love with my daughter and married to my work. And for Brandon to think that I liked Jess was ludicrous. What was so wrong with being happy with my nanny? Was it because she was younger? I hated that stigma. Sure, Jess was attractive, but there were plenty of attractive women that I employed, and I never expressed any favor towards them.
Sometimes my best friend had blinders on. Or maybe Amelia was talking about me behind my back on how I needed to have a woman in my life. As much as I loved the two of them, I wished they would stop meddling. I was perfectly happy in my life. It wasn’t the typical 2.5 kids and a white picket fence, but I’d had a wife before. And she died. I didn’t need to get married again to have my life fulfilled.
“She’s just the nanny,” I said. “And nothing more.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said with a smirk.
Now he was getting on my nerves. “I’m not sure what else I could say to convince you.”
“Have you been on a date since hiring her?” Brandon asked.
What the hell did that have to do with anything? “I haven’t been on a date since that last woman you tried to hook me up with. Hillary, I think?”
Brandon made a face. “That was Amelia’s choice.”
“Well, I wish you would allow me to make my own choices when it comes to dating.”
Brandon held up his hands in a surrendering motion. “I get it, bro. I’ll stop. But I can’t guarantee you that Amelia will end her search for your next soul mate.”
“I’ll be sure to avoid her from now on then.”
Brandon chuckled. “You can try, but she knows where you live.”
When I got home later that night, Brandon’s comments still weighed on my mind. If he saw something in the way I described Jess, then I’d have to make an effort for no one else to see whatever expression or thought had tipped him off. I wouldn’t want Jess to feel uncomfortable with me and quit after thinking I had feelings for her.
I hated how Brandon got in my head about this.
Inside the house, I heard Jess giving Gina a bath. Tonight was one of my late working nights, but ever since Jess came into our lives, I’d managed to put Gina to bed most nights.
Walking up to the bathroom door, I heard Jess singing the alphabet song to Gina. Gina sang along with her, but I stopped and listened anyway. I closed my eyes and imagined Wendy doing that with Gina. When Wendy was pregnant with Gina, she used to sing to her growing belly all the time.
I shoved the thoughts away and knocked on the door.
The singing immediately stopped as I walked through into the bathroom.
Jess knelt by the tub while Gina held a rubber ducky in her hand and was pretending to make it fly.
“Hey,” Jess said.
“Daddy!” Gina exclaimed.
“I wanted to let you know I was home,” I said. “I’ll let you finish up.”
Jess picked up a towel from behind her. “We’re finished.”
Jess pulled Gina from the tub and dried her off. Gina jumped up and down, and her little teeth were chattering.
“Cold, cold, cold,” she chanted.
“Let’s get you into PJs, okay?” Jess said.
“I want to pick!” Gina said, running from the room, leaving the towel behind.
Jess stood up and gathered all of the bath toys into the small plastic storage container. “How was your day?”
I enjoyed our little catch-ups at the end of each day. “A friend of mine came to visit. He was on vacation for a month.”
“Wow,” she said, turning on the water to clean out the tub. “That must be nice.”
I noticed myself smiling. Had that been what Brandon saw? I wiped my hand across my face and ended up with a more neutral expression. “Brandon and his wife seem always to be traveling.”
“Have you and Gina gone anywhere with them before?” I asked.
“No,” I said, even though it wasn’t for lack of want. “With the business and taking care of her, there isn’t much time.”
“You keep saying that,” she said with a small smile.
I narrowed my eyes. “My business is important to me.”
“I totally get that. But you should do something for yourself now and then.”
I laughed. “Like what?”
“Like something fun.” She shrugged. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“Back in the day, I loved to go out, I guess.” I shrugged, not really wanting to get into this conversation again.
“Then go out now.”
“Alone?”
I lifted and eyebrow, wishing I had responded with something else. Hell, anything else.
“No. On a date.”
“You sound like Brandon.”
“Does he try to set you up?” she said.
I rolled my eyes. “All the time.”
“Maybe you should listen to your friend.”
“I don’t—”
“Listen, I have this friend. She would be perfect for you. She’s available this Saturday.”
“Jess, I—”
“I know it’s hard getting back out there,” she said, grabbing the towel from the ground and hanging it on the rack by the tub. “But if your friends have tried to set you up and failed, maybe you need to branch out a little further. We think it will be good for you.”
“Did you discuss this with Gina?” I asked.
“Absolutely not, but as I said the other day, she did mention she wants to see you happy with another woman. And I’m not saying you’re going to marry this girl, but getting out of the house without a toddler in tow would be good for you.”
I wondered how much Jess was going to push the issue until I gave in. She seemed pretty persistent. Maybe if I went on a date with her friend, then I could have the opportunity to tell her to drop it for a little while.
“All right,” I said. “Text me the information later.”
“Yay!” she said and clapped her hands. “You two will get along perfectly. I promise.”
I doubted that. I had a nasty taste in my mouth about going out with Jess’s friend. If I had to be honest with myself, I’d rather spend Saturday night with Jess and Gina. But Jess and Brandon were right. I needed to get back out there. Even if it was just for fun.
Then, Gina walked into the bathroom wearing bright pink pajama pants and a green nightgown with a dog on the front. Jess and I smiled at each other. Gina hadn’t mastered matching yet. But as long as she was happy, I never wanted to deter her creativity.
Jess dropped down to give Gina a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow, little tacker.”
“Tomorrow?” Gina asked.
“Yep,” Jess said. “Your Dad is going out tomorrow night.”
“Sleepover with Jess!” Gina said.
Jess looked at me and smirked. Her not bogging Gina down with the specifics was a blessing. I didn’t want to answer any questions about me dating until I found someone special enough. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, including my own.
CHAPTER 10
Jess
“Do you want to go to the aquarium?” I asked Gina late Friday morning. Steady rainfall from the night before poured into the morning, postponing any outdoor plans we might have made.
“Not today,” Gina said, looking out of her bedroom window. “Can we jump in puddles outside?”
I wouldn’t have minded if we were in the middle of summer. But the cooler temperatures plus the rain wasn’t the best idea.
“It’s too chilly for puddles,” I said.
She let out a sigh. “Can we go to see Sierra?”
I checked my phone. It was nearly eleven. I had a craving for a hot Panini from the shop around the corner from the record store. We could spend a little time in there and then get something to eat before Gina’s nap.
“All right, it will be a short trip,” I said. “Let’s get our jackets.”
The ride to the record shop was much smoother in the rain than it ever had been in my car. I began to dread driving home in my clunker when I spent my time with Gina driving in the luxurious car that Noah provided to his nannies. The whump-whump of the wipers sounded melodic and enough to make my shoulders relax a bit. I hated driving in the rain. And it seemed like this rain would never end. I couldn’t wait until summer to start.
And with a stroke of luck, I found a spot right outside the record shop, so we didn’t have to travel far. I did bring an umbrella with us for the walk to lunch.
The moment I got Gina out from the car, she rushed toward the record shop. I went after her, both of us desperate to get out of the rain.
Gina was already inside when I got there.
She’d found Sierra in the back of the store.
“Nice, Jess,” Sierra said.
“What?” I asked.
“She ran in here by herself. Aren’t you supposed to be watching her?” Sierra said with a smirk.
“I was watching her,” I said, pulling a face. “And I knew you were in here.”
“Tsk, tsk, you’re a naughty nanny.”
My eyes practically bulged out of my head.
“I’m just messing with you.” Sierra grinned and lifted Gina into her arms. “What’s up, little duck?”
“Quack, quack!” Gina said. “I want to listen to the barn song!”
Sierra took Gina’s hand and brought her over to one of the display record players. Sierra had played her an old children’s record when they first met. And Gina loved the Old MacDonald song, so she insisted on listening each time she was in the store.
Each time we came in, Gina listened to it at least three times in a row, so I knew I’d be able to get a little break with Sierra for a minute. Stuck inside with a three-year-old who had boundless energy called for a little mental break. And during her nap, I would probably doze off myself.
Sierra came over to me, and we watched Gina dance and mimic the sounds from the song.
“Haven’t seen you in a few days,” Sierra said. “Are things going well?”
“Yeah, they are. Sorry I haven’t been in touch. Gina keeps me busy, and I’m knackered by the end of the day.”
“Are you sure it’s not because you’ve been a naughty nanny?”
Not this again. “Keep your voice down.”
“She has no idea what I’m talking about.”
Gina sang loud enough that she probably wouldn’t hear a freight train passing through the store.
“I’ve actually set Noah up with Kimberly.”
“You what?” Sierra asked.
“They’re going out Saturday night. I’m watching Gina.”
“Kimberly, the yoga instructor? I thought she was seeing what’s-his-face?”
“That’s been over for a while now. She’s single. Noah’s single. They both like fitness. It’s a good match.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Sierra asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m the one who set them up,” I said.
“Yeah, but you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Create excuses for yourself. Remember when you liked that guitar player?”
I cringed, knowing where she was going with this.
“And then you slept with his brother?” Sierra continued. “You created that barrier so you’d never be able to date either of them.”
“That was different.”
“Was it?”
“And I was young and stupid. Isn’t that guy married now? So, it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“You two could be married by now,” Sierra said. “Not that that matters now. The point is that you always do this with men you like.”
“I don’t have feelings for Noah,” I said, sounding like a broken record.
“Sure you don’t,” she said incredulously.
“Sierra, he’s my boss. I need this job, remember?”
“There’s another set of excuses…” Sierra trailed off.
I had to make her understand my side. “That’s like you being in love with Harold.”
She pretended to gag herself. “No way is that the same thing. Harold is gross and old. Noah is sexy, wealthy, and has a daughter you clearly adore. Tell me you wouldn’t want to be her mommy during the day and his wifey at night?”
I opened my mouth to say something, but the music cut off. Gina didn’t need to be involved or overhear anything Sierra and I spoke about her father.
“Again, please!” she said, reaching for the record player.
Sierra walked over and showed Gina how to gently move the needle to the beginning of the son
g again. Then my best friend came back over to my side.
“How come you never brought all of this up with the other dads?” I asked. Not that I was attracted to them, but we were the same age; why was she pushing for me to have a boyfriend when she loved the single life?
“Because you didn’t get all gushy when you talked about those dads. You’re clearly smitten, and I think this date with Kimberly is not a good idea. What if they start dating and you regret setting them up? And then you get kicked out when they get married.”
“Even if they did get married, none of that would matter as long as Gina is happy.”
“All I’m saying is that you’re a little over concerned when it comes to Noah’s love life. You should take a step back and think about what you want. Your job be damned. If you two get along as well as you say, and you love his daughter, don’t ruin any chances before they come up.”
“I’m doing this for Gina,” I said, weakly. Sierra put strange thoughts into my head about Noah. And my mission to hook him up with Kimberly was a little muddled now. “She needs a mother figure in her life.” Repeating the goal I needed to accomplish helped with keeping that focus in my brain.
“Well, you don’t need to rush anything,” Sierra said. “They have you right now. And that’s more than enough of a mother figure.”
“I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or insult.”
Sierra bumped my hip. “It’s a compliment, darling. Now let’s go shake our asses to ‘Wheels on the Bus.’”
After coming home from the record shop and lunch, Gina clocked in the longest nap to date at almost three hours. I had to wake her around four, so the timing of her bedtime wouldn’t be screwed up. Given how tired she acted for the rest of the day, I knew that wouldn’t be a problem. I’d texted Noah and ordered pizza that night earlier than normal. And by the time she finished eating, Noah came through the front door.
“Hey, Daddy,” Gina said wearily from the table.
Noah looked at me then back to Gina. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I said. “We visited a friend of mine today.”
“Kimberly?” he asked.