by Claire Adams
“We don’t have time to eat at home, but I’m ordering breakfast for the company so we can eat there,” I said.
“Okay. I need to change first,” she said.
I’d padded our morning for this very instance. I worked through some emails on my phone while Gina picked out her most “professional” outfit. She chose a blue and white dress with her “fancy” white shoes.
When I breached the topic of a ponytail, she patted my hand.
“Today, I wear a bow,” she said and picked out a big pink bow for me to place in her hair.
I felt relieved that she trusted me with such a task. And after a few tries maneuvering the clip into her hair, I managed to do it. At least I didn’t rip her hair out of her head this time.
“High-five!” I said, and she slapped my hand with hers and let out an excited giggle. “Let’s go!”
I walked through the door of the building only ten minutes later than normal. Most of my employees had already picked through the breakfast I’d had the caterer set up in the lobby. But I’d ordered plenty for everyone. I allowed Gina to choose which items she wanted. By the time we made it down the buffet line, I had two full plates of food.
We went up the elevator this time, and on our way to my office she insisted on greeting every employee along the way, and Gina explained that she was working with me today.
Once I got her settled in her section of the office, I called Allison in to brief me on my day.
“Did you like any of the nannies?” Allison asked.
“I’d like to make an appointment with two of them tomorrow, as soon as you can schedule it.”
I handed her two resumes.
“You don’t seem thrilled about it?” Allison said, looking at the paperwork.
“I wanted to take my time with the process, but I need someone now. I’d hate to settle for anyone, though. At this rate, I’ll have to give Gina a job here since finding a nanny seems unlikely.”
“It’s only been a few days,” Allison said. “I can put an ad out on some job websites if you’d like?”
“Thank you, Allison. Let’s do that if the candidates tomorrow don’t work out.”
She jotted something down on her notepad and stood up. “Is that all?”
“For now,” I said.
“I’ll come in shortly to get you for your first meeting.”
“Thank you.”
After the door had closed behind Allison, I got up from my chair and sat down next to Gina. She had half of a croissant in her mouth while she concentrated on coloring one of the pages from one of the many coloring books on the shelves next to her table.
I took a scone from the plate and munched on it while watching her intently concentrating on the page.
“I love her purple shoes,” I said.
“Thank you,” she mumbled through the croissant.
Three sharp knocks sounded on my door.
“Come in,” I said. Had ten minutes already gone by so quickly?
“Someone is here to see you.” Allison poked her head into the room.
I looked up to see a woman I’d never seen before walking into the office behind her. I stood up, my protective fatherly instinct flashing. “Great. Thanks.”
The woman tucked her long brown hair behind her ears and locked her hazel eyes with me. She tugged at the hem of her green sweater as I offered my hand to her.
“I’m Noah Stone.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Stone. My name is Jess. I’m here for the nanny position,” she said and offered her hand to me. I clasped it and shook.
“I’ll be out here if you need anything.” Allison gave me a slight wave and walked out.
“Did Allison schedule this interview for you?” I asked.
“No,” she said and smirked. “A friend of someone who works here told me about the job last night. I came by on a hunch and wanted to see if it was still available.” I couldn’t place her accent, but the more she spoke, the more I wanted her to keep talking.
She glanced at Gina, who was alert and interested in our visitor.
I stepped between my daughter and Jess. “Did you think to call before stopping at my office? I have a very busy day.”
My cold demeanor didn’t deter her. “I tried calling last night, but your answering service picked up. I can come by another time if you would like. Here’s my resume.” She reached into her bag.
“I like your bracelet,” Gina said, stepping around me and going over to Jess.
I started to lunge forward but held back. I was in a safe space, and this woman clearly was here to interview for a position to be around my daughter.
Jess looked at me before kneeling down next to Gina and offering her wrist. “It’s made of kangaroo leather. My mom got it for me when I was younger.”
“You talk funny,” Gina said.
I opened my mouth to say something, but Jess was first.
“I’m from Australia,” Jess said.
“Where’s that?”
“It’s in the deep south,” Jess said with a smile. “What’s your name?”
“Gina.”
“I love that name.”
“Really?” Gina asked.
“Yep. I’ve never met a Gina before.”
“Me neither!” Gina said. “Want to color with me?”
“If it’s okay with your dad?”
“Daddy can color too,” Gina said.
Gina pulled out a chair for Jess and I and then sat. She gave us each a coloring page and continued with hers.
Jess picked a blue crayon and rolled it around in her hands.
“I suppose I have a few minutes for an interview,” I said. Clearly, Gina liked Jess, which was a big priority for me. And I had to admit that I was charmed by Jess as well. Within seconds, she had my little girl’s full attention. That was hard to come by with anyone, including Layla.
“I’ve been watching children since I was sixteen. I have my degree in early childhood education. When I came over here, I got several short-term jobs before landing a long-term one with a lovely family. I was with them for two years until I was no longer needed. All of my certifications are current as well.”
“Color your clouds blue,” Gina said to Jess.
I almost corrected Gina for being so forceful, but I found myself enamored with the woman in front of me.
Jess started on her coloring page. “How old are you, Gina?”
“Three!” Gina said, holding out three fingers to Jess.
I cleared my throat. “I’m looking for long-term. And I need someone to start right away.”
Jess nodded. “I’m available.”
“I’ll need references from your previous employers.”
“I have all contact information listed on my resume.”
“That’s good,” I said.
“Can you tell me about your family?” she asked.
“It’s just Gina and me. I run this company and need full-time help with her.”
“What sort of things do you like to do, Gina?” Jess asked.
“I like the park.”
“I like the park too,” Jess said. “Especially the swings.”
“Me too!”
Jess looked up and smiled at me, a genuinely happy smile. I hoped that she felt the connection that I sensed between them. And if I had to be honest with myself, with me too. There was something about Jess that made me want to keep her in my presence. Was it her foreign charm? Or the fact that she made my daughter open up in less than five minutes of being with her?
Was this the nanny I’d been waiting for? She was young, probably early to mid-twenties. And the fact that she stuck with a family for two years was a bonus for me. I wasn’t sure how long I would need a nanny, but I knew two years would be the minimum.
My gut told me that this was the one, but I had to push my rational side to disagree, at least until I could clear my head. Normally, I wasn’t the type to make quick decisions like this, but I wanted to hire her before anyone else
did.
Allison’s signature sharp rap on the door broke me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said.
Allison stepped into the room. Her eyes were wide as if she had a feeling I was going to reprimand her. My look had been enough. Next time, I wouldn’t be so forgiving.
“Yes?” I asked.
Allison looked at Jess then me. “I-It’s time for the meeting.”
I stood up from the child-sized chair and smoothed the wrinkles on my pants. “Thank you, Allison.”
She nodded and backed out of the room, leaving the door open.
Jess stood up from her chair. Her expression was remorseful. Had she thought she’d given a bad interview? Granted, it was shorter than I would have liked, but she’d given me everything I needed in that small amount of time.
“Well, thank you for your time,” Jess said. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it. She crouched down next to Gina. “It was nice to meet you, Gina.”
Gina flung herself off her chair and into Jess’s arms. “Can you stay while Daddy has his meeting?”
Jess cleared her throat and glanced up at me.
“Honey,” I said to Gina. “Jess has to go.”
Gina frowned but didn’t protest.
“Thanks again,” Jess said. “I can show myself out.”
“Bye,” I said for lack of better words. Gina had the right idea. I wanted Jess to stay too. Appearing too eager wasn’t a smart move.
When Jess left, I closed the door behind her.
“I like her,” Gina said, grabbing another pastry. I’d have to have Allison remove those while I was in the meeting so Gina wouldn’t be hopped up on sugar all day.
I smiled. “Me too.”
“Can Jess be my nanny?” Gina asked.
“Do you want her to be your nanny?” I asked.
“Yes! She’s so pretty and nice, and she colored with me.”
I laughed. “Okay, honey. I’ll be right back.”
I threw open the door and stopped at Allison’s desk. “I’ll only be a minute.”
“I’ll get everyone together right now,” she said.
At least she could do that part of her job.
Jess was nearly at the elevator, so I picked up my pace to catch her before she exited the building.
Chapter Six
Jess
As I walked down the hallway toward the elevator, I took my time looking into all the rooms as I passed. It was easy enough since the walls were made of glass so I could peer into the empty meeting rooms. I smiled to myself. I’d made the right decision by coming in this morning. Even though I made a point to skirt the secretary, who was more concerned with flirting than protecting her boss and his adorable daughter. Though I wasn’t a threat at all. And in the short amount of time I’d spent with Gina, I had developed a want to protect her as well. I recalled having similar feelings when I’d first met Ricky.
I hoped the secretary wouldn’t get in too much trouble since it was only half her fault.
Gina’s face popped into my mind. She was simply adorable, and I hoped that I’d impressed Mr. Stone in the few minutes I’d spent with them. At the very least he could give me a proper interview at another date.
I wouldn’t mind seeing him again soon. He wasn’t anything like the picture I’d had in my head before the interview. He was much younger than I’d thought. Probably thirty-something. He was attractive as hell. His tailored suit didn’t leave much to the imagination. Definitely the athletic type. And I had a thing for five o’clock shadows. I assumed that was more for lack of time than purposeful, but it did the trick. At first, I didn’t notice the resemblance between the two. Gina with her brown hair and brown eyes and him with silky black hair and piercing light green eyes. But the way her mouth moved favored him without a doubt.
I shook off the thoughts. What if he was to become my new boss? In any nanny position, pining after the father was a big no-no.
When I reached the end of the hallway, I pressed the elevator button, and the doors opened straight away. I stepped inside and turned to see a hand pushing against the door.
“Jess,” Mr. Stone said.
I glanced down at my bag. “Did I forget something?” I thought I’d handed him my resume. But maybe I didn’t. I was a little scatter-brained after barging in on him and Gina.
He dug his hands into his pants pockets. “No. I was wondering if you were able to start tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I asked. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? My stomach did a flip-flop.
“Yes,” he said, a little out of breath.
Had he run all the way to the elevator to stop me? I couldn’t help the good feeling that stirred inside of me.
“I can start tomorrow,” I said. “I would love to.”
“Great. We can negotiate the logistics tomorrow for your pay and everything else,” he said with a big grin.
I matched it. “That’s fine with me.”
“Me too!” Gina said from behind him. She giggled.
“Thank you, Mr. Stone.”
“Call me Noah.”
“Call me Gina!” Gina said.
Noah and I laughed. “Sure thing.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said, still smiling.
His teeth were brilliantly white, but a few of them were a little crooked. Good. At least he had one flaw.
“I’m excited for tomorrow!” Gina exclaimed and then shot off down the hallway.
“I’m going to go,” he said, removing his hand from the door. “Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. She likes to run.”
“Sure thing,” I said and waved at him.
He smiled, and the doors closed between us, giving me the perfect mental picture to hold onto until I saw him again.
On the way down to the lobby, I did a little happy dance in the elevator. Then I looked up in the corner and saw a camera. My cheeks flushed, and I moved toward the doors. I hoped Noah couldn’t see that! But my embarrassment faded quickly. I couldn’t believe how smoothly that interview went. It was the easiest one I’d ever had. And I hoped that I’d found my new Ricky in Gina. From everything that had happened so far, I had an excellent feeling I had.
After the interview, I stopped by the record store to tell Sierra the good news.
“Oh my gosh! Congratulations!” Sierra said, giving me a hug.
“Thanks so much.”
She leaned against one of the record stands. “Tell me everything.”
I glanced around to see a few people mingling in the store.
She waved them off. “If they need me, they can come get me.”
I grinned. “It was very easy actually. I sneaked by the secretary and walked into the office.”
“Ooh, you bad girl,” Sierra said.
“Well, it was a good thing I did,” I said. And lucky too. If Noah had been a different man, I could have come out of there with an entirely opposite outcome. “His daughter, Gina, was there. She was so adorable, and I can’t wait to get to know her.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell me about him,” Sierra said, lifting her eyebrows.
“What about him?” I asked innocently. I knew where she was going, but I didn’t want to talk about him. My job was to take care of his daughter.
“Is he as good looking as Rachel says he is?” Sierra said. Rachel was the friend who told Sierra about the job. I’d have to send her flowers or chocolates to thank her.
“Sure, he’s good looking. But Gina—”
Sierra pointed her finger at me accusingly. “You’re avoiding the subject!”
“Because it’s not relevant. He’s my boss now.”
“You can be attracted to your boss,” Sierra said.
“Not when I want to keep my job,” I said. “Besides, he’s way out of my league.” And that part was right. I’d had enough of these jobs to know that sometimes the parents treated the nannies like furniture. Something to be overlooked. He was a busy executive; sure, he was kind to m
e today, but he was motivated to get someone to watch his kid.
“I’m not telling you to marry the guy,” Sierra said, wrinkling her nose. “But you could be his naughty nanny.”
I looked around us, my cheeks flushing. “Sierra!” I hissed.
She giggled and lowered her voice into a husky tone. “Sure, I’ll go get your laundry, Mr. Stone. Do you want it freshly pressed?”
I lightly slapped her arm. “Stop it.”
She laughed uncontrollably, and everyone in the store looked over. If it was possible to be more embarrassed, my entire body lit up in flames.
“Everyone is looking at you,” I said.
“Whatever,” she said. “You’ve always been so easy to embarrass. You probably won’t see anyone in here ever again.”
That didn’t matter. I wasn’t sure how prominent Noah was in this area. What if he knew one of these people? Would they tell him that his new nanny was making fun of him? I knew it was a minuscule chance, but a chance I wasn’t willing to take.
“Do you want to get lunch?” Sierra asked, changing the subject.
“As long as you agree to stop calling me a naughty nanny.”
“I can’t promise that.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “Come on then,” I said, looping my arm in hers.
“Harold, I’m taking lunch!” Sierra called into the back office.
After lunch, Sierra went back to work, and I went home. I wasn’t sure what my schedule would look like as of yet, though I had an idea Noah that would need me a lot. I didn’t mind working six or seven days a week, but the cleanliness of my apartment would suffer.
So, I rolled my sleeves up and got to work. The mindless motions of cleaning made my mind wander. From the impression that I got from Gina and Noah, I knew I was going to enjoy working for them. Gina had an infectious energy and a silent creativity that I wanted to explore. I made a mental list of places I wanted to go with her.
I briefly wondered about the nature of the former nanny’s termination. From what I saw at the interview, Noah and Gina seemed perfectly fine. The fact that he had a little section for her in his office showed his love for her. Most corporate types who I’d come in contact with never wanted their children at their work, never mind setting up a corner in the office for them.