Page 24 of Mister Mom

“Promise. I’ll get Vance this time.”

My gaze instinctively moves to Vance and then back to Payne. I hand him the money.

“I’m sorry, we’re taking up your entire morning,” I say.

He shakes his head, his hands wrapped around his coffee mug again. “I have nowhere to be. I already worked out.”

I feel the heat rise up into my cheeks, thinking of our earlier texts. I’d have to be his mother not to notice his amazing body and the fact he works to get it tells me he goes after what he wants.

“Yeah, right.” I grab another Splenda and rip it open, dumping it into my cup. “So, what were we talking about before my son tried to commit theft under a thousand?”

Vance picks up his coffee and leans back in the booth.

“You mentioned something about your immediate needs.” He leans forward, his coffee mug hovering over the table. “Was that code that you want to practice some of the sex scenes?”

The scene in the story where the lead actress is perched up on a dresser in a sleazy motel and the lead has her legs open, eating her out while bags of cash and jewelry lie on the bed, comes to mind.

I swallow deeply, wishing he wouldn’t affect me this much. Where’s his professionalism? I should scold him for his demeanor, but for some reason I don’t want to.

“No.” My giddy schoolgirl voice rings out and he raises both eyebrows, relaxing into the booth once more. “I need a nanny.”

“I’m sure there’s some great agencies. Do you want me to see if I can find some references?”

I shake my head. “I have calls out but I’m back on set tomorrow. I need someone as soon as possible. The agencies will want to interview me and I’ll have to interview them in return. I have no time for that. My parents live up in Napa and they’re too busy starting a bed-and-breakfast to be bothered with my problems.”

“Carver?” he asks, his words sounding like they’re tainted with poison.

I shouldn’t be surprised he knows my ex’s name. Everyone knows everyone’s business in this industry. “Filming.”

“For how long?”

“Indefinitely.”

His lips turn down. “So, what are you asking for, Layla?” His fingers clench harder around his coffee cup.

“Well, for me to agree to the part, I need a nanny.” The napkin in my lap rips apart from the twisting of my fingers.

“A nanny?” Confusion paints all the features on his face.

“Or a manny, as it were?” I clarify, mentally crossing my fingers that this man can be a guardian angel in disguise and help to solve my problem.

7

Vance

I heard wrong. Right? What the hell is a manny? And why does she think I’d be able to find her one?

“What do you need from me?” I ask.

The glimmer that’s been in her eyes all morning dims and she sets her attention on where Payne is playing. There’s a note of sadness in them that wasn’t there before.

“The nanny service I use has no one else to send. Payne isn’t a bad kid, he’s just going through something right now. It’s been hard with Carver gone.”

Their split was big news last year, but like everything in LA, another story takes over the next day and it’s old news. At the time I thought, Another childhood romance crashes and burns. Usual business around these parts. But seeing the pained look in Layla’s eyes as she looks on to Payne, I can see I was a fool.

“Yeah, I heard. I’m sorry.”

She’s quick to shake her head, feigning nonchalance, but her body language says so much more.

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