Page 11 of Taming the Boss

Well, that just meant mine would stand out.

“I’m going to place an ad,” I told Laken.

“In the paper?”

“Yes.”

“Not the community message board. Which is free,” she offered, as if that would somehow influence my decision.

“Cost is no object, Laken.”

“Oh, of course, sir, I’m just thinking you’d perhaps reach a wider pool online. Not everyone subscribes to the paper.”

“Does it not have good circulation locally?”

“It does,” she said slowly, “but newspapers overall are a dying breed. Why Asher almost shuttered the newspaper last year due to dwindling numbers.”

“But he didn’t, as I have today’s edition in my hand. So, I’m going to try this route. If it doesn’t net me what I want, I’ll contact you. Sound good?”

“Or you could just go on the message board.” She was not giving up on the freaking message board, virtually guaranteeing I would never so much as lurk there.

“Thanks for the suggestion.” I hung up and blew out a breath before typing in the web address to the online classified portal on my laptop.

Within a few minutes, I had what I considered an eye-catching classified ad submitted. Anytime now, applicants should start rolling into my inbox.

Fittingly, Owen let out a sharp cry from his playroom down the hall just as I finished.

Any-fucking-time now would be nice.

Chapter 2

I didn’t even mean to look at the ad. I wouldn’t have if the bolded all caps URGENT text hadn’t caught my eye as I lined Fergus’s litter box.

Years later, I would look back at that moment as the one that changed my life.

URGENT.

Experienced nanny needed. Copious references necessary. Boy is three and extremely intelligent. Pay negotiable and competitive. Remit comprehensive resume to box 0809.

11 Lakeview Road.

Holy shit. Lakeview Road? As in one of the most hoity-toity streets in a town consisting of many of them?

I snatched the paper out of my cat’s box. Fergus was standing beside me, waiting impatiently for a new change of litter, faintly grumbling from either disgust or his allergies, and I was stopping midway through to gape at an ad.

I had references, of course, but did I have a copious amount of them? Somehow I doubted it.

Honestly, I wasn’t even sure how many that was. And my resume was fairly lengthy considering I’d been working since my mid-teens, but I wouldn’t say it was comprehensive. Most of my jobs were on the lower end of the scale to boot.

Maybe I shouldn’t even bother applying. I already felt like I was out of my league.

Clearly, I had to start listening to self-confidence podcasts or something, otherwise I was going to knock myself out of the running before I even tried.

Okay, time to look at the positives. I had several part-time jobs in the Cove and I was well-known to be reliable and a self-starter, but I had a feeling to be worthy of working in a house like that I needed a hell of a lot more qualifications.

Artificial intelligence could write term papers. Maybe I could get one to write an awesome resume too, so at least I could get my foot in the door. Then I’d stun Mr. Richie Rich with my childcare skills.

Hey, a girl could dream, right?

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