Page 71 of A Whole New Play

“Trust me, I have no plans on pretending it didn’t happen.”

She blinks. “You don’t?”

“No.”

There I go again…

Say something else, dammit!

I clear my throat. “And just so we’re clear, I think it should happen again.”

“You do?” She sounds surprised. And, if I’m not mistaken, a little hopeful.

The tension is released from my body and my arms fall to my side. “I know you being my nanny complicates things, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see each other.” Or enjoy the phenomenal physical connection we share.

“But… you’re my boss,” she repeats.

“Only when you’re watching the twins.”

She shakes her head. “You’re my boss at all hours of the day. I live in your house.”

An added perk in my opinion.

“So?”

“So?” She huffs a disbelieving laugh. “So, us hooking up will create a huge conflict of interest.”

“I’m not planning on firing you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Not even if this doesn’t work out?” She waves her hand between me and her.

I straighten. “Do you think I’d fire you if you didn’t want to sleep with me?”

“Of course not!”

“Because I wouldn’t,” I speak over her shocked declaration. “Abby and Andy love you. You’re the first reliable nanny they’ve had. I would never fire you.”

A thought hits me.

In a low voice, I add, “But I guess you might quit if things don’t work out…”

I’m a fucking idiot. How did I not see that as a possibility?

You did…

You just forgot because you’ve been sexed up for the first time in several months.

Valerie’s features soften. “I don’t think I would quit… as long as things between us were casual.”

Casual?

“What do you mean by casual?”

She shifts her feet. “I think we can hang out, and we can hook up occasionally. But neither of us is in a position for a serious relationship. We should agree to keep things casual. That way things won’t be too messy when we inevitably go our separate ways.”

A growl builds in my throat. I hate hearing her declare we are doomed to fail, but I hold back my protest. Again, I don’t want to scare her off.

“You want to be casual?” I keep my tone even to hide how much I want to argue against the ludicrous idea.

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