Page 40 of Mr. Wolfe's Nanny

If Dan is surprised to see me heading out dressed like this with Mr. Wolfe, he doesn’t show it. I receive a very polite, “You look lovely, Ms. Quinn,” before he opens the door and I climb in. Theo follows and the car sets off.

We’re quiet initially on the 45-minute ride towards downtown Chicago but then Theo asks a question about the kids and I ask something about the banquet and soon we’re chatting as easily as we do over coffee on school mornings. This is why he asked me. He likes me, feels comfortable with me.

“We hit it off the night we met, too.”

I blush at the reminder. “Yes, we did.”

“Thank you again for agreeing to go, Quinn. This would be a very long and tedious evening without your company. It may feel long and tedious anyway so I apologize for that in advance.”

His concern over my enjoyment of the evening is touching. I know he’d expressed concerns about the crowd and me. I have my own concerns regarding that but I’m telling myself I can do this. It’s been nearly two months since my last panic attack, the night he returned from New York. If I was able to walk into that hospital for the kids after his wreck, I can do this… I hope.

“I’m sure it will be fine. It’s nice to have a reason to dress up, now and then.”Even if I’d be happier at home in my PJs.

“You’d be happier in pajamas at home, same as me,” he says with a wink.

I gasp and then give his ribs a poke. “No more mind reading tonight, Mr. Wolfe.”

Our shared laughter fades as the car pulls up to the curb. Holy smokes, there’s so many people hovering around. And are those reporters with cameras? Who knew journalists would have paparazzi?

“Are you ready for this?” he asks before the door opens.

I take a deep, calming breath and give him a smile. “As I’ll ever be.”

∞∞∞

Apparently, those reporters out front wanted to seehim. I should’ve realized. He is single and a billionaire. The comings and goings of such an eligible bachelor is newsworthy. And now, they’ve seenustogether. I try to avoid worrying over what that might mean.

Theo’s been wonderfully attentive the whole evening though, right by my side. I could almost block out the two-hundred plus people buzzing around us.

Dinner had been served and polite, though forced, conversation had followed. I think everyone at this table is old enough to be my mother or father except Theo. There are younger people here but apparently these are friends of his parents and they usually sit together.

As for socializing, Theo takes the lead, deftly handling everything as if he’d been born at a cocktail party.

“It’s good to see you here though we miss your folks, Theodore.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jackson. I’ll pass that along. I know they’re sorry to miss this.”

He had subsequently murmured in my ear that his parents werenotall that sorry to miss. I’d snorted into my wine glass but, thankfully, no one besides Theo had noticed and he’d been grinning at me.

“This is certainly a lovely young lady you’ve brought with you. How’d you hoodwink her into joining us?”

“I’m very grateful Quinn was willing to give me the time of day, Mr. Barker, let alone an entire evening of her time.”

And quietly in my ear,“I know he’s past seventy if he’s a day but, if he doesn’t stop leering at your chest, may I punch him?”

I’d stifled my laughter and shook my head at him.

“How old are you children now, Theo? How time flies! Any thoughts of giving Margery more grandbabies someday?”

The older woman had that hopeful gleam in her eyes. I thought it was in poor taste directly asking a widower about having more children but I imagine Theo’s marital status is of great interest to many women including those with single daughters or granddaughters.

“Two children are plenty enough to handle. I won’t be having any more, Mrs. Markman.”

He had not turned to me with any witty, private remarks after that and I felt strangely stung by his assertion. Also, the ballroom was starting to feel a little too small and crowded.

No one had expected me to say anything astounding and I hadn’t felt any social pressure to perform. I was here as Theodore Wolfe’s date, the pretty and quiet plus one of Wolfe Media’s heir apparent.

But then, once Theo left to perform his duty as a presenter, I was left alone with these strangers, my anxiety and my worrisome thoughts. Why is it so warm in here? What would Ryder and Jill think of their dad taking me out this way? What did last week in the kitchen mean? Does he really never want any more children?

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