Page 33 of Working For A Billionaire

"Thank you," I whisper, smiling at her, unable to resist stealing a kiss.

We spend the rest of the night talking about our plans for the future and planning things out. Once again, I consider coming completely clean about the beginning, but the moment is too perfect. I don’t want to ruin it.

Chapter Thirteen

Riley

You gave in, I sigh silently to myself. But maybe it’s for the better.

While we sit in Harrison's office waiting for the nanny to arrive, I can't help but have flashbacks of Mary Poppins and Nanny McPhee floating around in my head. I wonder if we can find a British nanny with some kind of magic to help us raise our son.

A soft giggle escapes my lips as Jasper escorts the woman into the office, where she takes a seat on the chair closest to the door. Her jet-black hair and piercing eyes make her look more like the nanny from the Omen than Mary Poppins.

Harrison extends his hand to shake and says, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Reynolds. How are you doing today?"

Much to my surprise, she replies sternly, "If it's all the same to you, Mr. Rutherford, we can skip the pleasantries. I have been a nanny for over twenty years. I enforce a strict schedule and believe that discipline is a necessity. I do not tolerate bad behavior."

"What sort of discipline do you use?" I ask, gasping silently, already forming an opinion of this woman.

"Every child is different, but I have no problem with spanking a child, if that is what you are asking," she states flatly.

I stand up from my chair and say, "It is, thank you for your time. I just don't think this would be the right fit."

Mrs. Reynolds stands up too and responds, "There is nothing wrong with disciplining a child. You will regret it if you do not."

I reply calmly, "There are many different ways of disciplining a child, without the need for corporal punishment, Mrs. Reynolds. Have a safe trip home." I don’t even bother to shake her hand goodbye.

The next woman to enter the room is a polar opposite of the last. Her fiery red hair falls wildly around her face and her emerald eyes seem to glisten.

"Good afternoon, Miss Carter," Harrison says as she shakes his hand.

"You can call me Molly," she replies with a smile before she takes a seat. "This is a nice place you got here."

"Thank you. How long have you been a nanny?" He inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"This would be my first gig," she confesses as she looks around the office and then continues. "It's a live-in thing, right? Because I have to be out of my apartment at the end of the month. My loser ex took off with the rent money. He's going to flip when he finds out where I'm living."

"Thank you, Miss Carter—" Harrison says abruptly.

"Molly," the woman interrupts.

"Yes, Molly. I'm sorry to waste your time, but I don't think this would work out. We apologize for the inconvenience and wish you good luck in your job search."

A look of confusion falls upon Molly's face as his words slowly sink in. She springs up from the couch without saying a word, flipping her hair as she does, and marches toward the door. She throws it open before storming out, mumbling something under her breath. As the door slams behind her Harrison shakes his head and chuckles to himself.

"Some people have no shame," he comments, almost amused by the encounter.

I also chuckle. Still, it’s not laughing matter. After three more interviews, I'm starting to lose hope that we'll find someone we can trust to help us raise our son. Maybe Harrison will finally realize that we should do it ourselves, instead of relying on a stranger. He's got a look of frustration on his face as we wait for the last interview of the day.

A few minutes later, Gloria walks in with someone who bears a striking resemblance to her, and I immediately assume it must be her younger sister. The woman has the same petite body structure and height as Gloria. Her short light brown hair frames her face, and she has the same kind of look in her eyes.

"This is my cousin, Penelope," Gloria explains, "She is your next appointment. The family she was working for moved recently. I thought she might be a good fit."

"Thank you, Gloria," Harrison responds, also taken aback by the development of the situation.

Penelope walks towards us, extending her hand politely as Gloria leaves the room. She is smiling, although I can tell she is a little nervous. For some reason, it makes me like her more.

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