Page 36 of Falling for the Nanny

“Then do it,” I whispered back. “Look at her up there!”

David’s smile was soft as he did as I directed, but his eyes stayed dry. “Can you believe that her–”

He cut himself off, but I knew what he was going to say. “That Chloe isn’t here?” I whispered. “No, I can’t.”

David threw me a startled glance. “How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Because I can’t believe it either.”

David started to say more, but suddenly he rubbed his side and threw an aggravated look over his other shoulder. I saw Francesca’s elbow sliding back onto her side of the arm rest.

“We’ll finish this later,” David murmured, and I had the feeling he wasn’t just talking about our conversation.

After the awards ceremony, we went to Lily’s favorite restaurant, which was the same one that Alyssa and I used to work at. It was strange to come in a nice dress instead of my uniform. Even stranger to come with the man I’d once only known as hot dad. The server was one of my friends–a guy named Jason who I’d dated casually right after college. We hadn’t even been serious enough to break up, but rather we just stopped hanging out whenever one of us started dating someone else. When he saw me, he shot me a grin that told me he wasn’t seeing anyone else right now.

“Hey, Cat. Where have you been hiding?”

I thought the flirtatious undertone was only obvious to me, but then I saw David’s eyes narrow as he looked up at Jason.

“I got a new job,” I told him. “Taking care of this star.” I pointed to Lily, who was still wearing her Top Student medal.

Jason held his hand up for a high five, and she slapped it. “Good job, kid. Can I get you a milkshake as a reward?”

“Yes,” Lily said as David said, “No.”

Jason raised his eyebrows at me, like I was the arbiter.

“Um, maybe for dessert,” I said.

After we put in our orders, Jason left, but not before shooting me another intimate grin that put a scowl on David’s face.

I couldn’t help enjoying it a little. After all, I’d just had to watch a dozen women eye him like he was an ice cream cone on a hot day. It was fitting that he should know how I felt.

“Do you know that young man?” Francesca asked once he was out of ear shot.

“I used to work here,” I explained. “I don’t know if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, but the staff is usually friends.”

“How close?” David asked blandly.

I glanced at Lily, unsure of how to answer. That seemed to be enough of an answer for David though. Throughout lunch, every time Jason lingered too long, I felt David’s enmity toward him. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lily was oblivious–she liked Jason. When David relented about the milkshake, he made her one with so much whipped cream that it nearly doubled the drink’s height. Francesca seemed to sense that something was afoot, but she couldn’t have possibly known what.

“I thought the service was quite good,” she said as we got up to leave.

“It was fine,” David said shortly.

“Cat, wait up.” Jason caught up before we reached the exit.

“You can go ahead,” I said to the others, trying to keep the laugh out of my voice at the murderous look on David’s face. I could tell he didn’t want to follow Francesca and Lily out, but what reason could he possibly give for staying?

Jason kept his professional smile in place until they were out, then he let it drop. “Man, that guy really hates me, huh?”

“It’s nothing personal,” I assured him. “He wasn’t exactly friendly when I would wait on him.”

“And now?” Jason tilted his head, his shaggy hair sliding into his eyes in a way I used to find adorable. I still did, but now it was in a brotherly way. For me, no one could compare to David.

“And now,” I hesitated. I wanted to tell Jason the truth so he didn’t think that I was free to pick up where we left off, but David and I were a sworn secret. “And now he has to like me because I basically live in his house,” I concluded.

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