Page 19 of Falling for the Nanny

“Are you tired, Lils?”

She shrugged her shoulders, like she wasn’t sure. Was it on the agenda for her to be tired? Was it even an option?

“What are you going to do tonight?” I asked, switching to an easier question.

“Sleepover,” she answered with almost no inflection, like it was another item on her to-do list. I tried not to laugh at the sound of a seven-year-old girl being so blasé about the prospect of a party, but I couldn’t help it.

The sound of my laugh put a small smile on Lily’s face, even though she wasn’t sure why I was laughing. She put down her tablet and waited to be let in on the joke. When I didn’t say anything, she asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just funny,” I tried to explain. “Usually kids are excited about sleepovers.”

“I am excited. I’m just–” the corners of her mouth pulled down like she wasn’t sure. “I don’t like my friend’s mom. She’s weird.”

My senses went into high alert. “What do you mean weird?”

Lily shifted her shoulders and looked out the window. “Like, she always stays too long after she drops Mackenzie off, and she always brings bottles of wine and asks my dad to open it, and then he gets really cranky and says he has to work.”

I couldn’t help laughing again. Here I was worried that the woman was some kind of a predator. Well, she was, but it was David who was her prey, and that was fine with me. He could take care of himself. I squelched the small spurt of jealousy and smiled, enjoying the idea of him being stalked into hiding by Mackenzie’s wine-wielding mom.

“What are you laughing about now?” Lily asked, exasperation in her voice.

“Nothing, Lils, I just, I bet that happens a lot.”

She nodded and tilted her head forward until it was resting against the window. Then she said with a dramatic sigh, “They all want to be my new mom.”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed out loud again. This time, Lily laughed, too. “They do,” she insisted.

“I believe you.”

We were still laughing when we reached the house. David, who was waiting in the driveway, threw me a questioning look.

“We were talking about her sleepover,” I explained, handing him her Saturday backpack–a thing that shouldn’t exist, if you asked me. “She’s really excited.”

David shouldered the small pink bag, the straps too short for his muscular shoulders. His customary frown deepened into a scowl. “I forgot about that.”

“I bet Mackenzie’s mom didn’t,” I couldn’t help taunting.

His eyes cut up to mine sharply, but I was already turning away. As of right now, I was off the clock.

* * *

The first thing I did after I got back to the pool house was take a nap. Even if Lily didn’t need one, I certainly did. The week had been taxing. Her schedule was a grind, and interactions with her father were even more so. I was glad I’d gotten my parting shot in though. It was worth whatever reproach I got later to see surprise in those dark emerald eyes instead of mockery and condescension.

I took a good long nap, and when I woke up, I had an hour to get ready before I met Alyssa and some of our college friends in Old Town Alexandria. We were celebrating a few things–my job, Alyssa’s new place, and our friend’s promotion–and I couldn’t wait. It had been a few months since I felt like I had enough time and money to actually go out with friends, and after living on Lily’s schedule for a few days, I needed the break.

I took the entire hour to get ready. I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out and then blow dried my hair. It always dried wavy, and today I took a curling iron to it rather than straightening it. Then I walked to my closet and inspected my long-neglected going out clothes. Most of them were from my college days and weren’t my style anymore, but I found a casual black tank dress that was perfect for the warm weather. I couldn’t help wondering as I watched myself getting ready in the mirror what David would think. He’d seen me in my uniform, and he saw me in the jeans and nice shirts I wore to ferry Lily around, and of course there was the terrible time he’d seen me in my workout clothes, moving boxes in, dripping with sweat. But he’d never seen me when I was putting in effort.

I took a long time on my makeup, curling my eyelashes and applying coats of mascara to make my blue eyes look wider than usual. I put on lipstick, then wiped it off and ran lip gloss over them instead. Maybe it was because it had been a while since I dressed up, but I felt good. Not beautiful like Alyssa with her stunning flag of red hair, but pretty.

Like I’d buy me a drink.

I tried on heeled sandals, then switched into my flat ones. I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard–though I tried not to think about who I thought might see me and form an opinion one way or another. My friends wouldn’t care–some would be in jeans, and some would be in sequins. I could wear anything and fit right in.

My thoughts went back to David anyway.

As I made sure I could fit my cell phone, my credit card, my ID, and my keys in my tiny purse, I wondered what Mackenzie’s mom looked like. I hoped she was one of the women who plumped her lips big and shiny and wore eyelash extensions up to her eyebrows–for some reason, I had the feeling that wasn’t David’s type at all.

And what do you think his type is? A little voice in the back of my head taunted.

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