Page 6 of The Mobster's Nanny

With that, he turns around and disappears into the living room, and after a short pause, Matteo turns to me and gestures in the same direction. “Do you want to wash your hands before I show you around the house?”

“Ah, of course.” I give him a quick smile and, as soon as Matteo turns away, I quietly breathe out. Okay, it didn’t go as I expected, but it looks like I’m doing quite well.

I follow Matteo as he takes me through the living room and to the open kitchen on the other side of the house, allowing me to see the interior a little better. Despite the unfriendly appearance from the outside, I have to admit that the rooms are cozy and a little messy. It’s clear that Matteo has been living without a helping hand for some time already.

I notice old photos on the walls and what I assume are Romeo’s crafts on the shelves, and it makes it clear that the house was built with love and care for the family. Something tells me Matteo wasn’t the one to do all that on his own, so I can’t help but wonder—where’s the woman who did all this?

I glance at Matteo while washing my hands in the kitchen sink and quickly look away. It’s none of my business, really. The last thing I should do is show my interest in his personal life and betray my true intentions.

“So, Liss, how long have you been working as a nanny?” Matteo gives me a once-over as we walk out of the kitchen, but unlike some of my previous clients, he doesn’t sound skeptical. It doesn’t look like he sees me as someone too young to work with children, and I appreciate it.

“For three years,” I tell him with a smile, slowly following him up the stairs. Maybe it’s a little exaggerated—it’s been a year and a half since I finished the course—but my papers say three years, and so be it. “I used to study art, but after the first year, things didn’t work out. So I decided to use my experience with children and pursued a degree as an elementary teacher.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.” Matteo gives me a polite and curious look before gesturing at an open door. “What experience did you have at the time?”

The room we enter looks like an office, with three computer screens on the desk and a low hum of the processors working nonstop. There are plenty of notebooks and devices scattered around, some of which I’ve never seen before, but I try not to be too curious and focus on Matteo instead. I’ll have time to explore later—now, it’s time for a proper interview.

Matteo spends the next twenty minutes going through my resume and asking the standard questions I know by heart. Have you completed your degree? What was your most recent position? How much experience do you have with Romeo’s age group? I tell him all about my volunteer work at a kindergarten—it’s a lie, but I have a certificate—and the courses in child care I took last year.

Then, Matteo switches to more specific questions like my schedule, my usual routine with a child, my health, and whether I’m ready to take care of Dolce when he’s not around. I answer everything in as much detail as possible, keeping my back straight and my voice friendly. And even if our gazes sometimes linger on each other for a second too long, I refuse to let it affect me.

I have to keep my head cool and stay focused on my task. I have to get him to like me—as a nanny, I mean. Or as whatever. I’m ready to take anything just to secure the position. And by the time Matteo stands up and offers me a tour around the house, I feel quite confident that I will get it.

“So here is Romeo’s room, as you can see.” Matteo points at the door across the hallway, and I chuckle. Yeah, it’s kinda obvious. The door is covered with stickers showing characters from video games, and next to the door handle I see a rather clumsy ROMEO made of paper letters. Oh, it’s cute.

“But he likes to be in the living room with Dolce.” As if to prove it, Matteo opens the door to show that the room is empty.

I linger on the doorstep to get a good look at pixelated mountains painted on the walls and a toy airplane hanging off the ceiling. The room is surprisingly neat and clean, with all clothes stacked away and toys hidden in a basket, and I can’t help but hum, looking around.

“I’ve never seen a boy’s room so clean,” I say with a smile, turning to Matteo, and then I freeze for a moment.

Shit. We’re both standing in the doorway, and I didn’t realize how close I got to him. My body lights up with a strange mixture of feelings, and my first instinct is to move the hell away from him. But I catch myself at the last moment and calmly make some space between us, stepping back into the hallway.

Matteo doesn’t seem to notice it at all. He chuckles and closes the door, gesturing for us to go down the hallway. “Yeah, I told him to clean it up right before your arrival. Here would be your bedroom—you can take a better look if you want. And there is my office, but you’ve already seen it.”

He points at every room respectively, and I can’t help but curiously look at the only room he hasn’t named yet. Is it something interesting? Is it something important?

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s there?” I point at the door at the far end of the hallway, and Matteo glances there and clears his throat.

“It’s my bedroom. Now, shall we go downstairs?”

Goddamnit. I’m so stupid. Of course it’s his bedroom, what else would it be?

I purse my lips, internally cursing myself, and follow Matteo to the first floor. As soon as we get there, Romeo and Dolce simultaneously perk up and follow us with their eyes, huddled together on the sofa. I smile at them as we pass and after a hesitant moment, Romeo returns my smile.

“So you’ve already seen the rooms here, but let me show you around the kitchen again. Here is Dolce’s food and treats, and here is the pantry. The first aid kit is—oh, excuse me.”

A ringing phone interrupts him, and Matteo automatically reaches for his pocket to grab the phone. He meets my eyes for a moment and, with an apologetic nod, walks away to the entrance door, answering the call on the way. That must be something important, huh?

Wait. This is my chance to get the first piece of information out of him!

My heart picks up its pace with a wave of adrenaline, and I look around. I have to get closer to Matteo, but how? I can’t just follow him! But then my eyes catch Romeo and Dolce, and it looks like a perfect excuse. I pull out a friendly smile and walk toward the boys, keeping my ears tuned into Matteo’s voice.

“Hey, Romeo,” I call him, slowly taking a seat on the sofa. Some kids don’t like strangers in their personal space, but Dolce creates a perfect distance between us. “What are you doing? Can I join you?”

“Oh, I’m playing this video game where a little guy is trying to get back home. I have to fight ghosts and zombies and these little insects, you see? They are very dangerous. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s my favorite! Do you want to watch me play it?” Romeo says it pretty much in one breath, and I go still for a moment, piecing his words together before chuckling with a nod.

“Of course! I’ll be rooting for you.”

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