“I know you’re great at what you do,” I started, trying to ignore how accidentally close we were.
I had to keep my focus, in case she caught me stealing glances of her mouth the way I’d been doing when she wasn’t looking. But telling myself not to look only made me want to do it even more, and when she smiled at me, I was forced to take a step back.
“I’d like to think I’m a good teacher, yes.”
Good. This was good. She was giving me the floor.
“I’m sure you are,” I said, taking the opportunity with both hands. “You have that classic energy about you.”
“Classic energy?”
“You care about kids,” Miles ventured, backing me up just in time.
“Yes, that. Kids,” I said. “You care, and that’s what makes you great. Do you really want to play a role in the cognitive decline of my nephew and nieces? Too much screen time does that, as you know.”
Her eyes sparked with something, and slowly, gradually, her face broke into a reluctant smile.
“Fine,” she said with a sigh, then extended her hand toward me. “Give me your credit card.”
Miles gasped out loud and clapped Adrian hard on the back.
“Abort, abort.” He barely moved his lips but wasn’t stealthy about it at all.
“Excuse me?” I was too invested to take anything back. Too intrigued.
Maren fixed me with a challenging stare that I felt all the way in my pants. “You’re gonna give me your credit card, and then you’re going to arrange for movers to get my things.”
Flabbergasted into silence, I handed over my credit card and watched as she marched into the living room to turn off the TV. The kids groaned and yelled at her, but Maren stood in front of them, unshakeable.
“My name’s Maren, and I’m going to be your nanny while you’re staying with Uncle Ethan. Wanna go to the mall with me?”
I didn’t know Will had it in him, but he popped off the couch and scrambled for his shoes. Emma and Sadie quickly followed their big brother’s lead, and in under five minutes, they were out the door.
The three of us were rooted in the hallway.
“How sure are we she’s not gonna take off with the money and the kids,” Miles said, staring at the closed front door.
“She’s too hot for a life of crime.”
We turned to Adrian, who once again simply shrugged in that matter-of-fact way of his. “Don’t give me that look. I know you’re both thinking it too. Especially you.”
“Me? Why me?” I was suddenly defensive. “Miles was the one fawning over her in my office.”
“Because she’s your type,” Adrian smirked. “Filled out those jeans like it was nobody’s business. Sweet girl next door, but with a sparkle in her eye that lets you know she’s a freak behind closed doors.”
“She’s a kindergarten teacher.”
“The hair,” Miles jumped in. “Don’t forget the hair. He has a thing for long hair.”
The two of them kept going, and I kept buffeting the shots. It didn’t matter what I thought of Maren; she was officially my employee.
“Right. The nanny. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Adrian asked Miles, quirking his brows suggestively.
A sly grin spread across Miles’ face. “It’s like we’re sharing a brain.”
“A brain cell, you mean,” I cut in. “Do I need to remind you two about how things ended with Sylvie? Sharing a girlfriend always looks good on paper, until it gets so good it spontaneously implodes.”
That brought everything to an abrupt end, thankfully.
