“Mann,”he chuckled,“you know EJ my lil’ potna, but that lil’ nigga would give Super Nanny a run for her money.”
“Welp, let’s hope shorty got what it takes.”I shrugged.
“Yeah. What’s her name? I’ma pray for her before I go to sleep.”
“Nigga, pray for your sins. Get off my line.”
“Aight, what’s her name forreal though?”
“Thyri.”
“Aight. I’ma pray that she fine, thick as hell, and can handle EJ.”
“I’m looking for a nanny, dawg. Not a date.”
“Nah, nigga, you looking for a helpmate too. You just don’t know it. I’m bout to crash though. Love.”
“Love.”
We ended the call, and I powered on the flat screen TV in front of my desk. The camera feed from the security monitors that I had around the property popped up on the screen. I zoomed in on the one that covered the parking lot. I wantedto see Thyri when she pulled up. Something about Aura’s statement had me even more curious about her. Turning on my computer, I planned to busy myself with work until she arrived. This was going to be interesting.
CHAPTER 4
First Impressions & Afterthoughts
Ifought the afternoon traffic in crowded ass New York City, determined to get to my interview on time. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to 12:30, but there was no turning back, and missing the interview was out of the question.
“Alright, girl, I’m back,”Danae announced, walking back into the camera in her uniform. She’d called while getting ready for the afternoon shift at the family-owned diner she managed. “I need to hit the gym asap. These pants were not this damn tight two weeks ago.”Pulling at the waistline of her black pants, she shook her head.
“Oh, please, girl. You just thick. And it looks good on you.”
“I meannn, I never said I wasn’t fine nie. I could lose a couple pounds though.”
I laughed at her cockiness, a trait we both shared.
“Anyway, I called you this morning to get the rundown on what happened at the nursing home yesterday. Your text didn’t tell me enough. I need the details.”
Exhaling hard, I gripped the steering wheel tight and gave her the play by play of the whole ordeal that almost had me incuffs. By her wide eyes and the way she threw her head back, I knew the news had her as hot as me.
“Girl, get the fuck outta here. Why you ain’t call me right then and there? One thing about it, you know I ain’t scared to go to jail behind the people I love. Them bitches would’ve had to line it up. That’s Poppa D. Are they crazy?!”she exclaimed.
My father was Danae’s uncle on her mother’s side, and they were close.
I almost laughed at her reaction because everything was always so animated with Danae. Ever since we were kids, whether she was recounting a story or listening, there was some type of dramatic movement in her response.
“Please, D. Even thinking about it now got me ready to lose it. But instead of wastin’ my energy on them, I’m gonna put it into stacking my bread. I’m bringing my father home, and when I do, I wanna be sure he’s equipped with everything he needs and then some. He needs top tier home care. And while I’m able to help him with some things, he needs professionals to aid in his recovery. I don’t care what I gotta do to make it happen; it’s gonna happen.”
She hummed and nodded in agreement.“What you think about going back to work? Your supervisor said she’ll always have a spot for you, remember?”
“I thought about it, but that field isn’t for me anymore, D. Those emergency calls are still stuck with me today, and I can’t handle it.”
I was an EMT for two years when I met Kaleb, and I loved my job. Between the rush it gave me and the satisfaction of being a first responder, I never saw myself quitting. And then someone died on my shift. The whole scene messed me up bad. I’d done everything in my training to save the eight-year-old kidwith a gunshot wound to the stomach, but we lost him. After seeing how it affected me weeks after, Kaleb and I made the mutual decision that it was best for me to quit. I found out I was pregnant with KJ weeks later, and the decision turned out to be for the best.
“I get it. So, what you gonna do?”
“Remember that night we were talking about jobs we’d wanna try out to see if we’d like it?”
“Yeah. I said stripper, and you said a nanny.”She laughed.“We went to the club that night for research purposes, and I quickly surmised that I am no nasty dancer for money.”
