Zoey gasped. "Daddy, no swiping!"
Roshan laughed heartily.
"I'm not stealing anything, sweetie, don't worry," I assured Zoey quickly. "It's just a figure of speech."
"So does that mean you accept my rate?" Roshan asked.
I choked on my tongue, flabbergasted. "N-no, that's not what I meant. I guess, um, I don'tnotaccept it," I babbled. "But, no, I can't. It's just way too low."
Roshan raised a brow. "According to who?"
"It's not even minimum wage!"
Roshan just laughed again. My freak out apparently amused him, yet it didn't seem like he was laughingatme. I doubted this was some kind of prank. But it had to be, didn't it? Nobody in their right mind would charge such a small amount for a difficult job like childcare.
So why was he? I wondered what was going on in his mind.
"Ah, sorry for jumping to conclusions," Roshan said. "Do you evenneeda manny?"
My instinct was to refuse, but the truth was, I'd be a fool to turn this opportunity down. I needed to hire a babysitter for Zoey while I was at work. That was the plain old truth and there was no getting around it. I had a feeling that if I showed up with her again, Natalie would fire me on the spot and we just couldn't afford that.
I hung my head. "I... Yes, I do."
Roshan gave me a knowing smile. "Listen, Chris. We barely knew each other, but I have a good feel about you and Zoey. If you want, why don't we go on a test run to see if you think I'm compatible with your family?"
I mulled over his suggestion, then nodded. "That sounds fair. I'm free right now, actually."
Roshan beamed. Was it just me or were his pearly white canine teeth particularly big?
"Great! I know a fantastic spot in the park." He lifted his bags. "We can have a picnic."
I blushed, flattered. "Oh, I wouldn't want to impose. It's your food after all."
At the same time that I spoke, Zoey yelled excitedly, "YAY! A picnic, a picnic! Woo!"
"Guess that settles it," I said. Seeing how excited Zoey was, I couldn't turn her down—and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little excited too.
* * *
Roshan smelled sweet and sexy,like the entire patisserie with an undercurrent of the spiciest, muskiest, most alluring cologne in the world. Walking next to him bombarded my senses, but not in a bad way. Unlike the overwhelming smell of a Lush store, I actually wanted to get closer to Roshan, even with the weird tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach.
"So," Roshan said, "were you checking out Puff Patisserie for the first time? I'm a regular there, but that was my first time seeing you."
"Do you make a mental note of each stranger you see there?" I asked playfully.
"And what if I do?" He winked. "Just saying, I recognize most of the usual faces."
"Actually, I was there for a job interview," I said.
His eyes widened with interest. "Really? How'd it go?"
"Well, I got the job."
"That's fantastic!" Roshan exclaimed. Even though he was practically a stranger, his praise warmed me. It was nice knowing he was happy for me.
"Thanks." I blushed under all the attention. "My new co-worker Forest was just telling me about you when you walked in."
He quirked a brow and ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "Is that right? Only good things, I hope."
