I got out of the car and headed inside the house. It was quiet, which was odd since it was only seven o’clock. My mom would usually have the kids bathed and prepared for bed by nine.
I set my briefcase on the floor by the door and called out to my mom.
“Mom? I’m home!”
No answer.
I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey, Ma. Where are you?”
“At home. I decided to bring the kids over here with me so you can get you some rest. You’ve been working like a machine all week. I got them.”
I felt my body relax as air filtered from my nose. My mom was a lifesaver, and I hated I had to put this stress on her.
“Mommy, I’m going to reimburse you for this. As soon as those child support payments start coming through, I’m going to give it all to you.”
“Girl, please. These are my grandkids. I ain’t looking for no payment. Just hurry up and find another nanny so I can get back out here in these streets.” We both laughed before I told her I loved her, spoke to my babies, then ended the call. Since I had the house to myself, I went into my office, got on my laptop, and continued my search to find my mom’s replacement.
Between my searches, an ad popped up on Google calledHelping Hands Incorporated. I clicked on the ad, and it took me to the website. It was colorful with photos of nannies with different children and the location of the business. I scrolled down to the reviews and nodded my approval. Their objective and goals were impressive, and there were video reviews of parents who had used their services.
Even though it looked good, I was still apprehensive about who I allowed into my home. They could’ve been child traffickers or some outrageous craziness. It wasn’t until I clicked on theMeet the Ownerpage that my interest piqued.
There, a huge photo of Basil made my stomach flip. He was dressed in an all-black tailored dress shirt and pants. His locs were pulled back in a ponytail with the sides tapered to perfection. His brown-sugar skin, light-brown eyes, full lips, chiseled face, nicely trimmed beard, and killer smile had me staring at his photo for far too long.
I scrolled down some and read his short biography. He had a degree in childcare services, business management, and childhood development. He spoke about taking care of the children in his family, helping out at the homeless shelters, and working at a daycare for four years before taking an interest in opening his own business.
There was information on how to get a consultation and a link to do a background check on any employee I chose. Before I could stop myself, I created a profile, putting in all my information, and within ten minutes, my phone rang with an 800 number on the screen.
I answered on the second ring. “Alicia Hill speaking.”
“Hi, this is Sheena Cassidy, calling on a recorded line. I received your inquiry regarding a consultation for our nanny services.”
“Uh, yes. I didn’t realize you all would be open this late.” I chuckled softly.
She chuckled as well. “Yes, ma’am. Our call center is twenty-four hours, seven days a week.”
“Oh, good. Well, I was looking to use your services.”
“Awesome. Just let me pull up your profile and ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. Give me one moment.”
I could hear her tapping away on the keyboard as my nerves tingled. It was crazy how, since that day in the LEGO store, Basil had been on my mind heavily. Just watching him with his niecesand nephews made it a little easier since I’d already felt his vibe. What he said to me stuck with me as well. It made me think maybe Godwaspreparing me for better. He knew Leo wasn’t ready for a family, and now He was removing him from my life. It didn’t mean it hurt any less.
Basil didn’t give me crazy, predator, or having any ill intentions, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe everything I saw. This couldn’t be a coincidence that it was the third time I’d run into him, although this time, it was through my computer screen.
I couldn’t deny how handsome he was or ignore how he looked at me with those beautiful bedroom eyes, trying to figure out why I was sad that day. I could see him trying to read me. The man was fine and loved children, obviously, so I wanted to take a chance and try out his services.
“Okay. It says here that you have three children—ages two, four, and six. One is in daycare, the other is in preschool, and the oldest is in kindergarten, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“Okay, and will transportation be provided for them, or will you require the nanny you choose to transport the children?”
