“Oh.” I couldn’t afford to dismiss a possible job offer but wondered why he hadn’t been happy with the people Meara had sent.
“The children are spirited.”
Yikes. That word suggested I was in for more marble-up-the-nose antics. But I couldn’t show any reluctance or I’d never get the job.
“Great.”
“The position is live-in, and the family’s home is a private estate outside the city.” She slid a page across to me. “This is what they’re offering to pay.”
I looked at the number, blinked, and rubbed my eyes. The number hadn’t changed. That was significantly more than my stipend had been.
“That’s the biweekly payment.”
Maybe I gasped or grinned or danced a jig around the room because Meara finally smiled.
“The family is generous. They understand that retaining quality care requires competitive compensation, especially given their track record with previous staff.”
Did I ask her what happened? I wanted to, but I kept quiet because I needed this job.
“The role is demanding, and the father is a single dad. The temperature in the home is warm, some might say hot. The children are picky eaters, and the father is very protective and some might say humorless.”
I could work with that. I didn’t expect my employer to be a barrel of laughs, especially when I was looking after his children.
“I’d like to meet them.”
She told me I had to sign the NDA before meeting the family and her revealing their address. The NDA section alone was four pages, and some of the clauses were odd, including “species-specific dietary accommodations.”
I almost asked what “species-specific” meant, but the number on that pay sheet prevented me. Did that suggest they were vegetarian or vegan? I could do that. There’d be gas and plenty of it, but maybe I’d fit right in.
Meara walked me out. “I’m guessing we had a similar upbringing.” She'd seen my file, so it wasn’t a guess. “I arrived in this country when I was seven.” She held the door open. “I hope you’ll do well with this family, Ledger.”
The GPS took me twenty minutes outside the city and onto a private road that didn't appear on the map until I was already on it. Tall trees lined both sides of the road as my twelve-year-old car rattled over it.
When the estate appeared behind high gates, I put my foot on the brakes and studied it. There was a large three-story house surrounded by manicured lawns and extensive woods behind it. People who lived in houses like this existed in a different universe than the ones who ate cereal for dinner.
I buzzed and announced who I was, and I could almost feel someone appraising me though the camera lens.
Parking next to a black SUV with dark windows had me questioning if this was the right place for me.But my phone dinged with a message from Mom.
How’s your day, sweetheart?
Great. Talk soon.
I didn’t want her to worry, and that made me more determined to impress my prospective employer and get this job. With a messenger bag slung over my shoulder, and a quick check in the mirror, I walked to the front door.
It opened before I knocked. And the man standing in the doorway reminded me not of a stressed single dad but a runway model. He was much taller than me, and I tilted my head up to gaze at his face. Our eyes locked. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my stomach churned. I worried I was going to lose my breakfast.
“Ledger.” That was my name, but it had never sounded as if it’d been swaddled in a cozy blanket.
“That's me.” I stuck out my hand, and he took it. His was warm but not normal temperature warm. Had he been holding a cup of scalding coffee before he greeted me?
But his expression changed from welcoming to maybe nauseous. Perhaps he’d had cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. But he recovered and smiled.
“I’m Theron Gibson. Come in.”
It was a warm day, but the house was at least ten degrees hotter than outside, and I wondered if he had a fire burning because there was a hint of smoke in the air.
Something crashed, and a child yelled, “It wasn’t me.” A second voice shouted, “It was Fraser.” There was mumbling I didn’t quite catch, something about scales.
