“No, no, sorry just, something funny… on Facebook,” I lied.
“Can you come help us? Bella wants to keep playing, but she keeps guessing wrong on purpose.”
“Do not!” Bella yelled.
“Do too!” the boys said in unison.
I sighed.
Apparently I was done texting a beautiful woman.
Shit.
A beautiful woman who was watching my kids.
Who I had no business involving myself with.
Who had just agreed to be my platonic friend.
I quickly typed out a message so she wouldn’t think I’d left her hanging.
Me: Kids are calling and sorry about changing in front of you. Next time I’ll ask permission. Not that there will be a next time. I think I need a re-do of this conversation. See you tomorrow, Penny.
I didn’t realize until I was lying in bed that night, with Bella and her black T-shirt on my right and Malcom on my left with his purple teddy and Eric with his mouth open snoring.
We’d already given her a nickname.
And it had only been two days.
A handful of hours.
And for some stupid reason I refused to rationalize, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Penelope
The next day at the coffeeshop, I found myself checking my phone like someone obsessed.
It wasn’t even that I was expecting him to text me.
It was one hundred percent that I wanted him to.
That I liked talking with him.
And that was a problem.
I decided to text my best friend Fallon from back home. Maybe she’d at least have some stellar advice even if the advice was for me to stop acting like a teenager waiting for a phone call.
Me: So I may be working for someone famous, not the plan, remember the band Adrenaline?
Fallon wasted no time.
Fallon: TELL ME EVERYTHING, and I thought you were working at a coffee shop. In fact you sent me a picture of you at that very coffee shop yesterday morning? Did you quit? Why aren’t you keeping me updated? Also if you don’t respond asap you’re dead.
Ugh I missed her so much.
Me: I may be working for Trevor Wood as a part time nanny before his kids start school and I may have said yes without thinking and now I’m staring at my phone like I’m more than the hired help and I’m one day in.