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“You’ve got the job. Would you care to stick around and join us for lunch? We can discuss your salary, working hours, et cetera. And you can go back to your game with Ryan.”
She laughs. “That sounds as if I have already started.”
I smile, “Pretty much. But let’s say that tomorrow is the official start day, Miss Madison.”
“It’s Summer.”
“Well, in that case, please call me Lucan,” I say.
She smiles again and there’s that strange tug once more. “Thank you, Lucan.”
She stands, extending her hand, and I take it. The same warm rush I felt yesterday travels up my arm. I smile and squeeze her fingers briefly before releasing them. I watch her slip out of the room and I go back to the mirror. Ryan looks up. I see a hint of a smile before he looks down again. I can tell he is watching her from the corner of his eye. But there is no fear or agitation in his demeanor. Summer Madison is a magician. She has woven a spell over Ryan, and when I look at Sylvia observing them, she too is taken with Summer. I have to tread cautiously if I do not want to fall under the same spell.
I turn away from the mirror and go back to my desk. I am soon engulfed in paperwork as I attempt to ignore the activities next door.
Chapter Three
Summer
RyanForbesisaninteresting little boy to say the least. He reminds me of one of the reasons I like working with children his age. They have an innocence about them that makes me want to open their eyes to the wonders of the world.
I stay with him for an hour or two, grateful that I do not run into Lucan. Before I know it, Sylvia comes to get him for lunch.
“Mr. Forbes wants to speak with you before you go. He’s in the office.”
“Thank you.”
I get my things and go next door to find the room empty. I step inside, feeling like an intruder in the space. But then my eyes are drawn to the many shelves lining the room. Like a moth to a flame, the books pull me into their vortex. I am about to pluck one out when the door opens. I step back and take a seat.
“Sylvia said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes. We haven’t discussed salary and working hours as yet and I need to ensure that we have an agreement in that area.”
A half hour later, I cannot keep the smile from my face. The salary and working hours are good. Very good. In fact, it is more than what I make currently, and it makes me want to consider if I could possibly make this my main job and find something else in the evenings to further offset my expenses.
Working with one child versus working with ten is definitely an attractive option. But I will wait and see how things play out with Ryan and his father.
His father.
Lucan Forbes is quite fascinating. The way he talks about Ryan shows nothing but love. And I am also curious about Ryan’s mother. But that would all be resolved in due time. First, I need to settle Ryan’s curriculum in my head.
I call Lola as soon as I leave the Forbes mansion and share the good news of the job offer.
“The little boy is rather sweet, though he seemed to be having a rough morning.”
“I knew you’d get that job! You can charm the spots off a leopard, so I’m not surprised you were a hit with the little one.”
“I know, right? Now I need to get his curriculum settled in my head.”
“But before you go into work mode, this calls for some celebration. Dinner and some clubbing on me. Are you in?”
I smile. “I can do dinner. But let’s take a raincheck on the clubbing if that’s okay with you.”
“No problem, boo. I’ll pick you up about eight.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Dinner with Lola is an adventure as usual. Tonight, it’s Mexican, at a restaurant where the servers speak mostly Spanish, and neither of us have more than a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish which makes for interesting communication methods, to say the least. It is a miracle that we manage to get what we order. And by the time we get to the dessert, the servers and ourselves have devised a sort of lingo to bridge the gap between the language barrier.
