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So, once I have strapped her into her car seat in the back of my car, I take us to the nearby Whole Foods. At the store, I place Lilah in the top of the shopping cart, her sneaker clad feet kicking lightly as she grins up at me while I push the cart. God, she’s so freaking adorable. It’s probably wrong to have favorites among the kids you look after, and it’s only been a month since I started nannying Lilah, but I think it’s safe to say she is quickly becoming my favorite.
I take this opportunity at the grocery store to do some of my own shopping as well, since I’m running low, grabbing fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts, turkey slices—the works. It’s the weekend, so the store is a little busy, and when I turn into the aisle for baking supplies, I’m a little surprised when my name is called out.
“Alex!”
I crane my neck a little, looking further down the aisle, and a smile brightens my face when a familiar one is spotted. The girl, who is probably around seventeen years old now, makes her way over, pushing a shopping cart of her own. “Brianna, hi,” I greet with a laugh. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m great,” Brianna answers with a smile of her own. She was one of the first kids I babysat for when I was fifteen and was just starting out to earn money of my own after school, instead of constantly relying on my parents. Brianna had been around eight years old at the time, and seeing her now, a full-fledged teenager, rocks me back a little. “How are you—oh, my God, is this your daughter?” she asks, eyes widening.
“Oh, no, no,” I say with a laugh and a shake of my head. Lilah looks back and forth between us. “This is Lilah. I’m her nanny.”
Brianna’s grin widens. “Oh, right! I heard you were, like, a professional nanny now,” she says, nodding. “Totally fitting. She’s lucky to have you looking after her.”
My cheeks warm at her praise. It’s always rewarding and feels good to read the positive reviews parents always leave for me on the company website, enhancing my portfolio, so to speak. But seeing the kids I used to look after all grown up, and then they are the ones that are praising me? It’s unreal. Of course, I don’t do this for the feedback and commendations. Just being someone who takes care of children and is able to be there for them when their parents can’t, is rewarding all on its own. It always sucks when the kids don’t need me as their nanny anymore and it’s time to move on, but I remember the names of every single kid I have nannied or babysat. I think I leave a piece of my heart with them every time I have to go.
“I appreciate that, Brianna,” I tell her, my voice softening because I can’t help it.
Her smile is gentle. “Just being honest,” she shrugs. Then, her eyes widen and she lets out a gasp. “Wait. I’m going to be turning eighteen in a few weeks and was thinking of having a dinner party type thing at my house with family and friends. Would you be able to make it?” She cringes a little before hastily adding, “Or is that weird? If it’s weird, you can totally say no—”
“It’s not weird,” I cut her off with a laugh. “I’d love to come.”
“Great!” Brianna exclaims. “I’d totally get it if you got busy with work, though, and can’t make it. But if you can, I’d love that. Is your number still the same?”
I nod, and after a few more minutes of chatter, we go our separate ways, my heart feeling kind of full with an airy happiness. I’m pretty sure I complete the rest of the shopping trip with a foolishly giddy smile on my face. Hell, even as I wait in line to check out, I grip the handlebars of the shopping cart and lean down to be eye level with Lilah, who gives me a toothy grin.
“What do you think, Lilah?” I ask. “Do you think we’ll be together for a while?”
Lilah nods. “Yeah,” she says as seriously as a three-year-old can manage. Her small hands cup my cheeks. “We’re friends!”
My chest tugs at her response. Right now, I’m on a three-month trial period contract with Leo, and if it goes well and he wants to keep me on as Lilah’s nanny, it would be an annual contract that would be renewed every year, if that’s what he wants. I normally don’t do trial periods, mostly because my previous clients don’t really have much of an inclination to see how things are going, which is shitty all on its own. But I respect Leo’s decision to have one.
From the get-go, I could tell he was a far different parent than the ones I am used to dealing with. He’s a very hands-on father, which is impressive given his career choice and how often he is away from home. He asked me if I would be okay with traveling with him when he has away games, since Andrea is the one who used to take Lilah along, and I told him I would be, and we would start doing that this coming month.
I wonder if I should start watching football. . .
But would I actually watch it? Or would I be too busy admiring Leo’s tight ass in that uniform?
What an incredibly inappropriate thought to have when I’m literally looking after his child.
When we get back home, we quickly put away the groceries before Lilah and I get ready to swim while Marty, Leo’s personal chef, prepares lunch for us to have once we are done. I put on a blue one piece bathing suit and put on Lilah’s for her, before the two of us head to the indoor pool of the house—because of course, they have two.
Music plays through my Bluetooth speaker, classic Disney songs bouncing off the stone walls with large windows that look out into the expansive backyard of Leo’s house. There is a chest full of pool toys like floaties, noodles, the works. Once the arm floaties are secure on Lilah, she all but jumps into the shallow end. Her giggles mix with the music and sounds of water splashing as I follow her lead, the water just the perfect temperature.
We swim together and play with her various toys in the pool, her giggles bringing a wide smile to my face as she splashes me. It’s relaxing, the two of us messing around and having fun. We stay for as long as we can until our skin begins to prune up, and it’s time for us to get out because both of our stomachs keep growling.
“Come here, missy,” I grin once we are out of the pool, taking off her floaties and wrapping her up in a towel. “We stink of chlorine. We’re gonna take a quick shower and then eat a whole lot. How does that sound?”
Lilah grins, giggling as I rub the towel on her head to dry her hair somewhat. “So good,” she says.
I dry myself off as well, and the two of us head out of the pool room with a towel wrapped around my hips like a skirt and Lilah bundled up in my arms in her towel. I walk us out of the pool room and into the main part of the house, and when I get to the stairs, I stop short when I see Leo walk through the front door.
“Daddy!” Lilah cheers, as always, whenever she sees her dad.
My heart does a stupid flip in my chest at the sight of Leo’s grin, kicking the door shut behind him as he walks further into the house. “Hi, bug,” he greets. For a split second, I see his eyes flicker over to me, his gaze dipping for a second so quickly that I almost miss it. My wet hair sticks to me, the cool air of the house almost chilly against my skin, but when Leo’s gaze touches me, I feel instantly warmed up.
How insane is that?
“You two have a good swim?” he asks, approaching us in that leisurely stroll of his that does something strange to my chest.
