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“I want my Cameron.”
“Those days are over, Aud. Get with the program.”
“Easy for you to say, when you finally pop a sprog you have duelling grandmas on hand.”
“Yes, and someone could get killed in the rush. Have you seen how sharp the elbows on Joe’s mum are? Could take an eye out. Seriously, how’s it going?”
“They’re all wonderful.”
“Fantastic.”
Audrey let a cartoon-like sigh rip.
“Oh. I see. I’ll bring wine.”
They rang off and there was just time to negotiate with Mia about washing her face and hands—dealing with union reps was easier—before the doorbell went.
It wasn’t the next interviewee though. Audrey stood back from the open door, wanting to get away from the man outside and whatever he was selling without a fuss. “No, thank you.”
“Audrey Bates?”
That voice, a kind of rumbly resonance, made her stop. She stepped closer to the door. He was a good-looking young man in a watermelon coloured polo shirt. There were four steps between them that made her taller, but not by much, he crowded the doorway in a block out the light way. It wasn’t fair of those companies that sold house to house to hire someone like him. If she was older, alone and unused to issuing instructions that other adults habitually obeyed, she might be intimidated. “Whatever you’re selling, we don’t need it.”
“But you are Audrey Bates?”
His voice was like a chocolate coloured Labrador, richly coated and waggy happy. He was probably an excellent salesman. “Goodbye,” she said, hand to the knob of the door. She’d close him out. She needed to think about getting a security screen door.
“I’m Reece McGovern.”
She stopped, peered at him. He couldn’t be Reece. Reece was a girl’s name, like Lee and Jessie, like Reece Witherspoon for goodness sake. Women applied for nanny positions, not men. Certainly not men who looked like The Hulk with a suntan. In winter.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I’m Reece McGovern. I have an interview for the nanny job at 3pm with Audrey Bates.”
She’d read all five résumés backwards, sidewards and often, how could Reece be a man? “You’re Reece McGovern?”
He smiled and he could be the number one salesman, straight to the top of the pack, billion dollar roundtable, win a trip to the Bahamas. She wanted to be a cocker spaniel and wag her tail at him. “She spells it with an s.”
“Sorry?” Very sorry she’d been that transparent. Audrey adjusted the expression on her face, hopefully exchanging vaguely horrified for the look Mia got when she suspected hidden carrots in the mincemeat—considered, with a leaning towards grave.
He cocked his head and smiled again. “Reese Witherspoon spells it with an s.”
3: Witherspoon
There probably wasn’t much point going in the house. Audrey Bates had already decided he wasn’t Reese Witherspoon so he couldn’t be Mia’s nanny, manny, au pair, minder, whatever you wanted to call it.
Audrey Bates held the door open, smiling to hide her initial embarrassment. He could call this whole thing quits now and make it to the beach in time to watch Sky play her match. That’d earn him points. But then she’d be so big on I told you so, and the appeal of that was about as attractive as Flip’s morning breath.
He hedged his bets, one foot resting on the step above. “I’m not what you expected.”
“You have a terrific résumé.” She pulled it together fast.
“But you expected—”
“To interview Reece McGovern.”
Okaaay then. He was going to miss Sky’s game, but she’d probably still get to say I told you so. There was no way he was getting the job. This was lose/lose. He gave a nod and came up the few steps and into the house. In the hallway, he offered his hand. “Hi. What would you like me to call you?”
