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He walked over to an archway off the main entrance and raised his voice over the gaming sounds.
“Leon, Brady!”Somehow, he sounded less demanding.
“Yes, Dad,” the kids called back.
“I'll be back a bit late, okay? Be good boys for your nanny.”
“Okay, Dad,” the older child called.
"Bye, Dad," the youngest said.
Any hint of softheartedness disappeared from Shawn's face as he turned to me. "They're pretty easy to deal with. They just need some guidance. Hope you can handle it."
I didn't miss how he glanced back at my bag, probably thinking of the elevator mishap. I bit back a retort and smiled stiffly instead. "I sure can, sir."
“Just Shawn.” His eyes narrowed into slits.
“Of course.” My smile faltered. He seemed so domineering the ‘sir’ thing just came out automatically.
He walked past, and I inhaled a woodsy cologne that had my body warming. I exhaled and made a mental note not to sniff my employer again. I watched him walk to the door.
Should I say goodbye? See you later? Ask when he'll be back?
The door shut as I was still contemplating it. Even though I was far away, it still felt like he slammed it in my face. I took a small step back and stared for a moment. Why did he have to be so...overbearing? Ugh, at least he was gone, and I could settle in without his brooding presence around.
I strolled through the expansive space. Without Shawn pulling all my attention, I could appreciate the decor. Everything seemed planned, and all the pieces complemented one another.
My flats barely made a sound on the marble floors that brought me to the living room. A large screen TV covered the wall, but the window view made me gasp. The kids were yelling, deep into their game, and didn't notice as I crossed the space to look out at the city.
"My goodness." The floor-to-ceiling window showcased the city in stunning detail. I pressed my face against it and did everything short of swooning. Grey buildings rose from the ground, with the blue sky and warm sun as a picturesque background.
“Are you our new nanny?”
I turned to see the boys had paused their game and were watching me curiously. The older boy, Leon, looked a lot like his dad. Dark hair and blue eyes. The younger boy, Brady, had blond hair and freckled cheeks. They were adorable.
“Yes, I am.” I smiled.
“Dad’s worried we won't get along,” Leon said.
“Huh.” I drew close to the boys. “Really? Why's that?”
"’Cause we're boys, and you're a girl."
I was twenty-eight, and it had been years since anyone called me a ‘girl.’ It was usually miss or ma'am, but his term made me smile anyway. "But boys and girls get along just fine."
“Girls don't play games.” Leon wagged his controller at me.
I grinned. He picked the wronggirlto dare. “Can I try?” I stuck out a hand.
Leon and Brady glanced at each other. Brady reached out and handed me his control. It was apparent his brother had been giving him a whooping. Justice for the little one, then.
We started a new game, and it took me a little over five minutes to dwindle Leon’s army down to two men. Brady stood beside me, cheering as I took the second to the last guy down, and finally, as I won.
My excitement died as I realized I had just beat a kid at his game, but when I turned to Leon, he had a smile on his face.
“See, girls can play games, too.”
“I guess,” Leon said.
