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“I...what?”
She gave me a glare even nastier than my interviewer. “The company’s reputation is on the line here. If you’re going to start out crapping the bed in front of our most valuable new client-”
I jumped up out of my seat, hugging the folder to my chest. “No, Ma’am. I’m going to perform flawlessly and add to the company’s reputation, you’ll see. I’ll be there in twenty.”
“That’s better. Get going.”
“Right away, Ma’am.” I jetted out of the door and into the California sunlight.I don’t know why they changed their minds about me, but I sure as hell ain’t gonna ask any questions.
Outside on the street, I ripped my phone out of my pocket and pulled up the Uber application. The address was front and center on the paperwork in the folder. I typed it in and waited for the notification that my driver was on the way.
It wasn’t long before the Prius was gliding along a stretch of road with mansions every few acres.
“This is in the swankiest part of the swankiest neighborhood in Mondello,” I whispered to myself. “This guy’s gotta besuperloaded.” The name on the docket sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. It didn’t matter. My job was to go there and be the best damn nanny this kid had ever seen, no questions asked.
My mouth dropped open as the car approached a massive, elaborate gate manned by security in their own little booth at the front. The driver let me out, and after letting security know I was the new nanny, they gave me a ride to the house themselves.
The foyer itself was bigger than any house I’d ever set foot in.
“Right this way,” said a woman in a maid’s uniform. “They’re waiting.” She held out an arm and I walked in that general direction, trying to keep my feet from making too much noise on the marble floors. My squirrel instincts kicked in and I hunched my shoulders, bringing both hands to my mouth to nibble at my fingernails like I had my favorite snack of pine nuts in my hands, and my forward movements jerky and staccato.
Besides the scent of fresh gardenias, there were lots of shifter scents in the house. The strongest and most commanding one came from the room I was entering.
A bear.
Terror seized me as I rounded the corner and came face-to-face with one of the biggest men I’d ever seen. He looked like an NFL linebacker, retired maybe, because of the streaks of gray at his temples, but still fit and in his prime. There were other people in the room, all of them dressed to the nines and powerful looking, but the bear shifter held my attention completely.
He came toward me and held out a massive hand, a smile on his face. “You must be Terrance. It’s a pleasure to have you onboard.”
I took his hand and shook it. His grip was crushing and his muscles were ready to burst out of his expensive suit.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” I said honestly. I was mesmerized. I hadn’t seen an alpha this sexy and attractive since... “I’m sorry, who’s Terrance?”
His smile dropped. “You are.”
I pointed to myself dumbly. “I’m Riley.”
His eyes darkened. “Come again?”
“I’m Riley. My name isn’t Terrance.”
The alpha bear stood up straight, his anger brewing. “That’s literally impossible. The name they gave me in the folder is Terrance, and they don’t make mistakes.”
My inner squirrel screamed,run! Hide!“But, but, they gave me this folder in the lobby. They told me to get over here or I’d be late. I thought they...” I trailed off as the realization dawned on me. My chin drooped with misery. I opened my folder, and the name that greeted me was not my own. “When I left the interview, they didn’t hire me. I was out in the lobby when they brought me the folder. Maybe Terrance was in the bathroom or something, and they thought I was him. They made a mistake. I wasn’t good enough after all."
A stern-looking older woman spoke up. “Brennan, let me call the agency. They’ve got some explaining to do.”
Brennan, that was his name.
I held up my hands to stop her. “Pease, I need this job for my son. If you let me have it, I’ll be the best damn Manny you’ve ever seen in your life. I’ll be super Manny. I swear.” For the first time I really took into account how many people were in the room. There were five of them besides Brennan, in what looked like a mix of people with different duties for their boss, judging by what they were wearing.
Brennan looked me over. He wasn’t judging me, or angry with me, the way I thought he’d be. He was angry, but it seemed like the agency was going to feel his wrath, not me. When he looked at me, his eyes seemed almost gentle.You're imagining things, Riley, no billionaire is gentle, and definitely not towards a nobody like you.
“How much experience do you have being a nanny?”
I listed off my qualifications. He nodded along, maybe not completely impressed, but seemingly satisfied.
“I think the reason the agency didn’t hire me is because I don’t have as much experience with high-end clients. I learn fast, though.”
