Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
An athletic build, that’s what I got told once by a guy I liked.
I’m not sure if it was a compliment or an insult.
“Yes,” I finally say, answering Delilah as I reach for a cloth to wipe baby Starla’s chin. “I am a nanny, fully qualified.”
“And Hugh picked you?” she asks, curling her lip up a little.
“He did, yes.”
“But you’re ...”
Go on.
Say it.
Say what is wanting to roll off the tip of your tongue right about now.
Poor.
That’s what she wants to say, because it’s clear I don’t have expensive clothes, or a nice car, or anything even close to what she has. My shoes are so well worn they are forming holes. But that’s exactly how I like it. I’m humble, and I choose to remain that way. My mom would turn in her grave if I was anything other than the incredible person she raised me to be. A girl like Delilah with her rich family and her upper-class life ... It doesn’t surprise me that she is already putting me in a box.
“Poor?” I finish for her.
“No, no, that wasn’t what I was going to say,” she back tracks quickly. “I was going to say young. You’re young.”
No younger than her.
“If I’m not suited for the job, I can leave.”
She shakes her head. “Hugh insists, and right now we’re on shaky ground. You can stay, but ... I need my privacy. You take care of Starla, and I’ll stay out of your way. My friends will be over often, please stay out of sight. I don’t like to be bothered. I have a lot going on in this town, and right now, I need to focus on it.”
Yes, Your Majesty.
“No problem,” I say, smiling at her even though I wish I could just wrap my hands around her neck and throttle her for being such a bitch.
Still, I’m too classy for that.
“Well here, take Starla for her bath. Hugh will be home soon, and I want to have dinner ready. My family isn’t too happy about the situation, as you can imagine, so I’m trying to get things on track. He needs to ... clean up a bit.”
Clean up.
A biker?
Has she seen him? Has she met him?
She can’t be serious.
“Good luck with that,” I mumble, taking Starla and turning toward the bathroom.
“You don’t think we can make it,” she calls after me.
I pause and turn. “I don’t know your business, I’m just here to take care of Starla.”
“You’re right, you don’t know. I’d appreciate if you keep your opinions to yourself.”
I nod, giving her a tight smile.
God.
Maybe I should have met her before taking this job.
Things aren’t going to be easy around her.
“YOU ALREADY ATE?” I hear Delilah say, her voice whip like.
“Didn’t know we were havin’ dinner together each night. Far as I knew you, you worked late.”
“I said five.”
She must have, because that’s what he told me.
Still.
I blow a raspberry on Starla’s belly as I get her ready for bed.
“I forgot,” he mutters. “Sorry.”
“How is this supposed to work if we can’t even figure something so simple out?”
“I moved into this big fuckin’ house, I’m here, what more do you want from me, Delilah?”
“I want you to have some respect. If I cook you dinner, I want you to damn well eat it.”
“I’ll fuckin’ eat it.”
“Stop swearing, your mouth is trash, Hugh. You need to stop talking like that in front of our child.”
“She ain’t in the room.”
“Ugh,” Delilah exhales dramatically. “I can’t handle this. I’m going to see Sammi, maybe she’ll understand the kind of crap I’m living with.”
I look back down at Starla. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ve got you.”
I finish dressing her and just as I’m about to settle her for the night, Delilah comes charging in. “I’m going out.”
She rushes over, taking Starla from my arms. She hugs the little girl, kissing her cheeks. “Mommy loves you, baby. I will see you tomorrow.”
She hands her back to me, her eyes scanning over me slowly before she says, “It doesn’t matter what I do, nobody appreciates me.”
Right.
Okay.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
I’m not sorry, but it seems like the best answer.
Her eyes soften, just a touch. “You wouldn’t understand, but living this life, it can be so hard. People just ... they walk all over you.”
Poor thing, it must be rough having all the money in the world.
“I’m sure it’ll get easier with time.”
She stares at me. “Doubtful.”
She kisses Starla again and then rushes out.
She does love her daughter; it’s the only time I see a warmth in her eyes, and that’s something, I guess.
I place Starla in her crib and smile down at her. “I’d say for our first day, we did pretty good.”
The little girl babbles at me.
“Would you like a song, Star?”
Star is far prettier than Starla, and it suits her. There is a twinkle in her eyes that makes you simply melt. I don’t know how those two created this perfection, but I do know she’s going to grow up and be something great. Something fantastic. I pick up my guitar I left in her room this afternoon. Her lunch time nap went well after I sang her a song. If that’s what it takes ...