Nanny

2

I always had a thing for redheads, I thought. A shame he's married.

But when I glanced down at his hand, I realized there was no ring on his finger. Then who was the we he referred to on the phone? Maybe he had children with a partner, but they weren't married. Lots of people were doing that these days, especially in New York City.

Yet I still wondered...

Adam led me into a massive conference room. It was large enough to fit an entire basketball court inside. The conference table was made of dark, oiled wood, and it was so big that if the sides were folded up it would be the size of a large yacht. I quickly counted the chairs on one side: twenty-six.

"Please, have a seat." Adam gestured to one of the chairs near the head of the table, and then he took the one right next to it. He crossed one leg over the other and pulled out his cell phone. "Tell me about your experience. Don't worry, I'm not ignoring you—I'm taking notes on my phone."

I hesitated. Miranda had told me to lie, to make something up to impress them. Lying to a normal person was bad enough, but I had a feeling lying to someone like Adam—an executive at a major investment firm—would have larger consequences.

But I was intimidated by the helicopter ride and the huge conference room, and I found myself desperately wanting to impress him.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved children," I began. "I babysat for all the families on my street. They practically fought over me on the weekends."

That much was true, at least.

"More recently, I've nannied for several families in Norwalk and New Haven. These weren't through the agency, so it's not on my record, unfortunately."

"What ages have you nannied for?" Adam asked.

"I've taken care of children from the newborn age up to eight years old. I've changed thousands of diapers, and I've read hundreds of bedtime stories. I love helping the children with their homework, and I've spent countless hours helping children play with Legos and other developmental toys. I'm also really good with food manners. If a child is stubborn at the dinner table, I'll have them eating their veggies within a week."

I had done all of that with my nieces and nephews, so it almost felt like the truth. The only difference was I didn't get paid to do it.

Adam nodded along. "Very good. What is your opinion on disciplinary action?"

Something Miranda had told me came to mind, and I quickly repeated it as best as I could remember. "I do not believe in spanking. All modern scientific studies show that physical punishment has long-term negative consequences. Instead, I prefer to reward good behavior through a variety of methods. The only negative reinforcement I use involves the removal or restriction of privileges."

Adam nodded thoughtfully.

"But obviously I'm open to whatever you're currently using," I quickly added. "How old are the children?"

Adam's face lit up with a warm smile. "The twins are four years old. Allie and Barry. They're a handful, let me warn you."

"Oh, I bet! Four is such a wonderful age. That's when their personalities start developing. You start to get a sense for who they really are, and who they will become some day."

"Absolutely." Adam typed a note on his phone, then returned his emerald gaze to me. "Before we go any further, I should tell you that this is a live-in position. You would have your own bedroom and bathroom, of course. Your services will be required five days a week, Monday through Friday. Occasionally you will be asked to work weekends, but that will not be the norm."

My heart soared. A live-in position meant I wouldn't have a daily commute! That changed my entire perspective. Instead of a job to help me get by, suddenly this position was downright ideal.

That put extra pressure on me not to screw it up.

"Live-in is fine," I said. "Not having a commute would be wonderful."

"Can you tell me your salary requirements?" Adam asked.

I wasn't sure how to respond. I thought the nanny agency handled the salary negotiations, but this felt like it was outside of the normal process. I tried to think of an answer for him. How much did Miranda make? She wasn't a live-in nanny, so it wasn't exactly comparable.

Adam was calmly staring at me. Waiting for an answer.

"We can discuss salary once I'm chosen for the job," I said. "How long would the position be for? This is my first time going through an agency, so I don't know how this typically works."

"We would be contracting you for a three-month period to start," Adam explained. "If it's a good fit, we would want you for at least four years. Although by then, you would only be needed before and after school."

Four years. It seemed too good to be true. Just an hour ago I was looking through classified ads and wondering if I would have to settle for a job as an Uber driver.

"A three-month trial sounds great," I said. My eyes flicked down to his hand again. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

He gave me a half-smile. "Depends on how personal."

"There's no ring on your finger. Is the mother... In the picture?"

Adam looked down at his hand, confused. "The mother?"

"The mother of your children. It doesn't change anything, of course, but if I'm going to be a live-in nanny I'm curious about who I will be living with."

"My children..." A flash of understanding passed across his eyes. He chuckled and said, "I'm afraid I gave you the wrong impression. Allie and Barry aren't my children."

I gave a start. "Then who..."

He stood and looked at his watch. "It's time for the real interview. I'm just the personal assistant to Braxton Nash. You'll be nannying for him."