The Accidental Nanny

On the Hunt

After a long shower and a short phone call to my mother (not to mention several pointed looks from Lila) I brushed the debris from my small sofa bed onto the floor and set to work rewriting my résumé.

It wasn't an impressive document, and I honestly hadn't looked at it since my freshman year of college, when I had applied at the campus bookstore. I'd gotten the job and had never needed a résumé again, until now.

I added my degree and work experience at the bookstore, but other than that I had nothing new. No new skills or references. It was a wonder I made it through college at all. I typed in 'People Skills' and 'Communication Experience' before giving up and closing the tab and searching for businesses that were hiring in my area.

A couple of restaurants popped up and one tanning salon. I held out my arm and examined it, I could do with a tan but Lila was completely against it. Just like she was against all meat and meat products. Sometimes I wished that I had begged another one of my sorority sisters to let me move in with them. Oh wait, I had.

But none of them had wanted me. I guess they could all tell the future, or lack thereof, that I was destined for. But Lila was the kindest, so when I pleaded with her for a couple of weeks until I got on my feet she accepted.

I clicked on the link to the tanning salon and found the manager's contact information. It was a man named Jess Gordan and it listed a phone number and email address.

I shrugged my shoulders and opened an email to him and sent him my updated résumé and all of the generic niceties that are generally accompanied by such a proposition.

Feeling as though I had accomplished a great feat I switched off my laptop and grabbed my purse, ready for a change of scenery. I justified the trip by told myself that I would pick up a newspaper and search though the ads for more available jobs. But I knew that what I really wanted was some good coffee (Lila hated the stuff) and perhaps something sweet.

I found myself seated at my usual table at a local coffee shop and waited for one of the mind numbingly tiny waitresses to bring me my usual. On my way in I had picked up the local paper and was thumbing through it when Collin brought me his famous caramel macchiato and a couple of ginger snaps.

"Hey sweetie, how's it going?" He asked, sliding into the seat across from me. He was of Korean decent and as gay as the day is long and could make coffee better than anyone I knew.

"Not great," I admitted as I pulled out the straw and sucked of the foam. "Lila wants me to get a job." Collin looked at me like he didn't understand why it was such a big deal. "She knows I'm not ready."

"But if you don't start looking, then you'll never be ready." He advised.

"That's just what she said!" I exclaimed, resting my elbow on the table and my cheek on my fist with a huff.

"Well it never hurts to look, does it?"

"I guess not." I admit, but only to make him happy. I honestly didn't understand why everyone else was so concerned with what I chose or didn't choose to do with my life.

"That's a girl." He patted my hand. "You can stay as long as you like, I'll take care of your bill."

"Thanks." I smiled as he walked away. I had long since stopped caring that people payed for things for me. I hadn't bought myself dinner in years, all of my friends seemed to understand my money troubles.

When I had finally given up on flipping through the paper, having found nothing of interest, I rose from my chair and moved toward the exit when Collin called my name from the back.

"Josie!" He called and I turned to see him running to catch up, wiping his hands on his already filthy apron. "I have an idea!" His face lit up.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You'll work here! It will be perfect!"

"Collin you're an angel!" I said as I wrapped him a tight hug. "When can I start?"

"Tomorrow morning!"

Happy tears dripped down my face, I was saved.

I ran home quickly, anxious to tell Lila about the news,

"Li, grab your coat! I have a job, let's celebrate!" I called when I opened the door. But she was nowhere to be found. "Li?" I called out again. I didn't think that she had mentioned any appointments to me, so I searched our small apartment for any trace of her.

When I finally found a note taped to the refrigerator explaining that she had gone out to dinner with Dominic, I crumpled it into a ball and threw it away. Party of one, I guess.

I wasn't much in the mood to go out by myself, so I found something left over and heated it up in the microwave, ready for a night in. When the timer sounded I wrapped my dinner in a towel and took it to my room, not wanting to spill anything on Lila's stark white furniture.

I played around on my laptop for a bit before I noticed the email icon. I opened up the new message and found that it was from the man I had emailed. He wrote that he was pleased with my résumé and would be happy for me to come and stay.

Thoughts of, 'Fifty Shades of Grey' played through my mind when I realized that instead of emailing a jgordan, I had instead sent my pathetic résumé to gjordan.

When I googled the email address I found that it belonged to none other than Gregory Jordan, the reclusive businessman. He had four children, all under ten years old.

I was stunned that he would have chosen me out of all of the other no doubt qualified girls in town, but I already had a job, not to mention my zero experience with children, so I shot him off a quick response telling him that I'd already found something.

He didn't respond, so I closed the tab and continued my lonerfest, and eventually fell asleep.