The Nanny

Chapter 2

"Shit, Q, this guy's crazy." Tina's mouth hung open as she read the pages over and over again in her head. She couldn't believe the words she was seeing. She had to read them out loud to her friend. "The hired nanny may be expected to shop, cook and clean for the children if the maid service is not available. In case of a non-medical emergency, the nanny, under no circumstances, may call outside resources. They must only refer to a provided list of contacts or Kyrie Emerson's phone number."

"That's fair," Queen said, shrugging her shoulders. She wasn't fazed by her expectations. "They're his kids. He can't trust just anyone."

She walked over to her dresser and dug out an oversized t-shirt. It hung loose on her body but barely covered the cotton material of her panties.

"Listen to this," Tina continued, ignoring Queen's input. "Maddox may not consume more than one cup of dairy in a given day."

"Maybe he's lactose intolerant?" Queen snatched the thick contract out of her hands and placed it neatly back in the provided folder. "No one else is supposed to be looking at it. I could get into a lot of trouble just because you saw this."

"Kyrie Emerson doesn't scare me," Tina said, laughing diabolically. "That man's all about helping the community, walking the elderly across the street and kissing babies."

"First of all, no one should be kissing anyone's babies but the parents," Queen argued with the roll of her eyes. "And second, his name is bigger than his nonprofit work."

"Right, who could forget that his dad owns a chain of hotels and shady businesses that won't give back to the community?" Tina laughed again, but this time, unhumorously. "He has a lot of power, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be allowed to talk about your job."

"Emerson Cloud Company," Queen weakly murmured, "is what his other legacy is. And his kids are very young. I am not going to be the reason they're in danger."

Tina grinned at her friend and clasped her hands together, expressing admiration. "You haven't even signed the damn contract and you already care. Mother Teresa better watch her back."

Ignoring her, Queen grabbed a pen off her desk and signed her name across the solid line. "It's done."

Tina's mouth fell unhinged. "You did it. You actually signed it."

"My loans aren't going to pay themselves, and it's a good opportunity to get to know the man I admire so much."

"You don't admire him!" Tina accused, shaking her head vigorously. "You admire his work, but this guy is a complete ass, and you know it."

"That's contradictory, Tina. If he was that person, he wouldn't be doing this work."

"Just be careful," Tina warned. "The job pays well. It may seem like a good thing right now, but things could get messy quick."

"I'll make sure to have an escape plan."

Tina proudly smiled. "I raised you right."

Rolling her eyes once again, Queen tucked the contract back into the folder and folded her arms across her chest. "You've been nothing but a bad influence since our freshman year. It stops here, so you have to go. I have a new job to get to in the morning."

"Yes, ma'am," Tina murmured, gathering her purse and car keys. "Let me know if you need a ride to work tomorrow."

Queen walked over to the front door and sighed into the air as her friend reached for the door handle. "I'd ask, but you should be sleeping before your night shift tomorrow at the hospital."

Tina groaned. "Don't remind me. I'll see you this weekend, right?"

With a brief nod, Queen opened the door. But when she saw the man on the other side with his fist in the air, as if in mid knock, she gasped and slammed the door shut. Tina jumped back, nearly hitting her face as Queen pulled her back into the bedroom.