After Goodbye

Chapter 2.

"Sounds good to me," Simone grinned, taking back the application to dial the number on her office phone.

Sixty minutes later, Rosie had boarded her car, accompanied by Simone and the work she would need to complete by tomorrow, in her boot. "So, how did it go?" She asked, strapping the seatbelt across her belt. "Can he meet at 5 pm?"

"Well, he called me ma," Simone answered as Rosie released a small giggle of disbelief.

"No, he didn't!"

"He did," Simone emphasised, "He must not have realised it was an unknown number. He seemed very keen on the job, though, so at least that's something."

"Mmm," Rosie pondered, her eyes focused on the road as she considered what it would mean to hire a male nanny. She would have to be able to trust him first, and recently that hadn't been an easy feat. The priority would be how Anni felt, whether she would even want a male nanny and if she felt comfortable. Then came the thought that if this Grayson was suitable, he would also be living with them. She would just have to see.

"We'll see how he does in the interview," She confirmed; turning up the radio as a familiar song encouraged her and Simone to sing along; halting the conversation from moving any further.

The next two hours passed incredibly fast. With a court case weighing heavy on her shoulders, Rosie needed to be organised, or her client was at risk of being put away for a crime he hadn't committed. Her diligence and attention to detail ensured she won her cases and a lot of perseverance. The past two years had sent her life into a spiral, and the constant tension headaches were just one of the symptoms she felt from the stress. Her energy and home now only revolved around herself and Anni. Still, upon seeing her daughter's face, she knew her battles were worth it.
So if hiring a male nanny was what she needed to do, to secure some balance, then that was what she would do.

"Simone, can you collect Mr Colby for me? I think he's coming towards the entrance," She requested as she watched the tall figure from her window.

The second chair was deliberately placed a fair distance so that she could scrutinise the potential's behaviour from her desk.
Interviewing nannys was something Rosie has become well versed at, and so she sat down confidently, permitting entry when Simone knocked on her door.
Only, when the door opened to reveal a man quite the opposite of what she had expected, Rosie realised this interview could potentially be very different.

He was kind. Rosie could see it in the man'a eyes. There was a natural generosity in his soul that was rarely found and yet, shined through his smile. His afro-curled hair had been pulled back in a small bun, and his simper widened as he nodded politely in salutation. His shoulders were broad, and compared to her 5ft 4 height, he must have been at least a foot taller. In layman terms, he was beautiful, and Rosie couldn't help but feel star-struck by his appearance.

"Mr Colby," she acknowledged, retaining her professionalism and swallowing the small lump that had suddenly appeared when his eyes met hers.

"Ms Bhatt," he greeted with a slight nod, his body rigid as if in fear of her.

"Please, take a seat." She gestured to the armchair opposite her desk, watching as he clasped his hands together, waiting for the interview to commence. Though she had a list of questions she had used per applicant, only one was important to her. It was this answer that would decide whether Grayson Colby was employable and what she chose to ask, despite the order she usually retained.

"Why do you want to be a nanny?" The query must have surprised him as he shifted in his seat, clearing his throat as his lips groped the beginnings of his first words.