I noticed her before we even got out of the car. She was standing away from the other parents with her arms crossed and her weight shifted to one hip. Unlike the rest of the soccer moms in their jeans or shorts, she was wearing a designer suit that showed off her curves and demanded attention. She looked bothered to be there, and I immediately thought all the things I shouldn't have—she's a horrible mother who doesn't support her kid, and her kid knows she doesn't want to be there. And wow, she's got great legs.
"I'm going to need some help." Blake's tone was duly noted. She'd gotten comfortable with me after two days, and by the third, she was bossing me around. It was only for two more days, so I let her get away with being a jerk. I didn't care. I needed the money, and Margaret and Nathan Smith needed a babysitter for the week.
"Hang on. I'll be right there." I pushed open the door and hustled to the back seat, where she regally sat on her booster seat.
"It's about time."
"Don't be rude. It's not nice," I said.
"You work for us. I can tell you what I want."
I ignored her and helped unclasp her booster seat. She refused help after I unbuckled her, and I had to stifle a giggle when she tripped getting out of the car.
"You did that on purpose." She glared at me and plopped on the grass to put on her cleats.
Pissed that I wouldn't let her put on her cleats at home, she'd made a great effort to kick the passenger seat a lot during our short drive to the soccer fields. I didn't care. My car, given to me by my Nana the week before, was a piece of crap, and tiny six-year-old feet weren't going to damage it more. "I did not. Pick up your stuff and head to your team." She grabbed her ball and marched to the coach. I watched her go and shook my head the entire time. Just when I thought I wanted kids, Blake reminded me why it was a good idea to wait.
"She's a handful. So angelic, yet a tiny demon hides inside," a woman said. I turned to find a pleasant-looking woman with brown, stylish hair standing a few feet away. She brushed her hair back and smiled at me. "Hi, I'm Sunmi. My kid plays on the team with Blake and about fifteen other entitled children."
I laughed. I wasn't expecting such an honest introduction. "Hi, I'm Minji. Caregiver to Blake this week."
"I was wondering who they were going to rope into watching her while Margaret was in DC. Nathan wasn't about to take time off. Where did they find you?" Sunmi seemed genuinely interested, even though the way she phrased her question seemed condescending.
"Care and Companions. This is my first job with them. Blake was so quiet when we first met."
"It's the quiet ones you have to worry about."
I liked Sunmi immediately. She was laid-back but quick.
"She's just a kid. She'll learn soon enough that being bossy isn't always the best idea. You know, more flies with honey," I said.
We stood there in slightly awkward silence until practice began. Sunmi pointed out the bleachers for us to sit down, but I wanted to head back to the car. I needed to read a few chapters of my environmental-technologies textbook before my next class, yet I didn't want to be rude, so I followed her to the third row. The woman in the suit was sitting on the bottom bleacher on the edge, as if she needed a quick escape. Her platinum-blond hair was loose, stylish, and fell below her shoulders. Even though I hadn't seen her face, I knew she was beautiful. She sat confidently, alone, yet seemingly unfazed. When a boy dribbled the ball successfully in front of her, she sat up straighter and softly clapped. The pretty face was a dead giveaway that he was her son. I was intrigued by her standoffish behavior and wondered why she wasn't sitting with the other soccer moms.
"Lucian really is a sweet kid." Sunmi bumped my elbow and pointed to the kid who held the suit's attention. "But he's probably the only one. What kind of snacks did you bring the kids?"
Panic burned throughout me. I was supposed to bring snacks? What the fuck? What snacks? Nathan didn't say a thing to me. "Uh, none. I didn't know we were supposed to. Nobody told me anything."
Sunmi looked at her watch. "Well, we don't have a lot of time left, so let's see what we can round up. I'll text the moms."
I watched several heads shake as they read Sunmi's text. When the suit looked at me, I froze. She was more beautiful than I expected. Her light brown eyes were expressive, her lips red and plump. I was nervous not just because she was beautiful, but she was confident and her gaze never wavered once her eyes met mine. I held my breath for no other reason than I simply forgot how to breathe. She stood and motioned for me to follow. Without hesitation, I stood, wove my way around the other moms sitting on the bleachers, and met her near a very nice, very clean Mercedes SUV.
"Hi. I'm Minji and apparently have committed the heinous crime of not bringing snacks today." I was nervous and had absolutely no game.
She stared at me for a few moments, then opened the back of her SUV to reveal canvas bags filled with goodies. "I understand you are filling in for Margaret. I have juice boxes and oranges that you can pass out after practice. I always have spares on hand for the parents who forget." Her voice held a slight note of judgment.
"In all fairness, I didn't forget. I was never told. Plus, I'm not a parent." I shrugged, trying to convey that I didn't care what she thought about me, but I did. I was always self-conscious around pretty women, especially today with my hair pulled back in a ponytail and very little makeup on. I was babysitting. Who knew I would run into a hot mom? "But thank you. I can repay you Friday."
She shrugged. "Don't worry about it." She handed me the two bags and walked away to claim her seat on the first row, away from everyone else.
I wanted to know her story. I wanted to know why she didn't sit with the other moms, why she was dressed like she was closing multi-million-dollar deals, and why she wasn't wearing a ring on her left hand. I heaved the bags up to Sunmi and plopped down. Shit. I forgot to ask the suit's name.
"Wow. Good for you. Hanni Pham doesn't talk to a lot of people here."
Pham. It was a well-known high-society name. "She seems nice. And she helped me out of a bind."
"I've never spoken to her, and our kids have been on this soccer team for two years now," Sunmi said.
"You're kidding. That doesn't even make sense."
"I mean, I've heard her talk to the group as a whole, but we've never actually had a one-on-one conversation."
I stared at Hanni. Her eyes never left her son. When he scored during their practice scrimmage, he turned to find her in the crowd, his face beaming with pride. She pumped her fist in the air, and it looked like they did a distant high five. I smiled. Hanni Pham might be an ice queen with this crowd, but I saw her unguarded, softer side with her son.
"I'm just thankful she had snacks. She just saved me from breaking a dozen hearts."
"She's saved us quite a few times. Always prepared."
When practice ended, the kids circled me like vultures, hungrily picking at the bags. Sunmi reminded the children of the manners they had abandoned and lined them up like soldiers. I handed each one a juice box and an orange and received more eye rolls than thank yous, but I didn't blame them. Where were the fruit roll-ups? What about chocolate-chip cookies or tiny bags of Doritos? It was bad enough that Blake ate only organic and had zero processed sugar in her diet, but every single kid in this neighborhood, too? That seemed unfair. When snacks were divvied up, I found Hanni at her car and handed her the empty canvas bags.
"Thank you so much for saving me back there."
Hanni gave me a curt, dismissive nod and told Lucian to buckle up in his booster. Once he was secure, she walked to the driver's seat and climbed in. I had no idea why I was still in their space, other than I wanted to stay connected with her.
"I can replenish your supply at the next practice."
"Don't worry about it." Her brown eyes were so piercing I had a hard time breaking eye contact. Most incredibly attractive women made me fidget from nervous energy and fumble around like an idiot. "Have a good night." She drove off slowly, and I stood there watching until Blake growled something rude at me.
"What?" I turned to find her bouncing her soccer ball against my bumper. Although it grated on my nerves, I smiled sweetly at her. Her face scrunched up right before she huffed and gave me the biggest eye roll I'd ever seen a small child make.
"We need to leave. I'm hungry."
Just two more days. "Okay. Let's go home and eat some yummy kale and quinoa."
Saying that made me shudder. Tonight's menu was roasted quinoa with vegetables and avocado. It wasn't as if the food tasted bad; it just wasn't kid food. Blake probably never had a fish stick dipped in ketchup or macaroni and cheese made with powdered cheese from a box. I knew those weren't healthy foods, but they were delicious.
"I don't like the orange you brought." She emphasized that statement by throwing the orange on the floor of the back seat.
I sighed. Working for the Smith family was a lot more than I had bargained for. Nathan had neglected to tell me it was their turn to bring snacks. To be fair, he probably didn't know either. He had to text Margaret to find out what practice field they were on and text me the answer. "Lucian's mom helped out your family by donating the juice boxes and oranges." I rolled my eyes at my own childish antics. I'd sunk to her level. "When we get home, I'll cut you up an apple with peanut butter. How's that?"
"Okay."
It was six fifteen. I had just enough time to fix dinner, feed her, put her in the tub, and tuck her into bed before Nathan came home. He appreciated my help even if Blake made it extremely difficult. This was Blake lashing out at a stranger. Her mom must have had it ten times worse.
"Do you have any homework?" I punched in the temporary code to the front door.
She pushed past me to get inside first and gave me another award-winning eye roll. "I'm six. School just started, and we don't have homework yet."
"Get cleaned up and I'll cut up a snack. You can keep me entertained while I cook." I busied myself with the ingredients and put the quinoa on the stovetop to boil. She slipped into the chair and watched me work. "Do you help your parents cook?"
"No. They don't want me near the stove. Or the oven. Sometimes I can use the microwave, but only when they're around."
"That's a good plan. It hurts when you get burned. You have to be careful when you cook."
Blake crunched on her apple slices and a dab of natural peanut butter that I had to stir forever just to get it smooth enough to spoon out.
"I think I want to be a chef when I grow up." Her voice was firm and sure.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. You eat a lot of grown-up type food, so I think you have the taste for it." I decided not to tell her I wanted to be a nun when I was her age. I diced tomatoes and an avocado and slid her over a small plate.
"Yum. I like these."
"See? I didn't like avocados until I was an adult, so you're one step ahead of me."
"What did you eat?" If nothing else, Blake was inquisitive if something piqued her interest.
"When I was a kid? Um, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, corn, grilled cheese, stuff like that." I fluffed the quinoa with a fork and seasoned it. I liked cooking. I just rarely had the time anymore.
"Sometimes the school lunches are fun."
"Fun how?"
I fixed her a plate. She blew across the quinoa to cool it. I'd never seen a kid eat healthy food with such gusto.
"Sometimes we have pizza with red sauce and cheese."
"How else do you eat pizza if it's not cheesy and covered in red pizza sauce?"
She looked puzzled. "Pizza has white sauce and vegetables."
"Oh, sweet child. Pizza has cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and all kinds of other delicious things." I helped myself to some of the quinoa. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't life-changing either. The lime juice I drizzled on top really brought out its earthy flavor. But I still wasn't convinced it was good.
"Can we make a pizza tomorrow? Or get one?"
I backpedaled. I didn't want to be responsible for destroying this child's palate and healthy habits.
"Your mom has a menu plan that I have to follow. But I tell you what. You don't have soccer practice until Friday. Why don't we make some oatmeal cookies tomorrow?" Surely, there was a recipe that was somewhat healthy and low sugar.
Her eyes lit up, and a smile spread over her face. In that moment, Blake was genuinely adorable.
"Yes. Let's do it. Can I help make them?"
I scoffed at her. "It's going to be all you. You have to measure, mix, and bake them. Are you up for the challenge?"
And just like that, we became friends. She didn't fight me when it was bedtime. I was reading her a bedtime story when Nathan got home.
"I'm sorry I'm late tonight. I'll be sure to tell the service to add an extra hour," Nathan said. He looked exhausted.
I thanked him, got my first hug from Blake, and headed out to my car. Babysitting wasn't too bad. You just had to find a way to communicate with the kid. I was kind of sad that this easy money wasn't going to continue after Friday, but I had a feeling I would see this family again.
"I remember Hanni Pham. Yes, of course." I was elbow deep in laundry and playing Uno with Nana, my new roommate. If she hadn't taken me in, I don't know where I would have gone. She'd missed bingo last week because she gave me her almost-dead 1994 Acura, and her friend who normally took her had cataract surgery earlier in the week so she couldn't drive them. Nana was being way too nice to me.
"She's looking for a live-in nanny for her son Lucian. Is that something you're interested in?"
My heart thumped twice as fast as normal. Who could forget Hanni Pham? I sat down to process the request. "Live-in? I can't be a full-time nanny because I go to school."
"I told her you had late morning and early afternoon classes, and she said Lucian's in school then anyway. She's looking for five days a week, from seven in the morning until seven at night, with time off during the late morning and early afternoon for your classes."
That sounded very restrictive. Rebecca must have sensed my hesitation. "But the pay is great and comes with health insurance. You'll have the weekends off, and a small studio apartment above the garage is included."
"I don't think I understand. I've seen Hanni with her son. She's very attentive. Why does she need a nanny?"
"Ms. Pham has a busy career, and her hours are all over the place. She needs stability for Lucian. And, Minji? She asked for you specifically."
I sat down. I tried not to read too much into why Hanni asked for me. We spent a total of two minutes together. I wanted a job, yes, but being a full-time nanny was a huge commitment. And that also meant that I would see Hanni every day. Not that I was scared of her, but I didn't want to crush on her either. I hadn't had a girlfriend in at least six months, and I was susceptible to doing stupid things like falling for beautiful, powerful women.
"When does she want this to happen?"
"As soon as possible."
"But why me? I mean you obviously have a ton of qualified nannies. I've babysat, but I've never been a nanny before." I'd only been employed by the agency for a few weeks. This seemed like a big leap.
"Let me send you over the job specifications. You can review them and call me back. How does that sound?" Rebecca's voice insinuated that she wasn't going to let me say no right away. Within two minutes, I had the guidelines for the job. Make sure Lucian gets to and from the school, handle any issues during the day with him at school, fix snacks for him, simple stuff. Hanni had a staff that cleaned and a chef that cooked the evening meals. The killer was the one-year contract. Could I commit to one year?
Two months ago, when my parents threatened to cut me off after I dropped out of med school and enrolled in a master's program, I didn't take the veiled threat to heart. It wasn't until the school started pressuring me for tuition payments and my monthly stipend didn't show up in my bank account that I knew they were serious.
When I took a year off after high school to travel across Europe with two of my friends, my parents weren't happy. But I promised to go to med school like they both did, so they backed off. It was only after completing a year of medical school that I admitted I had no desire to become a doctor. To say they didn't approve was an understatement.
Hanni had sweetened the deal by having a signing bonus. An opportunity to move out of Nana's house would have been enough. It had been only two weeks, and I was already going crazy. But the bonus pushed me over the edge. I called Rebecca.
"Okay, I'm in."
"Perfect. Let me call Hanni and tell her the news. When can you start?"
I wanted to have a few days to get organized, but really it was a stall tactic. School was my only commitment. "I guess I can meet her tomorrow and review expectations, but I should be able to start after we meet." I gripped the phone tighter, anxious about such a big commitment, nervous about Hanni Pham. What if she was a tyrant? What if she'd been through several nannies and simply recognized fresh meat on the market? I wrote down the address and promised to be there at seven in the morning.
"What was that about?" Nana asked when I returned to the kitchen.
"So, I'm a nanny now."
"For Blake? I thought she was a devil child."
"No. For one of the other soccer moms. Hanni Pham. I think she's one of the Pham's from the news and all the banks and stuff."
Nana clasped her hands together. "Oh, honey, that's wonderful news. You're so good with kids. And the Phams are a good family to have in your back pocket."
"I barely spoke to her, so it scares me that she requested me personally. The good news is that she has an apartment I can live in. Not like in their house, but a studio above the garage is part of the deal. I'll check it out first before I leave you."
"I'm sure it'll be fine. And if it's shit, you come back here."
There was the Nana I knew and loved. Spunky with just enough kick to make me smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
* * *
Not only was the studio fine, it was way nicer than the apartment I had once shared with my roommate Sorn. Hanni Pham's idea of studio was more like my idea of a condominium. Hanni's garage housed five cars, so the space above it was a solid fifteen hundred square feet. It had an open floor plan with a full bath, full kitchen, and several closets for my clothes. I was in the moment I saw the storage space.
"I know it's not much, but it's private, and it's close to the university."
It was hard not to gape at Hanni. This fully furnished apartment was a dream come true. I ran my hand over the taupe couch with bright accent pillows. "This is perfect for what I need." My voice was steady, even though I wanted to break into a song and dance at my good fortune.
She gave me a curt nod, her signature move. "And you can change the code once you move in. The instructions are inside on the kitchen counter."
I gave her a full look-over on our way back to the main house. Her black suit was tailored to perfection, accentuating every beautiful curve of her body, and the raspberry-colored blouse made the lightness of her brown eyes pop even more. Her hair was pulled back in a twisted topknot, stylish yet professional. Hanni Pham was the kind of woman who pinged my radar and checked all the boxes I looked for in the perfect woman. I wondered about her age and figured she had to be either my age or late twenties. Given that Lucian, her Mini-Me, was six, I had no idea how old she was. I made a mental note to google her later. If I had to guess, I would say twenty-six. I felt like a complete failure, being already twenty-four and just starting my graduate degree.
"Do you have any questions for me?" She sat at her desk and reached for her cup of coffee.
I slid into a leather guest chair and waited. The silence in the room made her look up at me. I wanted her full, undivided attention during this interview. I didn't want any mistakes or misunderstandings of what was expected of me and what I expected in return. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. I couldn't tell if my silence amused her or she respected me for it.
"Yes, I have a lot of questions. I've never nannied before, so I need to know what's expected of me." I held up my hand when she pulled out the same list the agency had handed me. "I know what's on the list, but I want to hear it from you. That way there are no misunderstandings."
"My number-one priority is Lucian and his well-being. A lot of my meetings run late, and rather than send everybody to go pick him up and pray that they get him in time, I'd rather have one person I trust to get him to and from places safely and timely." She sat back in her chair.
I leaned forward. "Does he attend after-school care, or would he catch the bus home, or do I need to collect him? I don't mind, but I will need a copy of his schedule so I know when to pick him up, and I'll need a booster seat."
"You won't need a booster seat. You'll have access to the Range Rover when you're taking him places, including to and from school."
"I'm sorry. What?" I was clueless.
"The Range Rover. It's yours to drive when you're taking Lucian places. The agency said your driving record was clean. I trust that's accurate?"
Something told me she already knew the answer. "Just a parking ticket at school last semester." I tried not to get excited about reliable transportation. That was my biggest concern. "Does Lucian have food allergies or restrictions?" I thought about Blake's dinners and hoped Hanni allowed him some sugary liberties.
"No allergies. I try to keep his diet healthy, but I'm not a stickler about it. We can come up with a list of foods and snacks that I approve of."
I smiled for the first time. She wasn't going to be cranky if I slipped him a piece of chocolate or a cookie.
"What does Lucian like to do besides soccer? Does he have any extracurricular activities?"
"Good question. He has violin lessons on Mondays and Thursdays from four to four forty-five. Soccer is on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from five to six, but we have only a few more weeks left. And I'll make sure you have snacks on the day we're responsible for them." Heat blossomed on my cheeks when she gave a slight hint of a smile. "I'll leave you his soccer schedule, too."
"What's after soccer? Anything?"
"Thankfully, no. Just violin."
"Is he allowed to play games?"
She looked puzzled. "Like video games?"
I nodded but wasn't going to press. Video games were a slippery topic with parents.
"He has an iPad with a few games, but he doesn't have a gaming system yet. I'm going to hold off on that as long as I can."
"I understand." I had all the systems but hadn't played them in a few weeks. Getting a job was more important than slaying beasts in fantasy worlds. I watched as Hanni jotted several notes in her notebook during the interview. She was a lefty but didn't curve her hand like most left handers. Her nails were perfectly filed and painted red. "Why did you ask for me, Ms. Pham?"
Hanni's brown eyes met mine.
"Call me Hanni. I picked you because I saw how patient you were with Blake and how you fit right in with the other moms. That means you aren't afraid to ask for help. Blake is a handful, and you didn't let her walk all over you. At Lucian's fourth and fifth birthday parties, she was a pure terror, so I know you're good with kids. I spoke with Margaret and Nathan Smith, and they only had good things to say about you."
"I will say Blake tried my patience. But by the end of it, she really was an angel. We just needed to find common ground and start from there."
Hanni cocked her head at me almost in disbelief. I shrugged. "Well, Minji, what do you think? Are you up for the job?"
"I'm not going to be perfect, but yes. I'm up for it." I took a deep breath. This was a big commitment. The paperwork was straightforward. If I wanted to quit, Hanni required a two-week notice. If she fired me, I would get paid up until that moment. "When do you want me to start?"
"As soon as you can. The studio is ready whenever you want to move in, or you can commute until the weekend. You can park your car on the concrete pad beside the garage."
I snorted. "I think I'll park on the street."
She stopped writing and looked up at me. Those eyes. I'd never seen eyes so gorgeous and intense before. I leaned back because her intense stare was both mesmerizing and unnerving.
"What's wrong with your car?"
"It leaks oil, and I don't want to stain your driveway."
The single nod again. "We'll figure something out." She looked at her watch and stood. "I'd like for you to go with me to Lucian's school so I can get you added to the list and you can meet his teacher."
I stood when she did. "Sounds good. What time does school start?"
"I get him there before eight. There's a before-care where he gets half an hour to play with the other kids in his class. School doesn't officially start until eight thirty."
Why did I need to be at work at seven if school didn't start until eight thirty? As if she could read my mind or my facial expressions, Hanni answered my question.
"I need to start getting to work earlier than I have been. I'll need you to make sure Lucian gets up, eats breakfast, and either goes to school for before-care or hangs out here at the house until school starts. It all depends on your schedule and his mood."
Hanni slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and motioned for me to follow her. Lucian was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and watching cartoons on his iPad. "Hey, kiddo. I want you to meet Minji. She's going to help us out around here like we talked about. Say hello."
"Hi." He went back to eating his cereal, his focus on whatever video he was watching on YouTube Kids. Hanni reached out and gently pulled the iPad out of his grasp.
"I'm going to need you to do better, please."
His brow furrowed in quick anger, but he didn't say anything. He took another bite, and we waited until he swallowed. His voice was quiet, but each word was distinct. "Hi. I'm Lucian. Nice to meet you."
I crouched down to his level. "Hi, Lucian. Nice to meet you, too. Looks like we're going to be spending a lot of time together. I can already tell we have a lot in common."
"What do you mean? We just met." He gave me the same head tilt Hanni did.
"I like Cheerios, too. And I like Peppa Pig. And I go to school, too."
He looked at me and shook his head. "You're too old to go to school."
"Lucian. Don't be rude." Hanni raised a stern eyebrow at him. He looked at his bowl.
"It's okay. I go to college in town. I like school a lot. I like to learn new things and talk to my friends there. Do you like going to school early?"
He shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Okay, well, you let me know every morning if you want to go. We can make a sign, so when I get here in the morning, I can look at it and see if we're going in early or hanging out together instead."
"What do you mean sign?"
I hadn't planned that far in advance. "We can make it out of construction paper, definitely glitter, maybe some colorful string to hang it up somewhere, and crayons. Do you have crayons?"
He nodded, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He was still wary of me, but warming up quickly.
I pretended to be deep in thought, trying to think of things we needed, but I was really studying him and his body language. He leaned slightly away from me and more to the side where Hanni stood, but he also leaned forward toward me as we spoke. "How about glue? Do you have glue?"
He nodded again, but this time with a smile.
"How about a hamster? Do you have a hamster or a lizard?"
He laughed that sweet-young-child giggle. "Why do we need a hamster or a lizard?"
"Well, who's going to flip the sign every morning? I thought maybe your pet hamster or lizard could come down here while you got dressed and flip the sign to whatever you wanted. I would totally make him breakfast for being so helpful."
Lucian laughed harder. "I don't have a pet. I'll just do it."
I shrugged. "I guess that would work, too."
"Okay. We need to get moving. Lucian, put your bowl in the sink and go brush your teeth. Two minutes. Let's go."
"Mom." His voice held a note of embarrassment.
Roseanne ruffled his hair when he darted by. "You're really good with him. He's hard to crack because he's so shy." Hanni smiled at me. Not a fake one, but a genuine smile that I felt deep inside. The kind that made my knees weak.
"He's sweet. I'm looking forward to getting to know him."
We stood in awkward silence until Hanni's phone rang. She excused herself and answered the call in the adjoining dining room. To give her privacy, I walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the backyard. It was magnificent. A flat stone patio gave way to a pool with a waterfall. A wrought-iron fence surrounded the pool for safety, but the rest of the yard was wide open and spacious. I was sad I wouldn't get to use the pool. Even though school had just started, the season was changing rapidly from summer to fall.
"I just can't bring myself to close down the pool." Hanni startled me with her nearness. I put my hand on my heart.
"It's beautiful. Your house, this estate. Perfect for raising children."
"A child. Only one. That's it for me," she said.
I was dying to know if she was married or dating someone. Her left hand was free of any jewelry. Her right hand sported a silver band on her middle finger, which meant absolutely nothing other than she liked simplicity. I knew in time I would find out about her, but I was curious.
"He's okay being an only child? Has he ever talked about siblings?"
I barely heard the stifled sharp intake, but it was enough to know I'd crossed the line. "Or maybe a hamster or a lizard really is the best idea." I backpedaled to not piss off my boss on what was technically my first day.
She forced a small laugh. "At some point I know we're going to have to get a pet, but I'd like to wait a few more years."
I waved both hands at her in complete surrender. "I totally understand. You're a busy woman, and he's a busy little man."
Lucian walked in with his backpack slung over his tiny shoulder. "I'm ready when you are."
"I'm ready when you are," Hanni said.
They both turned to me. "I'm ready as well." Apparently, that was their morning ritual that I was now a part of.
"Do you want to drive so you can get used to the car?" Hanni dangled the fob in front of me on our way to the garage.
"Oh, no. It's okay. I'm sure the school will be crazy. I'd rather see you drive us there and learn the rules first."
Hanni's heels clicked loudly on the hardwood floors. My eyes traveled the length of her legs, down to the source of the repetitive tap tap that echoed around us. Her shoes were sexy as fuck and added three inches to her height. I was a sucker for a woman in high heels.
"I'll never be able to sneak up on anyone in this house."
Guilt washed over me when our eyes met. I knew she had busted me staring at her legs.
"The shoes. They are disturbingly loud." She pointed to her feet as if my attention wasn't already there.
"The high ceilings make all noises echo. I have a feeling I'm going to get lost here." That gave me an excuse to break eye contact and pretend to look around. It was a large space for just two people. Well, the two I knew about.
"Oops. Careful there, buddy." Hanni reached down to steady Lucian as he tripped up against her, pushing her into me for just a moment.
"Sorry, Mom."
Hanni adjusted his backpack for him, and I took a small step to my right to distance myself from her. She unnerved me. Rich, powerful, attractive, successful—the list went on and on. All the attributes I admired and also wanted for myself. When she opened the door to the garage, it took everything in me to not gape. She had a sleek two-seater sports car with a hard top, a luxury sedan, the SUV I remember seeing at soccer practice, a motorcycle, and the Range Rover she had mentioned. She indicated I should jump into the passenger seat. Lucian opened the back door of the Rover and crawled into his booster.
"Do you have your seat belt on?" Hanni asked. We both turned to look at him, our faces only inches apart. The spice of her cologne was a pleasant surprise. I expected Hanni to smell like flowers and vanilla. The hint of sandalwood and cedar wasn't overpowering, but it was enough to notice.
"I'm buckled."
"Okay, let's head out. Minji, it's push-button start. I'll give you a fob when we get back. The garage opener is here, and the code to get in is fourteen fourteen."
"Fourteen fourteen. Got it." I gave her the signature one-nod affirmation. A small smile appeared on the right side of her mouth. I think I amused her.
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