“Bite me.” Wayne took a seat and grabbed the menu. Glancing over it, he saw all the ridiculous, childish names for food, which didn’t appeal. Couldn’t the grownups ever get a damn break?
Closing the menu, he wouldn’t have a choice but to have a burger with fries. He’d not eaten a burger and fries in years.
“When James told us the reason why for the change, I didn’t believe it,” Robert said.
He rarely saw Robert Thompson. Both of them worked in different circles. Robert was more into the entertainment world, while Wayne liked all of the other markets.
Wayne glared at his friend. “I had to fire the third nanny today. It has been five damn days. They don’t like how Timothy is withdrawn, or that all he does is cry for his mommy. It’s getting tiresome having to deal with all the crap. Frances is wonderful with him, but I can’t release her from my company because she’s perfect and knows everything about me and what I need from her.”
Wayne was at his wits’ end.
“You’ve gone through three nannies already?” Robert asked.
“Yeah. They just don’t seem to have the patience or the temperament to deal with him.” Wayne had also lost sleep because the nanny wouldn’t wake up to his damn crying at night, so he had to. The first nanny had been fired. “He’s lost his mother. I’m not his father, but until I have the proof, I’ve got him. I don’t want any of this to get to the papers, and right now, I’m between a rock and a fucking hard place.”
The kid wasn’t his.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Robert said. He had a cell phone in his hands, and then was writing down a number. “Call Temperance Michaels. She’s a dream.”
Wayne took her number. “Who is she?”
“She’s my … no, she was my nanny. I fired her five days ago.”
Wayne snorted. “No offense, but I don’t want someone you didn’t think was good enough for you. I’m not that desperate.”
“I fired her because Catherine didn’t like that my kids loved Tempe more than they did her. She didn’t like that I spoke to Tempe or that I had any kind of relationship with the woman. If you’re struggling with Timothy, then she’s the woman for the job. She’s loving, dedicated, and your kids will really fall in love with her.”
Wayne stared at her number. “Did you fuck her?”
Robert was known for fucking everything that walked.
“No, I did not. Not that I didn’t think about it. She’s one of those pretty fat chicks. Big tits, nice set of thighs, sweet and all, but she was utterly professional, and the moment she was in my life, I could actually work. Of course, Catherine has screwed all that up now.” He held his finger and thumb open. “Temperance left her a folder that thick of everything to do with the kids. Their likes, dislikes, everything. The woman was a fucking expert. I tell you.” Robert blew out a breath. “I was so wrong in getting rid of her.”
Wayne stared at the card once again and wondered if he could give this woman a try. Glancing over at Timothy, he saw the little boy sitting on his own, arms wrapped around himself, lost, alone, and just not connecting.
He wasn’t without a heart, even though many claimed him to be.
The boy had lost his mother, and glancing down at the number, Wayne knew it was the right thing to do.
“Thank you,” he said, meaning it as he spoke to Robert.
“I’m glad I could help. I wish I hadn’t let her go, and I just know you’re going to find her a godsend in your home. I mean seriously, that woman organized everything, and now my wife is proving that she was only ever good for two things. One, looking good on my arm. Two, sucking my dick.”
Wayne smirked and pocketed Temperance’s number.
He chatted with the guys for a couple of minutes. Timothy joined them for burgers. When the guys tried to get him to talk to them, he just wouldn’t participate. He didn’t try to force him either. Wayne was out of his depth.
By the time they got home and the young boy made his way upstairs, Wayne was at his last nerve. There were no more nannies, and Robert, for all of his faults, adored his kids and wouldn’t dream of hiring anyone he didn’t like.
Typing Temperance’s number into his cell phone, he sat in his apartment office and waited.
“Hello,” a woman said, sounding a little out of breath.
“Is this Temperance Michaels?”
“Yes, who’s calling?”
“I got your number from a Robert Thompson. My name is Wayne Myers. I seem to be in a bit of a bind and wondered if you would be interested in being hired as a nanny, part-time.”
“Part-time? How old is your child or children?” she asked.