“... Is that a problem?”
“Wha—no! No, of course not. Why would that be a problem?” He clapped his hands together. “The answer is it wouldn’t be a problem, and it’s not, so let’s get back to the tour, shall we?” He walked into the dining room attached to the living room. “Now, it’s my understanding that Lily told you that I require someone who can also do some cleaning around the house, is that correct?”
I confirmed with a nod. “Yes, she told me that. I did the same thing at my last nannying job, and I am very good at cleaning and organizing so you don’t have to worry about that. I’m also a decent cook and I love trying new recipes, so I will make sure your son gets a diverse diet.”
“Right, well, that’s good but this isn’t just organization we’re talking about here.” He walked over to the large wooden chest in the corner that had two glass doors which served as windows through which I could see the nice china and silver inside. “I’m going to need you to really clean. The whole house. Sometimes you’ll have to polish the silver, do you know how to do that?”
I wasn’t sure why he thought I wouldn’t know how to do that, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and just smiled. “Yes. I do.”
“What about outdoor jobs? Do you know how to weed? How to garden? Mow the lawn.”
“I do,” I said. “Though I have to admit, I’m surprised you don’t have a gardener.”
“I do have a gardener,” he said. “But—in between when he comes, I just want to make sure you know how to take care of the house in the way that I want it taken care of. Can you do all the grocery shopping? Are you able to help Will with his homework? He’s starting school again soon.”
“I assumed as much.” If I didn’t know any better, which I didn’t, I would’ve thought Matt was suddenly trying to scare me off. “I am capable of doing all of that and more, Mr. Be— I mean, Matt. As I know you already know, I’ve been working as a nanny for years, and I’ve been taking care of children since I was old enough to hold a baby. I’m very good at my job, and I promise you, I will able to handle any of the household tasks you need me to take care of. But if you still have your doubts for whatever reason, you have the numbers for my references, and you can talk to Lily—”
“Yes, of course, of course. I’ve already called all your references. They’ve all given you glowing reviews.”
“Great,” I said. “Then I don’t see what the probl—”
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out and sighed. “I’m sorry, Miss Lynn, but I have to take this. I will be back soon. Feel free to look around some more if you want.”
“Alright.” The whole interaction had really thrown me for a loop, so a part of me was actually relieved that he was going to leave the room and give me some time to think. He pressed the phone to his ear and walked through the door that I guessed led to the kitchen. I, on the other hand, went back into the living room and took a seat on the pristine white couch. The family I had nannied for in Riverside was well off, but notthiswell off. I was shocked at how flawless the house was, and by the fact that I didn’t see a single spec or stain on the furniture or the rug or the walls.
Did a child really live here?
As if in response to this very question, a moment later I heard the front door open and in walked a skinny young boy wearing a green t-shirt with a dinosaur on it and basketball shorts. His hair was the exact same color as his dad’s, but his skin was a lot paler, so I guessed that he had gotten his mom’s complexion.
“Hi there,” I said when he saw me. “Are you William?”
“Will,” he corrected me. “And yeah. I am. Are you the new nanny?”
“Fingers crossed.” I did the gesture in front of my face. “Your dad was just in the middle of giving me the tour and going over everything when he got a call.”
Will nodded. “That’ll happen.”
“Your dad seems like a busy man.”
“He is.” Will wouldn’t look me in the eye, but that didn’t surprise me. I’d met my fair share of shy kids in my time, and I knew how to slowly gain their trust.
“Is that a T-rex on your shirt?” I asked. I saw the corners of his mouth turn up in a tentative smile. “I love dinosaurs.”
“Really?” He didn’t look up at me, but he did take a step further into the living room. “Me too. But this isn’t a T-rex.” He pointed a finger to his chest. “This is a Carnataurus.”
“What’s that?” I said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that one before.”
He walked up to the couch but didn’t sit down next to me. “They were carnivores, like the T-rex, but smaller. They don’t have big heads like the T-rex either, but I still think they are cool.”
“It does look pretty cool,” I agreed. “But I think my favorite dinosaur is the stegosaurus.”
“I like those too. But they’re not my favorite.” He grew quiet for a second, then he sat down next to me and kept talking. “Have you watched theJurassic Parkmovies?”
“The old ones,” I said. “Yes. I don’t think I’ve seen all the new ones though. Have you?”
“My dad says I’m not old enough.” He groaned. “Which is really dumb because all my friends have seen them and they all say they’re not that scary. Besides, even if they scare other people, dinosaurs don’t scare me so I would be fine.”
“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “Those movies are pretty freaky at times.”