“What would be the last possible date to get it through?” he asked the man on the other end as he looked in the mirror, his eyebrows going up in surprise at the sight of his reflection. “How soon would you know?” He wiped at his upper lip, but the paint had dried and wasn’t coming off. He licked his finger and rubbed. “Mm hmm…” The mark finally came off, and he started working on the one on his forehead as Carrie realized that she was standing there for no reason. He could clearly clean his own face, and he had everything he needed. So, with a grin in his direction, she left him in the office and went to check on the children, but as she left, she couldn’t stop the happiness from rising up, knowing that they’d just had another of their little moments.
Chapter Twelve
Avoid the people who make you feel insecure. How was she supposed to do that? David started toward the door when the doorbell rang, so Carrie followed. She knew who was on the other side of it, and it made her legs feel like spaghetti. She’d been talking to Walter about nothing in particular when the bell had sounded. Having Adam’s family around wasn’t bothersome in the slightest, and having Walter there was particularly lovely. He made her feel like she was home. With a shuffling sound, he followed behind David and Carrie. David grabbed the knob and opened it, sending a burst of cold air toward them.
On the landing outside stood a beautiful redhead. Her hair was long, well past her shoulders, but layered, each section like an ocean wave, shiny and soft. Covering her flawlessly blushed cheeks, she had on large sunglasses with a logo on the side that Carrie recognized but couldn’t place. Her trousers were pressed and her coat was so fitted that it didn’t look like a coat at all but a fashion piece, some sort of giant accessory designed to show off the color of an oversized beaded necklace and her tiny waist. Her feet wobbled just slightly in the snow, and Carrie realized that she’d managed to get through the wintery slush in heels that probably gave her an extra six inches of height. The woman looked first at Carrie and Walter and then down at David and smiled, her berry-colored lips revealing straight, white teeth.
“Hello,” she said, holding a gloved hand out to David. “I’m Andy.”
David reached out and shook her hand, his shoulders squared. Carrie smiled despite her nervousness as she watched him trying to be a big boy in Andy’s presence. He stepped aside to allow her to enter. Once Andy got inside the door, Carrie realized that she was quite tall, nearly as tall as Adam, towering over Carrie’s petite frame and making her feel small.
“Hi,” she said, holding out her hand in greeting to Carrie and offering a warm smile. “I’m Andy. I work with Adam.”
“Hello,” Carrie said, nodding politely and returning her handshake. “I’m Carrie, the nanny. Adam’s in the office. I’ll just go and get him for you. Can I get your coat first?”
Carrie felt like some sort of butler. She was already an outsider, but seeing this new facet of Adam’s life, this person he knew well enough to have drinks with into the night, made her feel even more isolated. She looked over at Walter to keep her nerves at bay. He smiled at her; it was an encouraging smile, the same kind her mother used to give her on the first day of school when she was a child, when she had to face a brand new teacher and a room full of strangers. It was as if he were trying to pass off a little strength with his eyes.
“Hi, Andy,” she heard Adam say from behind her just as Andy was handing her coat over. She didn’t want to turn around. What if Adam was looking at Andy the way he’d looked at her? What if all those moments they’d had weren’t really significant at all? She didn’t want to see his smile, that vulnerability, or the way he looked like he was thinking about something more when he looked at her. She didn’t want to look at him because she wanted to pretend for just a bit longer, that he only looked at her like that. She didn’t want to acknowledge the obvious: that Adam would be much better suited for someone like Andy. Andy knew his business, she understood the importance of his work, she was polished and clearly secure with herself. “I see you’ve met Carrie,” he said, and she had to make eye contact. His face was pleasant and calm just like one would be with someone they knew quite well. “Carrie is our new nanny.”
Adam had moved on, introducing Walter and talking to David.
“I’ve got the latest offer back from Robert on Building C, and I’d like to share with you our options,” he said, walking with her toward the office and leaving Carrie behind. She wanted to say something more, something relevant, intelligent, but as she looked at the two of them walking down the hallway, Andy tipping her head back and producing a laugh at something he’d said, she’d lost her chance.