It's Nelly, an old friend of mine from high school. It's not like we're besties or anything, but it's been five years since I moved away from here. I don't exactly know anybody anymore, and I can't exactly leave the girls alone while I work tonight. She watched them for me yesterday evening and did a good job, so I figure I can trust her with an overnight.
Overnight. Overnight without my clothes on, with men I've never met seeing me naked while no man I've ever actually liked has seen me naked.
My hands start to shake, but I clamp down on the pain, squeezing my fist around the phone. If Zay notices, he doesn't say anything.
“Sorry,” I tell Zayden as I stand up. “I have to take this.” He gives me a sexy little wave with his tattooed hand and picks up his own phone. “Hey, Nelly! How's it going? Are you all ready for your sleepover tonight?” I make my voice sound as cheerful as I can, trying to keep things positive. Letting myself lament the circumstances will only make me miserable. Although I feel like I already am; I feel like my soul's falling apart. Does that make me pathetic?
“Hi, Brooke,” she says, her voice dropping with an awkward sort of regret. “I am so sorry, but I … am not sure I can take the girls tonight.”
I move forward into the grass, blinking at the bright sunshine as I come out of the shadows.
“What do you mean? I … I'm starting my new job tonight. I don't have anybody to watch the girls until my parents get back into town.”
“I know, sweetie, but my boyfriend came home a night early from his business trip, and he wants to take me out.”
“Then … then cancel. I know I'm asking a huge favor here, but I already paid you fifty dollars to do this.”
“And like I said, I'm sorry. Abraham wants to take me out, okay? I really wanted to help, but I can't exactly tell him no, now can I?”
“Um, yes, you can. You said you'd help me out and now I have,” a glance at the time on my phone, “like five hours to find backup. We set this up yesterday, Nelly. Who else am I going to get to watch the kids now?”
“There's nothing I can do, Brooke,” she says in that nasally little voice of hers I've always hated.
“Then I want my fifty bucks back, you hear me? Nelly? Nelly?” I look at the phone screen and see that the bitch has hung up on me. Oh hell no. I dial her back, but there's no answer; I get voicemail. “Listen up, you crabby little cunt,” I start and then jump when I feel a hand on my leg.
“Aunt Brooke?” It's Bella, staring at me with big brown eyes. “What's a crabby little cunt?”
Oops.
“It's a … type of endangered sea crustacean.” I drop down to one knee in the grass and take her shoulders in my hands. “Look, let's … people don't like to talk about them because they're almost extinct, okay? Let's never repeat those words again.” Bella nods, but she doesn't entirely look like she believes me. Instead of commenting on it though, she drops a daisy chain into my hair and then skips away to rejoin her sister.
“Nice save,” Zayden says as I rise to my feet, glancing over my shoulder to watch him slow clapping at me with his gorgeous hands. I want to suck his fingers into my mouth and see what they taste like.
Uh.
Forget I just said that.
“Your babysitter quit on you?” he asks as I move back over to the bench and plop down on it, curling my fingers around the splintered wood.
“Actually, yeah.” I look over at him, lounging on the picnic table like it's a recliner or something, like the man doesn't have a care in the world. It makes me want to know him, to hoist all of my cares onto somebody else's shoulders. But no. I'm stronger than that. I can do this. “Who do you use for your kids? Maybe I could borrow them for a night?”
Zayden laughs, this easy, open sound that makes my skin tingle.
“Oh, these aren't my kids,” he says, finally admitting it and gesturing at the baby with his thumb. “I'm just the nanny. I might not look the part, but I come dirt cheap.”
My heart flutters—but not from his shockingly good looks this time. I spin in my seat and lean forward, reaching up to take Tattoo God by his strong, sexy shoulders.
Oh, that feels nice.
“Oh my God. I … listen. I gave my last fifty in cash to that bitch, and I don't exactly have the time or money to scour around for a babysitter.” I glance over at the happily sleeping baby. Leaving the girls with a stranger is … but if this guy's a nanny, then somebody must trust him, right? Besides, if I've learned anything over the years, it's that the people who aren't trustworthy often try to look it. If this guy was up to something, why would he advertise himself with all these tats and piercings? I mean, he's been nothing but normal and cool thus far. “Do you have references? I mean, I could check those real quick and we could work out a payment plan.”