“I think children are a little more nuanced than Google can get across, Zayden.” I'd wonder if that was his real name if I hadn't actually asked to see his driver's license when I first 'hired' him. “You let me believe you were qualified to handle this. I've been leaving you with six children. Six. I've been trusting you with my nieces.”
“Duh, yeah. And you know what? That's one of the reasons I decided to do this in the first place. You picked me up at a park, Brooke. For all you know, I could be some sort of crazy person. If you were willing to hire me on the spot, I didn't know what else you'd do. Not all guys are as easygoing as I am.”
“Is that why you took my virginity then?” I snap, feeling my skin get itchy and hot with irritation. “Because I might make a stupid, naïve decision and give it to the wrong person?” I pause and wrinkle my forehead. “Is this a boy band playlist or something?”
“Like you don't enjoy old school Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC.”
“I'm almost a decade younger than you. I didn't listen to either of them.”
“Weeeell, then maybe that's your problem?”
“My problem is that I don't listen to boy bands?”
“Your problem is that you're too judgmental, but also not judgmental enough.”
I scoff at him and turn the stereo off with the palm of my hand.
“You don't know me at all, Zayden Roth.”
“I'm intuitive,” he says, pointing at his temple with the finger that has the letter E tattooed on it. He pretends to pull a trigger and makes a boom sound. I've never met anyone in my life with such over the top gestures. I'm not sure what to even make of them. “I can sense your pain. You're damaged but also sweet, like you still want to believe the world has some good in it. That's why I decided to help you out. The last thing I'd want to see is someone like you get hurt. This planet's shitty enough as it is without watching another person get swept under the rug of shit.”
“I can take care of myself,” I snap as I sit up straight. “I don't need you looking out for me. And I sure as hell don't need a body piercer—” at least his shirt makes some semblance of sense now “—pretending he knows how to take care of my girls. Take me home and get your stuff. Go back to wherever it is you came from.”
Zayden laughs and shakes his head, running his hand across the shaved side of his head.
“Please. Relax and let's go get some ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” I ask incredulously. “We're on our way to get ice cream. What … what are you thinking? You just admitted you lied to me about being a nanny. You had sex with me.”
“You seem really focused on the sex thing, Brooke. Relax. It's totally natural what happened between us.”
“Ew. Dear God, please don't talk like that, okay? That was … wow. What a horrible mistake. And I was going to do it again,” I mumble under my breath. Zayden leans theatrically towards me and then punches the stereo back on.
“Wait, wait … what was that, Smarty-Pants? See, I knew it. You want to fuck me again.”
“Take me home,” I say, turning the music off again. “I'm not going to get ice cream with some guy who lied to me. I've had just about all I can take with liars in my life.” Zay sits up, but he doesn't make any effort to turn the car around, instead taking us in the direction of Old Town. It's a cute area if you're a tourist, but after one walk around to look at all the local hipster shops, you're pretty much done. Maybe there's an ice cream place there now, but I wouldn't know since I haven't had a chance to head down there since I got back. “Zay.”
“I'm not just some guy anymore,” he says as he taps his hand in time to some awful song that says girl and baby every three seconds. “I'm your friend, and as your friend, I'm telling you that you need ice cream like, stat.”
“Are you buying then? Because I don't have any money. What little I scrounged up in tips last night is already allocated for bills.”
“Whoa. Are you adulting all over me right now? Sure. I'll buy you some ice cream, but I want you to listen to what I'm saying. Relax. Let me help you out, okay? Where are you gonna find a replacement nanny before work tonight?” I glance at the clock and get a kind of nervous flutter in my tummy. Last night wasn't so bad, I guess, but what if there are more people there tonight? How am I going to handle an entire crowd?
Like you did last night, when you thought of Zayden's hands on your body.
I hate to admit it, but … it made things bearable.
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back in the seat with my eyes closed. This is sort of the last thing I needed right now … and sort of the exact thing I needed at the same time. It's weird, I know, but … I open my eyes and them slide over to Zayden as … he starts mouthing the words to “Lucky” by Britney Spears?