Okay, chief cook, maid and dishwasher as well as babysitter; I could deal. 'And Grace?'
'I'll email you,' he said, pointing to the envelope icon at the bottom of the screen.
I felt like I was checking into a high-end hotel; everything was in transactions and buttons. It felt so impersonal. Maybe the reality would seem less cold once Grace arrived.
'So if I need to ask you anything, would it be better to email you?'
Irritation passed over Ben's face. Something he hadn't thought of? 'If you really need to know something, yes.'
Okay, that was something. 'And will you be home tonight? Did you want me to organise dinner for a certain time?'
'No, I won't be home tonight,' he said, stepping away from the counter. 'I'm going to get ready to head to the office, just make yourself at home.' He probably thought he was being welcoming, but he wasn't, it was more like 'do what you gotta do'.
'Okay.' I sighed, swiping through the iPad, thinking to do a test run of the lighting and gadgets in the lounge area, just to see if there were teething problems before Ben left.
'Lounge light on, and dim,' I said to myself, dragging my finger along the screen, and sure enough, the lighting dimmed. 'Beautiful.'
I tested the TV and stereo system without drama. I tapped into the email, thinking that maybe there might be a nice welcome message. There wasn't.
Okay, so I could unpack, go for a walk maybe. I pulled the fridge door open; wow, he wasn't kidding, he really didn't stay here much. The fridge was absolutely bare. I'd do a food shop too.
I tapped into the note section on the iPad and started to make a list. I was a great lover of lists and if the iPad was going to be my Holy Grail of information then I might as well use it.
I returned the iPad to the charging dock, thinking that would be the most important note to self: keep it bloody charged. I headed down the hall to the formal parlour to grab my suitcase, but as I veered into the lounge, I saw my things were gone. I did a bit of a double take, wondering if I had left them there, but I knew had.
Well, what do you know, he's a gentleman after all, I thought, turning to make my way up the stairs, only to pause as I heard the sound of footsteps coming down. Ben glanced at me, making him slow his descent as he affixed his cufflinks to his expensive shirt.
'Thanks for taking up my stuff,' I blurted, trying to seem like I wasn't just openly staring at him in the navy suit that fitted in all the right places.
'All right, I'm off,' he said, stopping next to me. Even though we shared the same step, he towered over me, looking down at me with a speak-now-or-forever-hold-your-peace expression.
My mind was whirling at a million miles an hour; everything was happening so fast that no questions sprang to mind. But I just knew there had to be something and I knew that, once he walked out that door, I would think of something and it would be too late. With no clear indication of when I would see him again, I felt a ball of anxiety lodge in the pit of my stomach.
Instead of using the opportunity to ask one last question, I only managed, 'Have a great day.'
Ben's mouth twitched slightly, seemingly suggesting I was a bit lame. Rather than returning the same pathetic parting words, he nodded once and continued down the stairs, slamming the door behind him without a backward glance.
Chapter Seven
I resisted the temptation to pump up the stereo and slide sideways in my socks and undies, Tom Cruise style, simply because it wouldn't have surprised me if Ben Worthington had a state-of-the-art nanny-cam system. So I stayed fully clothed and above board, opting to take my time to unpack my suitcase. I'd have all day to myself and I didn't know if that was going to be something that happened often, so I was going to savour it. There was a certain part of me, not too deep down, that was terrified of being responsible for a tiny human being, which is stupid – I mean, hello, au pair? But this was all so different to the Liebenbergs, and the standards thus far were so incredibly high. I wanted to wrap Grace in cotton wool and never leave the house, which was entirely possible as everything was only an app away. Zombie apocalypse? No problem.
Padding barefoot to the charge dock I tapped the icon likely to be the most important part of my day – food!
The little knife-and-fork icons dotted on the map were like shining beacons, as was one interesting patch on the screen. Washington Square Park. According to the map, it was pretty much on my doorstep. Only then did I allow myself to truly get excited about where I was. I headed to the staircase, skipping every second step. I was going to end up extremely fit with these stairs.
Camera, lip gloss, sunglasses, street map and cash in bag and I was all set. As of today I was an official New Yorker, roaming the streets to gather supplies and live like real New Yorkers did; well, the ones who lived in multimillion-dollar townhouses with au pairs. But, hey, someone had to do it.
I was positively giddy as I crossed the road toward the park entrance. Jazz music filtered through the air as I passed small tables set under the shade of trees and surrounded by intensely focused chess players. I smiled, thinking about how I could bring Grace here for strolls; maybe I would even learn to play chess? There was no mistaking I was in New York in this park – there was a certain vibe here. The arch, the fountains, the artists, the performers, the students, the lovers, the loners and me: all pieces of an utterly enchanting puzzle. I slipped off my shoes to cool my feet in the sunken fountain while watching the water jet into the air; breathing it all in.
I think I'm going to like it here.
For the first time since I had landed, I felt an inner peace sweep over me; maybe it was the heat on my skin that I could still feel even as I walked in the cool of the tree-lined streets. Passing rubbish bins and striding over uneven pavements seemed utterly charming to me. My big plan for the afternoon was to shower in the lux double marble shower, washing away my New York City fountain feet and sweat from wandering the Village. I made a mental note to perhaps go down to the Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker Street for the 3 pm sugar fix I just knew I would be craving. Life was so utterly brilliant right now.
As I delved into my bag for the keys of my new Washington Street residence, closing the distance with a spring in my step and song in my heart, my smile fell from my face. Standing at the bottom of the steps, I lifted my sunglasses to look at a very angry Emily, holding a baby capsule.
'Where have you been?'
It was a funny thing to see such controlled rage. Letting Emily into the townhouse, I could tell she was dying to stomp inside, throw down her bag, maybe slam a door, but that's just not possible when you're lugging a baby capsule through a narrow hallway.
I sighed deeply, calming my nerves, as I followed her to the back of the house. It was no doubt killing her not to be able to lecture me the entire way, but I knew that her silence would be short-lived as she delicately placed the capsule down in the lounge, making sure she hadn't woken Grace. She even afforded the sleeping baby a small smile, one that almost made her seem human … almost.
All that changed when she turned her full attention to me.
'Mother is furious that the interview was cancelled today.'
'Well, I didn't -'
'No, that's right, Ben went over everyone's head,' she said, as if she was just as put out by him. I couldn't quite understand what the big deal was – surely he could make his own decisions about his own child. Control freak, much?
'Well, while you were being paid to slouch around the streets, some of us had actual things to do.'
'I didn't think Grace was going to be here until tomorrow.' That's what Ben had said, right? Now I was starting to doubt myself.
'Ha! Well, I'm sorry to cramp your style, but you want the job, you got the job and the job begins right now.'
It felt like she was punishing me for having gone for a walk on what I had thought to be my day off. Emily picked up Grace's baby bag and placed it on the counter in a huff, and I knew I was about to be thrown into the deep end.
'You'll have to get used to plans changing abruptly here, and as for any of that downtime you apparently so enjoyed today, well, you can kiss that goodbye.'
Jesus, Emily needed to go back to bed and begin this day again. This couldn't be just the way she was, right?
She sighed wearily. 'Have you been shown around, know where everything is? Did he do that much for you?'
'Yes, it's all right, I got the rundown. And if I need anything I'm just to contact him so – '
Emily raised a perfect brow. 'I seriously don't advise that, not unless it's life or death.'
'Yeah, he pretty much said that.'
Emily scoffed. 'Some things will never change.'
When Emily left I felt an overwhelming relief sweep over me, until Grace started to cry. It had been a long time since a little pink squealing thing completely took over my life, but the memories of looking after Oscar when he was born were coming back to me. For the first two months, at least, I didn't get a chance to finish a hot drink; all my meals went cold, and I was too tired to be bothered that I was covered in vomit a lot of the time. Still, every baby is different, right? And I would like to think I knew a thing or two.