Playing the Player(13)

But instead of a fairy godmother, Slade reappeared with a tray of food, just in time to hear the meltdown reach its maximum volume. He assessed the scene, looking unfazed by the chaos.

“So”—he settled himself next to me on the bench—“how much nanny experience do you actually have?”

It took all my self-control, which I have tons of, not to expose Gillian to more swear words than she’d ever heard in her life.

Instead I just glared at Slade, then turned to Gillian. “I will take you to the gift shop,” I said, trying to drown out the tantrum, “if you stop screaming.”

She stopped screaming, wiped a tear off her cheek, and fluttered her eyelashes at Slade.

Slade chuckled as he handed Max a hot dog. “Bribery, huh? Personally, I’d wait until I’d exhausted all my other tricks before resorting to that.”

Using my super-human self control, I squelched the overwhelming desire to attack him with one of Max’s dinosaurs.

“Speaking of experience,” I said, “tell me about yours, oh great nanny oracle.”

He snorted. “It’s not so much experience as having the right attitude. It’s like a Zen thing. You have to let go of expectations.” He shot me a meaningful look. “Let go of schedules. Of plans. Go with the flow.”

We stared at each other, not speaking. It was like whoever blinked first was admitting their nanny style was wrong, so no way was I losing this battle. I wanted to tell him that I was getting paid to teach him, not the other way around.

But while I bit back everything I wanted to say, I noticed his topaz eyes had flecks of green in them. His eyelashes were long and golden brown, matching his messy hair. Desi said that Slade was a golden child, born with the sun god’s blessing, and that was why everyone loved him. Desi was very into astrology and mythology and had made up her own weird amalgam of the two.

I felt a blink coming on. I opened my eyelids wider, ignoring the dryness in my own boring, non-flecked brown eyes. I tried to ignore the odd tightening in my throat. And my rapidly increasing heart rate. I desperately wanted to sniff my wrist but didn’t dare.

“You’re stubborn,” he said, finally blinking.

“Ha!” I gloated, pointing at him. “I win.”

He shrugged, leaning back against the bench. “Maybe,” he said, “maybe not.” He took a bite of his sandwich and swallowed. “You still have to take Gillian to the gift shop. Max and I are headed to the IMAX movie.”

I glanced at my watch. He was right; the movie started in ten minutes. No way could I drag Gillian in and out of the gift store that quickly.

Gillian jumped up. “Gift shop! Gift shop!” she chanted, spinning in a circle.

I snuck a peek at Slade, who looked so smug I wanted to stab him with my fork.

“Ready for the movie, Max-man?” Slade rose from the bench and swished his trash three-pointer-style into a receptacle several feet away.

Max jumped up, obediently stuffing his dinosaurs into his backpack.

Meanwhile, Gillian had made herself so dizzy with the gift shop dance that she collapsed on the ground, giggling hysterically.

Slade shot me a sideways smirk, and I knew he was thinking what a pathetic nanny I was. This was so unfair. Gillian never gave me this much attitude when I babysat her at home.

“Meet you at the car after the movie.” Slade grabbed Max’s hand, and they disappeared into the museum. I stared at their retreating backs, shocked that he’d actually bailed on me.

Gillian lay on the ground, staring up at me with wild eyes. She banged her feet on the ground. “Nooo!” she howled. “Gift shop! Gift shop!” She tugged her T-shirt over her head and pulled at her shorts, trying to strip down to her bathing suit.

“Gillian, please,” I begged, sinking to my knees next to her. “Let’s go to the movie with Max. We’ll head to the gift shop after.”

Why had I taken this job? I could have gotten a job at the mall with Desi, at a gas station, anything but this. This shouldn’t be happening. I didn’t fail. Ever.

“It’s a space movie,” I pleaded. “You’ll love it.” I pulled her shirt down over her swimsuit. I was dying to sit in the air-conditioned IMAX theater and get a break from her energy.

Her hair splayed on the ground like a tangled mess of red snakes, reminding me of Medusa. She’d have turned me to stone if she had the power.

“Mommy said I could go to the gift shop. She gave you money.”

“I know she did. But we can do it after the movie.”

My phone pinged with a text message from Slade.

Saving you two seats.

I frowned at my phone, confused. Didn’t he just abandon us?