I nodded, considering this. I remembered how some of the kids had scooted closer to their moms, who’d eyed me anxiously when I stuck my head in the living room to ask the score of the baseball game on the TV.
“I really appreciated you and Alex coming today, last minute and everything. Sharon was thrilled.”
“Like I told you, my body’s always available for a good cause.”
She laughed softly. “So that’s it. All those girls you…hang out with…you’re, uh, doing a good deed?”
Her words hung in the air between us.
I could go two ways with this: laugh it off like the man whore I supposedly was, or protest that I wasn’t that kind of guy anymore. The thought startled me. When had I stopped being that guy? Two weeks ago, maybe three? I thought of the girl from the park, and my hands clenched on the steering wheel.
I darted a glance at Trina. She stared at her lap, twisting her fingers. I noticed her purple nail polish was chipped. I’d never actually noticed a girl’s nail polish before.
“Not everyone’s as noble as you or Alex,” I finally said. “Some of us are just…I dunno. Loser slackers who have everything handed to them.”
She tensed and turned to face me. “I didn’t call you…any of those things.”
I met her gaze as we stopped at a red light. “Not to my face, maybe. But I got the message.” I forced a grin. “Contrary to popular opinion, I’m not just a pretty face. I do actually have feelings.”
She swallowed, and her cheeks flushed. God, I wanted to kiss her.
“Slade, I…I’m sorry. You must have heard that from Desi.” She frowned, and I guessed that she’d chew out Desi later, kind of like me and Alex. “I did say that…but it was before I really knew you.” She raised her eyes. “I don’t think that anymore.”
The light changed, and I tore my gaze away from her as I accelerated. “You don’t think I’m a man skank?” I made my voice light, but my gut tightened as I waited for her answer.
She took a deep breath before she spoke. “I don’t think you’re a loser, or a slacker. You’re actually…a nice guy. You’re great with kids. You, um, seem to care about people.” She didn’t speak for a long moment. “I, uh, don’t really know about the other part. Not that it’s any of my business.”
What should I say? Yeah, I dated a lot of girls. But I hadn’t slept with all of them, just a couple. My reputation was bloated with exaggerations and other people’s lies that I’d never bothered to correct. For the first time ever, I wished I had.
“Home sweet home.” I pulled into the driveway and jumped out of the car. “Come on in and meet the shrinks.”
She sat in the car, not moving. I walked toward her, leaning into the open window. She stared at the floor mat, and I noticed how her eyelashes brushed her cheeks.
Damn. I was worse than any of those guys in the stupid movies I watched.
“Come on. I promise they won’t bite. They’re shrinks, but they take off their mad scientist coats when they’re at home.”
I forced myself to put my slacker Slade mask back on, to be the cool guy who wasn’t totally rattled about bringing a girl home to meet his parents. A girl who might or might not think I was a total ho. Who might not be interested in pushing this nanny gig beyond the boundaries of work and friendship.
She finally looked at me, and I was shocked to see how nervous she seemed.
“Hey,” I spoke softly, like she was a deer that spooked easily. “They’re probably not even home. They go out all the time.” I grinned at her. “Movies with subtitles. Sushi. My favorite stuff.”
Relief flooded her face, and her cherry lips widened into a relieved smile. “Okay.”
She stepped out of the car and I wondered why she was so bothered by the idea of meeting my parents. She was the type of girl parents loved. I groaned inwardly, imagining how thrilled they’d be to meet her. I hoped they didn’t embarrass me.
“So, do they ever, like, psychoanalyze you?” She scuffed her sandal on the sidewalk, not looking at me.
I touched her shoulder, hyperaware of the warmth of her skin under my hand. “Don’t stress, BB. They’re cool.”
“If you say so.” She smiled up at me, shy and sweet. My mouth went dry, and I ran up the steps ahead of her.
Dad stood in the kitchen pouring coffee, even though it was hot as hell outside. His eyes widened when Trina stepped into the room behind me, but he recovered quickly. “Your nose for fresh coffee never fails you.”
“Dad, this is Trina Clemons. My nanny partner.”