Chapter 11
***Ada***
I spent another day looking for the older kids and barely seeing them while playing with Milo.
I dreamt of my mystery man again and woke up feeling frustrated by my brain.
Instead of touching myself, I soaked in a steaming hot bath before going down for breakfast. I didn’t want to mess with the food or orange juice again so I sat at the island with Milo and smiled pleasantly when Collin and Joe walked into the kitchen.
Joe stopped short and frowned at Milo. “What’s he wearing?”
I grinned at Milo’s outfit of choice. He’d gone for something extra special while dressing that morning.
He had on dinosaur pajama bottoms, no shirt, and a fireman’s hat.
It was an interesting choice, but it was his.
Milo tipped his hat at Joe the way I’d shown him and I laughed at the cute smirk on his face.
“He’s a dinosaur-loving fireman. What else is he supposed to wear?
” I turned just in time to see Collin sniffing his orange juice and I snorted so hard that it tickled my nose and brought tears to my eyes.
Holding my hands over my face, I peeked out from between my fingers and saw Collin glaring at me.
Behind him, though, Kendall stood with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed in on me.
Teenage girls could be terrifying and I worried for a moment that she knew what I’d done to the orange juice and was going to tell on me. Instead, Kendall walked around her dad and uncle and pulled out the chair next to me. “I’ll eat here today.”
I had to contain the urge to bounce on the spot. It felt huge that she was deciding to sit with me. If the look on Joe’s face was any indicator, it was huge. I tried to play it cool. “That’s cool with us. Right, Milo?”
He tossed a dry piece of cereal at her and stuck out his tongue. “Mi-wo tinks not.”
Kendall threw it back at him and smirked when it hit him in the forehead. “That’s what you get, kid.”
Milo narrowed his eyes at her and I got the impression that inside his sweet little head, he was plotting her demise. To ward it off, I leaned forward and blew the cereal dust off his forehead. “All better.”
David placed Kendall’s plate of food in front of her. “There you go. Chocolate milk still okay, Kendall?”
Kendall raised her eyebrows even higher at me. “Should I get the orange juice for a change?”
My voice broke as I answered, very aware that Joe and Collin were still in the room. “Just depends on what you’re feeling, I guess. I think whatever issues the oranges had yesterday are all cleared up today. At least, it seems so.”
Joe looked between his daughter and me and his mouth moved like he was going to say something but then he just turned and walked out. Collin held my gaze as he backed away. When my smile never faltered, he shook his head and left the room.
“Wow. I think my dad dislikes you as much as he dislikes me.” Kendall smirked. “That’s saying something.”
My heart lodged somewhere in my throat and I immediately swore I’d kick Joe’s ass before I left his amazing mansion. Turning so I could create a small bit of privacy between us, I lowered my voice. “We ride again tomorrow.”
She frowned. “What?”
I sighed. “I just mean... If you want in on finding great oranges for your dad and uncles, you’re invited. While I’m sure your dad likes and loves you, it’s still good to have a little fun during your summer break.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah. Oranges. I’m in.”
David’s face suddenly appeared right next to ours. When I yelped, he swatted my arm with a kitchen towel. “You touch my food again and I’ll toss you out myself. Understand me?”
“Fine. You didn’t have to scare me, though.” I glanced back at Milo in time to see him trying to stand up on the stool. I scooped him into my arms as I climbed to my feet. “We’re going down to the beach to hunt for driftwood this morning. Want to come?”
“No. I still don’t want to do that. Find me later, though.” Grabbing her untouched plate, Kendall flashed a quick smile at me before vanishing into the depths of the mansion.
I turned to David and did a little dance. “Did you see that? She smiled. That feels like a win.”
He rolled his eyes. “Sure. I didn’t even know her lips moved that way, so good job.”
I left breakfast feeling pretty proud of myself. Maybe I was a great nanny. Then I thought of how I was bonding with Kendall over tormenting her father. I probably should’ve stuck to waitressing.
The rest of the day was a day of meltdowns.
Milo found a dead fish on the beach that he wanted to keep and when I wouldn’t let him, he decided that I was the devil.
I saw firsthand that I was indeed not a very good nanny.
I ended up bribing him with the promise of ice cream to make him chill out and then David informed me that Milo can’t have ice cream because of allergies.
It was something I would’ve known if I’d read the information packet thoroughly.
That led to another meltdown which stretched into a fitful naptime that stretched into more tantrums. Sometime in the middle of taking a flying Lego to the face, I wondered where the hell Milo’s parents were.
I’d noticed David taking a tray upstairs at every meal but if Milo’s dad was just upstairs, why the hell didn’t he come out to see his son?
By the time Milo wore himself out for the day, I’d missed any chances at talking to Kendall and I was sore with a throbbing headache.
My pride was wounded and I felt properly humbled.
I was a shitty nanny and no matter how I tried to look at it, the day was a failure. My eternal optimism was running dry.
That was unacceptable, though, so I made the choice to use the hot tub hidden away on the first floor to replenish my mood and aching body. I didn’t have a swimsuit, but as I snuck through the house, I noticed that every light was off. Everyone was asleep and I had the hot tub to myself.
At the back of the mansion was a wing that held a sauna, something I’d never use for fear of getting locked in and dying, a gym, something I’d never use because no, and a hot tub.
The hot tub was big enough for ten people and tucked into a room full of plants.
The walls were all glass, even the ceiling, so I could watch the stars as I melted in the water.
It was an immediate upper and an instant reminder of why dealing with Milo’s tantrums had been worth it.
I had never been an exhibitionist but as I stripped naked and sank under the bubbles, I got it. I felt wild and bold, despite how confident I felt that no one was awake to chance catching me. After just a few days away from Camden, I already felt like a different woman.
I’d just caught the tailend of a shooting star and was quietly celebrating that positive sign from the universe when a sound had my breath freezing in my lungs. Someone was coming.