Chapter 6 Evan #2
My eyes find my sister loading a plate full of sausages, handing it to Cam, Mae’s brother and the team’s physiotherapist. For someone who doesn’t eat meat, she sure does enjoy cooking it.
I hum at the same moment Flo pops a brow at me.
“Do you avoid conversation with everyone, or is it just me?” A slight chuckle sounds from her throat. “You don’t have to be so weird around me, you know? I’m not here to jump your bones like your other nannies.”
“I’m not acting weird.”
Hearing the words jump your bones slipping from her mouth causes my stomach to knot up, but I swallow hard, ridding myself of any thoughts that go beyond her being Leo’s nanny, possibly for the summer, if she doesn’t fuck this up.
She’s too fucking attractive for her own good, but none of that shit matters because this is temporary. Deep down, I’m a gentleman and always treat women with respect, so finding it difficult to stop ogling her is fucking me up.
I realise I don’t even know if Flo is single, and I feel like even more of a dick for thinking the things I have about her when she could possibly be loved up.
“Your friends are staring at us.”
My eyes follow Flo’s, and I harden my stare when Bennett waves at us and Sam mouths Give her my number, causing Flo to snort.
“Ignore them. Sam’s an idiot.”
“It’s fine, I’ll just tell him that my six-foot-eight, wrestler boyfriend will be paying him a visit.”
That gains my undivided attention. Six foot eight. Wrestler. Shit. I shouldn’t have looked at her the way I did. It was disrespectful, especially since she’s taken.
But even if she weren’t in a relationship, I would never cross that boundary with this wildcard of a woman.
She’s too young for me. Too free. And I’m stuck in place, pinned down with a strict routine and a boat-load of responsibilities.
“Don’t look so disappointed, West. I’m kidding. There’s no six-foot-eight, wrestler boyfriend.” Laughter rings out from Flo, and she shakes her head.
“I’m not disappointed.” I take a breath because hearing that she’s single suddenly makes my lungs expand with what could be… relief? So fucking stupid. “Did you get the schedule my coach sent you?”
“I did. Do you really practise almost every day?”
“I’m given an extra day off because of Leo, but yes, this season is going to be gruelling. Leo will need a lot of attention.”
This is it. The moment she’s going to tell me she wasn’t expecting the workload to be this much, and that she appreciates the offer, but she’s going to decline being Leo’s nanny. However, to my surprise, all Flo does is smile.
“That’s fine with me.”
I’m surprised, taken off guard.
“Okay, well, I’m around most evenings, so you’ll get them to yourself. I’m sure you have plenty of things to do.”
“Hmm, not really, I see Mae a couple of times a week, and visit my Mom, too. But other than that, I’m looking forward to a pretty quiet summer. Besides the—”
“If you say ziplining, I’m going to walk away from this conversation.”
Flo’s lips quiver with a smile, and she pops another raspberry into her mouth, playing with the straw poking out of her iced beverage.
“You said you want me to teach Leo over the summer? What kind of things were you thinking? I’d appreciate your suggestions.
I’m not a great dancer, but I don’t mind a bit of karaoke.
We could plant some summer squash or tomatoes, too.
I used to do that all the time with my parents.
Oh, what about magic? My dad taught me all kinds of cool card tricks because he’s a bit of a nerd when it comes to that stuff.
I even know how to tie a animal balloon. ”
I stare, unable to move my lips. This woman’s mind works a mile a minute. I don’t even know what to say. No nanny has ever suggested that much before—it’s usually me offering them suggestions.
Flo laughs softly. “I’ll take that as a yes, please, Flo. If he likes making things, I can teach him to sew, too, but that might be a little advanced for his age. Or boring, I don’t know.”
“You sew?”
“Yeah, I prefer to make my own clothes. They fit better. I made this last week.” She plays with the skirt of the sundress, and my eyes round.
She made that?
“It’s… nice,” is all I manage to say. But it’s more than nice. Everything about Flo McKenna seems more than fucking nice.
“Glad you think so. I’ll make you one if you want.” Her tone is playful, and forcing my gaze up, my eyes flick to the iced drink she’s holding. The very green drink, and I use its heinous colour as a distraction from her pillowy lips and husky voice. “What the fuck are you drinking?”
Her eyes stretch, tutting me teasingly. “No F-bombs around the children. That’s a dollar for the swear jar.”
“We don’t have a swear jar.”
She laughs, jostling her drink. “It’s a matcha latte.”
“It looks like you blended up Shrek. You can’t be serious about actually liking that stuff. Matcha tastes like pond water.”
“You’ve tried pond water?”
“No… obviously not.”
God, this woman. She’s infuriating. How the hell am I going to put up with her for the rest of the summer?
She’s tolerable when around Leo, because she focuses mainly on him, but when it’s just her and me, she has that dangerous glint in her eye.
A glint like she’s determined to mess with me, and knows exactly how to do it.
“I’ll be back just after eight tonight,” I tell her, refocusing.
We have a training session after the barbecue, and Gracie isn’t around.
“Please have Leo in bed by seven. He likes a cup of warm milk before brushing his teeth, but he needs his kiddie stool to reach the sink. And you have to pretend to brush Donkey’s teeth, too.
Otherwise, he won’t go to bed.” Humour slips into my tone as I think about his bedtime routine.
It’s almost like having two kids sometimes, because whatever Leo gets, Donkey does too.
He was devastated when he couldn’t find him. I was scouring the internet for replacements, but the only ones I could find looked brand new, and there was something about buying one and beating it up so Leo wouldn’t know the difference that felt a little bit psychotic.
Still, if it came down to it, I probably would have done it for him.
“I can do that. Does he have a teeth-brushing song I need to sing or anything?”
I cock my head at her, because never have I had a nanny ask me if my son has a teeth-brushing song they need to sing to help him.
At first, I’m unsure if it’s a joke, but after Flo lifts her eyebrows at me, encouraging my response, I see that she’s deadly serious about singing a song for my son while he brushes his teeth.
“Um, no, there’s no teeth brushing song.”
“That’s fine. I can make one up.”
Before I can respond, Leo calls for me, laughing so hard I’m sure his lungs are about to burst as he rides Bennett’s back like a pony.
“That’s your cue.” Flo releases a tinkling laugh and sips on her gross-looking matcha drink, popping one final raspberry into her mouth and sauntering away to re-join Mae.
But I can’t help but stare after her, eyes locking in on her ass and the way it moves from side to side as she walks. Grumbling to myself, I force myself back over to my teammates.
I’m met with Bennett and Sam’s curious eyes, and it looks like they’re both holding in their laughter, chins quivering.
“Man, you are well and truly fucked,” Sam chortles, quickly glancing down at Leo to make sure he didn’t notice his use of foul language. He’s distracted, arms wrapped around Bennett’s neck, begging him to get back down on his haunches and make pony sounds.
“She’s just the nanny.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll ask you again in a couple of weeks and see if your answer has changed.” Bennett chuckles, shooting me a wink, making me push him away with a huff.
Because Flo McKenna is just the nanny.
That’s all she is.
Our relationship is and will remain strictly professional.
“It’s my final evening here, Evan, and you can’t stop staring at her.” Gracie groans as she helps me plate up tonight’s meal. “Just invite her over for dinner, already.”
I pass Leo his plastic kids' bottle filled with juice to put on the table, glancing through the open window towards the cabin.
Flo seems content in her own company, lying on a foldable beach chair out in the setting sun, a pair of large sunglasses propped up on the top of her head as she carefully manoeuvres a small threading needle through a white piece of fabric that lies over her stomach. The movements are quick and practised.
I sip from my mug.
“Coffee at this time?”
“I need it. And I’m not staring.”
“Whatever, liar. Stop being a grump and invite the poor girl over for dinner. She looks… upset.”
Leaning further through the window, I narrow my eyes to get a better view.
Flo’s expression is hard to read as she gazes at the white fabric in concentration.
She scratches at her—what I assume are sunburnt—legs, slightly agitated as she lets her fingernails grate against her skin, but she doesn’t look upset, like my sister suggests.
“Made you look. Again.” Gracie snorts. “Not that you’re complaining.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I shake my head, ensuring Leo is no longer in the room with us.
“Why does everyone insist on me fucking my nanny?”
“Hey, I didn’t say anything about fucking, big bro. You came up with that all on your own.” She gestures to the front door. “Now, go and invite her. Be polite. For once.”
I march towards the front door, giving up on arguing with my bossy younger sister, and trudge towards the large cabin.
Flo’s engrossed in her work, her tongue slightly poking out of her mouth as she holds a piece of white thread between her plump lips.
It’s fascinating watching her work. Her fingers move so quickly, with so much precision.
I’d stab myself until there was no blood left inside me if I were to attempt what she does, and I’m impressed with how natural her movements are, like she could do this in her sleep.