Chapter 2
SIENNA COOLEY
Great communicator. Loves God. Loves family. Handsome as sin. Smells good enough to pour over a biscuit and devour in two bites.
I giggled at that last one. Closing my little red journal, I sighed and ran my fingers down the red ornament donning the cover. Tiny gold foil lines made the ornament pop off the page.
Inside this book was my heart. My journal knew everything about me.
It knew my fears, my concerns, and even the list of things I wanted in a partner.
I was such a hopeless romantic, and at my age, I shouldn’t have been.
Tucking my journal inside my desk drawer, I stood from my desk and beamed brightly at the Christmas tree in front of me.
“Hi!” I cheerily spoke to it.
Giggling at my childish love for the holidays, I left my office and went into the showroom. It was time to open for the day.
An hour later, I did a little dance to some holiday music blasting from my boutique’s speakers.
Christmas was my favorite time of the year, and the only time I truly got a break from the hustle and bustle of nanny life.
While I loved my side job as a nanny, it was starting to feel like my main career.
If I wasn’t being whisked off for one family, my phone blew off the hinges for another.
It was time to slow down and take care of my first love.
Prince & Princess Inspired was my first love. From handsewn garments to custom jewelry, my boutique was the little house on the corner inspiring boys and girls to live their dreams.
Nothing shouted holidays like decorating the entire boutique.
Although Prince & Princess Inspired was in the heart of Niceville Shores, Florida, it resembled a winter wonderland inside the boutique.
Sighing, I hoped the city would at least see a drop in temperatures by Christmas.
The high was settling around seventy, making it impossible to even sport a light sweater.
Seeing a little sign of winter would’ve been the greatest ending to the great year I had.
I couldn’t say so for the prior holiday season.
The thought caused me to shudder. Thinking about anything attached to Aaron Perdue always produced the same reaction.
Not even his young son made me want to give that man grace.
Aaron was a pro-football player, and a single father.
While working for him, I experienced the worst verbal abuse.
To add to that, Aaron’s sly comments and nasty, roving eyes were just too much for me.
My clients never gave me a hard time—until him.
Aaron was good at playing football but horrible at raising his son and dealing with people.
After one too many times telling him to watch how he talked to me and looked at me, I was done.
Between his disgusting behavior and his son’s equally rude behavior, I couldn’t take it, which I hated because I was great at dealing with children.
However, Aaron was leading his preteen down the same path he’d gone down.
AJ had been more trouble in school than a little bit.
Honestly, I knew it stemmed from his father’s lack of guidance, attention, and support.
I was just the nanny, though, and just like his father, AJ wasn’t trying to hear shit I had to say.
Every other day, I was cursed out for one reason or another.
Aaron didn’t understand how much grace I’d given him.
I didn’t need his money, and if I had uttered a single word to my family, his ass would’ve been somewhere sucking through a straw.
So, no… I didn’t cause a stir. I just peacefully walked away from that contract.
This holiday season, I refused to spend it being cursed out by anyone.
Traumatized by the entire situation, I vowed to tread lightly when it came to single, male clients.
As hard as the decision was, overly aggressive behavior was an easy turn-off for me.
Unfortunately, I allowed one bad apple to spoil the entire pie.
“Mind you, we haven’t had Thanksgiving dinner yet, but you’re already putting up Christmas decorations.”
Frowning, I glanced across the boutique at my sister, Ellie.
“Your energy is such a drag,” I told her. “You’re fifteen and have the attitude of a miserable old lady. Let me enjoy putting up my decorations in peace.”
Ellie chuckled. “Whatever. I’m going home. Don’t bust yo’ ass trying to put up those decorations.”
“Ellie!” I hissed. “Watch your mouth!”
She smacked her teeth. “Mind you… Our parents let me cuss when the time calls for it.” She shrugged. “The time was fitting.”
Glaring at my sister’s back as she exited the boutique, I shook my head. One day, the holidays were going to come and show her just how magical things could be around this time.
Forgetting my sister’s negative vibes, I went back to dancing and singing. In the middle of hanging some garland over the fireplace, the boutique’s doorbell chimed, signaling a guest.
“Happy holidays!” I cheerily spoke to whoever the guest was. My short ass was on the tips of my toes, trying to get the garland attached to the hook.
“Thank you.”
His deep, dark voice caused the bones in my toes and feet to soften. Off balance atop the ladder, gravity took me backwards.
“Ah!” I yelped. Strong arms caught me before I hit the hardwood floors.
He chuckled and placed me on my feet.
“Thank you,” I mumbled to his designer-clad feet.
I fixed my skirt that rode up in the process of me falling.
My eyes trailed up a tall, lean-built body covered in military green sweatpants and a crisp white T-shirt.
His thick, curly tipped beard was healthy and sprinkled with what appeared to be glitter.
Then, I realized my shirt had glitter on it.
Reaching up to dust the glitter out of his beard, I uttered, “Sorry.”
“It’s all good, Baby,” he stated. His breath was minty, but his cologne was powerful yet understated. He smelled so good.
“Thank you for catching me…” My eyes lifted a little more past his thick, moisturized lips, brawny nose, and…
Bitch!
I couldn’t recall the last time my brain short circuited so badly. His eyes were stunning and pierced me like a fire-tipped arrow. Strangely, he blushed.
Gulping, I snatched my hand back and blinked up at him.
“Synder Sneaux,” he introduced himself.
Superstar point guard for the Atlanta Jets…
Yes, I knew exactly who he was. A few years back, he was caught up in a scandal with his baby mother and her side dude.
His custody battle that ensued was plastered all over the news.
It was all tragic, really. I wasn’t sure of his current relationship status because he wasn’t in the headlines for anything other than his amazing skill on the court.
Recovering from the shock of him, I replied, “Sienna Cooley. How can I help you, Mr. Sneaux?”
“Oh, good. You’re just the person I’m lookin’ for.”
“Oh?”
He nodded. “I need a nanny, and you came highly recommended.”
“Okay.” Smoothly, I transitioned out of the daze I was under and said, “Can you tell me a little about what you’re seeking in a nanny?”
“I’m lookin’ for someone who’s open to living with me during the season, traveling to home and away games, accompanying me to team events…” He chuckled. “It’s a lot of shit.”
Smiling, I replied, “Sounds like it.” Coming right out and asking if he was single was grounds for a discrimination lawsuit. My policy was my policy, though. I had to protect myself.
“I know a few nannies—”
“I was told to get you and no one else.”
“Right. However, I have strict policies—”
“Entailing what?”
Perturbed, I said, “Please don’t interrupt me.”
“Well, get to the point, lil’ baby.”
Sighing, I quipped, “You won’t like what I have to say. And it may offend you.”
“Nothing offends me, except disrespect. Are you about to disrespect me?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s just that some could find it disrespectful. I call it boundaries.”
“Aight, then. What’s the boundary I’m crossing?”
Shrugging sheepishly, I said, “You’re a man.”
His eyebrows crashed together.
“For clarification,” I started, “you’re a single man. Is that correct?”
He didn’t hesitate when he replied, “Correct.”
Sadly, I hated that I had to turn him away. “My policy is that I won’t work with single men. It gets… tricky.”
His silence disturbed me. He stared at me in complete silence with a slight frown on his face.
Oh, boy, I thought.