Suddenly Hired Read online

  A sharp sound startled her, and she looked around to see chunks from the glassy napkin holder Archie had been playing with on the ground.

  “Ooops.”

  “It’s okay. It happens,” she said, then lifted his palms to make sure he wasn’t hurt. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” he said with a shy smile.

  She tucked a strand of hair away from his forehead. “Then we’re good,” she said, and felt like an impostor. Nothing about that situation was good—those kids weren’t, she wasn’t, and judging by the stern way Ethan had treated her, he wasn’t either.

  She was about to go round the table and pick up the bigger glass pieces from the floor, when she saw his assistant, Laurel. Within inches of her. The same woman she’d “accidentally” spilled iced coffee on. All because of her sheer desperation, of course. She’d been wrong, but she’d at least had gotten the assistant away from her desk.

  “You!” she said, with a look that would freeze her to the spot if she could. “Mr. Sterling told me about what happened. I’m here now, and will hang out with the kids until the driver comes and takes them home.”

  “Not again,” Willow said, slapping her palm on her forehead.

  “I’m sorry about the coffee,” Poppy said. “You still look terrific, it it’s any consolation.”

  Laurel smoothed her hand over her black shirt, still damp, but neatly tucked into a pencil skirt. “Kids, come.”

  “No. We’re about to order food,” Willow said.

  “I’m not going,” Archie said.

  Poppy sucked in a breath. “Listen, I’m sorry, but the kids have spoken. They’ll eat something here, and wait for their dad.”

  Laurel rolled her eyes. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. Besides, Mr. Sterling trusted me with an assignment, and I can’t simply hand off his children like they’re a box of files to you.”

  “Excuse me?” Laurel said, then looked around them, as if to make sure no one paid them any mind. “He’s my boss. I work for him.”

  “Then you should know that he’s a perfectionist who sees things through,” Poppy said.

  “Okay, kids, come with me,” she said, pulling Archie’s chair.

  Fuck. If she left with the kids, Poppy would never see Ethan again. Worse, now he’d seen her face, and would avoid her if she tried to accost him in public. Maybe even slap her with a restraining order. The rush of adrenaline surged through her system. She stood, and placed her hand on the chair Archie sat in. Then, she said to Laurel in a low voice, “Please. The kids want to stay and eat. And I really need to talk to Mr. Sterling,” she said, hoping that her assumption that would inconvenience them be enough to buy her more time.

  His assistant lifted her eyebrow. “You’re unbelievable. Fine. Can I see your driver’s license?”

  “Why, am I in trouble?”

  “Yes in many ways—but I want to make sure you are who you say since you’re keeping his kids hostage.”

  She whipped out her wallet from her back, and handed her the driver’s license. Laurel glanced at it, her eyes scanning the information as if imprinting in her memory, then gave it back to her. “Fine,” Laurel said under her breath. “I’ll go back to the meeting, and you three can wait here. I’ll tell him to come down immediately after. Then you’ll talk to him.”

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that skipping breakfast and lunch to make it on time had a price. “Thank you. Now, can we order some food on his account or something?”

  2

  “Nice job, Ethan,” Kyle said, as his assistant and manager began to put their folders in their briefcases and pull out of their chairs. “I was worried for a moment.”

  So was I. Ethan flashed what he hoped was a calm, confident smile of a man who did no wrong. Or rather, a man who had done wrongs but learned from his mistakes. “No need to worry, Mr. Kyle. We had a couple of hiccups, but the complex is on track for opening in a couple of months. We’re all very excited.”

  “Good. We’ll keep in touch, then.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Kyle and he shared a firm handshake, then Kyle left, followed by his entourage. Only then he exhaled. Shit.

  He looked over his shoulder to Laurel, who typed on her thin laptop. “Did you send the kids home with Drake?” he asked. He trusted his loyal driver to take them home safely and wait with them until his boss arrived, but he wouldn’t count on Drake to babysit them.

  “No, they’re still with Ms. Poppy downstairs. They refused to come with me, and by the way, she also wanted to hand them back to you herself. I came back, but told security on the floor not to let her exit the building.”

  He ran his fingers down his face, frustration squeezing his gut. Of course. The redhead who had staged a coffee spill, invaded his office and then—

  God. She still had them. He dashed out of the conference room, and hopped into the elevator. When it pinged, he strode to the cafeteria, and recognized the long red hair from several feet away.

  Poppy was… attractive, he admitted to himself. Not his usual type, but these days he wasn’t sure he had one. Dating was the least of his worries. Besides his work and children, he had time for little else anyway. As he shortened the gap between he and the table where Poppy and his kids sat, he studied the scene.

  Poppy said something, and Archie laughed. His gaze darted to his daughter, usually untrusting of strangers, but even a ghost of a smile formed on her face, and she bit her lip like she was trying not to laugh.

  How eager to pitch her idea for him was this Poppy woman?

  The closer he got to them, the slower he stepped on the carpeted floor. He would take a ghost of a smile from his daughter at anytime, especially when he’d been the reason for none lately. He couldn’t blame her, still, he couldn’t stop. He needed to keep going, to finish paying his debt and get a good safety net for his kids.

  “Daddy!” Archie said, when he saw him, and ran to give him a hug like he hadn’t seen him in years. Bless that boy, he held no grudges. “Miss Poppy was telling us some jokes.”

  Poppy looked at him, a flicker of hope in her pretty eyes. A weird sensation swept over him, a mix of awareness with the kind of warmth he shouldn’t feel toward a woman he just met. He gave himself a mental slap, and hugged his son back, then pulled a chair next to them, with Archie still on his lap, excited.

  “Thank you for watching them,” he said to her.

  “Can she come over again?” Archie asked.

  “Honey…” she said, then shrugged, glancing at him, waiting for him to say something.

  An idea struck him with the intensity of a grand piano falling down the pavement. What if he listened to her, and leveraged whatever she wanted from him in exchange for a full-time nanny until he opened the entertainment complex?

  The bonus money from a job well done that Kyle had promised would be a good cushion for him to start his consulting firm. He’d be able to move on from Kyle Entertainment, choose his own hours and work less. More money, less worry. “Kids, why don’t you go buy something in the gift shop?” he said, taking a couple of bills from his wallet and handing them to Willow as usual, fully aware that was the best way to keep them together. “I need to talk to Miss Poppy for a few minutes.”

  The kids scurried to the shop, and he watched them go in and meet the salesperson, who waved at him as if to say she’d watch them while in there. God, his life had become such a mess that everyone knew about it.

  Including the sexy woman across from him. He pulled a chair and sat facing her. She had to know, after spending over an hour with his kids. Willow might be tight lipped, but Archie talked like there was no tomorrow.

  “What do you want from me?” he asked.

  She sat the fruit salad she’d been eating aside, and leaned closer. Once again, her eyes sparkled, but now, with a touch of victory in the green depths. “I’m an up-and-coming podcaster. I’m confident that my audience will be a great match for your entertainment clientele. I was thinking I could
have a small booth in your space, soundproof of course, and podcast from there and talk about what’s happening weekly. This would draw more people to your restaurants, movies, events.”

  “Why can’t you podcast from a studio or your home?”

  “The idea is to make it more fun, and the advertising more organic and less sellsy. Like I could have a segment in which I’d interview regular people in the complex, and make it more engaging.”

  He scratched his chin. If he fell for it, he’d have to chat with the architect and figure out where such a booth would be. If there even was space available without compromising the overall vibe of the place. It’d have to be soundproof as well, which would increase costs. Not to mention Roy, the head of marketing, wouldn’t like him to butt in his area. He’d have to strategically bypass Roy’s approval. But a question nagged at him. Why would she willing to do this? “What’s in it for you?”

  “I’ll grow my audience overnight and get more exposure. Plus, of course, ad money. It’s a win-win.”

  “How many subscribers do you have right now?”

  She squared her shoulders. “About one-hundred.”

  He chuckled. “Get serious. You want me to spend thousands of dollars in re-arranging the design for a place that’s opening in less than two months to bring me an audience of one hundred?”

  She tilted her head, staring at him square in the eye and unfazed by his shade. “We can help each other. I’ll be working to grow this audience, and to keep people coming back.”

  “We don’t need you,” he said, then before he could think twice, he added, “but I might.”

  She worried her lip. “What do you mean?”

  The unlikely proposal unfurled in his brain. The woman across from him wanted a chance and had been resourceful about it. She’d shown confidence and determination. His kids hadn’t canceled her on the brief amount of time they spent together. Shit, they even seemed… somewhat content with her presence. “Do you smoke?”

  “No.”

  “If I do a background check on you, will I have any unpleasant surprises?” he asked, then made himself a mental note to get his HR person to do it for him, just out of caution. “Anything you want to tell me about now?”

  “What? No.”

  “Do you have a day job or are you a full time, hmm, podcaster?”

  “I’ve been waitressing and doing odd things here and there, but my dream would be to have my podcaster career really take off.”

  Was she recklessly positive, or did she believe that much in herself? Wanting to go full-time on podcasting in a place like NYC wasn’t easy, especially with only one-hundred subscribers. He bet they were free too. She didn’t have enough of a platform to charge her listeners. A blend of pity and admiration came down on him. “I forgot to thank you for stepping in and spending time with my kids.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, probably wondering where he was going with this. “It was my pleasure. I helped raise my twin brothers, and don’t have any nieces and nephews yet. So I miss being around children,” she said, her voice honest.

  Well, problem solved. Relief poured over him. As the idea took shape, any lingering doubts dissipated faster than dust in the summer air. “I have a proposition for you.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “The entertainment complex will open in two months. I have a packed schedule, and the last nanny bailed on us. My housekeeper has helped me, but she’s getting older, and she now has her grandkids to look after. So the more time I spend taking care of them, the less I can fulfill my demands leading up to the opening,” he said, looking at her with interest.

  “I can imagine,” she said casually, her facial expression neutral.

  “If you commit to watching my kids for the next couple of months, I’ll give your idea a try. I can’t promise for how long, as it depends on feedback, but on opening night you’ll have a booth, and after you won’t need to be my nanny anymore and can focus on podcasting,” he said. Most likely, he wouldn’t need a full-time nanny anymore in two months.

  She whistled, drumming her fingers on the smooth surface of the table. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming.”

  “This would be a great opportunity for you. Of course you’ll be generously paid as a nanny, so you can’t waitress anymore. But it’s just two months for me to finish this assignment and get my life back on track,” he said, and laughed at himself inwardly. When had been the last time his life had been on track? Before I met Darcy, he answered, bitterness lingering in his palate.

  “And can I have it in writing that you’ll give my idea a chance?”

  Smart move. His kids also would have an intelligent nanny on the top of being resourceful and charismatic. “Of course. I need to protect my kids, you need to protect your career.”

  “Okay. Count me in. I’m your new nanny.”

  “You said what?” Billie asked, tossing her wavy, reddish-brown hair to the side. “You’re going to move to this stranger’s house for two months? We gotta tell Kira!”

  “Leave her out of this, Kira has enough on her plate right now.” Poppy glanced at her cousin and roommate. Their other cousin, Kira, no longer shared the small apartment with them. She’d married a hot French man—the reason why, to help Poppy from a previous pickle: to pay the loan shark she’d borrowed money from after a bad car accident made her need treatment. Thank goodness, at least now she was healthy, and healthy enough to work and make her own money. Maybe one day she’d be able to pay Kira back, too. “I’ll be a full time nanny, so I have to stay there, yes. Plus traffic sucks, I can’t make it there on time every day to take the kids to school, etc.”

  Billie sat on the bed, one of the two full size beds in the diminutive room. “Wow. I don’t know if I should legit be worried about you sleeping over at a complete stranger’s house, or this man trusting you with his kids.”

  Poppy opened the top drawer of her wooden dresser, picked a few items and stuffed them in the suitcase laid in the middle of the room. “Hey! I helped raise Chance and Chase,” she said, a pang of pride in her voice. Both her brothers were now successful and independent, and she loved them even if they drove her crazy. But she’d done it—kept them safe and happy during their childhood.

  “Yes, but this guy barely knows you. What does that say about him?”

  “Well, he’s desperate. And so am I. So we have something in common.” Probably, the only thing. She doubted she and stuffy Mr. Ethan Sterling would be exchanging friendship bracelets, or… body fluids. The idea came out of nowhere, and she shook her head, willing it far, far away from her mind. Sure, he was hot if one was into bossy family men. The last thing she needed was an instant family, after trying so hard to escape her own.

  “I guess. I mean, are you sure you can handle these kids? They aren’t your brothers. They’re spoiled little privileged kids who will…”

  “They are sweet kids. They are broken, too. The mom is out of the picture.”

  Billie tilted her head to the side, touching her heart. “Oh. I’m sorry. That’s tough.”

  “Yes. I don’t mind stepping in and helping out while the dad figures things out.”

  Billie shot her a skeptical look. “What does he look like? This desperate dad?”

  “Hmmm…” she stared up at the ceiling. How to give Billie a satisfying answer that wouldn’t lead to unnecessary teasing and follow-up questions? “He’s tall, looks all right if you’re into the whole designer suit thing.”

  Billie picked a pint of strawberry ice cream from the fridge. “Okay. What a vague description.” Then, she sat it aside and grabbed her phone. “How do you spell his last name again?”

  Oh, fuck. “Billie, please—”

  A beat later, Billie’s catcall reverberated through the room. “Damn. He’s hot. I mean, looks tightly wound, and intense, but hot for sure.”

  Poppy rolled her eyes. “I guess.”

  “Though the suit type is definitely not my thing,” Billie said. Her cousin alway
s enjoyed the outdoors and wide open spaces. Poppy had been surprised when she’d decided to come with Kira and Poppy to try life in the big city. Yet Poppy knew they shared the same desire to break free from Hope Springs, TX, and their complicated family. Especially Billie’s immediate family—her grumpy dad somehow never forgave her for not being a boy, and having her mom die when she was born.

  Poppy rolled her eyes. “Good. So you dating my current boss isn’t one of my worries. Now I can sleep at night.”

  “How about you dating your boss?”

  “Forget it. Not happening.”

  “Why not? It’s been forever since you last had a boyfriend.”

  Did Charlie from high school senior year count? Poppy had dated a few men in Hope Springs, but didn’t want to form ties, otherwise it’d be that much harder to leave. “Because he’d never be just a boyfriend. He has two kids, and those children deserve someone for the long haul.” Besides, she doubted he’d want someone like her. He came from money, and would want a sophisticated, high-powered woman to be his match. Not a temporary nanny with podcasting dreams.

  “What happened to the mom?”

  Poppy shrugged. “She’s not in the picture, but I don’t know much about her to be honest. She may have had some addiction issues,” she said, remembering an article she read about Darcy Sterling. Also, Willow’s words about not seeing her mother for a couple of years.

  “How sad.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, at least you’ll be living in some fancy address, right?”

  “Temporarily. I’ll still pay my rent and bills, so don’t you dare find a replacement for me.”

  Billie gave her a mischievous grin. “Now that you mention it, you do kind of spend a lot of time in the shower…”

  * * *

  Next day, Poppy entered the impressive 19th century looking building in a posh zip code in Upper West side. After she showed her ID, the security guard let her in and took her suitcase, and the lobby attendant greeted her, and showed her to one of the four elevators.