At first, they both tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let them. I squeezed them tight and didn’t let them go for a good minute. My kids were growing up to be pretty darn amazing children. Claire would have been so proud of them. She would have been much less proud of how I’d handled things with Summer, though.
Even though we couldn’t have planned for life without each other, Claire and I did have one memorable conversation about what we would do if one of us passed away early in life. I remember telling her I’d pine away loving her forever and never even look at another woman. She slapped me playfully and told me not to say such a thing. She lovingly looked at me and said she wanted me to find the happiness, and I wanted the same for her.
Claire would have liked Summer; I was sure of it. The lighthearted way Summer cared for the kids and worked so hard to make them happy would have made Claire really happy too. I knew I had to find Summer and apologize. Even if that meant she didn’t come back as a nanny, maybe it would be possible to mend our friendship so we could actually go on a date or get to know each other. Although I really did want her to stay with the kids for the two weeks so that I could go to my business trip. The in-laws were dreadful, and the whole reason I didn’t use them to watch the kids was that they constantly picked on them and tried to make the kids into porcelain dolls instead of letting them actually have fun.
My two-week trip would be torture for the kids if they had to stay with family. I knew I had to convince Summer to come back, even if it was just for the two weeks.
Chapter 13
Summer
How dare he turn this whole thing around and call me crazy. My blood was boiling as I climbed into the Uber and drove away. I’d been nice and offered to stay through his trip. All I wanted was him to acknowledge that we couldn’t be sleeping together while he was paying me to be his nanny – one of the two things had to stop.
When I got back to my apartment, I nearly killed myself dragging the suitcase up the stairs. It was so heavy that, at one point, I fell over and landed on my butt as I yanked on the darn thing.
“Do you want me to help you with that?” Patrick laughed from the top of the stairs.
“Yes, dear God, please. I can’t believe how friggin heavy this is.”
“You packed it.”
“Remind me never to pack this much in one suitcase again.” I laughed as he easily grabbed it and brought the bag the rest of the way up to our apartment.
“I absolutely will not say that to you. You’ll just give me a dirty look and tell me how much you need every single thing you have in your bag.”
“You’re probably right.”
It felt good to be back in my apartment with Patrick. Although I hadn’t been out on my own for too long, I liked our little apartment and the independence I had. After being at Tyler’s house for the last month, it was nice to know I could sit and do whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted without getting interrupted.
“So you quit?” Patrick asked as he sat with me on the couch.
“I offered to stay through his trip, but then things just blew up and got crazy. Literally, he called me crazy.”
“He did not!” Patrick said as his jaw dropped, and he looked truly shocked at what I had just said. “He didn’t seem like the sort of guy who would say or do something like that.”
“I know, right? I didn’t think it was too much to ask to talk like a couple of adults and make a decision on whether I was going to be the nanny or date him. I just couldn’t be both. It was uncomfortable, and I didn’t like it.”
“That seems reasonable. How did it end up with him calling you crazy?”
The truth was I didn’t even remember why he had said it or what I had said first. All I knew was I was yelling at him, and he was yelling at me, and what I thought was going to be an easy conversation turned into a disaster.
“I’m not even sure. But it’s over now. I packed my bag and left. I said goodbye to the kids, and that was the end of it.”
“Wow, I bet the kids are going to miss you. From what you’ve told me, they really love you a lot.”
“I love them too. That was why I was planning to stay through his trip. I didn’t want them to have to work with a new nanny or have his strange family come and watch them. I just wanted it to be an easy transition without anything too hard for them. I was even going to help with the hiring if he wanted me to. But nothing happened the way I wanted it to.”
“This is so sad,” Patrick said as he started crying. “He was really handsome. I thought for sure the two of you were going to run off and live happily ever after.”
“Did you and your boyfriend break up?” I asked as Patrick continued crying.
There was no way he cared this much about my job and the fight I had. I knew something had to been going on with him and his boyfriend. Over the last month, I hadn’t had much time to check in with everyone.
“Yeah, we broke up.”
“Maybe we should go out dancing tonight? Do you think the girls have time?”
“I bet they could come out for a little bit. We all need a good de-stressing night. We could go back to Club Lively, and whoever wants to stay late can stay, and if people need to leave earlier, they can leave. Oh, wait, what about that deal you made with your father about helping you out?” Patrick asked as he sat back down.
“Actually, I talked with my dad last week, and he is going to just pay my rent. We decided that was better than giving me money since I’m sometimes horrible with money. So, I’ll never be late with my half of the rent again. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Yeah, man, that takes some serious pressure off. I like that plan so much.”
I had been really rotten to Patrick by not paying my part of the rent, and it was weighing on me. I’d already planned on paying the whole rent next month and was going to wait and surprise him, though. I was going to sell off some of my shoes and put the money into savings while I decided what to do next.
For fun, I was going to meet with a modeling agent again and see if there was a place for me in that world. I loved fashion so much and just couldn’t believe that I was too old for the industry. I was open to modeling in commercials, magazines, and pretty much anything would work for me.
“Let’s go get our party on tonight,” I said as I leaned over and gave Patrick a big hug. “You deserve to let loose and relax a little. That jerk wasn’t the right one for you. We are going to find you the right guy sooner or later. I just know it.”
“Thanks, Summer. I like this new you. You are much nicer than you used to be.”
It was probably the truth. Since working with Tyler and the kids, I felt like I was noticing other people and the struggles they had to go through in their lives. I’d been so self-absorbed before that I probably wouldn’t have been friends with myself a month prior.
“Let’s get our butts ready and go dancing,” I said excitedly. “We are going to dance, drink, and have the best night ever.”
“I’ve got to work in the morning,” Patrick said.
“It’s fine; let’s just get the girls over here, and we can go out. I’m sure everyone is going to want to go home by midnight. That’s cool. We can still have a blast.”
Patrick and I got ready and waited for Amy and Rebecca to finish work and meet us at the apartment. It felt frigging amazing to be out and not have to worry about any responsibilities. I did my hair and makeup but decided to wear jeans and a cute tank top instead of a dress. I truly just wanted to visit with my friends and relax.
“What’s up ladies?” I yelled as Amy and Rebecca pulled up to our apartment. “We will be right down.”
It only took us about a half hour to get to the club and inside. Obviously, Monday nights weren’t the busiest, but that was just fine for us. The four of us took over the dance floor and literally danced our night away. We took a few breaks for drinking and resting, but other than that, we tried to stay out on the floor as much as possible. It wasn’t very often that we came to the
club and there was actually room on the dance floor.
“This is the best night ever,” Patrick screamed over the music. “I needed this so bad.”
Even though we had been out the previous weekend, it just wasn’t the same. Patrick still had a boyfriend then, and I still had a job. Everything was different for the two of us, and we were taking advantage of every moment.
Just before midnight, I was sipping on a huge cosmopolitan while I tried to cool off. I could notice that everyone was getting tired, and they were probably going to head out, but I just didn’t want to leave yet.
“Hey girl, I’m glad to see you relaxing and having fun. We should go to lunch sometime,” Amy said as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“I am going to pick you up for a nail appointment later this week, my treat,” Rebecca added as I gave her a hug as well.
“I can’t wait. Drive safely, Amy,” I said as she held onto Rebecca. “Thanks for being the designated driver for our lush friend here.”
“No problem. I couldn’t drink and get up to work in the morning anyway. You two have fun.”
“And then there was two,” I said to Patrick as I sipped my drink.
“Actually, you’ve got an admirer,” Patrick said as a man was walking toward us. “Seriously, how do they know you’re not with me? I could be straight. They don’t know that.”
Patrick was a very muscular guy and handsome too. I didn’t know he was gay when I first met him, but guys seemed to know when we were out at clubs. Maybe there was a vibe that other guys could pick up on and girls just couldn’t?
“Let’s dance,” the guy said without even asking me.
“Um, no thank you.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be a cunt. Let’s dance,” he said as he grabbed my arm.
“No,” I screamed at him as Patrick came up to intercept the conversation.
But it wasn’t just Patrick that joined in. Standing next to him was Tyler. The two of them didn’t have to say a thing as they stared the guy down. He let go of my arm and toddled off to the other side of the club. He was obviously drunk, but it was still really scary because he had been so forceful and not interested in whether I wanted to dance with him or not.
“Thanks,” I said to both of them.
“I’m going to head home. I’ve got to get to work in the morning. Tyler says he can take you back to the apartment. Is that alright with you?”
I looked at Patrick with as evil of a stare as I could manage. Had he told Tyler where we were at? There was no way Tyler could have known we were out dancing at the club on a Monday night. I was going to give Patrick a serious piece of my mind the next time the two of us were alone.
“I guess,” I said as I went out to the dance floor, and Tyler came right behind me.
“We should talk.”
“I don’t want to talk. I want to dance.”
“Then let’s dance,” Tyler said as he grabbed me and pulled me close to him.
His hand stayed on my ass while he looked down at me with so much desire that I could hardly stand it. What the heck was he doing? I tried to fight it. I tried to pretend like I wasn’t attracted to him. But there was no denying it – I melted into his arms.
The music pounded in the background, and we moved sexually together. Our hips were finding their own soft rhythm within the bump of the music. At first, I kept my hands on his shoulders, ready to push him away at any moment, but then I gave in. I wrapped myself around him and let the energy between us welcome me into it.
We couldn’t exactly talk while in the club anyway. But our body energy was certainly telling a story without any words needed. Tyler put two fingers under my chin and tilted it up, so I had to look at him.
“I’m sorry,” he mouthed distinctively.
I licked my lips with anticipation as he moved in, and I thought he was going to kiss me. But instead of kissing me on the lips, he kissed my cheek and then pulled away. His hands were gentle with me as he let them glide up and down my back, and I slowly moved closer and closer to him.
For a good hour, we danced together slowly, even though the music in the club was upbeat and fast. Our body language softened, and I felt his compassion and his true feelings of being sorry for the argument we had. The longer I stayed pressed up against his body, the more my own desires for him started to creep up again.
I couldn’t take it any longer and pulled him down to kiss him. Whatever we had fought about was long gone as our mouths played together. I longed for more from him, but the dance floor certainly wasn’t the right place.
“Do you want to take me home?” I whispered in his ear.
“Yes.”
He grabbed my hand and walked out of the club with me right behind him. There was a confidence in his step that I hadn’t seen before when the two of us were around each other. Tyler walked me all the way to where his car was parked before he pulled me up against him and kissed me so passionately I nearly lost my footing.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered between kisses. “I’m a stupid, crazy, man who says stupid things, and I’d really love it if you’d forgive me.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile. “How could I refuse an apology like that?”
“Now here’s my problem. I know you don’t want to be the nanny and be the girl I take out on a date. I understand that. I personally would choose for you to date me and screw the whole nanny idea altogether. But I’ve got to put the kids first. And they love you. They need consistency, and I think I should ask you if you’ll come back and be their nanny, at least through my trip and through the process of finding a new one.”
“Okay.”
“Wait, did you say okay?” He asked totally stunned at my response.
“Yeah, I felt horrible about leaving like I did, and I don’t think I want to be a nanny for you anymore. But I will do it for the next couple of weeks so the kids don’t have to go through a huge transition while you’re gone. Deal?”
Tyler breathed a huge sigh of relief as he opened the car door for me to get in. He clearly had been worried about what I was going to say, and it felt good to put his mind at ease a little.
“So we can go back to my place?” he asked.
“Actually, I do need this week off. I’ll come back this weekend so you can leave for your trip, though. I’ve already scheduled some meetings for this week.”
“What kind of meetings?” he asked a little surprised.
“With a modeling agency. I think I’d really like to give that a go, and I found one that does a lot of work overseas. I sent them a message and some pictures, and they already asked me to come in and take some professional photos with them this week.”
“Okay, anything. If it means you’ll stick around with the kids while I’m gone, then I’m totally going to make it work.”
“I’m not staying around after that. I’ll stay until you hire another nanny, but that’s it. I have too many feelings for you, and it’s really not healthy for me to keep putting myself in that environment.”
“I understand,” Tyler said as he drove toward my apartment. “Do you think I could ask you out on a regular date sometime?”
“Let’s get through the next few weeks first and see how things turn out. I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep,” I replied as I looked out the window and tried to avoid eye contact with Tyler.
I liked him. I had so many emotions about Tyler that I knew I would go out with him in a second. But things weren’t always that simple, and after the fight we had just had, I was concerned I’d always be thinking of how we met and never really be able to look past it. That wouldn’t be good for either of us.
“I’ll take what I can get for now.” He laughed.
“So I’ll come over on Saturday morning to give you time to get ready and say goodbye to the kids. Does eight o’clock sound okay?”
“Yes. My flight isn’t until early afternoon, so that will work. I’ll be gone exactly two weeks and should return the next Saturday around
three o’clock.”
“Perfect. We will have two amazing weeks together doing all the things that you don’t like us doing.” I laughed. “We are going to mud wrestle. Stay up late. Eat lots of candy and probably sit really close to the television.”
“I trust your judgment.” Tyler gave me a little smirk. “Whatever you think is best.”
This was definitely a different guy than the one I knew. The Tyler I knew would have gotten mad about each and every idea I’d just listed off. But I was really happy we had settled this, and I was going to be there with the kids while he was gone. Even if I wasn’t dating him and wouldn’t work for him after this trip, it was the right thing to go back and take care of the kids for the two weeks he was gone.
Chapter 14
Tyler
“How did the send off go?” Rob asked as we boarded our flight.
“It was good. I’m so glad Summer came back to stay. I’m not worried at all with her there. The kids are happy, and they are going to have such a great time with Summer. I can totally concentrate on this pitch with you.”
“Good, because I’m going to let you do a lot of the talking. You’re a little more personable than I am.”
“That’s the truth.” I laughed with him as we sat down in our first class seats.
Neither of us got to enjoy much of the flight since we both fell asleep shortly after takeoff. It was as if the exhaustion from the last few weeks had caught up with us both at the same time.
I thought I was going to be really nervous about our pitch, but we were a good match for this hotel chain. Obviously, I didn’t know who else was going to be at this pitch-fest, but I knew our company and the outcomes we had been able to deliver in the past. We could skyrocket this chain and make them even more popular among the younger crowd, which was what they were looking for.
***
The next week was a total blur. We were going to so many different parties to mingle and get to know the other people. Our pitch went fantastically, and it was just a matter of waiting out the next few days to see if we needed to go back in for a callback. The artwork for our advertising campaign samples turned out perfectly, and I even managed to make them laugh a little during my PowerPoint presentation.
Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance Page 14
