by Abella Ward
“Oh, I’m sure she only meant to be off for a few minutes,” Kelly tried to joke. She had been an energetic child, so she knew what it was like for little girls to want to do a bit of exploring, even if that meant the parents would be worried crazy.
The woman looked at her as if Kelly had lost her mind. Just then a man came out from the same store the woman had just left. He looked much older than her, but Kelly was impressed by how handsome he was. He wore a gray fitted suit and a scowl that made Kelly want to cringe. He walked with slow, long strides, taking his time to get to them. Kelly registered that the woman standing beside her was afraid of him, and she wondered why.
“I’ve had it with you, Julianna,” he said, in a low, rumbling voice. “This is the second time you’ve lost our child this week. The judge said you could have supervised visits, but I frankly have had enough. I’m taking her.” Just like that, Kelly watched as he yanked the child from her mother’s hand. The little girl, who had previously quieted, now stretched out her hands and began crying to be returned to her mother.
Kelly was about to speak when the strangest thing happened. Instead of reaching out for her child, the mother simply sucked her teeth and walked away, leaving the father holding the crying little girl.
“Do I know you?” he asked.
“Oh, um, no. I was just here to catch your daughter just now,” Kelly said, trying to step around him so she could flee the scene of what appeared to be the weirdest episode she’d ever seen.
“Ah, so you caught little monkey here?” he asked affectionately. “I’m surprised you were able to. She usually gets a few blocks from us before we can catch up to her.”
“She basically ran into my arms,” Kelly joked.
“Did she?” he asked, looking down at his daughter. “You like this lady?” he asked his daughter, who was now sobbing quietly into his jacket.
Kelly was thrown a bit off guard by the turn of the conversation, but it seemed the little girl understood clearly because she nodded and placed her head on her father’s shoulder.
“Seems you’ve done what many have tried to do,” he said with a smile. “You’ve won over a Moretti.”
Kelly didn’t register the name immediately, but after a second she began to recognize who he was.
“You’re Oscar Moretti?” she asked, beginning to understand a bit better. The woman she had just met was his ex-wife, who he had caught cheating with his business partner. Or that’s what the gossip columns had reported. She had heard a lot of things about Oscar Moretti from the gossip columns. He had made a name for himself in college, turning his measly inheritance into a multibillion dollar hotel empire. He’d had relationships with various tall, thin models before marrying Julianna when she fell pregnant. Their split had been of great interest to Kelly’s circle of friends, and had been plastered on the covers of all the tabloids for months.
“Yes, I am,” he replied. “And you are?”
“I’m Kelly, Kelly Taylor,” she replied.
Just then a car drove up, and a man dressed in a black suit and sunglasses stepped out.
“It was nice to meet you, Kelly,” Oscar said, handing the little girl to the man in the suit. She reluctantly let go of her father, who then stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Give me a call, Kelly, I think I have a proposition for you,” he said, handing her the card. For a moment their hands touched and Kelly felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her that she had not felt since she was a love-struck teenager.
Kelly was impressed, but she wanted to know what a man like him wanted with a girl like her. And she also wanted to go home and figure out why the simple brush of his hand against her made her feel as if butterflies had invaded her stomach.
Chapter Two
“You lost your job!” Kelly wasn’t surprised her mother had learned of her transgression before she had got home. Hoping she could get away with it was a big mistake.
“I couldn’t help it, mom,” she said, walking past her mother, who was blocking the doorway to the kitchen.
“You couldn’t help it!” her mother responded, walking right behind her as she headed to her room, “You have no space for error, Kelly. Having a job is the only way you’ll make it through this last stretch of school,”
“I’ll find another job,” Kelly replied, when she finally made it to her room at the back of the house.
“Who is going to hire you now, Kelly? You’ve been fired by everyone on the strip, and I’m sure word is going around about how irresponsible you are.”
Kelly looked at her mother, who seemed to be a lot more distressed than she was. She thought of how hard her mother had worked to give her a better life and in that moment she remembered her encounter with the multi-millionaire.
“I actually think I might have an interview,” she said.
“An interview?” her mother asked.
“Yes, I met someone today and he said I should call him. He gave me his card.”
This made her mother pause. Kelly could tell that what she had said had done nothing to put her mother at ease.
“You want to go and work for a strange man,” her mother said slowly and calmly. “Have we taught you nothing?”
“He’s not technically a strange man,” she replied. “We know him. We just don’t know him know him.”
Kelly felt as if she was a little girl all over again, trying to explain to her mother why she was eating peanut butter off the spoon.
“What are you trying to say?” her mother asked, in obvious confusion.
“I’m saying that we know this man, but we don’t know him like you know Mrs. Spence at the grocery store,” Kelly replied, sitting on her bed.
“Well, then tell me who this man is,” her mother replied, crossing her arms.
“He’s Oscar Moretti,” Kelly replied, under her breath.
“Oscar who?” her mother asked.
“Oscar Moretti,” Kelly replied, a bit louder this time.
“The Oscar Moretti who owns the hotel I work in?” her mother asked, a skeptical look on her face.
“Yes,” Kelly said, shrugging her shoulders.
“And how did you meet this Oscar Moretti?” her mother asked, seemingly amused.
“I met him today when I stopped his daughter from running into the street,” Kelly replied.
“And then he hired you?” her mother asked.
“Well, not really. He just told me to give him a call because he had a position for me. I was thinking I could call him and ask him if he needed someone to work at one of his hotels,” Kelly lied. She knew that saying ‘proposition’ to her mother would make her think something completely different.
Her mother was silent for a moment.
“If this works out, just make sure you don’t mess it up,” she said, before turning and sauntering back into the kitchen.
Kelly rolled over on her bed and let out a sigh of relief. She had got her mother off her back for now, but she had no idea whether or not this man would give her a job. All she could think about was the intensity in his eyes and the way she had been drawn to him on that sidewalk. She picked up her phone and decided it wasn’t too late to call. She was only asking for an entry level job, and he shouldn’t find that too hard to supply, seen as she had practically saved his daughter’s life. She took the card from her pocket and dialed the number.
“Hello,” she said, when he picked up.
“Hello,” he replied. “Who might I be speaking to?”
“Umm, it’s Kelly, the girl…”
“Oh yes, I met you on the sidewalk today,” he said, before she could finish her sentence.
“Oh yes, that’s me.” All the bravado she had mustered up before making the call had vanished.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Well, not really,” she replied. “I actually wanted to call you to ask for a job.” She crossed her fingers and prayed he wouldn’t decline.
“A job?” he asked skeptically.
A chuckle came down the line. “Come into my office tomorrow bright and early,” he replied.
“Really?” she asked, a bit surprised.
“Yes, I think I have a job that would fit you well. And dress casually.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Moretti,” she said, a bit too loudly.
“Please, I wish you would call me Oscar,” he replied.
“Oh sure, no problem. Oscar,” Kelly said, doing a little dance in her head.
“Well, if that’s all then, I must wish you a good day,” he said, before hanging up.
Kelly stared at the phone, thanking her lucky stars that she had managed to wrangle a possible job.
Chapter Three
Kelly approached the Moretti building with reverence. She had skipped her morning class to attend this meeting, which had her on edge. Coupled with that, her mother had insisted she wore a suit which was two sizes too small for her. The last time she had worn this suit had been for her undergrad placement interview. Since then she had moved up at least three sizes, and the widening of her hips and the late development of what her mother jovially called her "coconuts" made everything more emphasized in the tiny suit. Her breasts were on display and no matter how much she adjusted the buttons, they would somehow come undone, revealing more cleavage than was recommended for any job interview. She had looked in the mirror at her butt and realised that it too was on display and arguably more noticeable in the tight fitting skirt. She had agreed to wear the suit just to get her mother off her back, but now, as she knocked on the door of Oscar’s private building, she was feeling a bit nervous. The hotel took up six large, tall buildings lining the beach side. In the middle was Oscar’s building and, as she had been told by her mother, the place where all interviews and hiring were done.
The door buzzed. Kelly pushed in and was surprised to see how beautifully decorated the inside of the building was. It was all white walls and marble floor, with plants scattered all around. In front of her was a receptionist’s desk, which boasted a beautiful blonde lady who looked as if she had just walked out of a magazine. Kelly tugged at her ill-fitting and outdated suit and approached the desk.
“Hi,” Kelly all but whispered.
“Did you say something?” the woman asked, looking at Kelly from head to toe. She was not immune to this look. Most people saw her thick black hair, brown eyes, dark skin and wide hips and immediately judged.
“I did,” Kelly replied, feeling a bit less uncomfortable. Even though this woman appeared to be beautiful, she was not the least bit beautiful where it mattered to Kelly. “I have an appointment with Oscar.”
“Oscar?” the lady asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you mean Mr. Moretti?”
“I call him Oscar,” Kelly replied, giving a sly smile. It was not her nature to tease, but she had nothing to lose and it felt good to see the look of discomfort cross the receptionist’s face.
“And your name is?” the woman asked, looking at her computer screen.
“It’s Kelly Taylor,” Kelly replied.
“Oh, you’re Kelly. I believe you are a bit late.”
Kelly looked down at her watch and scoffed. She had only been late by five minutes.
“Better late than never,” Kelly replied.
“Let’s hope Mr. Moretti thinks the same. His office is on the top floor.”
“Thanks,” Kelly replied dryly, before walking away. The last thing she needed was a snob ruining her day. She took the elevator to the top floor. When she stepped out she was face to face with the sea. It appeared that the entire floor had outer walls of transparent glass. She stood there for a minute admiring the sea. She had been so caught up with school and work she had long since forgotten how blue and vast the sea was.
“Finally, you’re here,” she heard someone say from beside her. She looked over to see Oscar standing there. He was dressed in a gray suit that clung to him perfectly. She was once again surprised by the way she suddenly felt herself drawn to him.
“Oh, I got held up by the bus,” she replied.
“It’s fine. Follow me.”
Kelly turned and followed him through the hallways toward his office. She could tell he prided himself on being a dominating man, and something about that made her even more interested to find out more about him.
“In here,” he said, turning a doorknob and ushering her into his office. She waited for him to sit down, silently thanking her high school for teaching her the proper way to conduct an interview. To her dismay, he didn’t sit. Instead, he walked toward the edge of his desk and perched on the edge.
“Sit, Kelly,” he said.
She didn’t know when exactly she sat, but his commanding words were hard to ignore.
“I just want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you,” she said, feeling a bit awkward as she sat there looking up at him.
“It’s fine,” Oscar replied. “Though I’m not sure you’ll be ready to accept the job I have in mind.”
“Oh, and what sort of job is that?” Kelly asked, while inwardly praying it was nothing gross or humiliating.
“I have recently been awarded full custody of my daughter,” he said, standing and pacing the area behind his desk. “The thing is, she’s so young, her mother doesn’t really show her any affection and I have not been able to find a young enough nanny to fit her specific needs.”
“You want me to be her nanny?” Kelly asked, a bit surprised to hear him say this. She had never taken care of children and she had no idea if she even could.
“Well, it’s more than just a nanny,” he said, pausing and looking her right in the eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I want you to be our live in nanny,” he replied. “The position comes highly paid and you will be able to come and go as you please, just not in the times you will have to care for my daughter. You would receive enough benefits to be comfortable and remain so for a long period of time,”
“Live in nanny,” Kelly replied, a bit lost as all the information washed over her. “Where would I live?”
“In my home, of course,” Kelly’s head snapped up and she met his eyes. For a moment she thought she saw something flash across his face, but before she could read into it, it was gone.
“And I would be able to continue with school?” she asked.
“Yes, you will be given provision to attend school. I would, of course, take care of those expenses if you do decide you would like to work for me,” Oscar said.
“You’d pay my fees?” Kelly asked, a bit surprised.
“It’s customary,” Oscar replied. “I’ve paid all the fees for those I work closely with.”
Just then Kelly’s mind flashed back to his receptionist.
“You mean like your receptionist?” she asked.
Oscar gave her a quizzical look.
“Never mind,” Kelly said.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“I think I need to think about it and discuss it with my parents,” Kelly said.
“I look forward to hearing from you,” Oscar said. “And please, next time, dress in something more comfortable.”
Kelly looked down at her skirt, which had made its way half way up her thigh. Embarrassment flooded her and she wished she could disappear. Instead of making her feel any more embarrassed, Oscar walked over to her and extended his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. Kelly lost her balance for a millisecond and staggered closer to him, bringing them face to face.
She looked up and once again she saw a flash of something crossing Oscar’s face.
“I hope you don’t find this offensive,” he whispered, observing her intently with his hand clasped around her waist, “but you are truly beautiful.”
Kelly stood there for a moment, relishing the feel of his hand on her skin. It was as if every place he tou
ched had ignited with a slow, burning fire that spread through her whole body. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Kelly slightly pushed Oscar away from her. They hadn’t been doing anything, but she still flushed. She didn’t want anyone to walk in and get the wrong idea.
“Mr. Moretti, you have another meeting in ten minutes. I think it’s time we get going,” a man on the other side of the door said loudly.
“I’ll be there in a minute, Ashton,” he replied.
“Duty calls,” Oscar said, looking at her and smiling. It seemed so strange to see a smile on his face that she almost asked him what had made him smile. “I look forward to hearing from you by the end of the day. If you do accept, you should begin your first day tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
Kelly looked up at the house that stood before her. It wasn’t something she saw every day, but it was similar to the other homes in the Sweet Hallow community. They were all large houses with brick walls and elaborate porches. She had opted for a taxi instead of the bus, knowing that there was no way she would be able to find a bus to take her here. None of the people who lived in this area would need to take public transport.
After leaving Oscar’s office the previous day, she had gone on to discuss the idea with her mother and father. Her mother had been totally against it and so was her father. The thought of having their baby girl away from them was causing them more grief than she had imagined. Kelly had managed to sell them on the idea when she promised to visit and stay over at least once a week. This had made the conversation easier, since she had already decided she wanted to take the job. She had done this not because she was particularly excited about being a nanny, but because she was interested to see who Oscar really was and why she had the consistent urge to throw herself at him.
She walked up to the gate and was greeted by someone over the intercom. After giving her name and explaining who she was, the gate rolled open and she walked in. Halfway to the door, she noticed someone standing there waiting for her. It was a woman and she was dressed in some sort of uniform. Kelly panicked and wondered whether her jeans and a simple t-shirt would be good enough.
