by Olivia Logan
“Where did that come from, and what else do you have in your magic bag, Mary Poppins?” Nick queried drily, glancing at her as she grappled with the bottle lid that was determined to stay on.
“Well, you did mention Mary Poppins when you interviewed me for this job so here I am. That and I asked the stewardess if we could have a spare bottle just before we left the plane,” she replied, huffing in her effort to get the top off the bottle. What was wrong with this lid … ?
“Here, let me.” He reached for the bottle, his fingers brushing against hers in the exchange. Popping the top in one fluid motion, he passed it back to Theo who drank like he’d trekked across the Sahara.
Rania clasped her hands in her lap, refusing to acknowledge the tingling from where her fingers met his. It was nothing, probably late effects of that plane thing people suffer from. Deep vein thrombosis, or something like that, only in her hands as opposed to her legs.
They’d stopped at traffic lights and she glanced up to find he had pushed his glasses to the top of his head and she was getting the full effect of those baby blues on her.
“What?”
“Just wondering; what’s with the sudden silence?
Darn, he’d noticed.
“Nothing,” she murmured, as she pasted a placatory smile on her face, hoping it would do the trick.
“Really. So it wasn’t because I opened the bottle for you?”
He actually thought she was upset because he played the strong man and opened the bottle for her? Sure, why not. It was a better excuse than the real reason; one which she refused to examine just now.
“Dad, say you’re sorry. You upset her!”
She whipped her head around in shock to see the tiny face, lower lip pushed forward, and his brown eyes frowning at the back of his father’s head.
“Whoa, what?” The incredulous look on Nick’s face proved too much and she couldn’t stop the giggles that erupted even in her attempt to disguise them by slapping her hand over her mouth.
Gulping in air, she turned to placate her mini-champion whose feathers were still bristling in the back. “Your dad didn’t upset me, Theo. I was quiet because I … ”
Her words seemed to desert her as they came to a stop outside huge steel gates. He flicked a button and the gates groaned open slowly, revealing a white palatial mansion.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she caught Theo’s wide-eyed expression in the mirror. Oh boy. They definitely weren’t in Kansas anymore.
Chapter 3
“So, what do you want to do today, kiddo? Another trip to the beach?”
Her smile and voice becoming overly enthusiastic as she caught a glimpse of Theo’s downcast head, shaking negatively.
She seethed inwardly. How dare Nick Trenton do this? He said he wanted to see his son, flew them both over here for that very purpose and on only the second day he was straight back to work. A ten-hour day. The first day she’d spent in and out of jet-lagged unconsciousness, only remembering food trays appearing, and then disappearing when she opened her eyes. She cringed as she thought of the state she must have looked if Nick was the one carrying the tray.
“Okay. How about hanging out at the mall?” Another shake.
“What time is Dad going to be home?” The mournful tone pulled at her heart strings.
“I really don’t know, love.” Her gaze flickered to look out the sliding glass doors to the pool, as a brilliantly obvious idea began to take hold. “I know … why don’t we go and visit your dad? We have passes.”
The small head looked up wearily, puppy dog eyes solemn as if he’d heard it all before. “We used to have passes in Newton, but we never went.”
“You mean Lena never took you.” Another nod. “Well, I’m not Lena and I think it’ll be fun to go. I’ve never been on a real movie set before.”
A small spark flickered behind his eyes, and the hesitant smile broke into a broad grin. “I’ll get my map of Hollywood,” he said and scampered past her to grab his rucksack.
Well, Nick never said not to visit. Why else would he have given them the passes? Slinging her one and only bag accessory over her shoulder, she slipped her feet into her multi-functional tan pumps and stood by the door, opening it quickly as Theo flew down the stairs and out to the ever-present waiting limo.
• • •
The traffic was heavy, especially when they encountered the mob of press outside the arched sandstone entrance to the studios. Crawling along, she flashed her pass at the burly security as they entered. Cameras were lifted as her window slid down, only to be put away when they realized she was no one of importance.
“Here we are, Miss George. Lot Three,” chortled Gus, their ever-helpful and ever-cheerful driver. Rania was always tempted to ask him what his secret was.
Hopping out, she grabbed Theo’s hand. He hadn’t run off so far, but there was always a first time for everything.
“I think we go this way, Belle,” he said, pulling her to the right.
“Are you sure?” He nodded at her incredulous look, pointing at a sign above a door marked Entrance. Yep, that would be it then.
“Okay, but we have to be very quiet. They always shout ‘Quiet on the set’ on movies,” she whispered, her voice rasping at the attempt. The second smile of the day made an appearance, followed by a quickly smothered giggle. At least someone was relaxed. She was as far from relaxed as she was from home. Probably because she’d sworn she’d never set foot in a studio and become like her mother.
Dragging Theo out of the way of an oncoming lot buggy, she ducked behind what she could only assume was a large light. The overhead lights dimmed and the stand next to her lit up, casting a glow on a man and woman talking in a set kitchen. Really hoping the commercial was child-viewing friendly, she pulled Theo closer in case it wasn’t.
“Stop, guys. Ryan, you need to stand on your marker. Kate, you’re too shiny. Can we get make-up in here?” Her gaze swung in the direction of the authoritative voice, her breath catching in her throat when she realized the identity of the speaker. He stood talking earnestly to someone, running a hand through his hair at the man’s answer and turned away frowning.
“He looks sad, Belle.” She looked down at the whispered comment, following Theo’s gaze to where Nick was stood rubbing his chin, the strong lights highlighting the golden five o’clock shadow. She wasn’t sure about sad. “Pissed off” might be more the word but she certainly wasn’t going to share that thought with Theo.
Bracing herself for how Nick might respond to seeing his son and the nanny turn up, she gently pushed Theo forward. “Well, we’ll just have to go and cheer him up.” Maneuvering past the sandwich cart, she held loosely onto the rucksack, feeling Theo’s pull as she reined him back and away from the expensive equipment.
She could tell the moment Nick first spotted them. His hand dropped to his side, a huge grin slicing across his face. Dropping to one knee, he held his arms out wide. Rania let go as she watched the small boy hurl himself across the open space while she followed behind.
“Hey Theo! Wow! This is a surprise.” The question she figured directed more to her than his son as he was looking right up at her now. The blue shirt made his eyes seem even bluer than usual.
“Well, we had a free day and some passes, so we figured we’d come and see you.”
“You’re not upset, are you Dad?” The worried question made her want to reach out and hug Theo, but she bit back the urge to soothe him. That was not her job, not when Nick was around.
“That you’re here? Of course not. I wanted you to visit me sooner; that’s why I gave you all those passes, silly Billy.” The playful endearment seemed to calm the worry and she watched as Theo leaned into his dad, resting his head on his shoulder.
“Nick, the guys are ready for you now.” A scruffy young guy with a b
ackward baseball cap and faded jeans and T-shirt stood awkwardly to the side, alternating between looking at Nick and Theo and glancing back to the set. Geez, hadn’t he ever seen a family moment before?
“I’ve got to go, Theo, but I’ll be finished really soon and then we can get some lunch,” he said, ruffling the floppy hair with a smile.
“All of us? Belle too?” The overly eager question made her look away from Mr. Baseball cap and at the blond duo before her.
“There’s no need, really. I’m more than happy to … ”
“Rania, look at that face. Can you honestly tell me you can say ‘no’ to that face?”
She looked down at Theo, her mouth twitching as she tried to hold back a smile, at the exaggerated wide-eyed look he flashed her way.
“Okay, okay, you got me. I’ll come for lunch.”
The frown instantly turned upside down and he was all smiles as they resumed their hiding place behind the large lamp.
She could feel the electric energy in the room. The frustration felt when a line was misread or they had to reshoot, all forgotten when it was finally perfect. The feeling that when all this was over, it was worth it despite the blood, sweat, and tears.
A bell rang in the distance. “Okay guys, that’s a wrap!” Nick’s voice came across loud and clear despite all the hustle and bustle around him.
Despite his height and build, he moved with grace toward them, his long strides making short work of the distance.
Resting a hand lightly on Theo’s shoulder, he turned to her. She could feel the eyes of the other cast members on her, probably wondering who in the heck this plain Jane was and how did she know one of Hollywood’s most up-and-coming directors. And what did she care what they thought anyway, she told herself; she’d be gone in three weeks.
“What do you fancy eating? There are a few canteens in the studio that are pretty good. Or there is a great Mexican place around the corner.” His blue eyes flickered between her and Theo. She knew it was silly, but it was a strange feeling to be included in a decision that involved more than just her.
“Mexican! I vote Mexican!” Theo cried, waving his arm wildly in the air. Their gazes met over his head and she felt her heart jump as they shared a smile at the enthusiasm of youth.
“How does Mexican sound to you, Rania?” He was only saying her name to ask her a question, for goodness sake, so why did her stomach flip over at the sound. Hunger; that was it. It must be. She’d focus on Theo, that’s what she’d do. After all, that’s what she was here for.
“I’d love it. Can’t wait!” She ruffled Theo’s hair and grinned down at him. He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the door, his other hand sliding into his dad’s. A huge reflective panel caught her eye and she found herself staring at the image the three of them made. Arms all linked together with Theo in the middle, looked like any other regular family. She knew now why her stomach felt why it was turning itself inside out like this. It was because it wasn’t real and it never would be.
They approached the limo as Gus held the door open. Pausing, she looked down the lot toward the studio entrance.
“Everything okay?” She turned back at the question to find Gus had moved into the driver’s seat and Nick was holding the door for her. How very movie-esque and he probably didn’t even realize.
“I was just wondering if we could walk? It’s a nice day and it’d be good to have a wander and see the sights up close.” He looked at her as if she had just suggested they run naked down the street and she couldn’t restrain the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Or we could just go in the car and I’ll do it another time.”
“No, that’s a great idea. It’s just that it’s pretty much unheard of here. People don’t wander like they do back home and they go everywhere by car. Probably because the ‘blocks’ are a little bigger than our blocks back in England.”
He rapped on the car roof, resulting in both Gus and Theo hopping out.
“We’re walking, guys. Sun hat on Theo,” he said, plopping the baseball hat down on his son’s groaning head.
Their blocks are bigger than our blocks … What rubbish, a block is a block! Her opinion lowered further of this so-called Tinseltown.
• • •
Three blocks later, she could feel every bone and muscle in her feet. Why didn’t he say it would be a few blocks before they saw any signs of life? Cursing her shoe choice, she cringed inwardly at her naiveté and gritted her teeth against the pain. She would not complain. Especially as Theo was bouncing along cheerfully beside a relaxed-looking Nick who, despite the blazing heat of the day — yet another thing she seemed to have underestimated — seemed cool and calm. She was active enough, not enough to run a marathon granted but pretty active given she ran a shop full time. But this; this was too much. Biting back the childlike “are we there yet” question that was hammering though her mind, she focused on counting the steps, letting the flow of father and son conversation wash over her. Thankfully, Nick didn’t direct any at her, making it possible for her to become more disturbed as her internal pedometer figures got higher and higher.
She gave up when they got to the hundreds. Next time she was taking the limo, not caring a fig if she felt she was selling out to the Hollywood lifestyle.
“This is the place,” she heard Nick say, holding the door for them to shuffle through. Finally. She was surprised she hadn’t already melted into an unflattering puddle at his feet.
Greeting the smiling waitress in Spanish, they were seated quickly and she squeezed in next to Theo, translating the menu despite Nick pointing out the English translation on the other side. Just for that, she made a point of ordering herself and Theo’s meal in Spanish, seeing him holding back a smile at her friendly challenge.
“How are you finding the trip so far?” His eyes roamed over her face as she greedily drank the ice-cold drink that had been placed in front of her. Great, she was probably suffering from dehydration, too. At this rate it would be Theo looking after her.
“Mmmm. Good, thanks,” she said, wiping her tongue over the few stray droplets that had slid down the side of her mouth. He had turned his body to face her and she could see his eyes follow the direction of her tongue.
Clearing her throat, she wiped at the remaining drops with the back of her hand. Far from the classy ladylike actions he was probably accustomed to, but it was safer than wondering what that look meant. If, in fact, it meant anything other than he thought his son’s new nanny was a messy Bessy.
• • •
“Belle, that man looks like you!” Theo squealed, his eyes staring at something behind her.
“Theo!” Nick’s exclamation drowned out by Theo’s excited squeaks.
Looking around at all the old and new Hollywood memorabilia, she glanced behind her at a close-up photo of a pair of good-looking guys holding Oscars. She narrowed her eyes at the figure on the right. The light had picked up on the caramel gold of his eyes, his high cheekbones and olive skin adding to his unusual attractiveness. He did look familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“It’s just the eyes, Theo. Lots of people probably have my eye color or something like it,” she said, smiling warmly at his disappointed expression that he hadn’t stumbled on some great discovery. She caught Nick’s gaze flicking back and forth between the picture and her face. Pulling a wide-eyed “What?” expression, she turned back to Theo who was now happily coloring in the place mat.
“What were we talking about again? Oh yeah. It’s a bit different here from the UK though, isn’t it?” The casual question had her stomach dip again. He’d probably noticed her dragging behind on the walk, positively melting into the pavement, unused to the weather and the distance.
“Different, but not necessarily a bad different. The weather, for sure. And the length of the blocks,” she admitted dril
y.
“Yeah, those are killers,” he agreed, lifting his drink up to his lips. She stared fascinated as he drank, his Adams apple bobbing with each swallow; grateful for the distracting arrival of their food.
They ate hungrily in silence. The food was amazing. It beat the heck out of her frozen Mexican dinners back home.
“Dad, can I have some quarters? There are some arcade games over there.” She looked in the direction of Theo’s gaze at the three machines.
“Sure, why not. You’ve got twenty minutes. Stay where I can see you,” Nick replied tossing some quarters over the table.
Leaning back against the cracked red plastic booth, she eyed him across the table. He was staring at Theo, who had begun animatedly shooting zombies.
“Thank you for bringing Theo to the studios,” he began, eyes now fixed firmly on her.
“No problem. A trip to the studios is the tourist-y thing to do, right?”
He leaned back, studying her. “Yeah, I guess it is. When you’ve been here so long, you stop thinking like a tourist,” he paused, his eyes serious. “But that’s not what I meant. Between work and school, I don’t get to spend a lot of time with Theo like this, despite giving studio passes to the other nannies.”
“That’s easily explained. I’m not like the other nannies. Theo hasn’t run away once.” she said with pride.
Smiling, he twirled the cup around in his hand, her gaze focusing on the movement of his wrist. Guilt at the mean thoughts she had toward him now gnawed away at her.
“To be honest, I didn’t just bring him here to do the tourist thing,” she found herself admitting. “Theo missed you. You were only together one day before you had to go back to work.”
“You think I don’t know that?” His voice stayed cool and even as he kept on staring at the half empty glass.
“Look, Nick, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just felt like I should confess the real reason I bought Theo here.”
He raised his eyes from the glass and arched a brow. “You felt the need to confess?” His lips tilted upwards as he seemed to find the idea funny.
