“I can assure you it’s real, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He took a photo of my license and held it out to me with my other paperwork. “Connecticut, huh? That explains a lot.”
I snatched my stuff from Mr. Rude Hollis LaCroix. “How so?”
“You don’t know how to parallel park.”
My eyes narrowed. “I’ll have you know, I’m a very good driver.”
He tilted his head toward his car. “I have ten thousand dollars’ worth of damage that says otherwise.”
I shook my head. “You’re an ass. You know that?”
I could’ve sworn I saw his lip twitch, like he enjoyed getting a rise out of me. Thankfully the police arrived so I didn’t have to deal with him anymore. After talking to the officer and giving my version of the story, I went to sit in my car. The police then spoke to Hollis. My stomach growled while I watched the two men talk outside, so I grabbed the bag of junk food I’d bought to watch movies with Bree tomorrow night and munched on a box of Junior Mints. Eating the snack made it feel like I was in the audience watching a show—a show with one damn good-looking leading man.
Hollis really was handsome. Tall, broad shoulders, narrow waist, Coppertone tan, dark hair that was a little too long at the collar and didn’t exactly match his immaculately tailored suit. But it was his bright green eyes and thick, dark eyelashes that were the showstoppers.
As if he felt me staring, he looked over at my car, and our eyes met. I didn’t bother to turn away and pretend I hadn’t been watching. Screw him. If he could check out my legs, I could look at his pretty-boy face. When he didn’t stop staring, I flashed an overzealous and clearly phony full-tooth smile.
That time there was no mistaking the twitch, mostly because it was followed by a full smirk. Hollis looked away, turning to speak to the police officer again, and I felt like I’d won an unspoken staring contest. By the time they finished and the officer walked over to my car, I’d downed the entire box of Junior Mints.
“Alright, Ms. Atlier. This paper has your police report number on it. You can go online and get the actual report in about twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or stop down at the precinct and pick up a copy.”
I took the paper. “Thank you. Did you put down that the accident wasn’t my fault?”
“I listed the facts. It’s up to insurance to assign the percentage of fault to each driver.”
I sighed. “Okay. Thank you. Is there anything else? Because I have an appointment I really need to get to.”
“No, ma’am. If your car is drivable, you’re free to go. Mr. LaCroix has to wait for a tow.”
“Okay. Great. Have a good day, officer.”
“You, too. And be careful driving.”
It felt odd to just pull away without saying anything to Hollis. So I waited a minute, until the cop got back into his car and drove off. Then I got out of my car and walked over to the Mercedes. Hollis was leaning against his trunk, playing with his phone.
“Umm…is there anything you need?” I asked. “A ride or anything?”
“I think you’ve done enough for the day. Thank you.”
God, why did I even ask?
“Great.” I offered an insincere, plastic smile. “Have a nice life.”
Chapter 2
* * *
Hollis
Addison was going to kick my ass for being late. I’d asked her to sit in on the interviews as a favor, and wound up missing the entire first one. I looked at my watch. The second one was likely half over by now, too.
The elevator arrived at the fifteenth floor, and I walked through the double glass doors, tossing my briefcase on the reception desk. Everyone was gone for the day, but I heard voices coming from the conference room down the hall. I was already late, so stopping at the men’s room couldn’t make it any worse.
I yelled to let Addison know it was only me. “Addison, it’s Hollis. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Nice of you to show up!” she shouted. “Maybe you need to replace that gaudy Rolex you wear with a Timex.”
I ignored her and went to the men’s room. I’d had to take a piss for the better part of an hour while waiting for the damn tow truck. After washing up, I took off my jacket and headed to the interview. With the day I’d had, I really hoped the candidate was a good one. I needed help desperately.
Addison had pushed her chair back to look down the hall and saw me coming. She tapped her watch. “Had this thing for fifteen years. Paid only fifty bucks for it, if I remember correctly. Yet it miraculously manages to keep time.”
“Sorry I’m late.” I walked into the conference room and turned to offer an apology to the candidate sitting with her back to me. “Someone hit me while I was trying to pull into a parking spot.”
The woman turned and started to speak. “That’s funny… I—” She stopped mid-sentence, and I looked down to find out why.
You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me. I shook my head in disbelief. “You?”
Her smile fell just as quickly as mine. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Hello, Hollis.”
Elodie.
No.
No fucking way.
I held my palms up. “Okay. I’m very sorry, but this is not going to work. I don’t want to waste your time or mine. So, I suggest—”
“Are you serious? You’re not even going to give me a chance because you think I caused an accident that was your fault?”
“Just the fact that you still believe you had no part in it shows you may be a bit delusional, Elodie. That’s not a trait I’m looking for when it comes to this position.”
Addison interrupted our squabbling. “Well, it’s quite a coincidence that you two had an accident, and Elodie is one of your interviews today. But let’s move on. Clearly, you’re already too biased to make a fair decision on this, Hollis. I think you need to at least give Ms. Atlier a shot by allowing her to sit for this interview as planned and not judge her based on something that has nothing to do with the job.”
I shut my eyes, letting out an exasperated breath. It had been a long day, and I didn’t really have the energy to protest.
Let’s just get this over with.
Rubbing my temples and feeling like a vein in my neck was about to pop, I said, “Fine.” I took a seat and held out my hand toward Addison. “Show me her resume.”
Addison handed me the sheet of paper, and I examined it. Elodie Atlier from Connecticut had been a nanny for two years, but that was a long time ago. After that, she had a pretty big gap in employment, and then she’d spent the last two years working for a private investigator.
“What exactly is it that you do for the private investigator?”
“Umm…a little of this and a little of that.”
I huffed. “Enlightening. You sound very qualified.”
She glared at me. “I was a nanny for twins for two years.”
“Yes, and…what are you doing now? How does a little of this and a little of that at your current job make you qualified to take care of a child?”
“Well, I…multitask at work. And I have to…deal with a lot of different kinds of people. Those are both qualities of a good childcare provider.”
My gut told me she was hiding something. “Give me an example of how you multitasked?”
She looked down. “Well, I…sometimes…assisted with surveillance and also helped out the photographer. “
I tossed the paper aside. “So you helped spy on people…and what? Took selfies? Exactly how does your current job equate to relevant work experience, Ms. Atlier?” I couldn’t help that I laughed a little at the end of that question.
“If you bothered to read further than my last position, you would see that my degree is actually in early childhood education, and I worked taking care of twins in high school.”
“In high school. Great.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m afraid you don’t have the kind of background that would make you a suitable candidate to look after an eleven-
year-old girl.”
“I beg to differ. I think my most recent line of work prepares me just fine for this position.”
Genuinely intrigued by her assertion, I tilted my head. “Oh, really? Tell me exactly how it relates, Ms. Atlier. Because for some reason, I feel like you’re avoiding telling me anything you actually do at your current job.”
Her face turned red. “My job has prepared me to handle almost anything. In my line of work, I’ve had to deal with all types of people. I’ve had to learn self-defense. If you want me to test that on you, I’d be happy to. And…it also has taught me how to remain calm under pressure. I think these are all attributes that would apply to the position at hand. Addison filled me in a little about Hailey. I’m also a good fit because I know a thing or two about troubled kids…because I was one.”
My eyes bore into hers. “And that’s supposed to make me feel more confident, that someone with a troubled past, who can’t drive and who’s spent the better part of the past few years working for a private investigator doing God knows what, is the right person for this job?”
She straightened in her seat. “I’ll have you know that, yes, it takes one to know one. That’s why I would absolutely be the best person to relate to a young girl who has family issues. I’ve dealt with my own share of those. Hailey’s background sounds quite similar to mine. And do I have to remind you that my deficiency is in parking...not driving? I’m actually a damn good driver.”
“Is this a job interview or a sparring match?” Addison interrupted. “Holy cannoli, you both are pieces of work.”
Addison was right. This was ridiculous. I needed to put a stop to it. “With all due respect, Ms. Atlier, I think we need to end this right now.”
Elodie’s big eyes narrowed to slits. “You know what your problem is? You think just because you’re rich and powerful you have the right to judge people.”
“I absolutely think I have the right to judge people—this is an interview for a position, you know. That’s what you do: judge the candidates.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I stood. This was a waste of time from the beginning. “Thank you for coming, but you’re not the best person for a nanny job, no matter how you try to spin it.”
Her expression fell, the disappointment palpable. “Okay. Well, I’m not going to sit here and beg for a chance if you don’t want to consider me.” She turned to Addison. “The truth is, he made up his mind about me the second he saw my face.”
“I’d have to agree with you,” Addison said.
“Thanks for your support, Addison,” I barked. “Maybe you should ask Elodie to find out if there are any openings doing this and that at her current employer.”
“I think I’d quite enjoy a job somewhere else for a while. Maybe she and I can switch for a day. She’ll want to blow her brains out here.” Addison laughed. “Oh, come on, Hollis. In all seriousness, you’re looking for Mary Poppins, and she doesn’t exist. Why not give Elodie a shot?”
I was just about to consider that possibility for a millisecond when Elodie shot up from her seat and proclaimed, “Mary Poppins would poke your arrogant ass with her umbrella!”
And there goes any hope of giving her a shot.
Buh-bye, Elodie.
Nice knowing you.
I bent my head back in laughter. “And she wonders why she can’t find a decent job.”
“Goodbye, Hollis. It was a pleasure.” Elodie marched toward the door. “I have better things to do than be mocked by someone blinded by his ego.”
“Better things? Does that involve Junior Mints?” I teased.
Elodie flashed the iciest glare. Something about that made my dick twitch. Was I seriously getting aroused from fighting with this woman?
“Thank you for the opportunity, Addison,” Elodie said before she took off down the hall.
My amused expression faded when I sat back down and turned to meet Addison’s scowl. She threw her folder at me before storming away, leaving me alone in the conference room.
I swiveled in my chair, tapping the pen against the table. The high of that experience was wearing off. While I didn’t think Elodie was right for the job, maybe I’d been too hard on her.
She’d definitely been hiding something, though, and whenever I got that feeling from a woman, it tended to put me on offense. Yet another thing I could thank damn Anna for.
Chapter 3
* * *
Hollis – 14 years ago
“You suck.”
“I have cancer, dude.”
I reached over and knocked the backward baseball cap off Adam’s bald head. He’d buzzed his hair the other day after finding the first patch missing because of his treatments.
“Yeah. And if I found a magical pill to cure it tomorrow, you’d still suck at this game. So don’t try to play the C card with me. You already have Anna fooled.”
Adam wiggled his non-existent eyebrows. “I might pretend to pass out the next time I see her in the hallway, just so she can give me a little mouth to mouth.”
I gave him a good shove. He fell over on the couch, but the game controller never left his hands.
“Keep your mitts off my girl.” I pretended to be pissed, but of course I wasn’t. Adam was only thirteen, and my girlfriend was almost seventeen. He had about as much chance with her as a blizzard in July in New York. Plus, Adam and I were buds. He wouldn’t do that to me, even if he’d had the strength. He just liked to bust chops.
And anyway, I couldn’t blame him for noticing, Anna made little boys and their fathers turn their heads these days. It wasn’t easy dating a hot girl.
“Let’s play again. Double or nothing?”
“You already lost ten bucks I know you don’t have. Not sure I want to wear out my fingers trying to win a twenty I’ll never see.”
“Chicken shit.”
I shook my head and got up to hit the reset button. As I returned to the couch, Nurse Pam walked into the lounge.
“Hollis, your mom’s nurse just called down. She’s awake, and you need to get ready for school.”
“Thanks, Pam. I’ll head upstairs.”
“Saved by your mommy,” Adam said. “I was about to kick your ass in the rematch.”
I walked toward the door. “Sure you were. I’ll stop in later to show you how it’s done again.”
“Better yet, send your woman to show me how it’s done instead.”
I chuckled and went to the elevator. On the ride up to the ninth floor, I caught a glimpse of the time on the watch of the guy standing next to me. Six o’clock already. I couldn’t even remember what time I’d wandered down to the pediatric wing. It had to have been about three. Adam seemed to be the only person with more trouble sleeping than I had lately, so I’d figured he’d be up playing video games in the pediatric oncology patient lounge like he usually was.
I’d found that hangout three years ago, the first time my mom was admitted overnight. She always insisted I go home, but I didn’t like to leave her alone in case she needed anything—or in case anything changed with her health. On the nights I had trouble sleeping, I’d go hang out in the pediatric unit for a while—the place was stocked with snacks and video games. That’s where I’d met Adam the first time. And Kyle. And Brenden. And over the years, a shitload of other teenagers that were too young for cancer. Hell, my mother was too young.
This was the third time I’d seen Adam back in for a long stay. I didn’t like to bring up his illness because he’d once told me that us hanging out and playing video games made him feel normal. I didn’t treat him differently because he was sick like most everyone else did. I’d done that to the kids I met at the beginning—letting them win at games, not arguing over who would go first, helping them do stuff they wanted to be left alone to struggle with on their own. I learned my lesson fast. Treating them like any other kid was what they wanted. Especially Adam—his mother handled him like glass, and I knew he hated it. He wasn’t as fragile as she thought.
But I also knew it wasn’t good that he was back in the hospital again. It wasn’t good for my mom either.
Some people liked to say third time’s the charm. But in my experience, third rounds of chemo were anything but. Over the years, I’d lost two friends I’d met here to cancer—both after third rounds.
Mom was on her fourth this time.
She put down the book she’d been reading when I walked into her room. “There you are. I was beginning to get worried you fell asleep downstairs on the couch and would be late for school again.”
“Nah. Just hanging out and kicking Adam’s butt in Grand Theft Auto.”
“Oh.” Mom frowned. “Adam’s back?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I nodded and grabbed my backpack off the reclining chair that often doubled as my bed. “What do you have planned for today while I’m at school?”
Mom’s frown tilted to a smile. We played this game every morning when she was in the hospital, making up stuff we were going to do that day.
“Well, I was thinking I’d cook up some fresh scones and roast some coffee to take over to Central Park and eat on a picnic blanket since it’s so nice out,” she said. “Then I’ll go up to the Museum of Natural History for a few hours before taking in a matinee on Broadway, since it’s Wednesday. After that, maybe I’ll catch a flight up to Boston to have lobster for dinner. What about you?”
I leaned in and kissed my mom on the cheek. “I was thinking of acing my second-period chem test and then cutting out for the rest of the day to take Anna to the beach.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “The only made-up part of that better be about cutting classes, young man. I expect you to ace your chem test.”
“Love you. I’ll see you after the beach.” I winked. “I mean school.”
***
Anna didn’t see me coming.
She hadn’t told me she’d planned to meet me at the hospital this morning, but I knew it was her, even from behind. After the last month, I could identify that ass in a lineup. Anna Benson had been my friend since we were kids. Six months ago, things changed. I’d always loved her, but I’d never thought of her that way—until one night when we’d spent twelve hours in the ER with my mom. Anna had fallen asleep with her head on my shoulder, and when she woke up, she looked up at me and smiled. Those big brown eyes were the color of honey, and suddenly, I had a sweet tooth. It was like getting hit over the head with a two-by-four. How had I not thought of her that way before? I leaned in and kissed her right there in the germ-infested emergency room, and neither of us ever looked back.
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