The Nanny's Knickers

by Wren Mingua

  "Sure," he finally decided. "When are you going?"

  "Now." Ben looked a bit surprised by her answer. "Meet me in front of the house in about ten minutes. I need to find Chris."

  "What if he doesn't want to go?"

  "Oh, he'll go!" Zoe declared. "Even if he's kicking and screaming, he'll go."

  * * *

  Ben parked the car in the Blenheim Palace parking lot. He had agreed to drive, since Zoe wasn't entirely comfortable with driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Predictably, Chris fussed the entire way.

  "This is stupid!" he shouted. Chris stared out the window, at the building that looked a bit like a replica of Versailles. Even though it was impressive, he had to hate it. It was in his nature to hate anything and everything.

  "I think it's beautiful!" Zoe exclaimed. "Can you imagine living in a place like that?" She looked over at Ben. "Your house is big enough."

  "It's not my house," Ben pointed out. "It's my brother's."

  "Oh. Yeah. Well... it's Chris' house!" She smiled at Chris, but his face was as sour as ever.

  "And that's why he's completely and utterly spoiled." Ben yanked out the key and leapt out of the car, so Zoe followed suit. Chris stayed in the back of the vehicle, arms crossed, unwilling to budge.

  "Come on, mate," Ben said. "Stop being an arse and get out of the car."

  "NO!" Chris glared at Ben, who he usually liked. As far as Chris was concerned, Ben was on the nanny's side, and that wasn't cool. "I don't want to!"

  "Come onnnn!" Ben tried to reach into the backseat to give Chris a tug. "If you come, I'll give you a fiver."

  "Really?"

  Zoe shook her head. She didn't approve of bribery, but if it was the only way to avoid a scene--

  "Yeah." Ben opened the back door and motioned for Chris to exit. "I'll give you a fiver, or I'll give you a facer. It's your choice."

  Chris slid out of the backseat, though obviously against his will. "Alright..." Zoe laid a hand on the small of his back and guided him forward, in the direction of the palace.

  "You know," Ben started, "Winston Churchill was born here."

  "Who cares?"

  "I didn't know that!" Zoe said, in an effort to make Ben feel better about his trivia. "That's interesting."

  Chris ran a few paces ahead of them and stomped on a bumblebee. Completely unfazed by his insect murder, he turned around and asked, "Do we get to tour the big house?" He was careful not to sound too eager.

  "Uh huh." Zoe nodded. "That's the plan."

  "What about the maze? Do we get to go to the maze?" Chris asked, referring to the hedge maze at Blenheim Palace; Marlborough Maze, the second largest in the world.

  "Uh... maybe," was Zoe's half-hearted reply. "Is there some sort of panic button for people who get lost?"

  "I'll lead the way!" Ben declared, coiling an arm around Zoe's back. He pulled her closer, hanging on her as they walked. "When we walk along all cozy like this, I'm sure we look like a couple." With mischief in his eyes, he added, "And Chris looks like our son."

  "And how is that even possible? Did you have him when you were, like, twelve?!"

  "Fourteen," Ben corrected her. "What can I say? I was a randy chap."

  "Randy chap," she repeated with a chuckle. British English never ceased to amuse her. "And do you know how old I was when you were... fourteen?"

  "Uh... twenty-four?"

  "Exactly. I would have been arrested for that." She shrugged his arm off her shoulder. "So Chris is most definitely not our kid."

  "Well... I'm just imagining what other people might think. It's not like they'd look at us and immediately recognize the difference between our ages," Ben said. "We look the same age, give or take."

  "If you say so."

  They bought their tickets for the house and grounds, and they lined up for a guided tour. The guide took them into the house, where an array of lavish decorations were on display. Portraits, tapestries, porcelain--it was a whirlwind of luxury and color. They even got to see the room where Winston Churchill was born. Had Chris shown even the slightest bit of interest, it would have been a miracle.

  At the end of the house tour, they grabbed a map and took a self-guided tour of the garden. There was so much ground to cover, Zoe wished she had worn suitable shoes. They weren't fancy shoes, as she could never justify spending more than fifty dollars on a pair. However, after wandering around the water terraces and Italianate garden, she was in danger of getting blisters.

  "The maze!" Chris squealed. "Let's go in the maze!"

  "Ohhh... I don't know." Zoe looked at Ben, hoping he would back her up. But Ben, being the overgrown child that he was, looked just as eager to tackle the maze.

  Ben reached for her hand. "Come on... hold my hand. So we won't get separated."

  "Shouldn't you be more worried about Chris getting separated from us?"

  "CHRIS!" Ben shouted so loud all of a sudden, he made Zoe jump.

  "What?!"

  "Don't wander too far off. Stay close to us."

  "Awright."

  Zoe took Ben's hand and followed him into the hedge maze, despite her reservations. In no time at all, she was surrounded by leafy green walls, and it was no surprise she was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic. However, Ben didn't appear to be the least bit concerned by the fact that they were lost, which put her at ease. At least a little bit.

  On the bright side, Chris seemed to be having the time of his life. Every time they rounded a corner and found themselves facing a wall, he would shout, "DEAD END!" and run off in search of another path. He picked up a stick and started prodding the hedges, which made birds fly out of their hiding places.

  "Chris!" Zoe exclaimed, "Don't poke the birds!"

  So Chris turned around and poked her with the stick instead.

  "Hey! No poking the nanny either!" Ben chided him. He looked over at Zoe and winked. "Unless the nanny wants me to poke her."

  She swatted Ben in the back of the head. "Ben!"

  "Hey! Sorry!" He held up his hands, guilty as can be. "I couldn't resist!"

  After what felt like an eternity, they found their way out of the maze. They had been out in the sun so long, Zoe's cheeks were a bit sunburned. She didn't even think it was possible to get burnt in foggy England, but apparently it was. To make matters worse, Chris spun around and swatted her with his stick.

  "Hey now!" Ben grabbed his nephew's stick and wrested it out of his hands. When he had the stick in his possession, he tossed it away. "You don't hurt ladies. Do you understand?"

  "Bugger off."

  Ben seized Chris by the nape and gave him a little wag. "Do you understand?"

  "Yes! Alright!"

  "Now, what do you say to Zoe?"

  Ben didn't let go of Chris' neck until the boy gave her a tepid, "Sorry."

  "Good." Ben looked over at Zoe and winked. "Now let's head back to the car."

  As they made their way back to the car, Ben continued to hold her hand. Zoe was sure they did look like a couple, but she had to wonder if she looked like a cradle robber. Despite Ben's claim that they looked the "same age," she certainly didn't feel the same age as him.

  "So... Zoe?" Ben lowered his voice, not wanting his nephew to overhear. "I had a good time. I'm glad you invited me."

  "And I'm glad you came. I'm not sure I could have handled Chris on my own." With a roll of her eyes, she added, "Some nanny I am, huh?"

  "I think you're a great nanny. You're very sweet to the boy... and you're easy on the eyes," he said. "Which leads me to my next question. Do you think I could take you out to dinner sometime?"

  The Audi R8 was in sight. She wished she could make it back to the car and avoid his question altogether. "You mean... just the two of us?"

  "Yes, just the two of us," Ben confirmed. "And if you want to get technical, then yes, I am asking you out on a date."

  Ben's question had Zoe tongue-tied. On one hand, she thought he was terribly cute, possibly the best looking guy she had seen si
nce arriving in England. And he seemed charming enough, even if he was a bit naughty at times. On the other hand, she didn't think she would ever be comfortable with the idea of dating someone who was ten years younger than she was. As young as he was, there was no way he could possibly be looking for the same thing she was looking for. She wanted a relationship. He wanted a fling.

  "I'm sorry, Ben," she finally replied. "I can't."

  "You can't?! Why?"

  The answer was out of her mouth before she had a chance to think it over.

  "I'm engaged to someone else."

  Chapter Nine

  Excerpt from Zoe's blog--

  I call it dish soap. They call it "washing-up liquid." That seems like a bit of a mouthful to me. And what self-respecting man is ever going to do the dishes when their "washing-up liquid" is called "Fairy?"

  At least the toothpaste brands were the same. That's what crossed Zoe's mind as she slathered her toothbrush in Colgate. When she finished brushing her teeth, she grinned. With her teeth bared, she leaned as close to the mirror as she possibly could. As she leaned forward, her nightshirt slipped up, which would reveal a bit of her panties to anyone who happened to be standing behind her.

  Of course, it was at this moment that Ben popped into the bathroom. When he caught a glimpse of her black knickers, he had to grin.

  "HEY!" She spun around and pulled her nightshirt down. "Don't you ever knock?"

  "I'm sorry." His apology was as tepid as the water she used to rinse her toothbrush.

  "And yet... you keep standing there... staring at me while I'm trying to have a private moment in the bathroom." Zoe rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable, Ben."

  "Unbelievably attractive?" he asked with a grin.

  "Unbelievably cocky... unbelievably vain... unbelievably--"

  He laid a silencing finger over her lips. "Okay. I get it. You think I'm an arsehole."

  "No. Not an arsehole," she repeated the word with a giggle. "But.... you should knock on the door before you go into the bathroom, okay? I could have been naked in here!"

  "And it would have been my lucky day." The image of her black underwear flashed in his mind, and his goofy grin returned.

  "It's bad enough as it is. I'm standing here in my nightshirt!"

  "Oh, that's nothing!" Ben exclaimed. "You Americans can be such prudes."

  "I don't think it's prudish. I think it's nice!" Zoe leaned against the sink and crossed her arms. "There are certain things that should be for your significant other's eyes only!"

  "Which, in your case, would be your mysterious fiance." One of Ben's blonde eyebrows sprang to his forehead. "What is your fiance's name, anyway?"

  "Kyle." As soon as his name was out of her mouth, Zoe's face twisted into a pained grimace. Why couldn't she have made something up? Why not Peter or William or Alec... anything but her real, live, ex-fiance's name. Every time she said his name, she could feel a sting in her heart.

  "And where is Kyle right now? Back in the States?" Ben asked, his voice curiously incredulous. "Why would he let his lovely fiance out of his sight?"

  "H-he's moving here soon," Zoe fibbed, compounding her lies.

  "When we first met, I seem to remember you telling me you were single," Ben said. "Why would you lie?"

  Oh dear. Had she really told him that? The last week of her life was such a blur, she couldn't remember what she had and had not said. "It was a lie," she fibbed again.

  "And why would you lie to me, Zoe?" Ben reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and the simple gesture was surprisingly sensual. Apparently, having a fiance wasn't going to be enough to deter him.

  "I dunno. I guess it just slipped out of my mouth," Zoe said. "When you have a hot guy flirting with you, it's just--"

  "Wait," Ben interrupted. "So the truth comes out! You think I'm hot?"

  Zoe squinted her eyes together as tightly as she could. The conversation was going from bad to worse. "I... I mean... y-yeah, I guess." She didn't need to feed his ego. He already had a more than healthy dose of arrogance.

  "Interesting," Ben said, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Then why won't you go out with me?"

  "Uh, because I have a fiance," she reminded him, even though it wasn't true.

  "You're attracted to me... I'm attracted to you, obviously. And Kyle isn't here." Ben looked down, staring at her bare legs. "Come on. Admit it. We have an undeniable chemistry."

  "I don't know about that, Ben." She tried to tug down her nightshirt, which was one of Kyle's old shirts, but it simply wasn't long enough. She felt naked. "Anyway, do you think you could, uh, go away? I don't mean to be rude, but I'm standing here... in just a shirt... and it hardly seems fair."

  "Not fair?" Ben asked with a chuckle. "Well then... maybe I should lose some of my clothes as well? Even the odds a bit?"

  "No no no no, that's not what I meant!"

  Before she could finish protesting, Ben had whipped his shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground. When she saw his bare chest, Zoe had to bite her tongue to stop herself from shouting oh my god. His body was perfect: lean and broad, muscular and sinewy. She couldn't stop her eyes from roving all over his chest, which, as far as she could tell, didn't have a trace of hair on it. His pecs were perfectly toned, and his sculpted abs were just begging to have a tongue on them. He even had the most prominent Apollo's belt she had ever seen.

  Concentrate, Zoe, her subconscious screamed at her. She couldn't let him know the sight of his naked chest had muddled her brain and tied her tongue.

  Ben leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. When he did, his biceps seemed to bulge. "Well? What do you think?"

  The sound of his voice made her pull her eyes away from his body. He wants me, Zoe reminded herself. She could have him--this beautiful, beautiful boy--in her bed. All she had to do was proposition him, and he would surely be there.

  "I think..." What did she think? What could she possibly say to him without sounding like a total goofball? "I think you probably work out a lot."

  Ben laughed, and when he did, the most adorable dimples appeared on his cheeks. "I don't work out all that much, actually. Just a few crunches and press-ups every now and then." He gestured toward her legs. "But you? With those legs, you must stay pretty active."

  Zoe made a sputtering noise. "Hardly! I had to climb a lot of stairs though. At work... at my old apartment..." She crouched down, snatching his shirt from the floor. Despite the fact that the last thing she wanted him to do was put on his shirt, she said, "Get dressed. I need to finish up in here. If you need the bathroom, you're next in line."

  When Ben pulled on his shirt, she swore she could feel her heart sighing. "I don't need the bathroom," he chuckled. "I was just hoping to vex you with my presence."

  "Well... mission accomplished!" Zoe grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him toward the door. "Next time, don't forget to knock."

  When he was through the door, Ben turned around and winked at her. "Next time, lock the door. It does have a lock, you know."

  Following his advice, Zoe closed the door and locked it. Ben's presence was unsettling--there was no doubting that. And he was attractive, of course, but she couldn't allow herself to give into temptation. Having recently ended her engagement, hooking up with a 22-year-old was the last thing she needed.

  Zoe turned around and frowned at her reflection in the mirror. She leaned closer, observing her face. There was slight discoloration in the corners of her eyes, where the beginnings of crow's feet were starting to form. "Hmph... maybe it is what I need," she said, snorting at her reflection. Her mom, her friends, Kyle--no one would have to know about her fling with a much younger man. It could be her secret.

  "No way, Zoe. NO WAY!" she shouted at herself. "Don't even go there. Don't even think about going there!"

  Before leaving the bathroom, Zoe pulled on a pair of shorts. After her run-in with Benjamin, she didn't feel comfortable roaming the hall in just a nightshirt. And it was a good thing sh
e put on the shorts, because she ran into Lewis as soon as she stepped into the hallway.

  "Oh... hi," she greeted him. When she noticed he was wearing a suit, she noted, "you got back from work late."

  "True. Lately, my work has consumed my life," Lewis said with a sigh. "Are you getting ready for bed?"

  "Yep." She nodded.

  "How was Chris? Gemma mentioned something about an outing?"

  "Oh. Yeah. Me and Chris and Ben all went to Blenheim Palace," she said. "It went well... aside from the fact that I got a little sunburnt." She pointed at her rosy forehead--as if he could miss it!

  "I trust he was well behaved?" Lewis asked. "I'm referring to Chris, not Ben. Although... I am sure my brother's behavior is just as unpredictable."

  "Chris was... decent," she said. It was too soon to upgrade his status to good.

  "And Ben? He behaved himself?"

  "B-Ben?!" What was she supposed to say to that?

  "I have reason to believe he fancies you. If he's too much to handle, let me know. I can't have him flirting with the nanny at all hours of the day, can I? I wouldn't want him to make you uncomfortable."

  Zoe closed her eyes and recalled the image of Ben's bare chest. Uncomfortable didn't even begin to describe it. "Ben's alright."

  "Do you like him?"

  Once again, she was taken aback. "Uh... what?!"

  "Your feelings for Ben don't extend beyond friendship, do they?"

  Here we go again, Zoe thought. It seemed the entire Eastham family was prone to asking inappropriate questions at all hours of the day. "He's a nice boy, but I don't even know if I'd call him a friend."

  "Good... good," Lewis said. He rubbed the palms of his hands together, like a cartoon villain hatching a scheme. "Zoe, would you like to go out with me sometime?"

  "WHAT?!" she shrieked. He might be her boss, but she wasn't beyond chastising him. "But you're married!"

  "I-I didn't mean it like that," Lewis insisted, though she hardly believed him. "I just meant... it might be nice to go out sometime... for coffee or something."