by King, Imani
“Where does Judith keep her cleaning supplies?” Judith was off on the weekends, so it was up to them to clean it themselves. Which was fine with her; the less interaction she had with Judith, the better .
“Over here!” Declan lead her to a small closet off the kitchen where she found most of the supplies she’d need. She handed Declan a broom, then grabbed the mop and a bucket. After she filled the bucket with soapy water, they headed back to the hall .
Declan swept up the bit of chips that’d been sacrificed, then stood out of the way while Trisha mopped up the soda. She’d gotten the majority of it when Jonathan appeared at the end of the hall .
“Uh oh. What happened here?” he asked, frowning as he approached .
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Declan stare down at the floor, tears forming at the corners of his eyes again. She reached over and ruffled his hair, smiling at him when he looked up at her .
“Someone learned what happens when you run on hardwood floors in socks. Nothing broken though, other than a few sodas .”
Jonathan sighed and shook his head. “I warned you about running in the house, didn’t I?” When Declan nodded and looked at the floor, Jonathan sighed again. “You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt. You could’ve really done some damage, buddy. No more running, okay ?”
Declan nodded, his head moving a mile a minute. Poor kid was going to give himself a concussion if he wasn’t careful .
Trisha wondered how long the lesson would last. She had a feeling, in a couple weeks, he’d have forgotten his little spill and been right back to running around. It was a good thing kids were durable and resilient .
A minute or two later and the floor was shining like new. She was smiling proudly at her work when one of the movers poked his head into the hall .
“Ms. Holcut ?”
“Hmm?” She turned to face him. In all the excitement, she’d completely forgotten they were even there! “Is everything okay ?”
“Oh yes,” the man said with a nod. “Just wanted to let you know we’re finished .”
“Oh!” she squeaked out. She passed the mop to Declan, who held the mop in one hand and the broom in the other. Then she dug out her wallet and handed the man a few bills as a tip. “Thank you so much !”
The man thanked her, then left. It was official now. She lived here .
It seemed to hit her like a sack of bricks. She wasn’t quite sure how to react, knowing that she was living in a house that last week she’d thought she’d never even seen the inside of. Yet here she was, the newest resident of Ashcourt Manor .
“Can you play video games with us now?” Declan asked, his boyish voice jolting her out of her daydream .
“Sure!” She turned and grinned with him. “Let’s go put this stuff away and get some new sodas. Then we can play !”
“Woo!” Declan actually jumped for joy, which made her laugh .
Jonathan shook his head and picked up the surviving snacks. “I’ll meet you in the game room. No running this time !”
“Yes, sir !”
Putting her arm around Declan, Trisha led him back to the kitchen. She cleaned out the mop and bucket while Declan grabbed more snacks and drinks. When she was finished, she found him grinning at her, his arms loaded up with more stuff .
She sighed and shook her head, which was already becoming a common occurrence. She took some of the stuff from his arms, to help avoid another catastrophe. Why they’d sent the smallest person to retrieve snacks, she’d never know. The again, what was the point of being a big brother if you couldn’t use your little brother as errand boy once in a while ?
Once they had everything, Declan lead the way to their gaming den. Alexander and Jonathan were in the midst of a heated race. Trisha watched as the two of them would bump shoulders, trying to knock the other off course. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought they had money on the race from the way they were playing .
“Yes!” Alexander yelled, jumping up in celebration as his character cross the finish line moments before Jonathan’s. “In your face, old man !”
Jonathan dropped his controller on the couch and grabbed Alexander in a headlock. He then proceeded to noogie him as Alexander flailed and struggled to break loose of his father’s grip. After a minute, Jonathan released the boy, grinning at him. “Who’s the old man ?”
Alexander stuck his tongue out, then flopped back onto the couch .
Declan had me sit on the other end of the couch, then grabbed a controller and handed it to me. Once he added the fourth player to the game, he sat between me and Alexander. It was a good thing he was tiny and Alexander was the size of a twig, since the couch was a tight fit for four people !
She’d played Mario Kart before. It was a staple of game nights with Sam, Brandon, and Justin. Still, playing with these guys was something completely different. Alexander and Declan were like pros at the game and even Jonathan kicked ass .
She came in last every single race. It was like she was cursed, unable to rank any higher than eighth. All three of them were cutthroat, knowing exactly when to use their items and where each and every shortcut was. A couple weeks of this and she’d be killing game night, that was for sure! Either that or she’d be too depressed to ever pick up the game again .
Before she knew it, the sun had started to set. Finally, Trisha set the controller down and shook her head. “Okay, I’m done! You guys are killing me .”
Both boys protested while Jonathan just grinned. Then he looked at his watch and his eyes bulged. “Oh wow, it’s that late already? I guess I should feed you two gremlins something other than chips and soda huh ?”
They shrugged, having already started another race without Jonathan and Trisha. Jonathan just shook his head, apparently used to their gaming addiction by now. He looked over at Trisha over the boys’ heads .
“Pizza okay with you ?”
“Uh, sure.” Trisha blinked at him, not sure what else to say .
Jonathan nodded, then stood and stretched. “Gretta gets the weekends off, so we’re usually on our own. The only time she works weekends is if I’m going to be out of town, this way you won’t have to worry about cooking. Normally I’ll cook on the weekends, but tonight I just don’t feel like it .”
Trisha chuckled and smiled at him. That made a lot of sense. And, to be honest, she wasn’t much in the mood for cooking either .
While Jonathan stepped out of the room to order pizzas, Trisha watched the boys race. She was pretty sure they had more road rage than any actual drivers .
A few minutes later, he stuck his head in the room. “Pizza should be here in 30. You mind watching these two while I shower really quick ?”
“Sure, no problem!” That was her job, anyway. Although, she wasn’t quite sure if she was she was technically on the clock or not. Either way, it wasn’t of a hardship to sit and watch the boys play Mario Kart. In fact, it was actually kind of entertaining .
Jonathan wasn’t gone very long. Well, more like she lost track of time again. When he came back, he wore a t-shirt and a pair of linen pants, a stark contrast to his normal outfit. On work days he’d been in a suit and tie or at least his dress shirt. Even this morning he’d had on a polo shirt and a pair of slacks .
It was a little jarring to seeing him dressed so…. casual .
He sat on the armrest and watched the boys play. Trisha had opted not to play any more with them, so she alternated between watching them play and watching Jonathan. The t-shirt was just a tad tight on him, showing just how fit he was beneath it .
It was all Trisha could do to keep from staring at him .
10
Jonathan
H e’d put aside all of his work for the weekend, spending all of his time with the boys. While Alexander had been at his party and Trisha had been packing her things, he’d gotten a chance to spend time with just Declan, something that rarely happened .
Then he’d spent Sunday with both boys, playing video games for almost
the entire day. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d played games for that long. Normally if he played with the boys it was only for an hour or so .
By the time he’d gone up to shower, they’d completely exhausted him. But at least with his mind focused on the game, he was able to keep from ogling Trisha. Plus, it helped that they were on opposite sides of the couch, the boys sandwiched between them .
But after his shower, he didn’t have that distraction any more .
He thought about how Trisha had handled Declan’s accident. Nobody was able to get through to Declan when he had a meltdown… but Trisha did . She’d calmed him down, then helped him clean everything up .
And she’d done it all without getting angry with him .
He’d really lucked out finding her. Now he just needed to keep himself in check so he wouldn’t send her running for the hills. He kept reminding himself that she was his employee, just like everyone at the office. Trying to make this anything more would be a huge mistake .
Now he just needed to get the rest of his body to understand that .
He was thankful when the doorbell rang. He nearly ran from the room to get the pizza from the delivery driver. But when he turned around after tipping the driver, Trisha was standing there in the hall. His heart skipped a beat, his mouth going dry .
“Can I help?” she asked, smiling at him .
It took all of his will power not to drop the pizzas to the ground and pull her into his arms. He pushed those thoughts away and tried to return her smile without raising any suspicion of his true thoughts. “Sure! Can you grab some plates and napkins from the kitchen? I figure we’ll eat in the game room. Throw on a movie or something .”
“Absolutely!” There was that grin again, then she headed toward the kitchen, leaving Jonathan staring after her like a lost puppy .
Get it together , he told himself .
Dinner was its usually affair, Declan talking a mile a minute, even with pizza stuffed in his mouth. It was a wonder the boy never choked on his food, since he didn’t stop talking even when he was eating. He was like some tiny miracle. A tiny very loud miracle .
When Jonathan called it a night and headed back upstairs, he was both pleased and annoyed at choosing Trisha to be the new nanny. She really was great with the boys, and even Alexander had warmed up to her .
Yet, on the other hand, he was clearly falling for her. Maybe he should’ve gone with one of the women who’d been old enough to be his mother. Then, at least, he wouldn’t be thinking about what Trisha might look like bent over the kitchen counter .
It was a good thing he had a lot of work to do with AshCorp. With the new hospital project, he’d be busy enough to occupy his mind. Maybe after a week or two, he wouldn’t be so infatuated with this woman …
11
Trisha
A s the weeks went on, Trisha developed a routine. She’d get up in the morning, have breakfast with the boys, then take them to school before going to her class. After class, she’d pick them up, they’d do homework together, and after the boys would disappear into their game room most nights .
Most nights, Jonathan got home around dinner time, ate, then disappeared into his study or his bedroom. That was fine with Trisha, since it seemed like every time she saw him, her heartrate quickened. The less she saw of him, the better, she figured, since it kept her from doing something stupid .
And with the boys not being all that young, she didn’t have to watch them like a hawk. She was essentially a glorified insurance policy. Her job was to be there if either of the boys needed anything and to make sure they didn’t burn the house down .
That, and driving them all across the city .
All in all, it was a pretty easy job. Every once in a while Declan would throw a fit over something, but between her and Alexander, it didn’t take long to fix whatever was wrong. They were good kids .
As the semester approached its end, Trisha was apprehensive to say the least. She was glad to be finishing another year of school, but that also meant the boys would be out of school as well. What was essentially a part time job would turn into a full-time job and then some .
But, at least she hadn’t signed on to take any courses over the summer. That would help .
The week leading up to her finals was the most stressful one of her career yet. Not only did she have her exams, but Jonathan had to fly out to California for a few days, leaving her alone with the boys for the first time .
It wouldn’t be much different than normal, since he was only home in the evenings anyway. Still, it was nerve wracking knowing she’d be completely responsible for both boys while their father was gone .
The boys were sad when he left, but when the three of them drove home from the airport, the boys had gone right back to talking about video games. Apparently they’d gotten used to him going away ages ago .
Once they got home, they ran to their game room while Trisha grabbed her laptop and set up at the dining room table. It’d become her little office while everyone else was busy, since it gave her easy access to the kitchen and she’d be able to hear if the boys yelled for her .
That was pretty much how they spent the entire week. Trisha would work, the boys would play, and the house survived being burnt to the ground. Having Judith handling the cleaning and Gretta handling cooking was a godsend though .
Judith didn’t seem to enjoy having Trisha around. Every time they were in the same room together, Judith seemed to glare at the younger woman. Trisha couldn’t think of anything she’d done to personally offend the woman, so she just shrugged it off .
Meanwhile, the boys kept her from overdoing things .
Before she knew it, her finals were over and Jonathan was back from his trip. All of her anxiety and nervousness were for nothing, since neither boy was any worse for wear, other than a scrape on Declan’s knee from where he’d fallen running to the car after school .
The boy never seemed to learn his lesson. Trisha figured he just had way too much energy to be able to just walk somewhere. Judging by the way he was always bouncing up and down, it didn’t seem to be too far from the truth .
Jonathan was pleased, at least she thought he was. But after the first night, which he spent with the boys while Trisha went out with her friends, he went right back to work, with Trisha barely seeing him at all .
She was starting to think he was avoiding her .
And honestly, that kind of worked for her. It kept her from flirting with him, even if it was just with her eyes. Every time he joined them for dinner, Trisha was unable to look away from him. It was a good thing he was always so tired after work, since it meant he didn’t notice .
“Why don’t you just say something?” Sam asked as they sipped margaritas at the bar. Brandon and Justin were on vacation, leaving just the two of them for their get together this time. “Ask him out. Maybe he feels the same way .”
Trisha snorted. The guy was loaded and gorgeous. Like he’d ever be interested in his nanny of all people. Besides, he was like ten years older than her. What could she have that would possibly interest him, other than a pair of tits ?
“Yeah, right. He’d probably toss me out before he finished laughing.” Trisha took a sip of her margarita, then closed her eyes and sighed .
She’d expected her crush to fade as time went on. She figured it was like her fascination of Ashcourt Manor. Once she got used to it, the marvel would fade. Sure, the house was still impressive, but now it wasn’t something that took her breath away to look at .
Jonathan, on the other hand…. He still made butterflies appear in her stomach every time she thought about him, never mind saw him. It was a miracle the guy hadn’t picked up on her infatuation yet. Him working so much was definitely helping .
“You never know until you try .”
“Do you hate your new roommate that much?” Trisha asked, grinning at Sam. “Is this your way of asking me to come back ?”
Sam had waited a few weeks, just i
n case Trisha’s job hadn’t panned out. Then another girl moved in, an acquaintance of Sam’s that’d broken up with her boyfriend and needed a new place to live. Which meant if Trisha made a move on Jonathan and he sent her packing, she had nowhere to go except back to her parents .
She’d started building up a good bit of a nest egg, since she had so few expenses living at Ashcourt Manor, but she needed that to pay for her schooling, especially with grad school looming on the horizon. Besides, it wasn’t like she could find a place to live instantly if she suddenly found herself on the outside looking in .
“Ashley’s nice,” Sam said after drinking some of her margarita. “You’d like her .”
“Then bring her one day when we hang out. It’s not like Taco Sundays are so exclusive you can’t bring a friend .”
“Maybe I will! She has been a bit of a shut in. I think she’s still trying to get over that asshole Trey. I can’t believe the fucker cheated on her. He should have his balls cut off .”
Trisha snorted. That was Sam all right, never afraid to speak her mind or defend a friend. It was going to take one tough guy to sweep her off her feet. Trisha didn’t envy any of the ones who’d tried in the past .
“I don’t know why you’re being so hard on yourself,” Sam said a few minutes later. “The guy isn’t going to blow a gasket just from you checking him out. Hell, he’d probably get a kick out of it. You know how much guys like to have their egos stroked .”
That was the understatement of the year .
“I’m surprised he hasn’t made a move on you already. Aren’t guys like him always supposed to be screwing their secretaries and nannies? Isn’t it, like, in the contact you sign when he hires you? You know, I read a book once where this rich guy has a sex contract …”
“I’m not going to fifty shades with this guy!” Trisha smacked Sam in the arm. “And maybe he’s not interested in me .”
