by Tia Siren
“You’ll like the grounds, miss,” he said.
“Do you live there as well?”
“Oh yes,” he said. “All the master’s staff stays on the grounds. It just makes it easier for him.”
“Did my bags already arrive?” I asked.
“They arrived yesterday evening and are awaiting you in your room,” he said.
I stared out the window a while as we drove. I wasn’t always a live-in nanny. In fact, I normally wasn’t. I’d left my apartment almost a month ago, and Janey had been nice enough to let me live with her until I found this job.
“Is he nice?” I asked meekly.
“Which, miss?”
“The master of the house,” I said.
“Ah, he’s one of the best men I’ve known, and I’ve known him nearly his whole life.”
“His whole life?” I asked.
“Aye. He’s something else, you know. I used to be his next door neighbor, but when he moved up in the world he made sure to bring people he could trust along with him,” the driver said.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“I was told you’ll find out when you meet him. I shouldn’t say too much,” he said.
“I’m Erica, by the way.”
“I’m Bill,” he replied, “and we’re nearly there.”
I hadn’t realized how close we were. We’d driven outside the city, and it had been nearly an hour since we’d left it. The few houses I saw were massive in size, and the yards were all well-tended and fenced. Some could have been considered cities by themselves.
Then we turned into a driveway. I use the term conservatively, because the driveway continued on for another fifteen minutes, travelling through topiaries and perfectly tended hedges. But there was an oddity to it. While portions of the yard were well tended, others seemed almost untouched by man. A wetland even sprang up in the middle with fallen and low-hanging trees. It was an odd sight on the drive.
“The master likes to preserve that which is already there rather than change it to fit his needs. I guess he’ll tell you more when you meet him.”
As we crested a rolling hill, I saw the manor. It was large, yes, but it wasn’t to the point of absurdity. You could call it tasteful. Vines crawled up the side of the red brickwork in the front, flowering peacefully. Massive windows stared at me as I approached in the sedan. Off to either side were massive balconies that could have held entire parties themselves.
The double doors at the front of the house opened as we approached. I’d known this would be an intimidating moment, but I hadn’t expected it to be so much so.
Bill pulled us to a stop and then got out and opened my door. I still couldn’t take my eyes from the manor. I stared bewilderingly up at its majesty.
“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” I heard from the yard behind me.
I turned to find a man riding atop a black horse. His face was plain and his chin was full of stubble. Cropped brown hair , almost unkempt in a fashionable way, topped his head, and he was a little above average height. It didn’t mean much to me, though, as nearly everyone was taller than I was, save for children.
“It is,” I said.
“At least it isn’t as garish and gaudy as the rest of the mansions in the area. I would have gone smaller, but there’s a certain level of stature I have to live up to, I suppose,” he said.
Sudden realization hit me.
“Oh, hello,” I said. “That’s a wonderful…er...horse.”
He looked at me quizzically for a moment, and then he laughed it off before hopping off the saddle and handing the reins to Bill.
“Well thank you,” he said. “I’m sure the horse likes the compliment. Shall I show you around?”
“If you ask like that, how can I say no?” I laughed.
“Right,” he said.
He stepped close to me and offered an elbow for me to grab. I didn’t need to be led like a horse, but still I chose to grab his arm so as not to cause a scene.
We walked through the double doors and into the manor. I tried my best to keep my mouth from falling open but failed miserably.
“I told my decorators to keep it simple. I didn’t want something extravagant. Nor did I want something that felt cheap. The quality of the materials is what matters. There are four stories in total, three above and one below.”
The inside was full of natural light that fell in beams through the windows. He led me up the rich wood stairs. I was intimidated by this man, and I couldn’t tell why exactly. It wasn’t as though he was pointing a gun at me. He just made me feel smaller than I already was. I did my best to straighten my back and show what little confidence in myself I could.
“My name is Erica, by the way,” I volunteered.
“Ah, right. Where are my manners? My name is William,” he said.
He began to lead me down one of the many hallways, but I stood in place and pulled myself from his arm to lean over the balcony.
“This house is a lot to take in. Maybe I can see a little more every day and keep it mysterious?” I asked.
He smiled and joined me on the balcony overlooking the stairs. I was still having trouble coming to terms with his intimidating presence. It was as though something was telling me to run, but I didn’t. There was a measure of the common man about him, and that spoke to me. As he leaned over the railing with me, I could tell that he was lacking a certain measure of sophistication.
“Should I just take you to your room? It’s rather nice. I figured you could just get settled in for today. Kevin has been saying nothing but good things about you. Really, I left the choice to him, and he said your name immediately,” Will said.
“I was starting to wonder,” I said. “It sounds like you have a lot of faith in the decisions of your son.”
He flipped himself around and leaned his back against the railing and stared up at the domed skylight above us. I followed suit and did the same. The circular staircase looked like it went on into the sky forever from this angle.
“Kevin knows what he wants,” he said, “and I’m glad that he’s capable of making the decision himself.”
“I’m sure you still had the final say in the matter,” I said.
“I’d like to say yes, but in reality, I trust his judgement.”
I loosened my hair from its clip and let it dangle over the railing and toward the ground as I stared upward. The tiny flecks of blond in my hair shone brightly in the early morning sun.
“What made you want to be a nanny?” he asked.
It seemed that everyone wanted to know. Really, I just liked it. There was no explanation for simply liking something that you did, and it was difficult to explain the goings on in my own mind.
“Would you accept that I just like it?” I asked.
“It’s an answer, but not the answer I was hoping for,” he replied.
“What were you hoping for?” I wondered.
“I looked at your resume myself before they even conducted the interview that got you the job. Perfect score on your SATs, perfect grades, and several accolades for sports. You probably could be running a company right now if you’d decided to go to college and work for it,” he said.
I knew he would have looked into my background, but I hadn’t thought he would have so intimately. Something made me wish that I knew him a little better.
“What made you want to be a billionaire?” I asked.
He laughed a loud and raucous belly laugh.
“I just wanted to be,” he said.
“Then we’ve both found what we want to be,” I added.
“Fair enough, Ms. Jacobs,” he replied through stymied laughs.
“Erica,” I said. “You can call me Erica.”
3.
Kevin was the most well-behaved youngster I had ever met. He was kind, courteous, and intelligent. If he were a handful I could have considered my salary to be hazard pay, but I felt a little guilty about making so much money for taking care of an angel.
&n
bsp; “Lunchtime,” I said.
He lit up with excitement as we ran to the kitchen. The house chef had already prepared something for the two of us. As we ate, I struck up a conversation.
“I gotta know, Kevin: Why did you pick me?”
He chomped on his apple slices. Even though he made a little bit of a mess, he cleaned up after himself.
“You were nice,” he said finally.
“I was nice? Was there anything else?” I asked.
“Nope,” he said.
I could see he was hiding something, but I didn’t want to force it. He was too cute and a blast to spend time with. We played outside during the day. Then when the sun began to set we found a nice spot inside where we could read.
I let him try reading as much as he could. He liked trying his best, and I was glad when he did. For most of the day, William was in his office, working diligently on who knew what. I had hoped he might make an appearance and spend time with his son, but I supposed that was why he had hired a nanny in the first place.
As the day wound to an end, Kevin fell asleep in my arms, the book he’d been trying to read covering his face. I would have laughed, but I had a feeling it might wake him.
“He’s got school in the morning,” William said from the hallway.
“Ah, does he? I’ll put him to bed then,” I said.
“Oh, don’t trouble yourself. If I weren’t so busy, I would’ve spent more time with him.”
William came over and plucked him from my arms. The intimidating man I had met before had become a warm and caring parent in the blink of an eye.
I followed him down the hall and into Kevin’s bedroom. It was one of the largest rooms in the house, certainly larger than my own, and was covered in toys and games. I wanted to say he was spoiled, but I had no proof.
After laying his son in bed, William came out and we began to chat while walking toward the kitchen.
“I like to see him happy,” he said, “and I want him to have all the advantages I didn’t.”
“You didn’t have all this?” I asked.
“Not until about ten years ago,” he replied. “I was a small-time investor. I just happened across a solid investment and banked hard. That earned me my first capital. Once you start understanding business, it becomes second nature.”
I could understand what he meant to some degree. Janey used to be a carefree spirit, but after going off to college, she came back a much more grounded and obsessed person. She devoured the law, and I never saw the old Janey again.
“What happened to his mother?” I wondered.
William went silent. I had a feeling I had asked about a delicate subject far sooner than I should have. He slowed his walk and kept a thoughtful gaze forward.
“Perhaps another time,” he said.
The smell of dinner that had been prepared for us wafted through the house, and my mouth watered. It smelled like something my mother used to make for me all the time when I was sick.
I was surprised to find that it even looked exactly like that dish. I always searched local restaurants, but none could make it just the same.
“I had them make your favorite food,” he said.
I sat down and eagerly took a bite. It was delicious and so familiar. It tasted exactly like the food I’d had every time I was sick. I almost cried as I ate.
“I sort of cheated and called your mother for the recipe,” William said.
“That’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me,” I said.
“I like making people feel comfortable when they come here. We’re all family. My chef is an old restauranteur from my favorite food spot a long time ago. He got tired of the day to day of his old restaurant, so I bought the place and hired him to work here. You met Bill, my old neighbor. He used to race cars twenty years ago, and I still like to fuel his habit, pardon the pun. My maid is a woman who lived with my family for years. She came from Eastern Europe without a cent to her name, and now she lives here.
“Everyone here is someone that matters to me. I want you to matter to me as well. I hope you’ll come to love it here as much as we do.”
I was impressed by his need to keep people around him that he knew. So many times I’d seen people move on and forget where they came from. It seemed he brought where he came from along with him.
“That’s an incredible gesture,” I said.
“I even bought this land incredibly cheap. It’s still a functioning wetland. A developer was going to pave over it and build some monstrosity, but I wanted to make sure the land stayed as it was. In the spring we allow bird watchers to come and enjoy the grounds,” he added.
“That’s quite nice,” I said.
“Of course, if you get tired of it all, you’re welcome to leave whenever you see fit. I won’t stop you,” he said.
I nodded and continued to gorge myself on the delectable food in front of me. If this was what it was like living with the wealthy, I figured it was something I could get used to.
“I think I might head out for a dip. All are welcome,” he said.
I would have responded, but my mouth was too full of food, so I just nodded in affirmation instead. He smiled back at me and left the room.
The chef set a glass of brandy down on the table in front of me and poured a second, which he held aloft as a toast. I picked up the glass and clinked it with his before taking a large sip.
“It might not be perfect, but it’s home,” he said.
“It seems prefect to me,” I replied.
“Give it a month before you see the cracks.”
I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I was glad to be where I was. I finished my brandy and replaced the glass. The chef smiled a big, toothy smile at me as I left the kitchen for my room to change.
I needed to talk to someone right now; maybe Janey was up.
4.
“So you’re getting changed to spend time with a billionaire in his pool? Are you a call girl or something?” she asked.
“No, Janey, I’m not a call girl. I’m just having an evening swim with a billionaire,” I replied. “Okay, it does sound pretty bad now that I say it out loud.”
“So you’re still going to swim with him?” she asked.
“Well, I can’t say no to him now. I already said I’d be there. What should I say? Hey, boss, I think it’s odd swimming with you on my first day of work, and I don’t want to feel like a hooker?”
“That’s not a bad start, but the delivery could use some work,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m honestly wishing that I had a different swimsuit than my normal one. I can’t believe you talked me into this skimpy thing,” I said.
“When you go to the Bahamas, Erica, people expect you to wear the most revealing thing you can.”
“I’m not complaining about the Bahamas. I’m complaining about how you threw away my one-piece bathing suit. You could have at least let me keep it,” I said.
“Just tell him you need to get a proper swimsuit before you can swim. Sounds like a good excuse to me,” she said.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll tell him that,” I said. “Gotta go, Janey. Talk soon.”
I clicked the phone off and started toward the backyard swimming pool. I could hear the water lapping against the edge of the pool. Each step that brought me closer heightened my anxiety.
William was swimming laps, dipping beneath the water only to spring back out and whip his arms out in front of him. I watched from the doorway as he continued to exercise. It seemed he either didn’t notice me watching or didn’t care that I did.
After a time, he burst from the water and sat along the edge of the pool to relax. I took it as an invite. He stood up tall and began to stretch. I noticed the lean swimmer’s muscles he had built. His long, skinny torso appeared to be chiseled out of marble, with taut abs and lean, strong arms. I felt myself swoon, if only for a moment, before I came to my senses.
“I think I’ll have to decline for the evenin
g,” I said. “I’ve nothing to wear in the pool.”
He smiled and adjusted his swimsuit, which left almost nothing to the imagination. I did my best to avoid staring, but I had to sneak a peek.
“That’s all right. I wouldn’t expect to make you do anything you wouldn’t be comfortable with. Perhaps another time,” he said.
“You do this often?” I asked.
“Every day,” he said. “I thought you were a swimmer in high school.”
“I was,” I said, “but it was difficult finding the time to continue when I didn’t have a pool to use.”
“You have one now. Use it as you see fit,” he said. He started to walk off toward the house with a towel in hand, blotting the water from his skin.
“Thank you, Mist—”
“You can just call me William,” he interjected.
“Okay, William. Thank you for your hospitality, but I think I’m off to bed.”
“I’ll be gone the next couple weeks. Perhaps we can get to know each other better when I return,” he said.
“Of course,” I squeaked, still trying my hardest not to stare.
“Good night, Erica,” he said as he walked off.
“Good night,” I replied.
I could have stared at him walking away forever. His back was just as toned as his front, and his perfectly shaped behind left me wanting more of it.
I was a schoolgirl again, staring at boys I thought were cute. Except this one was off limits. He was my boss. I couldn’t break the trust that had been placed in me and overreach. Besides, he probably had his choice of supermodels and celebrities. What would he want with a plain girl like me?
I wandered back to my bedroom, staring at what few pictures I saw littered about the house. The odd part of it all was that all the pictures were of him and his son, or him with any number of famous people. There was nothing of his wife around the house at all.
I pushed the thoughts to the back of my head, hoping they wouldn’t keep me up tonight.
I left my balcony door open just slightly to let in the cool breeze. The bugs chirped and the frogs croaked, and the wind whipped the delicate curtains around just slightly.
I felt relaxed. I felt at home.
