by Carol Grace
“Normally my driver would do this for me,” Vittorio said, “but I gave him some time off this afternoon to visit his sick grandmother and I can’t reach him right now. I’ll expect you in an hour or so. Any questions?”
Questions? She had a million questions. Starting with this… How did I get myself into this? Why can’t someone else do it? I’m here to take care of the girls. Not to be your delivery person. This isn’t in my job description or anywhere in the Nanny Manual.
But all she said was, “No.”
“Pick up the cell phone on my desk so that you can call me if necessary. Otherwise I will expect you shortly.”
The words Milan is the fashion capitol kept spinning around in Sabrina’s head as she quickly went through her clothes, now hanging in her closet thanks to the maid, trying to find something suitable for a bank in Milan. It was one thing if she were to drop off a folder and go home. That was presuming she could actually find the bank. But at the least she might have to walk through the Florentine building at the side of her employer while curious eyes watched and evaluated and wondered. Who is she? How does she fit into the picture?
No time to do anything but put her all-purpose blazer on over her T-shirt and Capri pants. She had more to worry about than her appearance. She had to worry about finding the way to Milan and then driving in the city itself with all those aggressive locals, surely a foreigner’s nightmare. What made Vittorio think she could do it? Why did he trust her to deliver the folder? Why wasn’t he worried about where his daughters were? No time for idle wondering. She found the folder and the cell phone and headed out to the road in the Audi.
She loved the smell of the leather in the custom made car. She loved the smooth handling of the gearshift, but she didn’t love the way she had to clench the steering wheel with white-knuckled fingers, or deal with the constant fear she’d make a wrong turn and end up in Rome. As it happened she made several wrong turns, doubled back and finally found Lecco. Then more wrong turns on the way to Monza. When she saw the signs pointing to Milan she finally took a deep breath and relaxed just for a moment before looking for the ring road and finally the bank.
Vittorio paced back and forth in front of the bank waiting for his new nanny to arrive. Perhaps it was unfair to ask her to drive to the bank with the folder, but he didn’t have a choice. He needed the papers. As soon as she handed them to him she could go back home. On the other hand, with his assistant out sick today, he was in desperate need of someone with a knowledge of power point this afternoon. If her resume really reflected her skills and she really knew what she was talking about. If not, he was in trouble.
There she was. Vittorio didn’t realize how tense he was until he saw the car and he realized she’d actually done it. A foreigner on her second day in the country driving to Milan. He was impressed. He couldn’t think of anyone else who would have even attempted it. Certainly not Aurora. She had her own job to do and wanted nothing to do with his. He didn’t blame her. She was a high-powered executive in the fashion field.
He went to the street and opened the door for Sabrina and handed the car keys to the doorman who would park the car in the underground garage.
“Any problems?” he asked, taking the file in one hand and her elbow in the other to guide her up to stairs to the double doors. He had at first thought of simply taking the papers and sending her on her way, but he had good reasons for bringing her into the bank.
“Not really. Once I saw the road signs for Milan I felt reassured I was on the right track. But I must get back.”
“Why?” he said.
“Well, because of the girls of course. A woman named Fabrizi has invited them to spend the night, but I wanted to check with you. I thought we should begin our English lessons tonight as preparation for the entrance exam.”
“Yes, yes,” he said impatiently. “Lessons are important and I forgot about the arrangement with Signora Fabrizi. “But think of it this way, the girls are on vacation. They’ve gotten along without you for the past year. Let them visit with their friend.”
“But the interview, you said…”
“I know what I said, but right now I need someone to help me with a presentation for our rival, the Banco di Turin. The directors are arriving within the hour for a look at our facilities and our books. We need to make a good impression on them if we hope to convince them to join us in a merger. If we do, we become one of Italy’s largest banks. You’re here. You can put together the Power Point presentation.”
“I’m not sure I can do that,” Sabrina said soberly.
Vittorio tightened his grip on her elbow. Just in case she had any inclination to bolt. For once this particular nanny might actually be useful to him if not to the girls.
“Why not? You yourself told me that was one of your skills. What happened to the confident super nanny who arrived yesterday? The woman who told me a nanny must always be sure of herself?”
“I am sure of myself as a nanny. I am not a professional who is proficient in office software and I never claimed to be.”
“I will keep that in mind. Normally I would have our experts in Marketing do this for me, but this meeting was called at the last minute and my staff is elsewhere.” He didn’t tell her they were at the airport meeting a client and taking him to a long lunch. “I wouldn’t ask this of you if it weren’t important to impress the clients and do it today.”
“Will it impress them to know your nanny who knows nothing about banking is responsible for the presentation?”
“No one will know you are a nanny, unless you tell them.”
“Wouldn’t that be fraudulent to pass myself off as something I’m not?”
“Not at all. You’re my employee. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
Vittorio saw her glance down at her Capri pants and athletic shoes. Of course, her clothes. If he knew anything about women, he should know it was all about her appearance. Truth to tell, hers were totally unsuitable for the job. Unless she was out of sight. Just from an objective point of view, she was too attractive to be hidden away somewhere. Over the phone he gave his secretary instructions to rush out and purchase a variety of clothing at a neighborhood boutique. He paused with the phone in his hand.
“What is your size?”
Sabrina looked surprised. “Six or eight, but there is no need…”
He cut her off and told Mirella to use her judgment in choosing clothes. And not just office-wear. That way there would be no repeat of his nanny’s wearing his ex-wife’s dress again.
He turned to Sabrina. “My secretary is going out to buy you a suitable business suit and shoes and a few other items. We have no time to lose. Come with me.”
He was glad to see she didn’t protest any further. She looked around at the furnishings in his office. He wondered if she was impressed by the hand-woven classical carpets that had been there since his grandfather’s time along with the rich wooden panels on the walls and his gigantic desk covered with stacks of papers.
He saw her glance at the old man in the portrait on the wall.
“My great-grandfather,” he said, though she hadn’t asked.
He had to admit for a nanny she was quite amazing. Or for any woman. Any other woman would have run out screaming, claiming this was not her job. Not her. She didn’t want to be here. That was clear. She didn’t want to do the job. And frankly it wasn’t her job. But she was here and she was doing it. He’d have to make it up to her somehow. A bonus perhaps.
They spent the next hour going over the data, photographs, charts and graphs and figures. She sat at a small desk with a computer in front of her and he leaned over her shoulder or he’d pace back and forth making suggestions. Sometimes he would ramble. Sometimes she would object. He was amazed at how quickly she grasped the ideas he put forth. He was equally impressed with the expression on her face, one of intense concentration. He had a feeling an explosion could rock the floor and she would still be focussed on the job.
Unfortun
ately he had lost some of his own concentration. He found himself so distracted by the way her hair fell across her cheek and the look in her dark eyes that he sometimes lost track of the task at hand. Something that hadn’t happened for years. Something that shouldn’t happen at all.
His nanny was a combination of looks and brains he’d never before encountered in a woman. Why hadn’t she ever married? What was wrong with the men in America?
When she’d enter the data he gave her into a format, he’d give his opinion, and they’d make more changes. When she ran into problems, and the computer wouldn’t respond, she muttered to herself. But amazingly, they soon had a cohesive, comprehensive presentation which he then translated into Italian. At the end of the hour his secretary knocked on his door. He looked up, surprised at how much had been accomplished in so little time.
“Signor Monteverde, I have the clothes. And the clients have arrived.” She held out a bulging garment bag. “I wasn’t sure of exactly what you wanted, so I got a selection.”
Vittorio straightened his tie and rolled his sleeves down. “Quite right, Mirella. Thank you. Show the guests into the board room then will you take Ms West into your office and help her choose something appropriate for the event today?”
Sabrina followed Vittorio’s secretary into a small adjoining office. Her shoulders ached, her back hurt and her head was pounding after an hour of the most intense brainstorming she’d ever done. The office was smaller than his, with its tall ceiling and huge windows overlooking the Duomo, but it was very pleasant. His secretary was efficient and helpful as she unpacked the clothes.
“I have no idea which one to choose,” Sabrina admitted as Mirella held up one suit after another. The suits all looked the same to her. She wondered why there were also two dresses, one black one blue and even more garments behind them. They were obviously gorgeous designer dresses that must have cost a fortune. Well, they’d just have to take them back. She didn’t need them or want them.
“May I suggest the black suit?” the secretary said. “I couldn’t resist choosing a few items which are different from business clothes. Signor Monteverde suggested you may not have brought enough clothes with you on short notice from America.”
“Did he? Well, I guess I didn’t,” Sabrina said. What nanny would have brought enough clothes for a double life – nanny and bank employee and dinner guest? No one.
Mirella spread more clothes on a chair. Sabrina caught a glimpse of labels – Gucci, Prada and Armania. Under the formal attire was a stack of casual clothes - linen pants and shorts, and casual cotton dresses, the kind the smart women on the lake wore. She gasped. These clothes must have cost a fortune.
“With the suit, just a touch of makeup?” the secretary said.
Sabrina shrugged. “You know best,” she said, too tired to protest and knowing she was out of her element. “I didn’t really expect to be here today.” Expect the unexpected, she reminded herself and allowed the secretary to play the role of make-over artist at which she clearly excelled. “I don’t understand how you had time to buy all these clothes,” she mused as the woman applied a light foundation to Sabrina’s face.
The secretary smiled. “It was my pleasure. Mr. Monteverde is a demanding boss, but very fair and very generous. But you already know that.”
No, Sabrina didn’t know that. Not at all. She said nothing.
Even at the nanny agency in San Francisco, every day was casual clothes day, which she wore over and over since no one saw her except her step-mother who would think it was extravagant for Sabrina to dress up. She dealt with clients and nannies all over the world, but hardly any ever came into the office.
Here in Italy, she was in another world. First the villa and now this historic bank building in the heart of Italy’s fashion center. From a nanny in rain-soaked sandals and all-cotton sports clothes arriving at a lake-side villa, she was suddenly in one of the most sophisticated cities in the world and expected to perform and moreover to look the part. With this wardrobe she had a chance to do it.
Right now she was tired, tired of playing a role she wasn’t prepared for and didn’t want. All she wanted was to get back into her own clothes, go home and deal with children. Not home in California. Just to the villa. The story-book villa with her gorgeous suite and the piles of lessons waiting to be taught. Was that too much to ask?
Chapter Five
Some minutes later Vittorio looked up from his chair at the head of the conference table to see Sabrina enter the room. All heads turned in her direction and he very nearly dropped the remote control he was holding. That was how different she looked. It wasn’t only the form-fitting suit, nipped in at the waist and snug around the hips. It wasn’t just her long legs on view and her high-heels. It was her hair and face too. What had happened?
The way she looked, she could go anywhere in this sophisticated, fashion-conscious city and be admired. In fact he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He wasn’t the only one. How did it happen? He reminded himself to give his secretary a bonus for what she’d accomplished, turning an modestly attractive nanny into a show-stopping business woman. Especially if the merger went through. There would be celebrations all around.
“I would like to introduce my assistant from America, Signorina West,” he said.
Everyone stood to shake her hand. She smiled briefly, then took the control while he talked and explained the graphs, charts and bullet points projected on the big screen at the end of the table. She had perfect timing that meshed with his. Almost as if she’d been doing it all her life, that’s how poised she was. She was definitely a different nanny than all the others. Snakes notwithstanding.
There were questions afterward and the discussion was in Italian which she obviously didn’t understand. The comments were all positive which he hoped she was aware of. He saw her look at the door. He nodded. But he didn’t want her to leave. Not yet.
“Ms West, I’ll be with you shortly,” he said as she opened the door and walked out.
Finally the meeting was over and he found his nanny in his office chatting with his secretary. When he opened the door they stopped abruptly. He looked at Sabrina then at his secretary who excused herself.
“Mirella, I’m leaving now. Don’t forward my calls unless it’s an emergency. I will check in with you later. I’ll drive Ms West back to the Lago and I’ll be working at home this evening.”
Mirella looked startled. He knew it was unusual. He never left early. Why bother? No one was waiting for him at home. His children didn’t miss him. His secretary glanced at Sabrina. He hoped she didn’t have the wrong idea. After all, everyone knew about his engagement to Aurora. And they knew she was away on a business trip. He didn’t blame Mirella for being surprised at his early departure. His usual work day extended into the evening right here at the bank. But there was nothing usual about today. He told his secretary to wrap up all the new clothes.
“But I don’t need even one suit after today or this dress or any of these other things,” Sabrina protested watching a young man carry them to the car. “And I know I can’t afford them.”
“I can,” he said, “and you may need them in the future. Being such short notice, I understand you may not have had time to pack properly before you came here. Besides, you obviously had no idea what our life style was.”
A becoming flush colored Sabrina’s face. She should never play poker. Her thoughts were mirrored in her eyes, on her lips and the color of her cheeks. It was best she didn’t know that the twins had told him how few clothes she’d brought. Their motive was of course to show him how unprepared she was for the job and to get him to get rid of her. Which was why they’d put the snake in her bed. But he was not fooled. Just because they didn’t want her here was not a good reason to let her go, in fact just the contrary.
Maybe he’d been too hasty in firing the previous nannies, but seeing Sabrina, he was glad he had. For the twins’ sake, of course. And for his too.Today she’d earned her money and t
hen some. He was glad to furnish the woman with suitable clothes to be worn in town or at the lake, for dinners, lunches or wherever nannies went.
He realized he’d made a decision about her without consciously doing it. Ms. West would stay, no matter what the girls wanted. As for the clothes, he understood that she couldn’t have been prepared for life here in Italy where everyday women walked out the door to the market dressed as if they lived in a villa on Lake Como.
“You’re not in casual California anymore,” he added.
Sabrina West acknowledged his remark with a small tired smile. He glanced over at her from the driver’s seat. She had taken her shoes off and tilted her head back against the leather seat. There were faint smudges under her eyes and along with her pale skin and high cheekbones, she looked fragile. A far cry from the smart business woman who’d just assisted him in an excellent presentation. She was more than a multi-talented woman who’d performed over and beyond her job description. She was a desirable woman and he couldn’t understand why no man had snatched her up yet. What was wrong with American men?
He felt a pang of remorse for putting her to the test. An hour ago she’d been full of energy, now she was suddenly worn out. This was his fault for taking advantage of her. Forcing her to drive to Milan and then fill in for someone who should have been a bank executive or technical consultant.
“I’m sorry. Instead of relaxing by the pool at the villa or instructing my little hellions in history or geography, you had to dress up and assist me in a very important business matter. Which is not what you expected and certainly not in your job description.I’ll make it up to you somehow. Have you had lunch?” he asked. “Of course you haven’t. We’ll stop for something along the lake, if you can wait that long.”
She nodded. He didn’t know if that meant she could or couldn’t wait. He decided to go ahead to the Lake. It was strange, but he felt he’d had enough of Milan for once, and he was sure she had too.
“I want to thank you,” he said. “I believe we may have closed the deal today. They’ll give us their answer next week. I must say your contribution was invaluable. I owe you for that. It was above and beyond your duties.”
