Their Virgin Nanny

by SC Daiko

  “Oh, it isn’t a problem for me. Gabe and Luke are really nice.” I don’t enlighten her that they’re bisexual. If she doesn’t know there must be a reason for it. “Matty and Jack are perfect.”

  She beams with evident pride. “Aren’t they? My genes are good, even if I say so myself.”

  Not just yours, don’t forget. “Poor little Jack had me up half the night with his teething,” I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s really sleepy and so am I.”

  She lifts a brow. “I thought Gabe and Luke were supposed to do the late shift?” Her voice has turned snappy and she’s assumed a territorial attitude that sets my teeth on edge.

  “I offered to help,” I explain with a false smile; I’m not sure I like Sharon. “I’ll catch a short break after lunch when the boys have a nap.”

  “Why don’t you go up for a rest now? I’ll keep an eye on them.” There’s something about her sharp tone that makes me feel uncomfortable. I glance at her, but she looks away.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “This coffee has woken me up and, as I said, I’ll have a short sleep when the boys are napping. There’s a couch in the nursery.”

  “Fair enough.” She pauses and takes a sip of her drink. “Do you have a boyfriend? I mean, you’re not going to run off and get married like the last girl? My sons need some continuity in their lives.”

  I’m shocked at her directness and how she’s taken it on herself to ‘interview’ me. I don’t want to answer her question. It’s way too personal. “Erm, no,” I say, and leave it at that.

  “They’re really good-looking, aren’t they? Gabe and Luke.” She sighs, and a dreamy expression crosses her face. “When I worked for Gabe all the girls in the office had secret crushes on him he’s so hot. Not that they stood a chance in hell. He’s fully committed to Luke.”

  “I agree.” What else can I say? Sharon doesn’t seem to be listening to me anyway. She has her own agenda.

  “I can be left on my own with my sons, you know,” she blurts out. “You don’t have to supervise me. I am their mum.”

  I want to tell her I’m not ‘supervising’ her, that we’re just having a friendly coffee together. Except she might take it the wrong way. I need to check with Gabe and Luke about her being left on her own with the boys. Abi warned me never to do that, for some reason. Maybe she was being paranoid?

  “I’ll go into the kitchen, then,” I say, “and start making lunch. Is there anything I can get you? Another coffee? Or a glass of water?”

  “No, love. I’m fine.” She smiles but her eyes don’t, and the skin at the back of my neck prickles. “You go and get on with your work. My boys will be in safe hands with me.”

  I watch her through the patio doors as I make sandwiches. I hope she gets the hint and leaves soon. For some reason, I don’t fancy her eating with us. The atmosphere has become strained. Abi wasn’t paranoid… there’s something not quite right about Sharon.

  AN HOUR LATER, she’s gone and the boys and I have lunch. The food makes them sleepy, and they don’t protest when I take them up for a nap. I stretch out on the couch, close my eyes and try to drop off, but the two cups of coffee I drank earlier have hyped me up and my mind is buzzing. I pad into the bathroom to use the toilet.

  Out on the landing, my legs take over and I tread down the stairs to Gabe and Luke’s floor, the floor where I stayed in their guest room. It’s like my feet have a mind of their own… they lead me into their bedroom. Christ, what am I doing?

  I can’t help myself; I go up to their king-sized bed, and catch the scent of Luke’s light ocean breeze cologne and Gabe’s darker, deeper, spicier aroma. Sharon was right. He’s incredibly hot and so is Luke. I burrow my head into their pillows and breathe them in. What would it be like to roll around under the duvet with Gabe on one side and Luke on the other? On a whim, I open the bedside table drawer, the side where Luke’s scent is strongest, and I stare at the tubes of ointment. My eyes flare. Oh, my God, what are those for?

  The sound of Matty calling out, “Eleri, where are you?” almost makes me jump out of my skin. Jesus, what am I doing?

  “Coming, Matty!” I fluff up the pillows. “Just a minute.”

  I must start behaving like a professional; I don’t want to mess up my career by doing something stupid.

  IT’S GABE WHO’S home first tonight, looking unbelievably hot in his dark grey business suit and deep-blue tie. He’s caught me singing like Luke did yesterday. It’s something I’ve learned settles the little ones when they’re tired at the end of a busy day.

  “You have a beautiful voice,” Gabe says, shouldering off his jacket before helping Matty down from his seat. “What was that song?”

  “Tale as Old as Time from Beauty and the Beast.”

  “Never heard of it,” he says, his eyes roving over my cleavage.

  Eek, I shouldn’t have worn this tank-top… it’s a tad too small for me.

  “Ah.” I can’t think what to say, so I say nothing and lean against the stove. He smiles, and I smile back, and I swear I can feel the vibe of attraction between us. My cheeks burn.

  He shakes his head and goes to unbuckle Jack from his high chair. “How’s this little man today? Any problems?”

  “He’s been fine.” I pause to gather my thoughts. “Sharon visited this morning.”

  Gabe sits on a chair bouncing Jack on is lap, while Matty heads for his toy chest. “Oh, yes, I’d forgotten it was her day. How was she?” Gabe asks.

  My throat has gone dry. How to explain my concerns? I’m not even sure what those freaking concerns are. “Ern, she seemed alright,” I say, swallowing hard.

  I’m not sure how much to share with him. Maybe I’m being as paranoid as Abi? But I decide to go all in. “Is it okay to leave Sharon alone with the boys?” I deliberately keep my voice low. “Abi said I shouldn’t.”

  Gabe runs a hand through his short, dark hair, and then loosens his tie. “She has visiting rights only, and I’d prefer for you to be nearby.” He checks Matty is fully occupied with his Lego bricks. “Did she say something?”

  “Only that I shouldn’t ‘supervise’ her.” I make quote marks with my fingers. “And she asked me so many questions about my life it was like a second interview.”

  Gabe lets out a brittle laugh, and his deep-blue eyes narrow. “I’m sorry she gave you a hard time. Please make sure she doesn’t get the boys to call her ‘Mum’. Luke and I’ve insisted she doesn’t do that so they’re not confused when they meet their friends’ mothers.”

  “But she is their mum,” I say, taking the seat opposite. “It must be hard for her.”

  “She has a family of her own. A loving husband, and two girls aged seven and five.” He exhales slowly. “It was extremely selfless of her to agree to help Luke and me. And we’ll be forever grateful.”

  I chew the corner of my thumbnail. Sharon didn’t strike me as a ‘selfless’ person, somehow. She seemed to want to rub in the fact that she’s the boys’ mother, as if it made her important in some way. “Is there a reason she doesn’t visit on the weekends?” I ask. It would be so much easier if Luke and Gabe coped with her.

  “She can only come when her girls are at school,” he shrugs. “I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with her.”

  “It’s fine,” I lie. “But I’m not sure she likes me, that’s all.”

  “Sharon has no say in who works for us, Eleri. Luke and I are pleased with you and how you’re caring for our sons. The boys like you. We like you. And we’re really grateful to you for helping us last night.”

  His words make me feel warm inside, and I can’t help smiling. I hear a key being turned in the front door, then Luke calling out that he’s home, so I get to my feet. “Is it alright if I go up and run the boys’ bath now?” I ask. “They had pureed vegetable soup for their supper with cheese on toast. Oh, and fruit salad. I think they’re ready for bed.”

  “Yes, of course. And thanks again,” he says, shooting me a look that makes my s
tupid heart race wildly in my chest. Stop it, Eleri!

  Luke is standing in the doorway, dressed casually in his usual black jeans and cotton shirt; Matty runs up to him and loops his arms around his knees. “Everything okay, love?” Luke smiles at me, and the dimples are there.

  “Yes, thanks,” I blush.

  “Perfect. See you in the morning.”

  UP IN MY room, I decide the time has come for me to register with an online dating site. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for ages, but kept putting off due to my silly shyness. I fire up my tablet and search on Google. Chat Up dot com seems the friendliest with loads of success stories.

  I create a username, Valleys Girl (given that I’m from that area of Wales), and fill in the rest of my profile, uploading the same picture I used when I registered at the nanny agency. I look through some of the details of men who’ve posted about themselves, and they’re okay I suppose. I’ll wait for anyone who might be interested to contact me; I don’t have the confidence to message them myself.

  Tiredness washes over me, but it’s still too early to go to bed. I turn on the TV and flick through the channels. Nothing worth watching. Sudden homesickness squeezes my tummy, and I pick up my phone to call Mam.

  “Eleri, what a lovely surprise,” she says in the accent I grew up hearing all around me. Just the sound of it lifts my spirits. “How’s the new job working out?”

  I gush about my gorgeous bosses, their gorgeous sons and their gorgeous house. She tells me the latest gossip in Wyemouth. Apparently, Miss Matthews, who taught us Spanish in our senior year, is living with Ryan, the boy who came from Ibiza and is now a rising rugby star. I remember Catrin crushing on him before she and Josh got together. I liked Miss Matthews, she was a great teacher, and I hope she’ll be happy.

  After I’ve said ‘bye to Mam, I message Catrin on Facebook. She isn’t online, but she’ll get back to me. We’re still besties, even though she’s moved to Manchester with Josh and we haven’t seen each other since graduating uni. There’ll be wedding bells before too long, I imagine. It seems everyone has found Mr or Ms Right except me.

  GABE

  AFTER WE’VE PUT the boys to bed, and made sure the monitor is switched on properly, Luke and I prepare dinner together. I’d checked the fridge and was disappointed to find there were no delicious leftovers. Luke and I used to eat out at nearby restaurants on week nights, but those days are long gone, swapped for the responsibilities of fatherhood. Not that I have any regrets, but I can’t help missing certain freedoms.

  I heat up the grill pan and season two steaks while Luke chops tomatoes and breaks up lettuces leaves to make a salad. “Sharon visited this morning,” I say to him. “She was trying to get Eleri to leave her alone with the boys.”

  His green eyes lock onto mine. “Would that be a problem?”

  I shrug. “Not a ‘problem’ as such. After all, she’s their mother and we agreed she’d keep contact with them while they’re growing up. It’s the way she’s suddenly started insisting on it that I don’t like.” I put the steaks into the pan. “I’m worried she’ll go against our wishes and ask them to call her ‘Mum’.”

  “They’ll find out she is their mum one day, though, loverboy,” he says, tossing the salad. “So maybe we should let her?”

  I turn the steaks over so they sizzle on the other side. “I’d prefer to wait until Matty can understand the difference between his friends’ mothers and his biological mother. And there is a difference. A huge difference.”

  “True.” He furrows his brows. “Maybe you should call Sharon?”

  “Yep. I was thinking the same thing. I’ll get onto it tomorrow.” I haven’t had contact with my ex-secretary in a while, not since she signed over Jack’s parental rights to us. “She needs to be reminded of our agreement, and I might also drop a subtle hint that she shouldn’t interrogate our nanny.”

  I put the steaks, medium-rare, onto our plates and take them to the table. Luke opens a bottle of red and pours us a large glass each. We eat quickly then go up to our living area, where we stretch out on the sofas, the television news humming in the background.

  “I heard Eleri singing to the boys when I got home,” I say. “You’re right. She does have a beautiful voice. She’s quite a little ray of sunshine.”

  “Sexy as fuck, tempting as sin, and trouble with a big T,” he groans. “Did you notice how her tits were practically falling out of her tank-top?”

  “How could I not notice?” I run my fingers through my hair. “If the poor girl wasn’t so tired after staying up half the night for us, I’d have asked her to babysit so we could go to the club.”

  “Guess you’ll just have to make do with me,” he winks.

  “And you with me,” I smirk. “But not down here. We don’t want Little Miss Ray of Sunshine to catch us at it like she did yesterday.”

  “I wish I’d seen her face,” he grins. “Was she licking her lips?”

  “Nothing of the sort, poor girl.” I fight a smile, the thought of her making me hard. “She was like a rabbit caught in the headlights, eyes wide and blushing like a rose.”

  “A rose among the thorns,” he chuckles, moving his hand down to rub his cock.

  “Speak for yourself! I’ve never been compared to a thorn before,” I laugh. “But, seriously, do you think we should keep Eleri on if she’s making us all hot and bothered like this?”

  “We’ll get used to her soon enough. It’s only because she’s so different to Abi. In a week or two we’ll have calmed down, you’ll see.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Luke levers himself up from the couch and holds out his hand. “Come on, loverboy. Let’s go to bed and fuck like rabbits. That’ll get her out of our systems. At least until tomorrow.”

  “Ha bloody ha!” I loop my arm around his waist, and the feel of his body against mine is like a balm to my restless soul.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ELERI

  I’VE BEEN WORKING for Luke and Gabe nearly three weeks already. One week with Abi and two on my own. Gabe called Sharon last week. On her next visit, she was a bit nicer to me and didn’t insist on being left on her own with Matty and Jack. I wish I didn’t have to ‘supervise’ her every week, but, on the other hand it’s flattering that Luke and Gabe rely on me to do so.

  It’s amazing how well I get on with my bosses. We laugh and joke together for a short while when they get home from work with easy familiarity. It’s like I’m part of the family already, and I love that. I’ve passed my probation with flying colours, they said. As for the crush I have on them, I’m still suffering from insta-lust, but I’m coping with it and hopefully, after tonight, I’ll be cured.

  I received loads of messages after I posted my profile on the dating website, and, over the past ten days, I’ve whittled them down, by holding FaceTime chats with a selection, to just the one guy… Marcus. He’s twenty-eight, single, and works for an international bank in Canary Wharf. He likes films, photography and working out at the gym. He’s good-looking, fair with greyish eyes, and he seems keen on me. I’m meeting him tonight at a cocktail bar in Soho.

  The warm summer weather has continued and I’m not sure what to wear. I open my wardrobe and flick through my clothes until I come to the 1950s-pencil dress I bought in that vintage clothing stall in Camden Market, with Rosie and Eva, a couple of weeks ago. Blue cotton, knee-length with cap sleeves, it fits me like a glove.

  I leave it hanging up and sit cross-legged on a floor cushion at the low table, my makeup mirror turned to magnify every pore on my face. After smoothing on foundation, I apply black eye-liner and mascara. A touch of bright red lipstick completes the 50s look, and I wriggle into the dress. Four-inch-heeled shoes on my feet, clutch bag in one hand, and butterflies cartwheeling in my tummy, I totter downstairs and stop off in the sitting room to say goodnight to Luke and Gabe.

  Luke lets out a low whistle as I step through the door, and Gabe’s mouth flaps open. He quickly shuts it an
d says, “You’re looking lovely, Eleri. Take care, though. You don’t know this man.”

  “We’re meeting in a public place,” I remind him. “If I don’t like the guy, I’ll call an Uber and come home.”

  “How are you getting there?” Luke asks.

  “I’ll ride on the Tube. I only need to change at Notting Hill Gate and then take the Central Line to Tottenham Court Road.”

  Gabe frowns. “Have you got your front door key?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” I giggle. “Don’t wait up for me.”

  “Lighten up, Gabe,” Luke laughs. “You are behaving like Eleri’s old man.”

  I shift my weight from one foot to the other, suddenly feeling doubtful. Am I doing the right thing? Yep. I owe this to myself. It’s time I stepped out of my comfort zone and tested the water in the big wide world.

  “Please don’t worry about me,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

  They wave me off, and I go out into the fresh evening air. It’s only a short walk to the underground station, but it seems longer in my stupid heels. Finally, I’m on the Tube speeding towards my destination. I’m so nervous I feel sick; my palms are sweaty and every nerve in my body is on edge. Maybe I should turn around and go back?

  No. I’ve got to do this. Prove to myself I’m not a wuss. As I said to Luke and Gabe, if it doesn’t work out I can come straight home.

  I FOLLOW THE directions on my phone until I arrive at the cocktail bar, down a flight of metal steps in the basement of an old building. Marcus is waiting by the entrance; I recognize him from our FaceTime chats and, even though I’m practically crapping myself with nerves, I paste on a bright smile.

  “Eleri,” he says. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  Heat flushes my cheeks, but hopefully in the murky atmosphere he won’t have noticed. I want to come across as classy and sophisticated, not someone who blushes all the time.