Playing the Player(13)

He ran a hand through his messy waves of surfer boy hair, tugging out the shoelace and shoving it into his pocket. “It used to work on my cousin when she was younger.” He glanced at me from under those stupid eyelashes. “I was going to come get you, but the usher said if I left I couldn’t come back. And Max wanted to stay.” He put out his hand. “Come on. I owe you ice cream.” He gave me a disgustingly sexy smile. “Whatever you want. I’ll buy.”

I hesitated before I put my hand in his. He tugged gently, and I jumped to my feet, trying not to notice the unexpected tingle shooting up my arm. I pulled my hand away and turned toward the kids, disconcerted by how much his presence was rattling me.

“Trina, hold up.”

I took a breath and turned back to him

“Maybe I should be the one to tell Gillian it’s time to go. She sort of, um, resists when you tell her what to do.”

I hated the truth in what he said, but I couldn’t let him take over like this. The only reason Gillian listened to him was because of a silly infatuation. I’d been babysitting her for years and he’d only spent half a day with her.

A wave of anger and frustration pulsed through me. “What are you saying, Slade?” I heard the rising hysteria in my voice, but couldn’t stop it. “You think there’s something wrong with me? That I don’t know what I’m doing?”

He put up his hands as if I were hitting him. “Hey, chill out, Trina. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with you.” But an expression flitted across his face that said otherwise.

I took a deep breath. I needed to get myself under control. But that look on his face…it made me feel small and embarrassed. I moved away from him, toward Gillian and Max, who watched us open-mouthed.

I had to stop letting him get to me. What did I care what he thought about me, anyway? He was a flake who hadn’t even earned this job, and he’d be gone by next week. I crouched down next to the kids.

“Stupid playboy,” I muttered then I forced a smile. “What did you decide on?” I asked Gillian.

She squinted at me. “Why are you so mean to Slade?”

“Yeah,” Max said, watching me suspiciously. “Stupid is a bad word.” He blinked at me. “What’s wrong with being a playboy? I like to play.”

“And he’s a boy,” Gillian added.

“But Max isn’t a playboy,” Slade said. Again with the towering over me thing. “And it’s not really a nice word, guys,” he said, his voice low and full of warning. “So you probably shouldn’t repeat it.”

Just kill me now. Maybe it wasn’t too late to get a job scrubbing toilets somewhere. So what if I gave up the double salary? I busied myself putting toys back on the shelf, refusing to look at Slade, or the kids, who were glaring at me.

“Gillian, are you ready? Let’s go pay for your evidence.” Slade smiled and reached for her hand.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “My what?”

“Your proof,” Slade said, grinning. “That you were here.”

“Oh,” she held out a box to him.

“Very cool, Gilly,” he said, checking out the Mars Rover kit.

I watched her swoon We needed to have a serious girl chat, or it was going to be a very long week.

“Her name is Gillian. Not Gilly,” I snapped.

Slade raised an eyebrow at me, but said nothing.

“I don’t mind,” Gillian whispered, looking up at him with adoring eyes.

Gag me. I stood up. “Let’s pay for this and get out of here. We should have been home half an hour ago.”

Slade sighed and released Gillian’s hand. “The moms said as long as the kids are home between five and six, it’s fi—”

“Are you ever on time? Anywhere?” My voice vibrated with frustration.

His eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t know.” His voice was smooth and even, but anger glinted in his eyes. “I don’t wear a watch.” He stared pointedly at my wristwatch like it was an instrument of torture. “Let’s go wait by the car, Max-man. I need some fresh air.”

And with that, he bailed on me, for the second time in one day.





Chapter Five


Slade


Monday, June 3

“So,” Alex asked. “Was there bloodshed? Tears?”

I’d met Alex at the pool right after I was released from nanny duty. Jumping into the water had felt awesome, washing away all the stress and weirdness of my day with Trina.

God, she was a train wreck. I didn’t know how I was going to survive working with her. I wondered what would happen if I quit…besides my parents going ballistic.

“No bloodshed,” I said. “Just a few tears.”

“Trina’s, I assume?” Alex said.

“No. Gilly’s. Max’s buddy. She had a meltdown at the museum.”

“Ah,” Alex said. “Kids and their crying. You couldn’t pay me enough to babysit.”

I yawned. “Kids are cool. You just have to get in their headspace and it all works out. I tried to explain that to Trina, but she totally freaked out, like I was questioning her existence or something.”

Alex laughed. “You tried to tell Trina how to improve her nanny skills? I’m surprised there wasn’t bloodshed.”