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“Yes. You must be Olivia.” His glare is all daggers and ice.
“Is it too late to say no?” I can feel the heat rush to my face as I let out a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, that’s me. Great first impression, huh? Bet the other nannies didn’t do that.”
“They did not.”
He scrutinizes me for a long moment as his son continues to chuckle, doing a poor job of hiding his amusement. That’s when the kid steps forward. I instinctively bend lower to match his height.
“Hey, buddy. Don’t happen to have any napkins in that backpack of yours, do you?”
He smiles, shaking his head.
“Nope. But Dad has a bathroom inside with paper towels.”
“Good thinking. What’s your name?”
“Elijah.” He grins even wider.
“Well, hello, Elijah. I’m Olivia, but you can call me Liv.” I shake his tiny hand, coated in a typical child stickiness. “As much as I’d like the towels, though, I’m not sure if your dad still wants to talk with me.”
I crinkle my nose at him, and Elijah snorts a laugh before pulling on his dad’s sleeve to get his attention.
“But Dad. She’s actually nice. And way prettier than that Beverly lady. And not a hundred years old.”
Hiding a smile behind my hands, I chance a look at Mr. Steele, the name incredibly accurate at the moment.
He looks at his son, held there by the boy’s pleading eyes. A long sigh escapes him, and Mr. Steele rolls his eyes before looking back at me.
“All right, all right. I’ll meet with her. But no promises, young man.”
A flicker of a grin hides behind Mr. Steele’s cleanly styled beard and my heartbeat stumbles.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I don’t usually get lost before an interview. The hallways were confusing, to say the least.”
He steps to the side, gesturing back to his office. “Well, allow me to guide you to the correct door this time.”
I chuckle half-heartedly, wiping some of the coffee off my shoulder. Mr. Steele opens his arm for me to walk in first, placing a hand on the small of my back while he opens the door for me.
The heat of his palm melts through the thin material of my dress, and I can hear my pulse in my ears.
“Thank you.”
The words come out on a shaky breath.
My potential boss turns back to his son, sinking onto one knee.
“Elijah, go ahead and get the snack you wanted from Marnie. She’ll be watching the front desk for a little while longer. I’ll come down as soon as we’re finished.”
“Okay, fine. But be nice! I like her.”
Elijah grins at me and scampers off down the hall, obviously much more familiar with the place than I am. Mr. Steele follows me inside his office, pointing out the chair in front of his desk.
“Have a seat. I’ll just be a moment.”
I struggle to breathe evenly as Mr. Steele exits, leaving me waiting in his uncomfortable chair. When he returns, he’s wearing a clean shirt and holding a handful of neatly folded brown paper towels. He hands me the stack, and our fingers brush again, making gooseflesh break out on my arm.
What is wrong with you? You’re acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. This is your dad’s best friend and your potential boss. Get it together!
“Thanks. I do hope I didn’t ruin your shirt.”
