The amber liquid went down smooth as silk. Christie poured the bottom of the single malt scotch bottle.
"So much for this Christmas present!" She tossed the empty bottle into the trash next to her desk. "Plenty more where that came from," she said closing the bar cabinet. She knew she was drinking too much but the pressure of owning her own business was catching up with her.
She sat at her desk, kicked off her red Jimmy Choo heels and spun to look out the office window. The view of the marina and Sarasota Bay usually relaxed her, but today even the sparkle of the water and the dolphins arcing out of the water didn't help.
Christie thought of her well trained assistants that she had groomed. She had implicit trust in them and they could very well handle the day to day business of running a public relations firm. If she could take a break, and stay local, she thought she could do it. No, she had to do it.
She sat across the mahogany desk in a home office that was better appointed than many in the executive suites. She drug her gaze off the world famous blinding white beach that was Siesta Key, to David, the handsome man across the desk.
"Christie, your resume is quite impressive," he studied me for a moment. "I have to ask, why would you take a job as a nanny?"
"I understood you were looking for someone familiar with the youth sailing squadron and I am. You were also looking for someone familiar with youth rowing and I am. I participated and did quite well in both." I smiled as though that covered is question, end of discussion.
His dimples faded in and out as he nibbled his lip. I squirmed. "But you are really over qualified to be a nanny to my daughter, but all those qualifications would be wonderful in a nanny for my daughter." I nodded and chose not to reply.
He leaned back in his stressless executive chair and looked out the window. "You know, as many times as I look at this beach, I never tire of the jewel like sparkle of that white sand."
"Yes, it really is so beautiful. Almost blinding sometimes."
Suddenly he said, "Alright you are hired. I can't think of anyone I'd rather my daughter spend time with than you. You have exceptional education, you have traveled the world, you grew up in wealth and a prestigious business family." I smiled and nodded. "I am grooming my daughter to eventually take my place."
"I understand and feel that I would be good for your daughter. I was raised in the same atmosphere at home and groomed to take over the family business."
His icy blue eyes were unnerving, but talking to men like this was second nature to me. "Yet you didn't take the reins when your Father retired." I did omit on my resume that I owned my own public relations company.
"No, you are right, I chose another path." I left it at that.
"I'd like to take you on a tour of the house while I tell you what the job entails. Maybe when you find out, you'll go running!" He laughed, the first time I heard him laugh, but it was genuine.
"I believe the job offer stated it would be live-in?" I nodded. "I'll show you your room first, one of the best in the house, in order to sway you to accept the job." Big grin and dimples were enough to make me accept the job, but I remained businesslike.
He was right, my room was breathtaking. The third floor view was even more spectacular than his office. Wall to wall panorama of the beach and the Gulf of Mexico through the glass wall. The third floor balcony promised total privacy. The pool was directly below.
"So, do you think you could live here?"
I hesitated before answering. "I guess I could make the best of it." A peek at the look on his face and I couldn't hold my laughter in anymore.
"Humor too. You Ms Christie are the complete package," he grinned.
Each room and view was just as incredible as the next. The master bedroom as well as his daughter's room was on the second level. The lowest level had no living space due to hurricane regulations, but served as a garage that housed several exotic sports cars.
"Lindsey will be home from school soon. Would you join me in a cup of coffee?"
I slid onto the stool at the kitchen island and watched him work efficiently in the kitchen. No surprise that it had double everything appliances and was the latest in kitchen design. Frankly my kitchen was very similar, but a smaller scale in my condo.
"Lindsey! How was school, honey?" A young lady that looked like a feminine version of her Dad appeared.
She smiled and held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Lindsey, and you must be my nanny?" She was more than her twelve years and right to the point like her Dad.
"Nice to meet you Lindsey, my name is Christie and," I glanced at David. "I believe I am your nanny."
"Great! I'm so glad to hear that, Christie," David said, honestly pleased.
Lindsey excused herself and went to her room. "There's more that I haven't mentioned. Lindsey's mom and I share her. We work out a plan between ourselves as to who she will be with according to her extra curricular activities. We are all very civil."
"That's so nice for Lindsey!" Having divorced parents that get along is rare. Obviously they both want the best for her.
"Knock knock, may I come in?" Lindsey peered around the door as I was organizing my new living quarters.
"Of course!" I cleared a place on the bed. "I was going to come see you soon, so this is perfect."
"I'll be leaving soon for sailing lessons and I'd have missed you."
"Do you like sailing? I was in the squadron when I was about your age."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "I love it! How old are you?"
"I'm thirty-five."
"That's around my Dad's age."
"It is?" She nodded.
"Are you single?"
"Yes I am." Getting uncomfortable with where this was going. "Besides sailing, what else are you doing?"
"I take tennis and horseback riding lessons when I'm with my Mom. Here I'm in rowing and of course sailing."
"You are a busy girl!"
"I am. What did you do?" I went on to tell her the various things I'd done when I was her age and a little older.
She left for sailing and I finished putting everything away and got settled in. Thinking about her hints about my single status. As much as I think her Dad is drop dead gorgeous. I'd never let anything happen between us. That is unprofessional in every sense of the word and absolutely out of the question. That I wasn't totally honest about my business chalked another mark.
I went to the kitchen for something to drink and David was there.
"Just in time! I was just making iced tea."
"Perfect, thanks."
