Olcan (Boston Bear Brothers 2)

It was nothing like the endlessly connected flats in her neighborhood in Dublin. She’d enjoyed a large detached home for a while, what Americans would call a family dwelling, but that had come to an end all too soon, and she was doing well to maintain a space in a decent neighborhood. Now, for all purposes, she was homeless, giving up her place to spend an undetermined amount of time here.

Niamh spotted a park bench and headed toward it, giving herself a few minutes to catch her breath and rehearse the answers to the questions that were sure to be asked of her. She was nervous. She had so much to lose if she didn’t pull this off. She stood, took a deep breath, and approached the large Tudor home that matched the address she’d been provided. She felt like she might jump out of her skin as she waited for someone to answer. Finally, a disheveled woman with short, spiky blonde hair and dressed in workout clothes approached. The woman gawked at her blankly, seeming confused.

“Hi, I’m Neev. I’ve an appointment at nine?”

“Oh, of course!” the woman replied, her face brightening. “I forgot you were coming. Come on in, and please excuse my appearance. I was just working out. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No. Ta.”

“Well, please have a seat in there,” she said, pointing toward a large living room that didn’t look like anyone ever sat in it at all. “I’ll get my husband and we’ll get started.”

“Aye, mum.”

“Oh, please. Call me Hannah. My husband is James. We’ll be right with you.”

Taking a seat on the long white sofa, Niamh felt deeply uncomfortable. She looked around at the pristine state of the house and wondered how anyone could really enjoy it here. It was all so cold and boring with its white furniture and modern art. She’d much prefer a log cabin and an overstuffed lounge chair any day of the week, but this would have to do for her stay here—that is, if she got the job. That was her first hurdle to get over.

Niamh felt like she might come out of her skin as she waited for them to return. When they finally did, almost fifteen minutes later, she was struck by the difference in them. He was easily on the upper side of fifty, and she didn’t appear much older than Niamh’s age of twenty-four. She was pretty and fit, while he was stocky and looked more like an aging musician than the international businessman she had been told he was.

The other difference was that she was obviously more refined and well maintained. The roundness of her breasts pressing against her tight workout clothes indicated that she had likely had them surgically enhanced, as well as having had some significant work done to her nose, lips, and cheekbones. Even in the workout clothes, she looked like the clothes were tailored for her curves.

He, on the other hand, looked like he shopped at some grown-up version of a match the set store where you matched your pants to the shirts that went with them using the color-coded tags attached to either item. His striped polo shirt and Bermuda shorts looked like they came off a schoolboy.

“So, Niamh. You come highly recommended by my business associate in Dublin,” he said in a booming voice that seemed contrary to the mellow vibe she got from their home, which despite its bland appearance, contained some rather racy art on the walls and suggestive figurines about the bookcases and shelves.

“Likewise, sir. Liam’s nothing but blessings for you, as well.”

“Good to know. I understand that you’ve come here to get a feel for the place and hopefully go to school. I’m assuming you’d only be starting that once your job here with us is finished. Our special dog requires full-time attention.”

“Oh, yes. Of course. My intention, if you hire me, is to be dedicated to the care of your home and loved one. Your needs would be my top priority while you are away.”

“We’re very picky, I’m afraid. We like for the house to stay in order, and the schedule we’ll leave for you would need to be strictly maintained,” Hannah interjected, the first time she had spoken since James had started the interview.

“That is absolutely no problem. I’m very responsible and careful in my duties. Always.”

“I would hope so. Our last pet-sitter was a disaster. I won’t even get into what she did while she was here, but we were not pleased when we returned. We’d normally ask our housekeeper to stay here and take care of everything, but she’s recently gotten married and well, frankly, hasn’t been as reliable as she used to be. I’m afraid we’ll be letting her go before we leave,” James said.

“I understand. I take my work seriously,” Niamh replied.