The Daddy Box Set

“Thank you,” I said. “Please, come in.”

She did. As she walked in, she glanced around the space. “You have a beautiful home.”

“Thank you. Do you want some coffee?”

She waved me off. “No, thanks. I’ve already had two cups.”

“Really?”

“That’s more than I normally have. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Gina. She seemed very active, and I wanted to keep up.”

I laughed. “Active is an understatement.”

I indicated for her to follow me into the dining room. “Thank you for being on time. That’s very important to me.”

“Me as well.”

“Good. I want to get the logistics out of the way.” I slid over a manila envelope with the employment contract inside. I pulled it out. “Right here is the pay and benefits package.”

Jess took the sheet of paper and read it over. A slight lift in her eyebrows meant she’d reached the section about her wages. I increased the amount since Layla with the hopes of giving Jess an extra incentive to stay for a long time. If her relationship with Gina grew from what I saw at the interview, I wouldn’t have to worry about a nanny ever again. I hated thinking of women in Gina’s life coming and going as if through revolving doors.

“Looks good to me,” she said.

I handed her a pen, and she signed the bottom of the sheet. Then I signed the second line. “I’ll have a copy for you by the end of the day.”

“So, tell me more about Gina,” she said.

“Regarding her schedule,” I said, handing over another sheet of paper. Layla emailed me the schedule she’d set up for Gina. I enjoyed a scheduled day, but I knew that concept was a little far above a three-year-old. “This is from her previous nanny.”

This was a test for Jess, even though I already liked her.

Jess read over the sheet and then looked up at me, confused. “This is Gina’s schedule?”

“It was.”

“And you want me to stick to this?” she asked. “It seems a little rigid.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

She noticed and smiled back. “Is this a test or something?”

I took the sheet of paper back from her and placed it down on the table. “Layla, our previous nanny, tried to stick to this schedule. I appreciated her methods, but going forward, you‘re to create your own schedule. Now, I don’t need it written down, but I would like a mix of play and learning. She will start preschool part-time next year, and I would like to see her prepared for that.”

“That sounds doable. I have a membership to the local children’s museum and the aquarium. It’s up at the end of the year, but—”

“I will renew them and pay for any other membership she’s interested in.”

“Thank you,” she said. “That’s very generous.”

My phone beeped, and I checked my timer. “I’m sorry to break this early, but I need to head to work.”

Jess stood up from her chair. “Not a problem. Do you have a list of emergency contacts?”

“Just me,” he said. “Let me give you my cell number and my work number. May I?” She offered her cell phone. The picture on the front was of Jess and a young boy. I assumed he was her previous charge. That gave me even more hope that I‘d made the right choice. I typed in my numbers. “If I don‘t answer my cell then you can call Allison. She will find me.”

“There‘s no ex-wife?” Jess asked.

I flinched. “No. Gina’s mother passed during childbirth.”