Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 505(@200wpm)___ 404(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 505(@200wpm)___ 404(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Instead, I take a step back. “What you and I did was a mistake. I need a nanny more than I needed an easy screw.”
She shakes her head and looks me over, disgust curling her lips. “I guess you were telling me the truth after all. You really are an asshole.”
“You can stay until I find a suitable replacement.” My voice is crisp, and my words snap.
She lifts her chin. “Good. Start your search as soon as possible.”
Nicole
Me: What would you say if I told you I hooked up with a guy last night?
I stare at my phone and wait for Teagan to text me back. I’m alone in my new—temporary—bedroom. After Lilly came downstairs and introduced me to each of her forty Shopkins, I got my bag from the car and Ethan showed me the upstairs bedroom where I’ll be staying.
Ethan and I didn’t talk much. In fact, since the moment we agreed that he should find my replacement sooner rather than later, he’s said as few words to me as possible and barely looked in my direction.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and Teagan’s name and number pop up on the screen. “Hello?”
“Okay,” Teagan says, “one, when you text me from your sister’s number, it confuses the shit out of me.”
“Sorry.”
“Two,” she says, “you haven’t even been in town twenty-four hours, and you’ve officially seen more action in this place than I have in the two years I’ve lived here.”
Twenty-four hours? So much has happened since yesterday morning that I feel like I left Jeffe weeks ago, not a day.
“And three,” she says, “I’m jealous as fuck right now, which is pretty pathetic, given the current state of your love life.”
“Teagan, trust me when I say there’s no reason to be jealous.”
“Don’t pull that ‘Mr. Right is waiting for you’ crap on me. We’re getting to a ‘desperate times, desperate measures’ situation over here.”
I’m grateful that she can somehow make me smile despite the mess around me. “That’s not what I mean.” I take a deep breath. “I met a guy at the bar last night, and he took me back to my hotel.”
“And I shouldn’t be jealous why? Did you do the dirty? Did he make up for the months of chastity Marcus was inflicting on you?” She makes a gagging sound. “Seriously, the born-again virgin thing should have been a red flag.”
“I know.” I shake my head. “And no, we didn’t have sex, but we did . . . a lot.”
“Tell me about your dirty night. Go ahead. Spare no details.”
My cheeks are so hot they could fry bacon, and I’m glad no one’s in the room to see it. “It was a rough day, and he was sweet, and I had tequila.” Maybe I should be grateful that things worked out the way they did. Kathleen made it sound like Ethan was having a hard time accepting anyone to care for his daughter, and our situation will encourage him to find my replacement faster than he might have otherwise. Since I only agreed to carry on with this ruse because she didn’t have anyone else, it might all work out for the best.
Except that now I’m even more uncomfortable about lying. Even if it’s only for a couple of days.
“I never got his name,” I say.
“Dirty. I like it.”
“And I met him again tonight.”
“You were supposed to move into Dr. Jackson’s place.”
“Exactly.” I stand because I’m too antsy to be still. “I hooked up with Ethan Jackson last night.”
“You hooked up with Dr. Jackson?” She pauses a beat, almost as if she wants her question to sink in. “Your new boss?”
“Yeah.”
“He didn’t recognize you? I mean . . .” She lets out a low grumble of frustration. “Didn’t he know Veronica?”
“Apparently his mom arranged the whole thing, and when Veronica came into town for her in-person interview, Ethan got called to work and he didn’t have a chance to meet her. He was just as shocked as I was when I showed up at his house.”
“Oh, Nic . . . At least you didn’t have sex, right?”
“Small blessings, I guess.” The things I did with Ethan were so intimate that I’m not sure the distinction really matters. “But he’s pissed about it, so I’m only here until he can find a replacement.”
“If that asshole fires you, you can come live with me. We’ll get bunk beds.”
I laugh, but my eyes are burning with unshed tears. What a fucking crazy twenty-four hours. “Thanks. That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s offered all weekend.”
“Except for what Dr. Jackson offered last night, am I right?”
I roll my eyes. “Shut it.”
“I’m just teasing. I really am sorry. You deserve a break.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“I’m working three twelves starting tomorrow, but let’s get together on Thursday. We’ll do lunch while the kid’s at school.”