Page 38 of A Little Crush
“She just graduated,” I tell her. “Came home for the wedding and hit it off with Poppy so I…I offered her the job.”
“Hmm.” Iris purses her lips. “She’s young.”
“She’s in her twenties and more than capable.”
“And young,” Iris repeats.
My shoulder lifts. “Poppy likes her.”
“I don’t give a shit if Poppy likes her, Jaxon, I?—”
“I’m not required to give you a say in who watches our baby, Iris,” I remind her. “Not when she’s with me. Just like I have no say in how you let Chris move in with you.”
“Are you saying you’re interested in her?” she seethes, jumping to non-existent conclusions so fast my head spins. My patience threatens to snap.
“She’s an employee and a family friend. Nothing more. And if you knew Rory at all, you’d know Poppy couldn’t be in better hands.”
The same purse of her lips swallows her expression, making me wonder how I ever fell for her in the first place.
I’m not sure why I’m pushing this. Why I’m committing to this insane idea when there’s no way in hell Rory was serious. She was being impulsive. Rushing in to save the day without thinking of any actual consequences or long-term effects. Hell, we don’t even live in the same state. It would never work. But at least it buys me a few more days. I can come up with a solution by then. Can’t I? Not sure I have a choice. Not anymore.
“Do you need anything else, Iris?” I ask.
She glares up at me. “You need to forward me her background check.”
I nod. “I’ll have it for you as soon as possible.”
It’s another boldfaced lie. What she’ll have is my actual gameplan, once I come up with one.
The woman’s Jimmy Choo taps against the pavement, her nostrils flaring. I know she wants to lose her shit. Wants to curse me. Call me names. Do whatever it takes to spread her frustration until it brands my skin, leaving me blistered and angry. She’s always been this way. Unafraid of hurting feelings or hitting below the belt if it’ll leave her the victor. When we were married, she’d cool down and apologize, but now that we’re divorced? Well, I’m pretty sure sorry has left her vocabulary. I lift my chin and wait for the blow.
Instead, she seethes, “Fine.” With nothing left to say, she climbs into the driver’s side of her SUV and slams the door, rousing a sleepy Poppy in the back before she peels out of the parking lot.
A sigh reverberates through my chest as the taillights disappear around the corner, and I turn back to the main building.
Now what do I do?
Rory’s pacing in the front of the massive windows. I wonder if she knows I can see her. If she cares. If she regrets her decision to butt into my life without an invitation. If she’s serious about being my nanny until I find a long-term solution. She wouldn’t put her life on hold for me, would she? An image of Poppy on Rory’s lap rises to the surface all over again, and my steps falter as I head past the valet desk and into the main area.
A small part of me wonders if I’ll regret this, too. But there’s no turning back now. Not if I can help it. What I really want to know is the reason why she intervened in the first place. I guess it’s time I find out.
The main doors sliding open is nothing but a whisper but cuts through my racing thoughts like a fog horn as I step inside the quiet lobby area.
Rushing forward, Rory blurts out, “I am so sorry?—”
“Sorry?” I frown and guide her toward the edge of the large open space in search of privacy. Not that there’s really anyone here. It’s not even six in the morning, and everyone’s still asleep, just like how Rory should be. “Why are you sorry?”
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I swear. It just happened. I was coming around from the back after an early morning walk because I couldn’t sleep, and then I heard what your ex was saying, and it kind of pissed me off, because like, who talks like that? And then, before I even knew what was happening, I opened my big fat mouth and my feet were moving like they had a mind of their own and…” She shoves her hair away from her face. “I’m so sorry. If I caused any trouble. If I rocked the boat. If I…I don’t even know. I’m just sorry.”
With a low laugh, I grab her hands to stop her from fidgeting. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
She peeks up at me and rolls her eyes. “Liar.”
“I’m serious, Squeaks. If anything, I should be thanking you for stepping in.” I gulp, realizing how close we’re standing before forcing my grasp to loosen from around her wrists. Shifting back, I murmur, “The question is…what now?”
“Yeah,” she breathes out. “That is, uh, that is the question, isn’t it.”
“At least I have a few extra days to figure out a game plan.”
