Page 124 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“Has Rowen even seen her this week?” Libby asked.
Penny gave her friends a weak smile. “He’s picking her up from school today. His assistant texted me. When it comes to her, he’s trying. I’ll give him that.”
“Oh, Penny!” Libby cooed.
“Do you think Rowen wants you to continue on as Phoebe’s nanny? Could you even handle that?” H asked.
It was the same question she’d been wrestling with this week.
Penny smiled through her tears. “I have seven days to figure that out.”
“Isn’t your last day the same day as the writing contest, Penn?” Charlotte asked.
“It is,” Penny answered as a cold prickle worked its way down her spine.
“At least you have that to focus on,” Char offered with a hopeful expression.
Penny rubbed her temples. “The contest,” she whispered. She hadn’t thought of it once since the night Rowen left her on the yacht. What was the point of going through with it now? If she was in a lousy headspace before and couldn’t write, her current situation was ten times worse. What were the chances she’d be able to knock out a skillfully crafted short story in seven days?
She couldn’t do it.
“About the contest,” she began, ready to tell her friends it was a no-go, when her ancient phone interrupted her, emitting a pathetic chime. It sounded less like a phone and more like one of those old clock radios after someone took a sledgehammer to it.
“What the hell is it doing?” Harper asked, staring at the hunk of plastic like a science experiment gone horribly wrong.
“It’s in pain, the poor antiquated thing!” Libby lamented as the cell vibrated, doing the digital version of gurgling.
“It’s a phone, and it’s fine. That’s how it rings,” Penny chided, picking up the phone to see who was calling, and dammit, her heart hoped it was Rowen.
It wasn’t.
It was worse.
Twenty-Six
Penny
She stared at the number—aninternational number.
+64
She knew this number!
The international calling code for New Zealand!
“Oh my God,” she said under her breath, staring at the screen.
“Who is it?” Char asked, craning her head to see.
Penny flicked her gaze to her friends. “It’s Diana.”
“Your sister’s calling?” H questioned.
Penny nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you guys talking now?” Libby asked.
“No, not really,” Penny answered. “They always talked at me, not to me. Between studying for their superstar honors classes and prepping for whatever competition my mom entered them in, they mostly ignored me or barked orders. And speaking of my mom—she went to visit them. She’s been gone the last month and a half. In fact, I think she flies back today. Do you mind if I take Diana’s call? I’m curious. I can put her on speakerphone. You can say hi and steer the convo away from my failed writing career if that’s why she’s calling.”
