Page 50 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“I’ll put those items on the list. And you two better hit the road. You don’t want to be late,” Mrs. Sullivan said as she grinned at Phoebe. But there was something curious in the woman’s expression.
“Can we invite Nana over to make them with us?” Phoebe asked.
Penny’s gaze darted from the little girl to Mrs. Sullivan. “I don’t know how to get in touch with her, and Rowen’s been…” she trailed off, not sure what she should disclose about her boss’s absence.
“Gone. Uncle Row’s gone,” Phoebe supplied, filling in the words Penny couldn’t say.
Regina patted Phoebe’s cheek. “I’ll call your nana and invite her over to make cookies after school. How does that sound?”
“Please, Penny! Can Nana bake cookies with us? We used to make cookies when I lived at her house.”
“Absolutely,” she answered as a fresh wave of anger directed toward her boss washed over her. Again, she swallowed back the emotion and gave Phoebe a wide grin. “That’s a wonderful idea!”
“We’ll make it happen,” Mrs. Sullivan remarked with the ghost of a grin.
Phoebe twirled. “I get chocolate chip cookies today and a trip to Uncle Row’s big boat after I get another A-plus on my spelling test! I’m luckier than a hot dog fairy princess on Christmas,” the girl chimed, then abandoned the twirling and skipped around the kitchen.
Mrs. Sullivan picked up Phoebe’s backpack. “Okay, Miss Fairy Princess Hot Dog, you don’t want to be late. Take this, and Penny will meet you down at the car. I have a few cookie questions for your nanny.”
Phoebe slid her arms into the backpack’s straps, then grabbed her spelling list, and skipped her way toward the elevator.
At the little girl’s departure, Mrs. Sullivan’s expression grew somber. “When was the last time you spoke to Rowen?”
Penny flicked her gaze away. “The first night I got here.”
Regina sighed and shook her head. “I wondered if he was working late and leaving early. I should have known. He’s sleeping at the office.”
“Does he do that often?” Penny asked.
Regina sank onto a barstool. “When he’s stressed, he does. He’s got a sleeper sofa and a mini gym there. It’s basically a bachelor pad.”
At the mention of a bachelor pad, another thought, a thought that hadn’t crossed her mind, percolated into her consciousness. She’d figured Rowen had been consumed by work. But what if it wasn’t his upcoming video game keeping him away?
What if he was there with another woman?
What if he had a girlfriend?
What if he kissed her then went to his Gale Gaming love shack to bonk a bevy of women?
A coppery taste invaded her mouth, and she swallowed hard. Why should she care? He could bonk whomever he wanted, but he needed to make an appearance at home for Phoebe’s sake. Yes, for Phoebe. Not her. No, she couldn’t care less if he slept his way through Denver.
Penny schooled her expression. “I see,” she answered, going for nonchalant.
“Did something happen?” Mrs. Sullivan asked.
Penny felt her cheeks heat. “He has a lot going on at work with his AI-77 release.”
Mrs. Sullivan released an audible sigh. “He was always like this—tunnel vision is what I used to call it. I was hoping…”
“What were you hoping, Mrs. Sullivan?” she asked, searching the woman’s face.
Now Regina was the one with a placating expression. She glanced at the clock on the wall. “You better hurry, dear. It’s time to leave for school. I’ll take care of contacting Cecelia and getting you everything you need to make the cookies.”
Penny turned to go.
“Don’t forget your bag,” Regina said, removing it from the hook on the wall when a crumpled sheet fell to the floor. The woman retrieved it, then skimmed the page. “What’s this? Are you entering a contest?” she asked, handing over the items.
It was like the universe was hellbent on rubbing the contest in her face. She needed to cram that damn application into the very bottom of her tote.
