Page 8 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“You and that creative mind,” Madelyn said, sitting back and folding her hands in her lap. “I can assure you I’m not crazy, nor do I have superpowers. I own a business that provides specialty nanny services. I cater exclusively to wealthy, prominent men raising a child or children on their own.”
Well, that was a new one!
“You’re a nanny and a spy?” she questioned.
“No, I’m not a nanny or a spy, but you could be,” Madelyn answered with that twitch of a grin.
“A spy?” Penny asked, throwing it out there again. Life as a spy would give her a great reason to duck her mother’s calls.
“A nanny,” Madelyn corrected. “I believe you have what it takes, and I have a specific client in mind.”
“You want me to work for you as a nanny?” Penny repeated, making sure she understood.
“I do.”
“I’m not sure I’m qualified. I’m a writer—a writer and a failed waitress. I don’t have a lot of experience with kids. I was a camp counselor at a summer camp here in Denver when I was in high school, but that’s it.”
Madelyn leaned forward. “I beg to differ. I think you’d be an excellent nanny.”
Penny observed the woman closely. “What would make you think that?” It didn’t make sense. It would be one thing if she were a teacher or an actual nanny! But she wasn’t. Not even close.
Madelyn smoothed her scarf. “Last week, you held a fussy toddler and entertained him while his mother breastfed her baby. A few days before that, you raced out of the restaurant when a little boy left his toy airplane. I watched you sprint up the block to return it to him.”
Penny shrugged. “That’s nothing. I was only being kind. Anyone would do that.”
Madelyn shook her head. “That’s where you are wrong, Penny. I have a sixth sense about people. I understand how the right person coming into your life at the right time can make all the difference. Now, can I tell you about the position?”
Penny nodded, a little creeped out—that was some stalker-level intel—but amazed at Madelyn’s attention to detail.
“It’s a live-in nanny placement,” she began. “Room and board are covered. My clientele is extensively vetted for the safety and security of my nannies. This is the salary.” Madelyn retrieved a slip of paper from her purse, then slid it across the table, face down.
Penny stared at the folded parchment before plucking it from the table. Slowly, as if this really were a spy scenario—because, hello! The paper slip thing was classic covert behavior—she glanced at the number, then almost fell over.
$2000
Penny counted the zeros again. “Is that a month?”
“A week,” Madelyn corrected with one hell of a poker face.
“A week?” Penny exclaimed, garnering the attention of the entire coffee shop. She glanced from side to side, then lowered her voice. “How many kids do you want me to care for? Twenty-five?”
Madelyn chuckled. “Heavens, no! One, a little girl. I believe she likes hot dogs.”
“A human girl? You’re not looking for someone to care for a baby tiger or some venom-spitting snake that gobbles down hot dogs, are you?” she asked, dead serious. There had to be a catch! Two thousand dollars a week to care for one little human girl with room and board included seemed too good to be true.
Madelyn narrowed her gaze. “You’re funny, too. That will serve you well.”
Penny twisted the cuff of her blouse. “I wasn’t joking.”
Madelyn chuckled again, then slipped a card from the side pocket of her…Hermès Birkin bag. Holy expensive accessory! She and Charlotte had seen one in a magazine the other day. Those purses cost a fortune. Whatever Madelyn Malone did, she was good at it…or she was a spy who also excelled at lifting pricy handbags.
Gah! Her overactive writer’s brain had to get off the spy ship!
“There’s a sixty-day trial period. Time for both the nanny and the clients to see if they’re a match,” Madelyn continued.
“This is for real? You’re not joking?” Penny asked. It seemed unreal—like this lady was some kind of fairy nanny godmother!
Madelyn’s expression grew serious. “I never joke when making a match.”
