8. Kat

Chapter 8

T he last day is a half-day, and it flies by as the kids tell me all about their summer vacation plans. Most of them are going on extravagant vacations or camps that make my childhood sound like a bore, and I really get to see the money-class divide. This school is prestigious, and most of New York's top businessmen and women opt to have their children attend regardless of cost or travel time.

The kids are cleaning out their cubbies and packing up all of their projects and supplies to take home, and I can't help but feel sad. Come September, there will be all new faces, and while I’m excited, I know I’ll miss them.

“I don’t want a new teacher,” Addison says with a huff, running over to throw her arms around me and squeezing me tight.

The rest of the students have been picked up, but Nathaniel texted me this morning to tell me he would be a few minutes late today.

“I know, Addy, but you're so smart, and your brain needs room to grow. You’ll learn lots of new things and make new friends. And I’ll still be here. You can come see me any time,” I tell her, soothing her hair back and trying to offer her comfort.

We stay like that for a moment before I hear her tiny sniffles and realize she’s crying.

“Oh, Addison. Hey, honey, look at me,” I tell her and wait for her to do so. It takes her a second, but finally, she does, her blue eyes swimming with tears that threaten to make me cry, too. I pull back slowly and have a seat on the ground, pulling her down onto my lap.

“I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’ll be here, and next year, if your dad’s late, you can still come down and sit with me.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’ll be her nanny, that even if I’m not her teacher, we’ll be together all the time outside of school. But I refuse to get her hopes up, and I want to check a few things over with Nathaniel first before I say for sure.

“You promise?” She asks, her voice small and shaky from her crying.

“I promise,” I say without hesitation before an idea comes to me. “Here, let's make a real good promise, okay?”

She pulls back, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand as she sniffles. I hold up my hand, offering her my pinkie. She stares at it for a second before looking up at me in question.

I chuckle, realizing she must not know what I’m doing. I probably look crazy to her. “Stick out your pinkie finger.” She does it without question, and I link our pinkies together with a smile.

“I pinkie promise I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her, squeezing her pinkie with mine. “A pinkie promise is a promise you can’t break,” I explain.

Slowly, a smile pulls to her lips as my words sink in and she lets out a squeal before flinging herself at me with enough force that we fall to the ground, laughing.

“A pinkie promise, huh? That’s pretty serious.”

Nathaniel’s voice startles me, and I whip my head toward him to find him leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed, a smile on his face as he watches us.

“Daddy!” Addison scrambles to get up, tripping over her feet a few times before she makes it to him. She’s talking a mile a minute as she tells him all about our promise and how she’s going to learn new things and make new friends next year.

He smiles and nods as she continues jumping around, full of excitement. If you told me she’d been crying just minutes ago, I would think you were lying, but I saw it for myself. Nathaniel glances at me as I pull myself up off the floor, feeling silly, but his eyes are warm, and despite how silly I might feel, I don’t think he’s judging me.

“Did you still want to get ice cream to celebrate your last day, Princess?” Nathaniel asks her once she’s finished her dramatic recap, and she squeals, finally flinging herself into his arms for a hug.

“Can we take Ms. Kat with us?” She pulls back to look up at him with big, pleading eyes. “Please, it’s her birthday!” She adds before he even has a chance to answer.

“Her birthday, huh? Well, that does sound like it deserves some ice cream then. But that’s up to Ms. Kat, honey, not me.”

She instantly begins to wiggle, and he lets her down. Honestly, it’s a wonder he doesn’t drop her, but I guess he’s probably used to it. The second her feet touch the ground, she runs back to me, folding her little hands and sticking out her lip in the most adorable pout.

“Will you please come out to get ice cream with us, Ms. Kat?” she pleads, and oh my, how does anyone say no to that face?

I glance up at Nathaniel for help, but he shrugs, and I know better. I’ve seen the way she has him wrapped around her finger. Looking back down at Addison and her wide eyes, I cave.

“Well, it is rather hot out today. Some ice cream might be just what I need.”

She lets out a cry of excitement, grabbing my hand and all but dragging me to the door to join her father. With a laugh, I gently pry myself from her grip and collect my things before we head out.

Vincent nods in greeting as we walk down the stairs. “Mr. Lawson, Ms. Kat.”

I smile and follow Addison into the limo as Nathaniel stops to talk to him. It only takes a moment before he climbs in behind me, and this time, I’ve made sure to make room. Maybe too much room, judging by the way he eyes the gap between us, but doesn’t say a word.

It doesn't matter, but the second Vincent closes the door, I feel like I might as well be on his lap. I need to get myself under control. He wants me to nanny for Addison, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to say yes, not to mention my promise to Addison. But if I’m going to be around him more often, I can’t react like this every time. Hopefully, it will get easier the more I’m around him, but as I steal a glance at him, I kind of doubt it.

“Vincent, it appears we have more to celebrate than just Addison’s last day of her summer program. It’s also Kat’s birthday today, so I’m thinking we will need to make a special trip.”

“Oh, no, that’s not—”

“Yay!” Addison cries, cutting off my protest. She scrambles around me to fall into the seat between me and Nathaniel, bouncing around excitedly. “They have the best ice cream ever, Ms. Kat. You're going to love it!”

Well.

“It’s a little bit of a longer drive, but nothing too crazy. No worries,” Nathaniel tries to reassure me, and I chew my lip to stop myself from saying anything. I don’t think he’s going to listen anyway, and Addison is so happy.

With a sigh, I let it go and just try to enjoy it.

“Happy birthday, Kat,” Vincent says as he pulls out into traffic, and I whisper a quiet thank you.

Addison fills the silence for most of the drive. She tells me all about her favorite flavors, and I quickly learn that she just loves ice cream in general. Not that I can disagree; I love most ice cream as well.

Nathaniel is quiet, simply listening with a smile on his face as Addison waves her arms around and bounces in her seat. She tells me about her last birthday party, where they had twelve different flavors of ice cream.

The car comes to a stop, and I realize we’re already here. Not surprisingly, I’ve never been here before, but I rarely venture around the city.

“Should I wait or drive around?” Vincent asks, and Nathaniel pauses for a moment, considering.

“Can we go to the park with our ice cream, Daddy? Please?” Addison begs him, folding her little hands together and everything. Oh my, how anyone can say no to that is a mystery to me.

Nathaniel looks up, meeting my gaze over Addison’s head. “What do you say, Kat?”

“Oh, um,” I stutter, caught off guard. Why the hell do I get a say in this? Addison takes my lack of reply as a chance to turn her pleading eyes to me. “The park sounds nice,” I say, once again crumbling under the weight of her begging.

“Thank you!” she cries happily before throwing herself at me.

“Wait here. We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Vincent nods in understanding.

Nathaniel opens the door and climbs out, and Addison quickly follows behind him, a huge smile on her face. I follow them across the sidewalk and into the shop, feeling like I don’t belong, but it’s too late now. I’ve already agreed.

The man behind the counter turns at the sound of the bell on the door, and a smile curves his lips. “Ah, Monsieur Lawson, and la petite princesse .”

“Remy,” Nathaniel greets him with a nod. Addison ignores his words, instead running to the counter, pressing her face to the glass, and admiring the ice cream with wide eyes.

“It has been a while, my friend. What are we celebrating today?” Remy asks Nathaniel as he makes his way over to Addison.

The store isn’t very busy. Only a handful of other people are here, with a young woman running the register. She looks up and sees Nathaniel before her cheeks turn pink, and she quickly looks away.

“I finished kindergarten!” Addison exclaims, jumping up and down in excitement before quickly turning back to look at me as if she’d just remembered I was here. She abandons her place at the glass to run over to me, grabbing my hand and yanking me back with her.

“And it’s Ms. Kat’s birthday!”

Remy looks up at me at her words, and his already large smile grows. “A birthday and a celebration. Ice cream is the perfect choice,” he says with a chuckle.

Oh, wow.

From my spot in front of the ice cream freezer, I look up to find the menus hanging overhead, and suddenly, Addison’s love for this place makes a lot more sense.

Not only do they have ice cream but also crepes, waffles, hot chocolate, coffee drinks, and macarons, and according to the sign, they scoop their ice cream to look like flowers!

“Judging by the look on your face, I’m going to assume you’ve never been here,” Nathaniel says, stepping closer to us.

“No.”

“How long have you been in New York, exactly?” he asks, and I laugh. I guess it’s a fair question, considering I didn’t know him or anything else, it would seem.

“Um,” I say, quickly counting back in my mind. “Seven months, almost eight now, but I don’t get out much.”

He nods, turning back to look at the menu, and I do the same.

There are so many choices, and everything sounds so good. How am I supposed to decide?

“So what can I get you?” Remy asks, and like me, Addison stands staring at the selection as if making a choice is impossible.

“What do you recommend?” I ask Nathaniel. Clearly, he’s been here before, so he’s sure to have a good recommendation.

“What flavors sound best to you?” He answers my question with one of his own, nodding to the flavor board above us.

“All of them,” I say with a chuckle, because that’s the problem.

He chuckles as well, but my indecisiveness doesn’t seem to phase him.

“Let me have a classic signature cone with caramel, L'inimitabile, and vanilla with the salted butter caramel macaron,” he says to Remy, and damn, that does sound good, even if I’m not sure what it all is.

“Oh, I want that too, Daddy!” Addison says, turning to look up at him with big, wide eyes.

“Of course, Princess,” he tells her, bending down to scoop her up into his arms. “Make that two, Remy.”

“You got it,” Remy says, already moving to start assembling our cones. “And your Americano as usual?” he calls back as he finishes the first cone, turning to present it to Addison.

Holy shit! That has got to be the prettiest ice cream cone I’ve ever seen. Each flavor is sculpted to look like the petals of a flower, with the flavor changing as it moves in toward the center, and in the middle sits a macaron. The smile on Addison’s face lets me know she also loves it, and she wastes no time taking a large bite of the macaron the second the cone is in her hand.

“Mmm, it’s so yummy. Thank you!”

Remy smiles at her before turning away to start mine, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited about getting ice cream in my life.

“No, I’ll have a mint chocolate chip today, please,” Nathaniel says, earning a questioning glance from Remy. He doesn’t say anything aloud, instead continuing to scoop ice cream for my cone.

My ice cream is ready next, and somehow, it tastes even better than it looks, which I didn’t think was possible.

Nathaniel sets Addison down so that he can grab his own cone, and we follow him to the register to pay. I watch him as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, not even realizing I’m staring until my jaw almost hits the floor as he hands the young girl a black card. I’ve never seen a black card except in movies. Even Carter hadn’t been able to get one, and I’d thought he was rich.

I knew Nathaniel had a lot of money; not only had he told me as much, but my Google search confirmed it. However, knowing it and seeing it are very different things.

Addison stands with me as he pays, and Remy prepares a cup that he hands Nathaniel before we head out with a quick goodbye. Addison might be enjoying her ice cream, but I think it’s safe to say she’s excited about the park.

She skips beside me, out the door, and back to the limo that’s still waiting.

Nathaniel is a few steps behind us, having been finishing up at the counter when we headed for the door. I reach out to open the door for Addison, but before I can, he’s there.

He steps around me, his ice cream in one hand and the cup pressed between his arm and his chest. He reaches out to grab the handle and opens the door before I can.

I stand, somewhat shocked. I know he’d been behind me, so why rush to get the door, especially when his hands are full?

Addison doesn’t seem to notice as she crawls in with her ice cream, but I hesitate a moment. It’s not until Nathaniel holds his arm out in a gesture for me to go next that I finally move, not wanting to hold us up. Nathaniel slides in behind me without a word, pulling the door closed before moving along the bench seat to the dividing window and offering the cup to Vincent.

“Thanks, boss,” he says with a laugh that makes Nathaniel huff. I’m not sure what it is, but I feel as though I’m missing something.

Vincent takes a sip, humming his approval as he pulls away from the curb. We ride in silence, everyone quiet as we enjoy our treats. Not even five minutes later, we stop again, and I see the playground. Addison is moving the second the car stops. Flinging the door open with a squeal, she takes off without looking back.

I follow her out, fighting the urge to run after her, but Nathaniel doesn’t seem concerned that she’s gone, so I try not to be either.

We walk in silence through the park after her, but it’s not uncomfortable. Kids laugh and run around. The park isn’t huge, so it’s easy to spot Addison as she climbs up the playground with other kids, her ice cream still clutched tight in one hand.

Nathaniel walks to a bench, and I take the seat beside him. Finally, I pull off my macaron as I reach the center. The flavor explodes in my mouth, and I can’t stop the hum of appreciation that leaves my lips.

“That’s the best macaron the shop has,” Nathaniel says to me, his eyes still on Addison. I feel my cheeks heat, realizing he heard me.

“It’s delicious.” I make myself respond.

“Have you thought any more about my offer?”

“Oh, um,” I mumble, having just shoved the rest of the macaron in my mouth. Chewing, I take a moment to think about my answer.

I have thought about it, a lot actually.

Before I can answer, he continues. “After school, Vincent would pick you both up and take you to the house until either me or my brother are home. My son and nephew might also be able to relieve you occasionally, though not always. Or, as I offered before, you could save money on housing and be her live-in nanny. We have housing for many of our staff, the groundsmen, the chef, and security to keep those we need close by. Besides, the cost of living in New York is nothing to sneeze at.”

I almost choke on the damn cookie. Covering my mouth, I cough and save myself, but just barely.

A smile pulls the corner of his lips up as he turns to me with a brow raised.

“Just because I have money doesn’t mean I don’t understand the value of a dollar. The school pays well enough, but the cost of living is always on the rise, and I don’t expect it will go down anytime soon. Especially not here.”

I remain quiet, mostly because I’m pretty sure if I open my mouth right now, nothing will come out anyway. Or at least nothing that will be considered intelligent conversation.

He just offered me a place to live, again… I mean, as a nanny for his daughter, but still. He’s not wrong, though. The cost of my apartment is outrageous, even though I'm making more than I’ve ever made before. I struggle and have to save for the summer to ensure I won’t end up homeless. It’s part of the reason I signed up for the summer program to begin with. But if I took the nanny position, I could easily cover it.

“I have more than enough space. You would have your own room and bathroom, and that would save you time. When you're off, your time would be your own. You wouldn’t have to waste it traveling, and everything we have would be accessible to you at all times. The pool, library, and meals would be included.”

“Stop.” It comes out more forcefully than I intended, and I wince at hearing how harsh it sounded.

“Sorry,” I say, feeling like an asshole when his lips turn down in a frown. “It’s just a lot, and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.”

He nods, and I take that as him accepting my apology and continue.

“I’m flattered, really, but I’m also confused. Why do all this? You didn’t need to offer so much. I love Addison, and I really don’t need all the extras. I’ve been thinking about it and was already pretty sure I was going to accept.”

“Daddy!” Addison’s voice carries across the playground to us, pulling our attention to where she sits on a swing. “Push me?” she yells out.

Shaking his head, he stands to walk over to her, and I follow.

Addison’s laughter and cries to go higher ring through the park, and I can’t help but smile as I watch them.

“That right there is why,” Nathaniel says, nodding toward me.

What?

“You asked why I was doing all this, why offer so much for you to nanny, and that’s why.”

“What’s why?” I ask, still confused.

“Addison’s had a lot of nannies over the years, but they’re always missing something. No matter what I did, paid, or the lengths I went through to vet them, it never seemed to make a difference. They didn’t care, but you do.”

He doesn’t say anything else, and after pushing Addison for a few minutes longer, we leave. My mind wanders, going over everything as we head toward my apartment, but I know what my answer will be even before we get there because he’s right—I do care.

Vincent pulls up, and Nathaniel opens the door, stepping out. I hesitate for a moment before following him, gathering my courage.

Why does this feel like such a big deal? Yes, I’m taking on a second job, but it’s not as if it’s difficult, and the pay and other accommodations are kind of mind-blowing.

Stepping out of the car, I come face-to-face with Nathaniel, and I’m reminded exactly why it’s hard. I’m going to work for him and live in his house, essentially helping him raise his daughter.

Fuck me, maybe this is a bad idea. I’m almost positive it’s not a good idea to accept a job if I’m already crushing on my new soon-to-be boss.

“I’ll take it,” I say in a rush before I can overthink it and talk myself out of it… again.

I open my mouth to explain when I realize I haven’t said what, but before I can, his lips turn up in an actual smile, not the smirks and half smiles I’m used to, and suddenly, I’ve forgotten what I was going to say.

Yup, this is a terrible idea, but it’s too late now.