Chapter Six
Kennedy
Camille was at my house, looking for some blouse she’d left behind and telling me all about some big wedding that she was planning.
“It’s going to be insane, Ken. It’s not the biggest wedding I’ve ever planned, but it’s the most extravagant. They’re really letting us go all-out with it.”
“They must have a lot of money.”
“More money than I’ve ever seen. In fact, at first I thought they were messing with me. I thought that surely nobody could have as much money as they do. But clearly, I was wrong. They’d have a heart attack if they saw how much money was in my own account. But I’m just letting them throw their money at me. Who am I to complain?”
“What’s her dress like?”
“First, it costs more than the venue.”
“What?”
“Seriously! She got some fancy designer—whose name she keeps popping into conversation—to make it. I’ve seen pictures and it looks beautiful. But it also doesn’t look like the price tag.”
“And what about the couple? Do they seem like the kind of people that are going to be happy in life? Or are they just throwing all their attention at the wedding instead of their married life together?” I figured I knew the answer, though. Surely nobody could spend that much money on a wedding and still have time to worry about that other little important thing called love.
“Ooh, I found it,” Camille said as she held up her blouse. “I knew I left it here. What we were saying? Oh, the wedding. Oddly enough, they seem to be in love. In their own sort-of-messed-up way. They’re very materialistic. But they’re both materialistic, so I suppose they’ve just found the right sort of person to be materialistic with. You see, there’s something for everyone. Hey, what’s going on? You look like you’re getting ready to go out?”
I laughed. “What’s wrong with that? Am I not allowed to go out?”
“You’re allowed to go out. You just don’t go out.”
“You’re looking at a woman who is going out for dinner tonight.”
“With a man?”
I chuckled. “With a man! And a girl, actually.”
“What? Whoa. Are you getting into some weird threesome or something?”
“No!” I said and burst out laughing. “And it’s no big deal, which is why I haven’t told you yet. But I’m going out for dinner with a potential client.”
“Really? Ooh, tell me more.”
“I met him at the grocery store, actually. He was walking around looking like a lost soul with his daughter so I asked if I could help them with anything. Turns out they were trying to make a chicken stew, but all they had was chicken, rice, and flour.”
“Flour? You don’t need flour for a stew.”
“Clearly not everyone knows as much as we do about food.”
Camille chuckled. “Okay, go on, continue.”
“Anyway, I explained to him how to make it, as well as told him where to get an already made one. Then I handed him my business card and told him that I was a personal chef.”
“Hey, look at you being all entrepreneurial.”
“Thank you.”
“So, he was looking for a personal chef?”
“Not exactly. Sort of. He was also looking for a nanny.”
Camille frowned. “A nanny? But you’re not a nanny.”
“I know. But I figured I’d find out more about the job anyway. I mean, maybe I can convince him to hire me, anyway and to get someone else to look after the girl. Who, by the way, is adorable. Anyway, we’re going for dinner tonight to discuss things further. I think the guy is pretty desperate to find someone to help out.”
“So, was the guy good looking?”
“Yeah, actually, he was very good looking. Tall, dark hair, green eyes. Well built. And also a little bookish. Glasses, a little nervous when he talks.”
Camille raised her eyebrows. “A good looking nerd? That’s totally your type.”
“Uh, he’s a potential boss, and he has a daughter. This is definitely not the time for matchmaking.”
“What’s his deal then? Where’s the wife?”
“I was in the middle of a grocery store. It wasn’t exactly the time and place to ask.”
“True. Okay, well I think it’s great. I just hope the guy is genuine and not some creep who just wanted to go on a date with you.”
“He’s bringing his daughter, and we’re going to a public place. I think I’m safe.”
“If he doesn’t bring his daughter, then you know something is up.”
Reed did bring his daughter. I met him a nearby restaurant that I had recommended, and when I walked in, both Reed and Trinity were waiting for me. Trinity beamed when she saw me and immediately put me at ease.
“Hi, Trinity. Hi, Reed. Good to see you both.”
“Good to see you too. Thanks for coming,” Reed said. “This place is great. We’ve never been before.”
“You haven’t? Oh, you’ll love it. I know the chef, which is why I recommended it. Very unpretentious food, but still very clever. Everything works perfectly together and you can tell that they spent a lot of time on developing the menu. I definitely recommend the pizzas. They’re unlike any you’ve tasted before. Oh, sorry,” I said suddenly. “I get a bit carried away when I talk about food.”
“Do you like hot dogs?” Trinity asked me out of the blue.
“Hot dogs? I love them. But I’ve been ruined by that famous hot dog place in the city. Have you been there?”
Trinity nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. One time we had it twice in a week.”
“Ooh, I don’t blame you. I’ve done that before too.”
“Ah, but I don’t want you to think that I only feed my daughter junk. I know those hotdogs are amazing, but we don’t do that all the time. My brother and his girlfriend were visiting, which is why we ended up having so many hot dogs that week.”
I chuckled. I wasn’t sure why Reed felt the need to prove himself as a good father to me. I could already see that he was. Anyone could see from the way that Trinity looked at him.
“Oh, I’m a healthy eater too. But I’m a big believer of balance. And it’s fun to indulge every now and again. So, what do you do, Reed?”
“I’m a neurosurgeon.”
“He fixes people,” Trinity added.
He smiled at her. “I certainly try my best to. It’s a pretty demanding job. Which is why I’m currently looking for someone to help out. I love staying with Trinity, she’s a great daughter, but I have to work. We had a nanny for a long time who used to help, but she left recently to deal with her own family things. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a chance to give us much notice. I took the week off to be with Trinity but I have to go back to work next week, and I’m desperate to find someone.”
“We saw four ladies already,” Trinity said. “One was so tall and so mean.”
“Yeah,” Reed said apologetically. “We’ve seen a few. I want Trinity to be comfortable with the person.”
Just then the waitress came, and we ordered two large pizzas for the table.
“Trust me,” I said to them when the waitress left. “I can eat a lot, but those pizzas are huge. We’ll still have extra. I once made the mistake of ordering one for myself, and I had pizza for days left over. So, what exactly are you looking for?”
“I just want to know that Trinity is safe. I need someone from Monday to Friday. On the weekends, I can work from home or she can come with me, and I generally don’t work Sundays, anyway. I will drop her off at school in the morning, or else someone can do that for me if they have the time. Then I need someone to collect her and look after her until I come home. I’ll sort out her breakfast, and if she’s at school, then she gets lunch there. So I just need someone to sort out the dinners each night. I’ve been making eggs every night, and it’s starting to get a little on the boring side. What work were you doing before? You said you were a personal chef?”
“I worked for a very nice man who had lost his wife a few months ago. I came over a few nights a week and cooked for him. It was very rewarding. I was sad that it came to an end.”
“Do you mind if I ask how much he paid you?”
“Of course not,” I said and gave him the amount. I wondered if he’d be surprised at how much it was for something that was only a few times a week, but he didn’t seem to flinch.
“Okay, great. Well, I’m happy to double that considering I’ll need you to help out with Trinity too. And of course, I’ll pay you for all the ingredients that you’ll need too. I just . . . I just really want someone that Trinity feels safe around. It’s been difficult . . . you know . . . uh, to juggle work and still find the time to spend with her. And I don’t want her to think I’ve just abandoned her.” He cast a sideways glance at Trinity, and she looked up and smiled at him. I was so touched by that moment that I immediately knew what my answer was going to be.
“I want Trinity to be happy too. Trinity, I’d love to help out. Why don’t we do a trial run? I mean, if you’re interested. And if we’re all happy with the arrangement then I carry on, and if we’re not then I walk away without any feelings being hurt.”
“That’s a great idea,” Reed said and beamed. “What do you think, Trin?”
She nodded. “I like you.”
“That’s decided then. Trinity is a great judge of character. So if she likes you, then so do I. Would you be able to start on Monday? Trinity has school vacation, so she’s at home, but school will be starting soon.”
“Of course. I’ll be there first thing in the morning. I’m looking forward to it.”
“So are we,” Reed said, and I could see the relief written all over his face.
I couldn’t believe that I had found a job so quickly. It had been the same with my last job. I seemed to find them easily even though I always stressed in between. And if Reed was going to be paying me double, it meant I would finally be able to save up to start my own restaurant one day. I wasn’t sure how I’d cope with looking after a child at the same time, but Trinity seemed like someone I’d get along with.
Just then the pizza arrived, and Reed and Trinity gasped at the size of it.
“This is so cool,” Trinity said as she eyed the pizza, which was almost the same size as the table.
She started giggling, and I could see Reed looking at her fondly. I felt relief wash over me. If today was an indication of how the job was going to go, I had a feeling I was going to be okay.
“Okay, let’s tuck in. Now, my belief is that manners are important and necessary in life. But when you’re eating pizza, you have to eat it with your hands. Do you agree?”
Trinity giggled. “I agree!”