I couldn't smell anything but omega from the moment Oliver walked into the room, and for a moment, my mind completely blanked, and I forgot where I was and why I was here. But he took his place behind the desk and started talking to me and I started breathing out of my mouth, letting my head clear as much as it could. I considered asking if he minded if I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, but dismissed the idea as rude. If he had been a female omega, I would have left immediately, but had few concerns as it was.

Thankfully, Oliver was all business and between my awkward mouth breathing and his focus, I was able to get back on track. 

"So tell me about your little girl," he said, and I couldn't help the smile that sprouted involuntarily. 

"She's a sweetheart," I said. "But I'm sure every parent says that about their child."

"You would hope," Oliver said, his face darkening a bit, and I remembered where I was, and why most people were here. Because there was a small but nasty part of the population that didn't treat their children well.

"Ah, well. She's three, and she loves fairies and mermaids, but especially unicorns. She may be a tad bit spoiled because she has me wrapped completely around her finger, but her current nanny, Helen, keeps us both in line."

He nodded, a noncommittal smile on his face. His eyes were very green, I realized. They just drew you into their depths if you looked at them too long. I tore my gaze away as he asked, "May I ask why her current nanny is leaving?"

"Well, she's our next-door neighbor, has been for years. But she's moving to Florida to be near her family."

I could see a tiny bit of relaxation around his eyes and realized that as much as I was supposed to be interviewing him, he was interviewing me, making sure I was a good employer. I straightened my back with that realization even as I wondered if his eyes were really that green, or if they were contacts.

"Does Chloe attend daycare?"

"No, she's always had Helen."

"Is that something you want her to do?"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Is there a reason she should?" Would he expect me to put her in daycare to cut down on his hours? 

Oliver opened his hands with a tiny shrug. "Not necessarily. Some parents like the structure it provides, and the socialization with other kids. Personally, I probably wouldn't, if I had kids, but that's probably because I'm a fool over them. I never get tired of playing and talking with them."

I nodded. "That's more of what I'm looking for." Someone to care for Chloe with, well, not necessarily a parent's level of attention, but a relative's. 

"Does she have any friends her age?"

"There's a little girl down the road Helen took her to play with sometimes, Skylar. Am I a bad parent if I admit I've never actually met the little girl? Her dad has come in with their German Shepherd for checkups. Beautiful dog. They took him in as a rescue when he was about a year and a half."

A truer smile played across Oliver's lips. "You really love animals don't you."

I shrugged. "I can't imagine anyone putting themselves through eight years of school while hating them. Well, seven if you don't count the last year of clinicals."

He laughed. "I don't know about vets, but there seem to be an awful lot of doctors who go through all that schooling and still seem to hate humans."

"I don't blame them," I snorted. "I don't like people a lot of the time, either." I tried not to think of the animals who had come through my practice showing signs of mistreatment or straight up abuse.

"You and me both," Oliver agreed, reminding me once again that he was very familiar with the dark side of humanity through his work here. 

He was young, and still had that spark of hope and change the world attitude of youth, but even I, who had just met him, could sense that fading. Chloe would be a breath of fresh air for him. There was nothing dark about my little girl. She was all light and happiness and giggles. And I thought he would do well for her. She and I both loved Helen, but she was older, and couldn't always move at a three-year-old's pace. But Oliver would probably have the energy to keep up with her. As much as any adult could keep up with a three-year-old.

I could feel my gut making my decision for my brain, and I had to bring them in alignment before I offered him anything he wanted to come be our manny.

"How do you feel about living outside of the city? I mean, we're really not that far, about thirty to forty-five minutes, if traffic isn't miserable, and we have all the basic amenities. But if you like being in the thick of the action, Norville will disappoint."

"That's actually a bonus," he admitted. "I've never been a city kind of guy, but, well, that's where the schools and jobs seem to be these days."

"And the live-in part of the job? I sometimes get called away on emergencies at night. Chloe is generally a good sleeper, so it shouldn't be difficult, but I do need someone in the house in case. And you'll absolutely have your own space. We have plenty of extra room."

"Also a bonus."

I tried to think of any other reasons this might not work out and drew a blank. "Well then, Oliver, I'd like to offer you the job. What do you think?"