"Up and at ‘em, kiddo!” Darlene said from the entrance of Hannah's bedroom. "Interview day!"
The next morning went by in a strange blur. Hannah saw her aunt off as she left for her trip, and as soon as the door shut behind her, Hannah couldn't help but feel alone and lost once again. But when she checked her phone and saw that her interview was in an hour, she realized that she didn't have time to sit around and worry about things. Hannah went through her clothes, finding the most presentable outfit she could and, after ironing it, threw it on in a flash. She didn't have time to do anything fancy with her hair, so she put it up in a ponytail and checked herself out in the mirror.
As always, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she looked at her body. Hannah knew that she had a pretty face—nearly everyone she met was eager to tell her so, but she also knew that she was a little curvier than the average girl. Hannah knew that loving yourself no matter what was something she needed to take to heart, but as she looked over her big thighs, her full bottom, and her breasts that constantly seemed to be on the verge of bursting through whatever shirt she was wearing, she couldn't help but wish she looked more like the waifish, model-types that she'd always seen in New York.
Absolutely the wrong thing to be thinking about now, she scolded herself, finishing up her look and heading out the door.
She followed Google Maps, making her way to the downtown area of San Francisco where the interview location was. Soon, she arrived at a towering skyscraper that seemed to reach up all the way into the cloudless blue sky above. Standing in front of it, Hannah couldn't help but feel small and insignificant. And on top of everything, she couldn't shake the strange feeling she got from the whole thing.
Hannah entered the sleek, modern lobby and checked in at the front desk. The pretty girl seated behind the large desk looked over Hannah skeptically when she told her she was there for an interview with Ladon Nanny Services, but once the girl confirmed her identity, she sent her on her way toward the elevators. Strangely, in front of the elevator that Hannah had been directed to, there stood a tall, burly guard in a sharp, black-and-white suit. Once Hannah approached, he asked her for her ID.
"Um, the girl at the desk already checked it," she said.
But he only held out a meaty palm and glared at her so sternly that Hannah could see it through the dark lenses of his sunglasses. Hannah placed the ID in his hand, and once he confirmed she was who she said she was, he directed her into the elevator and stepped into it with her. There was only one button in the elevator, and after he pressed it they were on their way.
Soon after, the doors opened up to reveal a sleek, spacious, modern office that bustled with activity. Men and women in sharp suits darted here and there, and the sounds of phones ringing, printers printing and coworkers chatting filled the air.
"Pretty fancy for a nanny service,” Hannah said as the burly man led her through the office floor.
But he said nothing in response, his bulldog face staring straight ahead.
Eventually, the pair arrived at a large set of black double doors. The man turned to Hannah and spoke.
"You're meeting Mr. Price. Address him as such, and be on your best behavior. He's not a forgiving man."
With that stern warning left hanging in the hair, the man rapped on the door and headed back in the direction of the elevators.
"Come in," came a low, sonorous voice from within the office.
Hannah looked up at the huge double doors, feeling small in front of them.
That was probably the point. She placed her hand on the stainless-steel handle and opened the door.
The office that she revealed took her breath away. The back walls were floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto the San Francisco skyline and the bay beyond. The ceilings seemed to stretch up into the sky, and the entire room was a large circle appointed with contemporary furniture. And in the back center of the room was a tall, broad-shouldered man in an exquisitely-tailored coal-black suit, his back facing Hannah as he stood between his massive desk and the windows that looked out onto the city.
"Hannah Ashford," he said, his face forward and his large hands clasped behind his back.
"That's me,” Hannah said in a small voice.
She was completely cowed by the office and the man within. Part of her wanted to turn tail and run right out of there.
"Have a seat."
His voice was strange. It was at once low and stern, but also with a trace of melody to it. It struck Hannah as the kind of voice that was made to address boardrooms or even auditoriums. Hannah, her steps small, took a seat in one of the black, high-backed chairs across from the desk.
"Welcome," he said. "I'm Alexander Price."
"Hi,” Hannah said, still barely able to speak above a whisper. "Nice to meet you."
"I've spent the morning going over your information," he said, "as well as completing a thorough background check. On paper, you seem to be just the candidate I'm looking for."
"You're looking for?" asked Hannah. "Does that mean I'd be working for you?"
He chuckled dryly.
"That's a bit presumptuous," he said.
"I mean,” Hannah said, wishing she could somehow stuff the words back into her mouth. "I mean, if I got the job. If you were so nice as to hire me. I mean, if this interview goes well and you want to have me work for you...”
Shut up, shut up.
The man responded only by turning his head slightly, not enough for Hannah to make out his face, but enough for her to see a smirk appear on what looked to be a pair of absolutely delicious lips.
"Feeling a little tense?" he asked.
Hannah didn't know whether to be truthful or not.
"Well, a little," she said, feeling the tension loosen a little now that she'd been given the opportunity to speak her mind. "I mean, this all wasn't what I was expecting for an interview at a nanny service."
"That's because this isn't any ordinary nanny service."
Then, the man turned and Hannah was face-to-face with the most beautiful man she'd seen in person. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with the kind of body with which you could just tell was developed underneath that expensive-looking suit. His eyes were a striking, ice blue and narrowed in a mildly mischievous way below thick, black eyebrows. His hair was as black as his suit, with a little gray around his temples. His nose was a perfect line, strong and straight, and his lips were beyond sensual. And all of these features were framed perfectly in a face of hard angles and high cheekbones. Hannah couldn't tell exactly how old he was, but he appeared to her to be anywhere from his late thirties to his mid-forties.
"I, um, see that,” Hannah said, now finding it hard to speak. "Are you…the president?"
He smirked. "No," he said. "Though I do own a small part of this business in an investment capacity. I'm your client."
Hannah gulped hard.
"And as the one you'd be working for, it's customary for the client to do the interviewing. Cuts through a lot of the bullshit, if you'll excuse my language."
"Um, excused,” Hannah said.
"Why, thank you," he said as he stepped away from his window and slid into the large chair behind his desk. "So, first of all, let me tell you a little about the job. I'm in a…particular line of work with odd hours and frequent trips out of the city. So, I need a nanny who would be able to live with me at my home and watch my six-year-old daughter."
"Of course,” Hannah said.
"As I said, your qualifications look to be what I'm looking for. I see that you have a degree from NYU. Felt like a change of scenery?"
"Something like that,” Hannah said, shifting in her seat. “I felt ready for a change. I have family here, and my aunt mentioned there were a lot of nanny positions in the city. I am very passionate about working with children.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow, seeming to pick up on the fact that Hannah was hiding some important details.
"So, no more," he said. "I know all about keeping things close to the chest. Hence the NDA."
"About that…” Hannah said. "What...I mean…why?"
"Because there are certain aspects of this job, as well as myself, that simply can't be made known. Nothing shady, nothing criminal, nothing that would put you in any danger. But the company that I work for operates with discretion, and I can't risk having anyone know about the details of my line of work without being held within strict legal constraints."
"So," he continued, "with that in mind, for this interview to continue, I'll be needing you to sign the NDA now. Is that going to be a problem?"
Hannah wasn't sure how to feel about all of this.
"What's the process like after that?"
"Well, seeing as how I already have all of the information that I need on you, the rest would be simple formalities, followed by a probationary period."
"And I'd be living with you?" asked Hannah.
"That's right. Don't worry, there's more than enough space for you at my apartment. You'd have your own room, and live rent-free."
Alexander's eyebrows raised, as if he'd just remembered something.
"Ah, and your salary," he said, snatching a piece of paper from a nearby notepad and jotting something down with a pen that appeared to Hannah to be just as expensive and well-made as everything else in this office. "This would be your monthly salary, with bonuses for every six months that you remain in my service."
He folded the piece of paper in half and pushed it toward Hannah. She took it from the desk, opened it up, and red the number.
Holy shit. This was, like, real job money.
"And you'd, of course, have full benefits. This could be a good opportunity for you; with no rent or living expenses to worry about, you'd be able to save quite a bit of money over the next year or so for whatever next you have in mind. Assuming you'd be interested in moving on, that is."
"No kidding,” Hannah said, her eyes still locked onto the salary. "But, um, is there a catch?"
Alexander smirked again. He then leaned forward and pressed a button on his intercom.
"Send in Mr. Welsh," he said.
Before Hannah had a chance to react, the office door opened and a thin, reedy man in a business suit swooped in, a black folder in his hand that he placed in front of Hannah on the desk. Hannah looked over and saw that it was the NDA that Alexander had referred to. But other than basic information, she couldn't make heads or tails of any of the legalese.
"This is the catch,” Alexander said. "Everything that happens at my home, stays at my home. You can tell your friends and family what you're doing, of course, and other details of the sort, but anything about my work is to be strictly kept secret."
Hannah gulped again, noticing that Alexander's tone was a perfect blend of "professional" and "deadly serious."
"So, if I sign this, then I have the job?"
"You'll be on a probationary period, just to make sure you're up to the task. You'll be paid for your time, of course."
Hannah looked back down at the document in front of her, a small black ‘X' at the bottom where she was to sign.
Ah, fuck it. She grabbed the pen and scrawled her name at the bottom.
"Excellent,” Alexander said as the lawyer snatched up the NDA and headed out of the room as quickly as he came. "Let's get started."