Chapter Four
Kelly looked up at the house that stood before her. It wasn’t something she saw every day, but it was similar to the other homes in the Sweet Hallow community. They were all large houses with brick walls and elaborate porches. She had opted for a taxi instead of the bus, knowing that there was no way she would be able to find a bus to take her here. None of the people who lived in this area would need to take public transport.
After leaving Oscar’s office the previous day, she had gone on to discuss the idea with her mother and father. Her mother had been totally against it and so was her father. The thought of having their baby girl away from them was causing them more grief than she had imagined. Kelly had managed to sell them on the idea when she promised to visit and stay over at least once a week. This had made the conversation easier, since she had already decided she wanted to take the job. She had done this not because she was particularly excited about being a nanny, but because she was interested to see who Oscar really was and why she had the consistent urge to throw herself at him.
She walked up to the gate and was greeted by someone over the intercom. After giving her name and explaining who she was, the gate rolled open and she walked in. Halfway to the door, she noticed someone standing there waiting for her. It was a woman and she was dressed in some sort of uniform. Kelly panicked and wondered whether her jeans and a simple t-shirt would be good enough.
“Hi, you must be Kelly,” the older woman said, smiling at her. “I’m afraid Mr. Moretti had to run out for a few hours and won’t be able to meet with you to do the orientation. He has, however, asked me to get you situated.”
Kelly smiled and nodded.
“Come in.”
Kelly crossed the threshold and was mesmerized by the beautiful décor. It was strange that a man with such masculine taste could live in a house so properly balanced.
“You can leave your bag by the door,” the woman told her. “I’m Margret, by the way. You can call me Maggie.”
Kelly noted the genuine smile and the way she seemed at ease. They spent little over half an hour touring the house. Kelly was shown to April’s wing, where the little girl stayed and she would also room. She was shown a bit of Oscar’s side of the house, which only had his bedroom, a library and his personal office. The rest of the house consisted of a kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, a gym and, to her surprise, an outdoor pool and tennis court.
“Is that all?” Kelly asked, when they were back in the foyer.
“Yes, that’s all. Your bag has been taken to your room. If you can find your way, I suggest you head on up there and unpack. I think Mr. Moretti will be here soon and he has little April with him.”
Kelly took her advice and went to her room and unpacked the few clothes she had brought. She hoped her salary would be enough that she could get a few more child-friendly outfits before the month ended.
A while later, there was a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said.
The door opened to reveal Oscar who, as usual, was dressed in a well-fitted suit. She was so caught up in looking at him that she almost missed the little girl who was clinging to his hand. She turned her gaze to the little girl, who was looking at her in veiled horror. Kelly tilted her head to the side, the way her little sister used to do when she met strangers, and began to look at her. To her relief, the little girl also tilted her head to the side and looked at Kelly.
“Nice to see you have gotten yourself settled,” Oscar said, smiling at her.
“Yes, Maggie really helped me to get settled,” Kelly replied, with a smile.
“Yes, she’s a sweetheart,” Oscar said. “Listen, Maggie is going to watch April for a bit. I need you to join me in my office so that I can discuss a few things with you.”
“Sure,” Kelly replied, following him out of her room and into his study. April had run off to find Maggie.
“Take a seat,” Oscar said, when they were in his office. “Now, as you can tell, my daughter is very precious to me,” he said, holding her gaze from where he sat across his desk.
Kelly nodded.
“I just wanted her to have female companionship, since her mother up and left her. That woman should have never had a child. I’m just happy that I have custody so April can grow up in an environment that’s safe for her,” Oscar said.
“I understand,” Kelly replied.
“Now, on to business. I leased a car for you to use while you’re under my employ. It comes equipped with a child seat and everything you might need to take April around. Of course, you can use it for your personal purposes if necessary. I assume you have a driver’s license?”
“I do,” Kelly replied.
He rifled through a few documents on his desk and passed one across the table to her. She looked down and realized it was her contract. She looked at the salary and almost choked on her own tongue.
“Is this the right amount?” she asked, handing the contract back to him.
“Yes,” Oscar replied, smiling. “I did say you would be paid considerably well.”
“That’s an exorbitant figure,” Kelly said.
“All my personal employees are paid the same standard fee,” Oscar said.
Kelly was silent.
“That’s all for now,” Oscar said. “You should take the contract and review it. You will only be responsible for April at an emotional level. The rest is being taken care of by her various tutors. You can take her out, take her swimming. Whatever you think would fascinate a little girl, as long as it can’t harm her.”
“I think I understand,” Kelly responded.
“Are your parents alright with this?” Oscar asked.
“They came around,” she replied. “I just have to visit them once a week.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Oscar replied, standing and walking towards her. “Can I assume you won’t be running off with a boyfriend of some sort?”
“Oh no, no worries there,” Kelly replied. She noted the way that Oscar raised his brow.
“No problem there? I would have thought a beautiful girl like you would be swimming in broken hearts,” he said, pinning her with an intense stare.
This made Kelly laugh nervously. She was beginning to find him a bit more relatable than the stone-faced millionaire she had always imagined him to be.
“I guess I’m not attracted to most of the guys in my peer group,” she said thoughtfully.
“Why is that?” Oscar asked.
“They’re quite different from what I grew up expecting men should be like. It seems that they’re more interested in virtual reality than actual reality.”
“Wow, such strong words from such a young mind,” Oscar said, giving her a genuine smile.
“Well, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, being boyfriend-less and all,” Kelly replied.
“So, what do you think men should be?” Oscar asked.
“Not self-obsessed,” Kelly replied. “I’ve seen the way my father treats my mother, and he waits on her every beck and call as if they were his own needs.”
“I guess all that was a different time,” Oscar said. “I could say the same thing of women in your generation. Take April’s mother, for instance.”
“She did seem quite young,” Kelly said, referring to when she had met Julianna on the sidewalk.
“Our relationship was a mistake. I should have seen it from the minute we met. The only good thing it produced was my daughter,” Oscar said.
“And now?” Kelly asked.
“Now I’m more focused on raising my daughter than anything else,” he said.
Kelly saw the look in his eyes when he looked at her. She could tell he wanted to say something else but held himself back.
“Well, if that’s all,” she said, standing, “I’d like to spend a bit more time getting to know April.”
“The sooner the better,” Oscar said.
Kelly walked out of his office, leaving him to stare after her. She was once again surprised at her attraction for Oscar.