“Hello,” Jake said.
“Hi,” Salina responded. And she noticed in Jake’s eyes the same expression she had seen the night of the charity event. Then, she had thought he was simply brooding. Now she recognized the look for what it was—sadness.
“Thanks for coming right away,” Jake said.
“No problem. I’m happy to help out.”
“Come in.”
Jake stepped backward so that she could enter the apartment, and Salina did so, looking around as she did. The first thing she noticed was the high ceiling, probably around ten feet. The living room area was large, with polished oak floors. Salina guessed that this space alone was probably twelve hundred square feet or so. The unit boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with an incredible view of the New York skyline. Though it was dark outside, Salina could see the Chrysler building in the distance.
Jake’s furnishings were tasteful and elegant. A sandy-beige-colored sectional was near one window in the living room, which looked soft and comfortable. A matching recliner was opposite that sofa close to one of the walls. On the main wall facing the large sectional was a giant plasma television, likely sixty inches.
Unlike Donald’s residence, this condo didn’t feel sterile. It felt homey. In fact, there were toys scattered over the floor in front of the sectional—little horse figurines and stuffed animals. And as Salina walked farther into the living room, she could see that there was a little girl sleeping peacefully on the sofa, a knit blanket wrapped over her small frame.
“Oh, my goodness, she’s adorable,” Salina couldn’t help exclaiming. And she was. The little girl’s hair was done in two pigtails, and she had one of the cutest little faces Salina had ever seen. Round, like a cherub. She looked like a little angel.
“Thank you,” Jake said, a smile touching his lips. Then he faced Salina once more. “I realize that we never talked about a price. I just offered you the job and you accepted. But rest assured, the salary I’m offering is going to be well worth your time.”
And then Jake told her a figure, and Salina was flabbergasted. It was more than she had expected. At least double what she thought he might offer—and very generous.
“Will that be okay?” Jake asked.
“Okay? That’s more than okay. In fact, it’s quite generous. Thank you.”
“No. Thank you. You are really helping me out here.”
“What time do you expect me to arrive for work?”
“I know you’re in Brooklyn, and really what I need is someone to be here in the mornings with Riquet, and get her up, get her dressed for preschool. At noon, she needs to be picked up from her preschool, and you would take care of her in the afternoon. She has a number of activities she’s involved in, like her art class, ballet, piano lessons and gymnastics. Four days of the week, she has something to do in the afternoons. That also includes scheduled play dates.
Maria has the schedule set, which I’ll show you.” He paused. “I know this is sudden, but you’ll have a pretty demanding schedule, so I was thinking that, with you living in Brooklyn, it’d be better if you lived here for the time being.”
Salina swallowed. “You want me to live here?”
“Ideally, yes. I’d love for you to be a live-in nanny, like Maria was. Like Maria is,” he corrected. “I think it will be much simpler that way.”
Salina hadn’t considered that the position would be live-in, but it made sense, given the fact that she didn’t live down the street from him. The commute every morning on a crowded subway would be stressful and annoying.
She said, “I understand.”
“If you’re not comfortable with that, then by all means you can feel free to come in each day. That said, your job will begin at six-thirty in the morning. I think it would be easier for you if you were right here on the premises and didn’t have to add extra time to your day by coming and going.”
“Yes, that makes sense.” Salina paused, crossed her arms over her chest. “I feel I should disclose something here—in case it’s a concern to you. I’ve never been a nanny before. I’ve only worked in day care.”
“Well, your sister speaks very highly of you. I trust her opinion and her judgment. If she says you’d be a great nanny, I believe her.”
Salina nodded. “I appreciate that.”
“I’m the one who’s grateful.” He paused briefly. “Let me show you your bedroom. Whether or not you decide to commute each day, you can use this bedroom as your private space while you’re here.”
“Okay.”
Salina followed Jake to the right, to the hallway that led to two bedrooms. On the wall, she noticed a series of portraits of Jake, a toddler and a beautiful dark-skinned woman with shoulder-length hair and a warm, earnest smile.
Jake’s late wife.
“Right here,” Jake said.
At the sound of his voice, Salina hustled forward to the bedroom door he had just opened. As she walked into the room, she was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. The bedroom was a decent size, with an oak four-poster bed decorated to a woman’s sensibilities. There was a desk in the room, as well as a recliner in the corner beside the window. This window also went from the ceiling to the floor. Salina walked toward it and looked outside. She smiled at the sight of the East River.
Turning to Jake, she said, “Your condo has amazing views.”
“It’s a beautiful location. The views are priceless.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“This is the bedroom where Maria sleeps,” Jake explained. “Should you decide to live in while you’re working for me, this is where you’ll sleep, as well.”
Salina nodded.
“You probably have friends you hang out with, and maybe you’re dating. Once Riquet is in bed, you’re free for the evening, and you can head out and do whatever you like. I usually work late, but on occasion I get home around six, so if you have particular plans or want to head out to shop, eat or simply have some downtime, you’re free to do that.”
“Right,” Salina said.
“You’ll find there’s room in the closet for your clothes should you decide to live here for the next two weeks, and there’s also a bathroom off this bedroom that you would have all to yourself.”
“Excellent.” One of Salina’s reservations over the idea of living here while working for Jake was the idea that she might not have enough personal space during her off hours. But the condo was large and had enough room for her to have a space to call her own.
“I think I heard Riquet,” Jake said suddenly, and walked past Salina out of the bedroom. As he passed her, she got a whiff of his cologne. It was a musky scent that flirted with her nostrils.
Salina wrapped her
