Nanny

23

Kate

They were there.

All three of them.

Adam stood next to the desk, his sleeves rolled up to show his freckled forearms. He removed his glasses, cleaned them with a cloth from his pocket, then put them back on. He gave me an awkward smile.

On the other side of the desk, leaning against the doorframe to the workout area, was Mathias. He was wearing his usual workout shorts and tank top, and had his enormous arms crossed over his chest. He grinned widely at me, just like he had after our kiss.

And sitting behind the desk between them was Braxton Nash. He wore a three-piece suit even though he had just gotten off a trans-Pacific flight, and had his fingers steepled on the desk. His raven hair looked like he had just gotten a haircut, and his dark eyes considered me from across the room.

"Are you going to just stand in the doorway, or come in?" Braxton asked. "You look like you want to run away."

I kind of do, I thought to myself, but I made myself walk up to the desk. This was it. The three of them had been talking and knew that I was fooling around with each of them. They were pissed at me, and had chosen to confront me together. How could I have been so stupid?

My mouth was dry. I licked my lips but it barely added any moisture. "First, let me apologize for—"

Braxton held up a hand, silencing me instantly. "We have something to tell you first, if you will indulge us."

I tried to swallow, failed, and then croaked, "Okay."

Braxton got up from the high-backed chair, walked around the desk, and then sat on the front edge. His hands gripped the wood tightly, like he was angry. I steeled myself for what was to come.

"Last week you asked about the old nanny," Braxton began. "I was upset you brought it up, but now I think it's time you learned what happened."

I nodded.

"Her name was Leslie." He said the word slowly, pronouncing both syllables with care. "She was a lot like you. Young, charismatic, beautiful. The twins loved her like she was the mother they never had. She was good at her job, never complained, and took care of the twins with stern, but fair, discipline. Every room she walked into immediately became happier and warmer. For the first time since my wife and I divorced, my penthouse felt like a real home.

"So," he went on, "naturally, I fell in love with her."

Ahh, I thought. That's why he's sensitive about it. Suddenly everything made sense.

But the story was only just beginning.

"Leslie and I were inseparable." Braxton's hands gripped the edge of the desk tighter. "We ate every meal together. I made time to go downstairs for lunch every day, too. I began bringing her on trips with me, hiring a second, part-time nanny to watch the twins when we were gone. She accompanied me to events around town. For all intents and purposes, we were together. And we were happy."

He turned to look at Adam, who nodded and took over the story. "She wasn't just with Mr. Nash, though. She was with me a lot of the time too. As she accompanied him on trips and to other events, I saw as much of her as I did of him. And..."

He paused to scratch the back of his neck.

"We were together, too," he finally said. "We had fallen in love as well. How could we not?"

I was stunned. I was shocked. I didn't know what to say. And before I could say anything, another bombshell was dropped.

"I was with her as well!" Mathias declared. "Leslie and I had a relationship that was quite physical in nature! Whenever she did not accompany Brax and Adam on a trip, she and I would squirrel ourselves away in the bedroom and not come out until we were in need of nourishment and electrolytes. Often times..."