“Huh?” I say, rubbing my eyes. “Job offer?”
“It’s from a woman called Maria. She wants to know if you’d like to nanny her kid this summer. Maisie.”
“Ooh.” I sit up, pushing fuzzy curls out of my face, and reach for the phone. “I love Maisie. I swear to god, she is the cutest little kid. I haven’t seen her since the beginning of last year, she’ll be so big!” I tap out a quick message.
Hi Maria, I’m not sure what my schedule will be like this summer, do you have a deadline you need to know by? Give Maisie my love, tell her I miss her!
I feel breath on my shoulder, and glance up to see Seb watching the screen. “You’re considering it?” He sounds shocked. “Are you still advertising for work online?”
“Well. Yeah. My details and stuff are all available. Obviously, I can’t work full-time, but I wouldn’t mind picking up an odd weekend or evening job.”
“Maisie doesn’t sound like a weekend job,” he points out reproachfully. “It sounds like she wants you full-time.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“So,” he prompts after a pause. “Are you going to do it?”
I smile. “Uh, that’s kind of up to you, babe.”
“Up to me?”
“Yeah. You never told me how long you wanted me to nanny for Cami. If you’re done with me by the summer, then I’ll take Maisie on. She’s got some sensory processing issues, it would probably be a lot easier for her if her nanny is someone she already knows.”
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. This hasn’t been a normal nannying job. Instead of just taking care of Cami, I’ve been teaching Seb the skills to look after her himself. He’s learned so much, and gained so much confidence, that soon he won’t need me at all, especially with Jack and Cyrus to help him. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to bow out and let him take over.
I’ll miss nannying for Cami, of course, but I’ll still see her every day. I practically live here.
I wriggle as Cyrus rolls closer and sucks my nipple into his mouth. “Fuck, Cy—”
“Don’t mind me,” he mumbles sleepily, laving me with his tongue. “Just suckin’ a tit.”
I can feel the tension in Seb’s body behind me. “So?” I wiggle my phone at him. “Any ideas? It’s fine if you want to leave it open-ended, but I really think you’re getting to the point where I’m a bit redundant. You’re a great dad.” I squeeze his thigh. “You can do most of this by yourself.”
Seb doesn’t say anything for a few long moments, his face in shadow. Eventually, he nods, as if he’s come to some sort of decision. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“My employment? Uh oh.” I jolt as Cyrus nibbles me gently, pushing his head away. “Let me guess. I’m getting fired for fucking my bosses.”
“What—no?”
“You’re getting promoted for fucking your bosses,” Cyrus says. “I will personally give you a bonus every time you suck my dick.”
I roll my eyes. “Kinda making me sound like a hooker, Cy.”
“I know loads of hookers. They’re great girls.” He trails his finger up the side of my ribcage. “Okay, what about, I give you a lap dance every time you suck my dick?”
I consider. “Can I pick the music?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “No. I know how your mind works. I’m not grinding on you to ‘Is This The Way to Amarillo’, or any song from Six the Musical.”
I grin. “Please? It would be so funny—”
“I’m taking Cami to New York with us,” Sebastian says.
We all go silent. I stare at him, shocked. “What?” I whisper.
“I’m sorry, since when?” Cy says. “I mean, I’d love to have ladybug with me. But she doesn’t even have a passport.”
I’m glad he’s as surprised as I am. We haven’t discussed this at all. I assumed that I’d be staying in the guys’ flat and looking after Cami for the next week. I’ve already drawn up a whole schedule of activities we can do, so she won’t miss her dads too much.
Sebastian nods. “I fast-tracked the paperwork. Her passport arrived this morning. I want her to come with us to America.”
“Oh.” I bite my lip. “Um, are you sure? She’s very small. Travelling with tiny babies is hard enough when you’re on holiday; how are you going to manage when you have work to do?”
He shrugs. “There’s three of us, isn’t there? I’m sure we can do it.”
“But—”
His eyes flare. “You said I can look after her myself,” he says firmly. “That’s what I’m going to do.”
“Right.” I was going to suggest a slightly more gradual shift of responsibility, but okay. Going from having a full-time nanny to taking an infant on a business trip alone seems like kind of a leap. I rub the edge of the sheet between my fingers. “Um, a little bit more warning would be nice.”
He nods. “It was an eleventh-hour decision. I know it’s inconvenient for you. We can pay you for the time that we’re out there.”
I shake my head. “You’re not paying me for work I’ve not done.” I glance back at my phone. “It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll find something else to do.”
Cyrus starts mouthing at my cleavage again, making me twitch.
“Maybe you should call Maisie’s mum,” Seb offers, an odd edge in his voice.
“Yeah. I guess.”
There’s a sudden shout from the lounge. I check the clock on the bedside table. “Baby’s past due some more painkillers.”
Seb goes to slide off the bed, but I put a hand on his thigh to stop him. “I’ll do it. We only have a tiny bottle. Can’t have her spitting it all back on you.”
Sebastian hasn’t quite gotten the hang of giving babies medicine yet, and Cami really doesn’t like the taste. I think one of his fancy shirts is probably stained irrevocably.
Cyrus moans deeply as I pull away from him, reaching after me. “Hey! I was busy!”
“Suck Jack’s nips,” I offer, grabbing one of the guys’ shirts.
When I step into the lounge, it’s dark, only illuminated by the city lights outside the windows and the little teddy-shaped night light glowing by the crib. Cami is whimpering in her cot, rubbing her pink cheek with her tiny hand.
“Oh, poor baby.” I pick her up, cuddling her close. “It hurts, huh? It’s okay, it’ll stop soon, love, I promise.”
She looks up at me with huge, wet eyes, then flops against my chest and sobs quietly.
I keep her on my hip as I pour out the spoonful of medicine, then sit on the exercise ball Cyrus brought home last week, bouncing her gently as I coax the pink syrup into her mouth. When she finally swallows it, grimacing, I take her on a little walk around the apartment, trying to soothe her back to sleep. As we pass Cyrus’s room, I can hear the guys talking.
“—we’re taking Cami, why not just take Beth as well?” Cyrus asks, his voice low. “The suite is already paid for, and the convention said they could comp us a couple more plane tickets. They’re loaded, they don’t give a shit.”
My eyes widen. I go still, clutching Cami to me.
I don’t particularly want to go to America—I hate flying with a burning passion—but I think I could get over my fear for a week with these guys. Even if they’re working twenty-four-seven, it would still be better than being completely alone all week. Sebastian and Jack would probably be busy, but I bet Cyrus would have some free time. We could take Cami to zoos and parks, maybe go out for dinner a couple of nights—
“No,” Sebastian says, effortlessly popping my daydream bubble. “She can’t come.”
His tone makes my blood go cold.
“Why not?” Cyrus asks. “It makes way more sense to bring her. She can help take care of ladybug when we’re doing panels and presentations, and whatever. Cami would be much happier going out, than being stuck in our suite for a whole week.”
“We don’t need her,” Sebastian insists. “I don’t need her.”
My heart squeezes. I lean against the wall, blood thumping in my ears. “Beth isn’t going to work for us forever,” he continues, his voice hard. “We need to stop relying on her so much.”
“I don’t think she should come, either,” Jack says quietly. “She’ll just be a distraction.”
Cyrus sounds exasperated. “She’s a nanny. She’s supposed to make your life easier, not harder.”
“Well. She doesn’t.” Jack pauses. “I don’t want her there.”
I feel like I’ve been stabbed through the ribs by a javelin.
I don’t want her there.
Cami finally sighs and softens in my arms, her little head thunking down against my shoulder. I kiss her and pop her back into her crib, my movements automatic and robotic. My mind is whirring as I stand and stare at her, sleeping peacefully on the crumpled sheets.
A light flicks on in the hallway, and I hear footsteps behind me. Two strong arms wind around my waist, and I’m pulled into a hard, muscled chest.
“Come to bed?” Jack murmurs in my ear, and I nod, letting him lead me back into the bedroom.
