That was the first time I’d felt out of place. Not amongst the rich people, but amongst those who were considered normal. My classmates in college talked about ski trips and spa days and theme parks. I’d never had any of that.
But I’d dealt with all of that, and I’d gone on to earn my social work degree. So there was no reason I couldn’t be assertive here too. There was no reason for me to be intimidated by people who were wealthier than I was. I took a deep breath.
I was going back downstairs. “Okay,” I said. “Let me get my shoes.”
Her half-smile showed up. I could tell she was pleased. “Wonderful,” she said. “I think you have made the right choice.”
All of my mustered-up courage stayed with me until the moment I saw Owen again. The first time I’d walked into the dining room earlier tonight, I’d been so fixated on not crashing to the floor while walking in my heels, especially since I was carrying Gabriel, that I hadn’t noticed Owen at first.
Then I had to get Gabriel in his high chair and do all the things necessary to occupy a baby at a table. While the butler was pulling my chair out, I’d noticed a man seated across from me. Then boom.
Now I was back, and again, the butler insisted on following me in and pulling my chair out. This time I knew what to expect. My mouth went dry.
I sat down and pulled my fresh napkin into my lap. Owen’s eyes were on me, I could feel his laser focus while he stared at me. Okay. I can do this. I wasn’t a kid at a grown-ups’ table, I was an adult, just like everyone else here was.
I lifted my eyes. His stare was an electric jolt that surged straight through my body. My chest felt a little tight, and my entire body flushed. Is this arousal? Had I gone my whole life and never really felt it before?
I had refused to date in high school. So many of the women in my town got pregnant in high school, and lived the same life their parents had. I wasn’t going to take that chance. In college, I dated, but only a little. I usually ended any budding relationship around the third date. The guys were nice, but I felt nothing but friendship for any of them.
This was something far different.
I’d always thought other women were pretending when they talked about how they reacted to men. I’d listened sympathetically over the years to each and every one of my friends, and even my sister, as they lamented how a gorgeous guy had failed to notice them. It had all seemed so silly to me, even though I’d worked hard to never let my reaction show.
Now, maybe I could understand what they’d felt.
“I’m glad you returned,” he said to me.
“Me too,” I responded, making sure to push my shoulders back so I didn’t slouch.
“So,” he said, in that deep voice, “you never got to tell me how you know the Laurents.”
“I met them not long ago. I just graduated from college in May of this year,” I said.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you. This spring, I was in my senior year of college, and I was starting my final internship required for graduation. I mentioned to my supervising professor that I’d never been able to travel, and I’d never left the state of Alabama. I think he was horrified, but of course he didn’t say so. I told him I was concerned about my ability to relate to clients if I was so naïve about people from anywhere but my small area.”
“That sounds like a valid concern.”
“He thought so, too,” I said. “And I told him that I wanted to travel for personal reasons, too.”
“So he knew Mr. Laurent?” Owen asked.
“Yes. My professor is on the board of the Children’s Hospital in Alabama, where Mr. Laurent is a large donor. And he said he knew someone looking for a nanny who would speak English to their child, and there would be travel included in the job.”
A quick frown passed over Owen’s face, then it was gone. No one would frown about someone donating money to a hospital.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No. That’s very kind of Mr. Laurent,” Owen said. “He’s a generous philanthropist.” He still had an odd look on his face.
“Oh. I guess you’d know about his donations, since you’re the corporate accountant.
He smiled at me. “I’m afraid I can’t discuss the details, but I bet Mr. Laurent would be happy to donate to your college if you ask.”
“He said he would. And he’s already agreed to pay for my Master’s degree, even though I won’t be working for him then.”
“Master’s degree?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ve already been accepted into the Master’s program for Social Work, but the school allowed me to defer for a year, so I could accept this position.” I had been talking about myself for a really long time. I didn’t mind, but I wanted to know more about Owen. “I wanted to practice my Spanish too. Being fluent will help me find a job once I graduate with my Master’s degree.”
“I can’t imagine you’ll have any problems finding a job,” Owen said.
“Well, thank you.”
“I’m serious. You were very devoted to the baby, and never annoyed by him. I’ve seen parents doing much worse.”
My own parents had done far worse, but there was no way I was going to let that slip out.
“Parents don’t get a break,” I said.
“So, do you have a day off?”
“I do. I’m off every Monday.” I thanked the chef as he presented me with a beautiful chocolate mousse, which smelled amazing. I was determined to change the subject from me to him. “You said you were from California. So how long have you lived here in Santiago?”
“A year,” he said. “I was working for a big investment firm in San Francisco, and the cost of living just got higher and higher. A friend told me to visit South America. He said the scenery was great, and the people were friendly, and the cost of living isn’t as crazy as California.”
“Have you been to other places in South America?”
“Yes. I’ve been to most of the countries.”
“I’m so jealous. Which is your favorite?”
“Santiago is pretty nice. But Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is unlike any other place in the world. I highly recommend it, and even if you don’t speak Portuguese, you’ll pick it up while you’re there.”
“I would love to go,” I said.
“Maybe I can give you the tour someday.”
“That would be amazing,” I responded, knowing he was only flirting with me. It wasn’t like I’d go to another country with a stranger. But he wasn’t really a stranger, not if he worked for the Laurents.
He gave me that sexy smile again, right before Amelia showed up to say that Gabriel had woken, and he wasn’t happy to see her.
“Excuse me,” I said to him. “It was so nice to see you a second time tonight.”
He stood, just like he had before, but this time he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it.
“You made this dinner exponentially better just by being here. Thank you.”
My heart thundered, just feeling his large hand on mine. This was not any ordinary handshake. It was much more than that, and I didn’t know how to handle it.