Eleanor & Grey Read online

  When we were about three blocks away from the high school, Karla hollered. “No! Stop here!”

  I glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow. “What? Why?”

  “No nanny has ever pulled up to the school and dropped me off in the past ten months.”

  I laughed. “What? That can’t be true.”

  “It is true. The last thing I need is to be embarrassed by having an adult drop me off in an expensive-ass car like a freaking ugly diva and then have everybody watch me limp into the building. It’s high school—everyone’s an asshole, even to the crippled girl. So, if you could please just stop the car,” she ordered, her tone filled with nothing but attitude and sass.

  I pulled over to the side of the road and placed the car in park.

  I felt bad for her, even though she would’ve hated my pity, but she was just so young and so…angry. I didn’t know much about her because she seemed to mainly keep to herself, and whoever it was she’d been typing nonstop to online. Even when I cleaned her room, there wasn’t much to tell me about the girl who lived in that space. She didn’t have any posters, no books on her shelves, no personality. The room was as cold and distant as the girl who lay her head there.

  I wasn’t one to give up easily, though. I’d break through to Karla somehow, some way, even if it took forever and a day to do so.

  As she began to climb out of the car, I turned to face her. “Listen, I know people in high school can be jerks, and if there’s anyone who is bothering you, you can talk to me. I can be your safety net,” I offered. “Or I can talk to the principal. Whatever you need, Karla, I’m here.”

  She rolled her eyes so hard, I wasn’t sure if she’d ever see correctly again. “Can you not do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Act like the ‘cool’ nanny. Listen, just because you work for my father, it doesn’t mean you get to act like you know me. We’ve known each other for like, two hours. You’re nothing to me, and I’m sure it won’t take long for my father to find a reason to fire you, too. So, don’t get comfortable. You’re just another temporary thing.”

  Without even another breath, she got out of the car and started off in the direction of school, leaving me sitting there completely dumbfounded.

  Being a nanny might turn out to be harder than I’d expected with Karla East as one of the children. Being cutthroat was in her nature, and bruising easily was in mine.

  We were in for quite a ride, that was for sure.

  29

  Eleanor

  “What do you mean she growled?” Shay laughed on the other end of our call as I prepped for dinner. I’d been quick to call my cousin, who was nice enough to take her lunch break early to listen to my crazy life.

  “I mean exactly that. She growled at me, over and over again.”

  “No, no, no. Wait, like a literal growl?”

  “Shay, she went grrr! Grrrr!” I attempted to recreate Karla’s beautiful sounds. “Grrrr! Like a freaking lion.”

  Shay kept giggling nonstop, completely overtaken by the comedy of errors that had been my morning. At least someone was getting a kick out of it. “I’m not going to lie, I think I really like this girl,” she commented.

  “Yeah, well, wait until the day she growls at you.”

  “Well, hey, at least you’re working again, you know. It’s just crazy that you’re nannying for Greyson’s kids. I mean, holy crap, Greyson East has children—plural, as in more than one.”

  “I know. Isn’t it nuts? They look just like him, too.”

  “So, is it still there?”

  “Is what still there?”

  “The chemistry between you and him from all those years ago.”

  I snickered. “You mean that teenage chemistry of hormones and grief? Uh, no. I’m pretty sure I left that in the past with most of my cardigans.”

  “I still think you should be rocking cardigans. It was your signature look! No one could pull off those sweaters like you could.”

  “Yeah, but you know after they got ruined in my last relationship, I kind of let the cardigan idea go.”

  I hadn’t the best track record with dating. Actually, I might’ve had the worst track record to date. For some reason, I always found myself going toward the unhealthiest type of men. Yet the worst of them all was Alex—the therapist. When we lived together, he tried to help me through my personal issues. Even though I hated when he’d go therapist mode with me, I listened. Then, after one night of me crying about missing my mother, he thought he could help me through my issues by throwing out all the cardigans Mom made for me. He told me letting them go was a part of the healing process of grief.

  I personally considered if killing him was worth the orange jumpsuit.

  That day was one of the top five saddest days of my life.

  “So, are you one hundred percent sure there’s nothing there between you and Greyson? Does your heart skip a beat when he walks into a room? Do you two randomly run into one another and he brushes against your arm? Do you trip and he magically shows up to catch you just in time? Do you casually take note of his biceps?”

  “Oh, my gosh, Shay, stop it.”

  “So, that’s a yes.”

  “No, that’s me saying that you’ve been watching too much of Bachelor in Paradise and you have an unrealistic view of what reality is. Greyson is a widower and I am in no way looking for a relationship. There is definitely no chemistry between us. If anything, I’m pretty sure he goes out of his way to avoid me.”

  “Oh, yes. Based on my knowledge, you two are right on track for a successful television series. Season one, episode one: ‘The Tale of Distant Lovers’.” I swore I could see her stupidly grinning from ear to ear, pleased with her cleverness.

  “I’m going to hang up on you now.”

  “Okay, but please keep me in the loop. I need to know when episode nine happens!”

  “And what’s episode nine?”

  “‘When Lips Slip and Tongues Twist’.”

  I snickered. “Goodbye, Shay.”

  “Okay, bye! Oh, wait! I’ll pay you five bucks if you growl back at the girl when you pick her up from school.”

  I laughed even more. “Goodbye, Shay.”

  “Bye!”

  As I hung up the phone, I still had a smile on my face. Leave it to Shay to make an uncomfortable situation into a comedy.

  My father had been ignoring my calls.

  I only knew because he wasn’t totally up on how calls worked on cell phones, and he always sent me to voicemail after the first two or three rings. I kept calling, though, because that was what I did. I kept checking on him even though he never did the same to me.

  It was crazy to me how our relationship had devolved over the years, turning into something that was so one-sided. It was hard to believe there had ever been a time we were truly close. Sometimes that fact felt more like fiction, as if I had just made up the time when we meant the world to each other.

  I hung up my phone after another failed attempt to get in touch with him, and then I sat down at the table for lunch on Thursday, waiting for Allison to arrive for our checkup date.

  “Sorry, sorry, traffic is crazy on this side of town,” Allison said, hurrying into the café looking as perfect as ever.

  “No worries. I just arrived about ten minutes ago.”

  She took a seat and tossed her jacket off. “Well, I’m glad you weren’t waiting too long, but still, I’m sorry. So, how has it been going so far?” Allison asked.

  “I think she hates me,” I said.

  “Who hates you?”

  “Karla. She hates me.”

  Allison laughed, shaking her head. “She doesn’t hate you.”

  “Well, she doesn’t like me very much, that’s for sure.”

  “She’s just a hard one to crack, that’s all. She gets that from her father,” Allison remarked.

  “Greyson is nothing like I remember. It’s chilling, actually, being around him. I mean, I get it, but still…when we w
ere younger, he was a completely different person.”

  “If you had met him ten months ago, he’d probably have resembled the boy you once knew. At first, I thought the coldness was just from grief, from dealing with such a tragic situation, but now I wonder if this is just the new normal, if he’s always going to be this way.”

  “How do you handle it? The coldness?”

  “I don’t take it personally, because it’s not about me. I’m good at disconnecting my job from my real life. Whenever Greyson is in a shitty mood, I remind myself that it has nothing to do with me, because I’m really good at what I do. I’m the best assistant he could ever have. His moods are his own, so I don’t take it to heart. You should do the same with Karla.”

  I smirked. “That sounds amazing…if only I could learn to not take things personally.”

  “Nothing in life is personal, not really. Some people will love you for who you are today, others will hate you for it, and none of their opinions matter either way—not the good or the bad. Only you can define who you are. No one else has that right.”

  “How did you ever get to that point? To the point of not caring what others thought?”

  “The three Ms: maturity, meditation, and marijuana.” She winked playfully, but I didn’t think she was kidding at all. “Seriously, though, a word of advice: if you want to survive your job, you need to not take Karla’s attitude to heart. She’s been through a lot these past months, and it’s made her hard. She will do her best to break you down to the point of you wanting to quit. Don’t let her bully you. Stand your ground. Also, understand that some things run differently in the East household. Think of it as more of a building that holds three individuals as opposed to being a home. That homey feeling left the day Nicole passed away.”

  “She was their glue, their foundation,” I whispered, feeling a knot in my stomach. I knew how that felt—losing the backbone of one’s family. When Mom passed away, my house had come tumbling down, and Dad had been too exhausted to even think about rebuilding.

  “Nicole was everyone’s favorite thing…” Allison took in a deep breath, then released it slowly. It was obvious that Nicole hadn’t just meant a lot to her family, but to Allison as well. “Anyway, just go into it knowing that, knowing the family isn’t the normal definition of family. If you do that, you can manage your expectations. I know you probably feel the need to try to fix things, but you can’t fix a home that isn’t seen as broken by the people who live within those walls.”

  “That’s heartbreaking.”

  “It is, but it’s just their reality for the time being. Their hurts are still so fresh. The best advice I can give you is to stay in your lane and learn to bite your tongue. Stick to the to-do lists, and you’ll do just fine.”

  “I guess you’re right. It’s their lives, and I’m just an employee.”

  “Exactly. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s best that way. So, what else is on the agenda for this afternoon?”

  “Well, I pick the girls up from school, then I drop Lorelai off at karate. Next I go to the physical therapy appointment with Karla. Then, I’ll toss in the dinner I prepped earlier today.”

  “One more day of work tomorrow, and then it’s the weekend!” Allison smiled. “Any fun plans?”

  “Oh, you know, an exciting weekend of Netflix and reading.”

  “I love seeing women living their best lives,” she joked, glancing at her watch. “Okay, I have to get back to work. Enjoy every second of your weekend. Call if you need anything!”

  Allison paid the bill then hurried off.

  As the day went on and I picked up the girls from school, Lorelai talked and talked about her day and how great her teacher was, how great her friends were. She was a nonstop chatterbox, and when I dropped her for karate, she kept chatting even when I was on my way back to the car to take Karla to physical therapy.

  I much preferred when Lorelai was around, because I dreaded the silence that came when it was just Karla and me.

  “So…how was school today?” I asked Karla, glancing toward her through the rearview mirror. She looked up for a split second before looking back to her cell phone.

  I’d been completely ignored, though that wasn’t shocking.

  “Sounds wonderful,” I muttered to myself.

  We pulled up to the physical therapy center and headed inside. The front desk receptionist checked us in, giving big smiles to us both, and then she had us go into a back room where Karla’s appointment would take place.

  It seemed her physical therapy was to keep up her strength. They performed a lot of muscle exercises, and Karla was extremely good at almost every one that was tossed her way.

  I waited by the door where chairs were placed for family members.

  When the door to the room opened, I was a bit shocked when I looked up to see Greyson walking in. He had on the same hard expression he always did and was dressed in yet another tailored suit and tie, of course. He walked over to the empty chair beside me.

  “Greyson, hi,” I said breathlessly, sitting up a bit straighter. “I didn’t except you to be here.”

  “At my daughter’s physical therapy appointment? Of course I’d be here,” he replied dryly.

  Right. Of course.

  Uncomfortable silence. I wondered if it was uncomfortable for him, too, or if I was just overthinking it all.

  I had a tendency to overthink certain subjects at times.

  “She’s doing really great,” I commented, nodding toward Karla. “Both of the girls are really. Lorelai had a fantastic week so far, and she’s been talking about how she’s really looking forward to going to her grandparents’ house this weekend. I think it’s nice that the girls get to spend that much time with their grandparents.”

  He didn’t speak a word.

  So, I kept yapping, because the less he talked, the more nervous I became. “Lorelai seems to be really into art. I looked up some art programs in the area if you’d be interested in me forwarding the information to you.”

  Was I speaking out loud? Were words even coming out of my mouth? Because Greyson was reacting as if I were a ghost, and he couldn’t hear a word I was saying.

  “She’s really talented and—” I started again, and I watched his body physically cringe.

  “We don’t have to do this, Eleanor,” he interjected, still not looking my way.

  “Do what?”

  “Engage with each other.” He ran his hand along his jawline before dropping it and clasping his fingers together.

  “Oh, right. Sorry. I just figured you’d want to be updated on my first week.”

  “I already received updates from Allison.”

  “Right, of course, but just so you know, I’m completely okay with updating you each day, since we are around one another. I can stop by your office before I head home. Going through Allison is good and all, but I feel that sometimes she just relays the information without giving you the heart of things. I think us communicating would be wise. Plus, if you think about it—”

  “No,” he cut in.

  “What?”

  “I said no. That’s not going to happen. You will report to Allison, end of story.”

  “But, Greyson—”

  “Please, Eleanor,” he pleaded. He begged me to stop talking. As if the idea of me reporting to him was too much, as if interacting with me was a huge burden.

  I took a deep breath, feeling my skin crawl. He was definitely not the boy I’d once known. “Sorry, Greyson. All I am saying is, I really feel like you should be involved with everything.”

  “I am involved.”

  Yeah, right.

  Just because he showed up to an appointment once a week and waved goodbye to Lorelai in the morning before leaving for work, that didn’t make him an involved parent.

  But I bit my tongue.

  Stay in your lane, Eleanor. Stay in your lane.

  It was just so hard to do that when the boy I’d once loved would’ve never been so cold.
/>   30

  Eleanor

  FROM: [email protected]

  TO: [email protected]

  DATE: January 18, 9:54 PM

  SUBJECT: Work Standards.

  Eleanor,

  After our interaction this afternoon, I feel it is important to go over some guidelines on working for me. Firstly, I believe it is best that you address me as Mr. East from here on out. I believe it will make things less personal. Since you are an employee, this is appropriate behavior, and it is how all my previous employees have been told to approach me. It is nothing personal, merely a business standard that is expected. I appreciate you upholding this structure moving forward.

  Please note that you are to take any and all updates directly to Allison as opposed to bringing them to me. This is of the utmost importance, as I am a very busy individual and I do not have the time or patience to be bothered at your will. I am running a huge corporation, and the last thing I need is for the nanny to occupy my valuable time speaking out of turn about piano lessons.

  As to that matter, Lorelai will continue her lessons, end of story.

  I believe Allison has already informed you of the three-strike process. Please respect these rules and keep them at the forefront of your mind as we move forward.

  Warm regards,

  -Mr. East

  FROM: [email protected]

  TO: [email protected]

  DATE: January 18, 10:16 PM

  SUBJECT: Re: Work Standards.

  Aye aye, Captain.

  Er, sorry, I mean Mr. East.

  Lukewarm regards,

  -Eleanor

  FROM: [email protected]

  TO: [email protected]

  DATE: January 18, 10:34 PM

  SUBJECT: Re: Re: Work Standards.

  Eleanor,

  Your sarcasm is ill-received.

  Please be more cognizant of acting your age.

  Strike one.

  Warm regards,

  -Mr. East