My Lucky Groom (Summer Grooms Series) (4 page)

The front door opened, and Nanette stuck her head outside.
“Hey, Ventura! When will you be home?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered, remembering Mary’s warning. Fearing
the look in Nanette’s eyes, she purposely stretched the truth a bit. “The
interviews could take all day.”

“All day, but not into the night, eh?” Nanette said with a
wink. “Just be sure you’re home for dinner. I have a special surprise in store.
For you and Mary both!”

That was all she needed, Nanette trying to make her
disastrous day
better.

Ventura hiked up her skirt and ran down the street, her damp
hair flying behind her. She hadn’t had time to dry it, much less press it flat
with that torture implement Mary called the
Magic
Wand of Fashion.
She was halfway down the escalator when she heard a light
rip
. Ventura glanced down in horror to
see her hose had run right at mid-thigh. Well maybe her skirt would cover it.
If not, she’d primly cross her legs.
What
a mother of a day this is turning out to be
, Ventura thought, springing
into the silver Metro car seconds before metal doors closed.

Ventura gripped the handrail, studying the Metro map
plastered on the wall and catching her breath. She thought she was supposed to
take the Blue Line. But maybe she’d made the wrong connection at Metro Center.
What if she was headed to Northern Virginia when her interview was downtown?

“Need help?”

Ventura turned her attention from the map on the wall toward
his voice, encountering that incredibly handsome face. “Richard!” she cried,
scarcely able to believe it. Here she stood, looking perfectly horrible, and
his gorgeous brown eyes were gazing at her.

He grinned, apparently pleased by her recognition. “I’m
surprised that you remember.” As if in a million years she could forget. “We
met at the gala a few weeks ago. It’s Ventura, isn’t it?”

She nodded numbly, wanting to sink through the subway car’s
floor. How he’d positively identified her based on how she’d looked before and
the way she did now, she had no idea.

“You look different.”

She sucked in a breath, wanting to die.

“Have you changed your hair?”

“It’s, um…” She nervously flipped wet tresses back over her
shoulder. “Just not dry yet.”

He appraised her with a nod. “Well, I like it this way. Very
natural.”

“Oh.”

“So many people in this city are into pretense. Overdoing
everything, when sometimes it’s best to just let things be.”

“Yes.”

“So, where are you headed?”

“I have an interview on K Street.”

“Which end?”

“I have the address right… Hang on a second.” She fumbled in
her purse for her billfold, then pulled it out and flipped it open. She’d written
the particulars on a Post-it note, which she’d tucked in the flap for cash. She
pulled it out and handed it over. To her dismay, she saw something else had
stuck to its gummy back.

Richard studied the address, then, feeling something on the
back of the Post-it, turned it over and read the message on her secret fortune.
Ventura winced.

His face warmed all over. “I keep a four-leaf clover in my
pocket, you know.”

“You do not,” she said, barely breathing the words.

He shrugged noncommittally. “Suit yourself.”

Ventura reached over and pulled the white slip of paper off
the Post-it, then jammed it back in her wallet. “I have no idea how that got
there,” she said with a little laugh. “Could have been there for ages.”

“Really?”

Subway bells chimed, and the doors slid open as new groups
of passengers boarded and disembarked, but Ventura felt unable to move a
muscle. She just stood there, caught up in his gorgeous dark eyes.

Richard stepped a few inches closer, and Ventura’s heart
hammered harder. “Ventura,” he said as the doors clipped shut, “I think that
was your stop.”

Lucky for her, Richard took pity on her plight and offered
to escort her to Farragut North. They stood saying their good-byes outside the station,
in the small park adjoining the square. An azure sky opened up above them while
pigeons fluttered all around.

“I hope your interview goes well.”

“Thanks for getting me here. I never would have made it
alone.”

“You’ll get the hang of things quickly enough.”

“I hope so.”

He studied her a moment, considering something. “I wish I
could offer you a spot at the magazine, but we’ve got a really small shop.”

“It’s all right, I understand.”

He nodded and pulled a business card from his jacket. “Say
Ventura… You wouldn’t consider…? I mean, I know it might seem out of line for
me to suggest…”

Ventura’s pulse picked up a notch as she met his gaze. Was
he about to ask her to lunch? Maybe even out for dinner?”

“But I do have an opening at home.”

“Home?”

“Help watching my kids.” His handsome face registered
concern. “We had some trouble with our last nanny.”

Ventura’s world caved in on her. Naturally, she should have
known. There she’d been thinking that Richard was flirting with her, angling to
ask her on a date. When all he’d wanted in truth was domestic assistance.

“I’m afraid I’m not in the nanny business.”

“But you do have experience? With children, I mean?”

“Well, of course, I babysat in high school. A little bit in
college too.” Ventura stopped herself. Where was this going? She didn’t need to
provide explanations to this man. She was here to work in journalism and had spent
a lot of time going to school for it besides. “I appreciate the thought,” she
finally said. “But I’m really looking for something different.”

“Of course you are,” he said with kind understanding, but he
handed her his card just the same. “I hope you’ll take this anyway. Just in
case.”

“Just in case?”

“You come across someone who might be qualified?” He raised
his brow with a hopeful expression. “You can have them reach me here.”

Mary widened her eyes at Ventura,
then
glanced toward the kitchen. “I think we should serve dessert.” They sat in the
dining room with two of Nanette’s late-day surprises. Even in her scariest
dreams, Ventura couldn’t have imagined anything this bad.

Ventura plucked Larry’s clammy grip from her knee. “Sounds
like a plan.”

“Don’t be in such a hurry, darlin’,” Larry purred. Ventura
pushed back in her chair, its legs loudly scraping the wooden floorboards
beneath it. He was impossibly thin and
old
.
For sure pushing fifty, with a balding head and bulging eyes that were charcoal
in color like his pilled sweater vest.

Ventura cleared their plates and scurried toward the kitchen,
fighting the urge to retch.

“Wait for me!” Mary yelped, clanking silverware together as
she nabbed things off the table and hurried after her.
But
not quickly enough.
Potbellied Louis leaned back in his chair to pinch
her butt with a chortle when she passed by, muttering something about bringing
him plenty of sugar.

“You boys are so bad!” Nanette said, slapping her end of the
table with a giggle. “Next time, you’ll have to bring a friend for me.”

Mary passed through the swinging kitchen door with a gasp.
“What did I tell you?”

Ventura dumped her dishes in the sink in disbelief. “Those
guys are at least twice our age.”

“Politicians think they can get away with it.”

“Yuck!”

“No joke.”

Ventura heaved a sigh and leaned back against the counter.
“What was Nanette thinking?”

“Maybe they looked good to
her.
” Mary shrugged. “Her judgement’s not all that, you know.”

“I wish we’d had some warning.”

“Nanette’s sneaky that way. Though she’ll usually drop a
hint.” Mary suspiciously eyed Ventura. “Did she say anything to you? Anything
at all?”

“She might have made some mild suggestion on my way out the
door this morning.” Ventura grimaced. “But honestly, I had no idea.”

“No, of course you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry this had to happen to you on your first day of your
new job. How did it go?”

“I burned the coffee.”

“I’m sure they’ll forgive you.”

“Four times.”

“But I thought you’d worked at a coffee shop?”

“Serving, not cooking.”

“Well, I missed my Metro stop.”

“You what?”

She smiled mysteriously. “That didn’t mean I couldn’t find a
Washington hottie to help me.”

“Ventura! What are you talking about? You met someone?”

“I saw Richard,” Ventura whispered. “And, oh my goodness,
Mary, I looked a total wreck.”

Mary paused a beat to study her. “You don’t look bad now.”

“It was worse in the morning with run pantyhose and wild wet
hair.”

Mary cupped her mouth with her hand. “Are you serious?”

“Naturally, Richard was as put together as always.”

“He’s impeccable, that one is. I want the name of his
tailor.”

Ventura produced Richard’s business card. “Well, you can
call him and ask.”

Mary expression brightened. “Nice work. He gave you his
card? What’s up?”

Ventura felt her face fall at the admission. “He wants a
nanny.”

“That’s it?”

“Oh, girls!” Nanette hollered from the next room. “Your
gentlemen friends are growing restless!”

Mary opened her mouth and stuck in a finger, making a
gagging motion.

Ventura giggled before growing serious again. “What are we
doing to do?”

“We’ve got to get rid of them.”

“The sooner the better. But how?”

Mary pursed her lips in thought, then pulled a carton of ice
cream from the freezer with an evil grin. “Men a la mode?” she whispered to
Ventura. And then, much more loudly, she called to Nanette, “Coming right up!”

A few minutes later, Ventura primly carted in dessert plates
loaded with generous slices of pecan pie. Mary followed with a container of ice
cream and a solid silver scoop.

Larry eyed Ventura lasciviously as she set down his plate.
“Why, thanks, sweetness.”

Mary coquettishly batted her eyelashes. “Ice cream with
that?”

Larry licked his lips, and Ventura shuddered. “Tasty-tasty.”

With incredible cool, Mary dug a huge mound of ice cream out
of the box then… “Whoops! Oh, heavens to Betsy!” she proclaimed, putting on an
exaggerated Southern tone. “Just what have I done?”

“Hey!” Larry spewed, springing from his chair as the cold
ball of French Vanilla landed square in his lap.

Ventura set down Louis’s dessert with a smile. “How about
you?”

“I’m sure he wants some too,” Mary went on without skipping a
beat. Before Louis could get another word out, she’d scooped out two more hunks
of ice cream and “Uh-oh!”

“Oh dear.” Ventura brought her hands to her cheeks,
surveying the double balls nestled together above Louis’s plaid pants.

He pushed back in his chair with a scowl, sweeping the ice
cream balls off his lap and onto the Oriental carpet under the table.

“My good rug!” Nanette cried with dismay.

Louis stood haughtily, joining Larry by the door in the
foyer.

“I don’t think that was any kind of accident,” Larry
scolded, still dabbing his slacks with his hanky.

Nanette stood from her chair, clearly offended. “Now, I’m
sure they didn’t do that on purpose.”

“Of course not,” Mary said before Ventura added, “We’re so
sorry.”

“Harrumph!” Larry leaned forward to wipe Louis’s crotch, and
Louis slapped him. “Stop that! We’re in public now!”

The girls raised their brows at each other.

“Why don’t we all sit back down—” Nanette began.

“Not on your life, sister.” Louis already had his hand on
the knob and was pulling the front door open.

A few minutes later, the three women leaned out the door and
watched the men scamper down the
sidewalk,
their knees
bent out sideways like bow-legged cowboys.

“Don’t forget to call!” Nanette yelled after them, which
only made them move faster.

Chapter Four

Jason smiled politely at the preppy blonde in pearls as he
walked her to the door. “Thanks so much for stopping by. We’ll get back to you
by the end of the week.”

After seeing her outside, he returned to Richard, who sat
with his elbows on his desk, head in hands. “None of them are any good.”

“I didn’t think Helga was so horrible.”

Richard set his palms on his desk and stared at him. “She
was scary. Admit it.”

“Okay. Just a tiny bit. But Ricky and Elisa need discipline.
You said so yourself.”

“Not
that
kind.
The woman didn’t even smile.”

“So maybe she has dental problems?”

“You’re not helping her case.”

Jason sat heavily in a chair. “Guess I’m not.” He flipped
back through his tablet and shook his head. “Looks like we’ve gone through all
of them.”

“Maybe we need to up what we’re paying?” Richard suggested.

“We’re already paying double the going rate.”

“I don’t want just anyone looking after my kids.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“She has to be smart.”

“Naturally.”

“Attentive.”

“Goes without saying.”

“Nimble enough to think on her feet.”

“And in the car.”

Richard spouted a laugh. “Too true.” He smiled at Jason,
grateful to have him in his company, not just as an assistant
but
as a friend. He’d been asking too much of him these past
few weeks, having him pick up some nanny duties in addition to his already
demanding job. Richard had to find a solution to this and soon. “Any brilliant
thoughts?”

“We can call some of the local colleges. A few have
babysitting lists.”

“I don’t know how the scheduling would work for somebody
taking classes, but I guess we could give that a whirl.”