Michael stood near the gate, nervously checking his watch. His eyes scanned the terminal again. He was nervous because he didn’t want Anelise to miss their flight, but that wasn’t the only reason. He felt anxious about meeting her, like a teenager on a first date.
He didn’t understand it. Judging by the pictures he's seen, she wasn't his type. Way too young, for starters, and more bookish than the women he usually dated. And, oh yeah, she was his nanny.
But still, he was anxious to see her. There was something about her voice. It was soft but confident, with a melodic lilt that lingered long after they hung up. She was more grown up than he'd expected—thoughtful, articulate, with a dry wit that caught him off guard. Every time they spoke, he found himself looking forward to the next call a little more than he should have.
Michael turned back around and looked at his coworkers, Craig and Ken, who were cracking up as Ollie tried to bust a move to the tunes Craig was blasting from his phone.
The three of them were headed to London to assess whether a British company was a good prospect for expansion. As the head of accounting with a background in forensic accounting, the company’s owner and CEO saw Michael as the logical choice to go, and he’d brought along his best colleagues.
“Your kid’s a hoot!” Ken chuckled, watching Ollie wiggle his diaper-clad butt.
“He gets it from me!” Craig roared with laughter. “As his godfather, I’ve got more influence than anyone thought!”
Michael just shook his head. “Sure, Craig!”
“When’s the nanny due?” Ken asked.
Michael checked his watch. “She should’ve landed about ten minutes ago. She’s supposed to meet us here.”
“And what’s she look like?” Ken wanted to know. “Are you going to be distracted all summer by your hot young nanny?”
"It's not like that," Michael said with a shrug. “She’s just here to watch Ollie and not exactly my type anyway.”
The trio chatted and played with Ollie a bit longer before they were interrupted.
“Mr. Whitlock?”
They all looked up, struck dumb by the woman standing before them.
Michael blinked - THIS woman was the same person as the awkward teen from the photos?
Anelise had the dark red hair from the pictures, but it was now pulled back into a long, thick braid. And the glasses were gone. She was wearing black jeans, stylishly ripped, a white t-shirt with a bright-blue cardigan over it, and matching Converse shoes.
Craig let out a low whistle and Ken leaned in, eyebrows raised, and whispered to Michael, "Not your type, huh? She's EVERYONE'S type, dude."
Michael, normally so collected, was frozen in place. Craig had to give him a quick nudge, snapping him out of it. He stood and offered his hand. “Uh, yeah, sorry! I’m Michael Whitlock; you must be Anelise.”
“Yes, I’m Anelise. Nice to meet you,” she said, smiling and shaking his hand. A spark seemed to pass between them at the touch. Craig and Ken were still gawking at her.
“Meet my best friend Craig Johnson, a company lawyer, and Ken Banks who handles HR and labor laws,” Michael introduced.
He then scooped up Ollie. “And this is Ollie. Ollie, buddy, this is Anelise. She’s going to hang out with you while Daddy’s at work.”
Ollie was a charmer, and Anelise was instantly smitten. He had big brown eyes that sparkled, short, light brown hair, and a mischievous grin that melted her heart.
“Hi, Ollie. I’m Ani,” she said softly, and Michael felt Ollie lean toward her. “Hi, Ani!”
Michael set Ollie down and crouched next to him. “Why don’t you show Ani what toys you’ve got in your backpack?”
Ollie grabbed Ani’s hand and pulled her over by the windows where there was room to lay out his treasures. Anelise kneeled next to Ollie and began talking with him softly about each one.
“She’s not what I was expecting at all!” Michael admitted, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Mikey, you are so screwed,” Craig snickered. “You’re sharing a hotel suite with her, right?”
“It’s not like anything’s going to happen,” Michael huffed irritably. “I’m almost old enough to be her father.”
While Ollie was occupied with his toys, Anelise sent a text to Leslie.
As Anelise started to shepherd Ollie back to his dad, a notification from the airline popped up on her phone. “Phew, looks like my luggage made it onto the plane,” she said to the men. “At least I won’t be naked when we get to the hotel!”
Michael’s laugh came out a little too strained for his liking.
“Yep, you are so screwed,” Craig whispered.
“Daddy!” Ollie squealed, “Look book!”
He was holding a new Paw Patrol coloring book. “Wow buddy! That’s so cool! Did Anelise bring that for you?” Michael asked. His son jumped up and down yelling yes and then showed Craig and Ken his newest treasure.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Michael said with a smile.
“I know, but from one of the videos you sent me, I saw that Ollie loves them, so I wanted to start off on the right foot,” she explained.
Michael smiled. “I just want to say thanks again for doing this. I can’t tell you what this means.”
“No, really the pleasure is all mine! This is like a dream come true, Sir.” She smiled, and he felt a tightening in his pants.
“Please call me Michael. Now, if we survive the flight, we’re doing okay, Anelise,” he chuckled.
“And please call me Ani. No one calls me Anelise except for my parents,” she noted, wrinkling her nose.
Michael took note of this, realizing he’d need to figure out what was going on. He gave a nod. “Ani it is.”
Anelise and Ollie went to a seat and flipped through the coloring book together, discussing each page.
“Your son seems to have taken a shine to her,” Craig murmured. “Just like his dad!”
Ken tried to stifle a laugh, but it came out as a cough.
Michael shot him a glare and managed to say, “It looks like she’s great with kids.”
Craig was still smiling, “That’s the least of your problems, buddy.”
Michael shook his head and turned away, pretending to look at something on his phone.
He glanced up at Anelise, and she shot him a smile before going back to Ollie.
Fuck, Craig was right. Living with Anelise all summer was going to bring a lot of problems.
Anelise was grinning like a kid at Christmas as she and Michael found their seats in first class. There were glasses of champagne already waiting at each seat and juice for Ollie. “I’ve never been in first class before, thank you,” she whispered to Michael as she touched his arm gently.
Her touch was light, but it sent a jolt through him. He felt his breath catch and hoped she hadn’t noticed. As they settled into their seats—Ollie at the window, Anelise in the middle, and Michael on the aisle—he glanced away, trying to keep his cool, and said, "Glad you like it."
Takeoff was a thrill for Ollie, who could barely contain his excitement. As the engines roared to life, he tugged at Michael’s sleeve. “Daddy, look! Look out the window!” he squealed, pointing with both hands.
In order to see, Michael had to lean over Anelise, and they both noticed the sudden closeness. Michael accidentally caught a glimpse down her shirt, seeing cleavage and lace.
He quickly settled back into his seat and cleared his throat.
Anelise could sense what her closeness did to him, and that only made her pulse quicken.
After takeoff, Ollie watched videos while Anelise was engrossed in a well-worn book, a pen and a pack of sticky notes at her side. Michael set aside the folder he’d been reading and turned his attention to Anelise.
“What are you reading?”
“What’s your paper about?”
“I changed my topic after you called. I saw it as an opportunity to delve into the Brontë sisters and their impact on the classic romance novel.They had an intriguing story and wrote some of my favorite novels... I’m a hopeless romantic.”
Michael noticed her cheeks turning pink and found it endearing. “There certainly seems to be a lot of that going around,” he said.
“Don’t worry, I’m not about to run off and get married in Vegas,” Anelise chuckled.
“We’ll be a lot closer to Paris,” Michael played along. “Now that’s a city fit for a wedding.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Anelise asked timidly.
“We’re going to be spending a lot of time together, so I think you’re entitled to ask a few questions.” He smiled, finding her expressions captivating. He noticed she had a habit of biting her lip when she was nervous.
And for some inexplicable reason, every time she did that, it stirred something in him, making him hard. He quickly started thinking about accounting terms to distract himself.
“Where is Ollie’s mom?” she asked, treading carefully.
Michael let out a sigh. “That’s a long story, probably longer than this flight. But the short version is, she won’t be an issue. I don’t know where she is, and she doesn’t know we’re here.”
Ani nodded. “Okay…”
“Ani, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just that...shit…that I…”
She cut him off, “You can tell me when you’re ready. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t going to be an angry woman storming in to get to him.”
Michael smiled. “Thanks for understanding. I promise, there’s no crazy woman coming here!”
As the cabin lights dimmed and the hum of the engines lulled Ollie into drowsiness, he leaned heavily against Anelise. The shift in weight pushed her toward Michael, their shoulders pressed together. She tried to stay upright, careful not to wake the sleeping child nestled against her side.
Michael noticed and smiled. He leaned in and whispered, "He's heavier than he looks, huh? Feel free to lean on me. It’s okay."
Anelise hesitated for a second, then relaxed ever so slightly, letting her head rest gently against his shoulder. The contact was warm, comforting—and electric.
Anelise eventually drifted off, her head resting against Michael's shoulder, his warmth lulling her into a deeper sleep than she'd had in weeks. As the hours passed, she snuggled closer in her sleep, her hand gripping his muscular arm.
Half-awake, she sighed contentedly, murmuring softly and squeezing what felt like the most comfortable pillow she’d ever held. Her fingers flexed slightly, tracing the solid shape beneath them.
Michael let out a low, unintentional groan.
Her eyes flew open.
Panic surged through her chest as she registered where her hand was—and whose body it was pressed against.
"Oh my God," she whispered, jerking her hand back like she’d been burned. "Michael, I—I didn’t mean—I was asleep, I swear."
"It’s okay, Ani," he said, voice low and rough. "You were asleep."
"I should get off of you," she said.
"No," he whispered, "Stay right where you are."
She could smell his cologne—clean, warm, and a little spicy. It made her head spin. He looked down at her, and she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. Her heart pounded.
The plane was quiet and dark. Everyone else was asleep. It felt like they were the only two people in the world. They stared at each other for a long beat. The moment stretched. It felt intimate. Like they might kiss.
