Blame It on Paris
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Aimee Ginger
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7,9M
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53
Chapter 1
Michael was deep in conversation with one of his colleagues about quarterly projections and international growth strategies—a language Anelise only half-understood—when she suddenly felt the heat of his hand settle firmly on her thigh under the table. Shock rippled through her, but so did something far more dangerous: excitement. Her skin tingled beneath the fabric of her dress, every nerve ending tuned to the pressure of his palm.
He didn't glance her way. He just kept speaking, his voice low and confident, like he hadn’t just shattered the boundary between them.
She sat still, heart pounding. This had to mean something. Or did it? Michael needed a plus-one to show off to his high-class colleagues, and Anelise—his nanny—was the most convenient choice. That's why she was here as his "date."
But his hand on her thigh? That didn’t feel like strategy.
She found herself biting her lip, wishing his fingers would inch just a little higher. Just sitting next to Michael had already been overwhelming. He was tall, with dark hair touched by streaks of grey, the kind of handsome that made you forget your own name. And there was something about the way he carried himself, calm and commanding, that made her chest tighten.
She wanted him so badly it hurt. Was it possible he felt the same thing she did—this pull, this slow-burning tension that made her skin hum whenever he was near?
But how could a man like Michael ever want her? She was just the nanny—too young, too inexperienced, and completely beneath his world.
Her mind was spinning, and her body was nearly trembling from his touch.
Anelise needed air.
She excused herself from the table and walked to the patio, the cool night air caressing her heated skin. Her slinky silk dress didn’t cover up much, but she still felt like she was going to melt into a puddle if she sat next to Michael a minute longer.
She took a deep breath and gazed out at the glittering skyline, Big Ben standing like a proud beauty amidst the other architecture.
She had to remind herself again that tonight was all just an act and that tomorrow it would be back to the real world—her the nanny, him the boss, simple. She knew that was for the best. Her body, however, strongly disagreed.
The fresh air helped and her pulse had finally returned to normal. She was just about to go back inside when she felt a familiar warm body brush up beside her at the railing. His presence, so close, made her knees feel weak.
“Something wrong?” Michael asked in his husky baritone.
She looked up at him. Even in heels, she barely reached his shoulder—he towered over her in a way that made her feel small and safe all at once.
As she looked into his clear green eyes, she suddenly found her own filling with tears. Concern etched itself into his handsome face and he lifted a hand to brush away a tear with his thumb.
“None of this is real,” she whispered.
His eyes dipped to her lips and he leaned in closer. Gently, he took her in his arms. Their faces were inches apart.
“Do you want it to be real?” he asked.
Anelise’s head spun. He was too close. She’d had too much to drink. The flowers in full bloom all around the patio filled the air with a sweetness that made her dizzy.
She knew it wasn’t the smart answer. But when she opened her mouth, all she could say was, “Yes.”
***
A few weeks earlier…
“Kathy, you can’t be serious!” Michael exclaimed, his voice echoing disbelief.
“I’m really sorry, Michael. But I’m in Vegas now with Shawn. We’re heading off on a long honeymoon,” Kathy replied.
“We’re leaving in two weeks! Two weeks! What am I supposed to do without a nanny?!” he cried out.
“I’m sorry, Michael... Could you say goodbye to Ollie for me?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Yeah, sure…” he muttered before hanging up. He tossed the phone onto the table, swearing under his breath, “Son of a bitch!”
“What’s up, Michael?” Kim Morgan asked, her brow furrowing as she set a pitcher of lemonade on the table. Kim and her husband Neil lived next door to Michael. He felt bad that the call had upended the mood of the nice neighborly dinner.
“Sorry about that outburst. My nanny just quit on me! She was supposed to come with us to Europe for my important business trip,” he spat out, leaning back in his chair and running his fingers through his hair.
“What?! Kathy just quit?!” Neil said as he walked over to the table with Ollie.
“She’s in Vegas, getting hitched!” Michael said. "And I'm screwed. I'll never find a replacement on such short notice."
“What about our daughter, Anelise?” Neil asked. "She’s almost done with her semester and she loves babysitting."
“Really? Do you think she’d be interested in spending her summer as a nanny?”
“I think this would be perfect for her!" Kim said. "She’s getting her master’s in English literature and is just starting on her thesis, so going to Europe would be really exciting to her."
“She’s a good girl, never gets in trouble, and has a 4.0," Neil chimed in. "And she doesn’t party, even though her roommate really tries to get her to!”
Michael glanced at the pictures of their daughter on the walls. She was a curvy young woman with thick glasses, dark auburn hair, and a warm smile. A quintessential bookworm. In the pictures, she looked like an awkward teen who could barely take care of herself.
“How old is she again?” Michael asked.
“She’s twenty. She’ll be turning twenty-one in October,” Kim said proudly.
That still seemed young, but what choice did Michael have?
“Can I have her number?”
Anelise was perched cross-legged on the edge of her twin bed, a messy pile of books and scribbled notes spread around her. She was making notes for the thesis proposal she planned to write over the summer. It was due after the final, but nothing she scribbled down seemed to satisfy her.
Her meeting with Professor Andrews had only confirmed her doubts. There was something missing—excitement, passion, a spark that made her feel truly inspired.
A good thesis wasn't enough. She wanted it to leave people in awe.
With a sigh, she got up and wandered to the kitchen for her daily sweet tea. It was a treat she allowed herself once a day. If she didn’t, she feared all the weight she’d worked so hard to lose might creep back. She loved how her new athletic body felt and the way her clothes fit better than ever before. More than that, she now had a quiet confidence and strength.
She was pacing around the room, trying to clear her head and buckle down to study for the rest of her finals, when her phone rang.
Seeing that it was from Chicago, she figured it could be the neighbor that her parents had said might call with an interesting proposal.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Um… Hello. May I speak with Anelise, please?” asked the caller in a deep baritone voice, which sent shivers down her spine.
“This is Anelise. How can I help you?”
“My name is Michael Whitlock. Your parents gave me your number. I’m their neighbor,” he explained.
“I know this is completely out of the blue, but I’m in a real bind. Your parents mentioned that you like kids and babysitting might be something you’d be interested in. My nanny quit yesterday and is eloping.”
“That’s pretty romantic,” she said, her smile lighting up her face.
He laughed. “I guess it is, but here’s the catch. I’m heading out of town for work for three months. She was supposed to come along and look after my son, Ollie, while I was busy. Would you be interested in doing that? I promise to pay you well.”
She chewed on her lip, considering the offer. The money could be good, and she had started to enjoy shopping with Leslie since she had lost all that weight. New outfits on a new continent—that could be fun. But she did have a lot of work to do.
“I’m not sure... I have to write my master’s thesis…”
“I know. Your parents mentioned it, but my job is sending me to London for the summer and on your days off you can explore and do research for your paper.”
“Really?!” Anelise gasped.
“Yes, we leave in thirteen days, and I’ll pay you $1500 per week. My company will cover food and accommodation. But you should know that I’ll be working a lot, and you’d be responsible for Ollie late into the night.”
Three months in London? Earning a ton of money for watching one kid? She could even quit her job at the coffee shop and not have to go back next semester!
“Are you still there?” His voice broke through her thoughts.
“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry! Yes, I’m still here, and yes, I’ll do it!” she replied excitedly.
“Really?!” Michael’s voice was filled with relief.
“Yes. I know it’s not ideal that I can’t meet you or your son before we leave. But this sounds like a good arrangement for both of us, especially if my parents gave you my number,” she said, feeling a rush of excitement.
“Oh my God. Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!” He practically shouted into the phone, his fist punching the air in triumph.
“Would it be okay if I took Ollie to some museums while we’re there?” she asked, a little unsure.
“You want to do educational things with my child? How could I possibly say no to that?” Michael laughed, making her blush at the silliness of her question.
“I’ll book you a ticket to Chicago,” he continued, “and then we can all fly to London together. A long flight will be a good chance for us to get to know each other. Oh, and you do have a passport, right?”
“Yes, I do. So I’m all set.” Anelise couldn’t help but think about how different she looked now compared to her outdated passport photo. Between the weight loss, the contacts, and her new stylish haircut, she was practically a different person.
“Do you want to come on Friday night and stay with your parents?” Michael asked, knowing they hadn’t seen each other in a while with her taking summer courses and working.
“No!” She almost shouted, “No… um, I need Friday to get things sorted. An early flight on Saturday would be great. I don’t care how early it is.”
He was a little surprised that she didn’t want to see her parents, but he didn’t push it. “That’s fine. I’ll email you all the details.”
Michael hung up, feeling unspeakably relieved that the young woman was willing to drop everything to look after his son for the summer.
Her voice lingered in his mind like an enchanting echo. It was pretty, with an almost musical quality to it. He was looking forward to hearing it more often.
“Why are you grinning like the cat that got the cream? Finally told your parents off?” Anelise’s roommate Leslie said as she walked in and tossed her purse onto the couch.
“Not yet, but listen!” Anelise launched into the story of what had happened and watched as Leslie’s eyes widened.
“So let me get this straight, your parents gave your number to a neighbor who needs a nanny for the summer and now you’re going to spend the summer in England while writing your thesis and getting paid for it?” Leslie asked.
She nodded, her excitement palpable.
“And this neighbor has a sexy voice…? Damn, Ani! You’re going to have an amazing summer! I’m so jealous!” Leslie said, as she grabbed her laptop. "And now we need to see what this guy looks like."
Leslie typed his name into Google. A few clicks and they found a photo of him in a crisp navy suit. He was tall—at least 6'4"—with striking green eyes and brown hair with a light sprinkling of grey. He had a commanding presence that practically jumped off the screen.
Leslie turned to Anelise with wide eyes. "Ani, I can say with 100% accuracy, that you are going to fall in love and have incredible sex with this guy."
Anelise burst out laughing, trying to dismiss the idea. "No way! He'll just see me as his kid's babysitter. He's too old for me."
Leslie snorted. "No, he's the exact right age. Trust me. After this rich older guy taste-test, you'll never go back to the immature dudes we have at school."
"Okay, okay," Anelise said between giggles, "he's a little bit attractive. But he's my boss, he's too old for me, and so I'm going to keep it professional."
“Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts!” Leslie said with a big laugh.
