I clear my throat as I take my clammy hand back and subtly start rubbing it against my jean shorts.
“Anna here hasn’t stopped talking about you since she took that trip to the Dominican Republic. Isn’t that right, Anna?” she says smoothly, not noticing my current freakout.
Wait, what?
“Yes, and when Papi told me you’d be my nanny, I told him to tell Daisy immediately, since she’s one of my favorite people here.”
I release a deep breath. The tightness around my chest loosens once I realize Daisy didn’t mean she knew who I wasbecauseof my past, and I almost chuckle to myself.
Almost, because the next questions banging down the front door of my brain are whether Daisy and Mateo are close and why it is that she is Anna’s favorite person here.
As I struggle to form the psychotic question in my mind, her gigantic engagement ring catches my attention. She sees me looking, and her smile dims a fraction. “Yeah, my fiancé went a bit overboard, didn’t he?”
“It’s beautiful. Breathtaking. Massive—”
“You could see this shit from space, Isabella.” She starts laughing in a manner that doesn’t quite match the wardrobe she’s currently donning.
I’m taken aback by a woman who suddenly looks like she’s wearing a costume. Her phone lights up in her hand, and it quickly quiets her laughter.
“Sorry about that. If your dad asks, I’ve never cursed around you. Got it, kiddo?” She nods at Anna, and Anna nods right back.
“Got it. Besides, you always get me the best snacks. Why would I snitch on you?” I tug on Anna’s ponytail and laugh at her humor.
“It’s not usually my job to greet the family members, but I knew you were coming with Anna, and I just had to stop by before all the action started. Hope you don’t mind.” Slight vulnerability slips through her tone, and I wonder how a woman in a power suit somehow seems intimidated by meeting me.
And then I recognize something in her eyes. Something I’ve seen mirrored in my own reflection for years now.
She looks like she could use a friend.
I could be wrong, but I decide there’s no harm in taking the leap anyway.
“Thank you so much for stopping by. This is my first time here, so I’m a newbie.” I hesitate for a moment, hoping I’m reading the room correctly. “Listen, totally feel free to say no—I know we literally just met—but if you’d like, maybe we could exchange numbers and—”
“Yes. Absolutely!” She coughs slightly. “I mean, yeah, totally. Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself there for a second.” She laughs awkwardly. “I’m still kind of new to the city and don’t have many friends my age, so it’d be nice to hang out.” A slight panic flashes over her eyes. “Unless you only wanted to exchange numbers for game-related purposes, which is totally fine as well.”
I shake my head as I smile. I really shouldn’t derive an ounce of pleasure from seeing this sweet woman so flustered. But a teeny tiny part of me—okay maybe notthattiny—finds a form of comfort in knowing there are other women out there that are maybe just as lost as I am in the world and don’t have their entire lives perfectly put together.
Makes me feel like I’m not so alone in this journey I seem to be taking.
“Oh, I meant full-on hanging out. I don’t have many girlfriends either… actually, that’s changed recently. There’s even a group chat created and working on planning a girls’ night that should be happening soon. I don’t know if you’d be interested in that, but you’re more than welcome to join us if you’d like.”
I swear her eyes almost glass over before she composes herself and nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, that sounds incredible, actually. Here.” She thrusts her phone into my hand, and I dial my number into it, then call myself. Once my screen lights up, I lift it and say, “Okay, got it.” I end the call and hand her back her phone as I start saving her contact information. “I’m Isabella Morales, by the way. Unless you want to save me as Isabella Nanny or whatever works best for you.”
“Isabella Morales,” she murmurs as she types. “Got it.”
“And you’re Daisy…”
She cringes a bit before whispering something I can’t make out.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your last name. What was it again?”
I can see the wheels turning in her head until a look of resignation takes over her face and she says, “Stonehaven. My name is Daisy Stonehaven.”
Ho-ly shit.
For a second, I contemplate playing it off like I don’t know the Stonehaven name, but then I realize I’d be doing what I hate being done to me. So I keep it honest.
“I’m not going to lie. For a split second I was going to play dumb and act as if I’ve never heard that name before, but I know a thing or two about name notoriety, so I’ll spare you the bullshit and let you know that I’m aware of who you must be.”
