The Kid, the Boss, and the Incorrigible Nanny

Part Fourteen

Kid tugged on her bun for the millionth time in ten minutes. She was early.

She really needed to talk to Donna about boundaries.

The coffee shop that had been agreed upon for this somewhat-blind date was currently teeming with college students who were stooped over textbooks and laptops, and with families scattered here and there. Every so often, a steam wand roared to life as it sank into a pitcher of cold milk to work its frothy magic. The barista had asked her twice now if she wanted anything.

Moments ticked by.

Finally, after what seemed like a small piece of eternity sucking in her breath each time the door opened, a young man walked in. He looked familiar, stood average height and had a kind face. She knew this was the guy. 

His face lit up when he saw her, and he approached her with a nervous smile. Anxious and not quite knowing what to do, she offered him a wave. 

Oh, Lord, why did I agree to this?  She glanced past him at the door he'd just entered through. Was it too late? Could she fake an upset stomach or something? Not that she'd need to lie about her stomach being upset; it had been rolling ever since she'd found out about her surprise date. On the one hand, she was excited about meeting someone new. On the other, she wasn't sure she appreciated two people going behind her back like this.

Yes, she definitely needed to talk to Donna about boundaries. And apparently this random person as well. This random — and, okay, kind of cute — man was about to find out that she didn't like surprises very well, thank you very much. 

"Hi, Kid." He was next to her now, reaching a hand out to shake hers. 

She offered one to him, cringing inside when the cold sweat on her skin met his. "Hello, uh..."

"Oh!" He slapped a palm to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm Matt."

"It's nice to meet you, Matt." Her voice was too high. And was it hot in here? She felt sweat pooling under her armpits.

"Did you order something? I'd like to pay if it's alright with you." He jabbed a thumb toward the counter. 

"Um, thank you. Sure." She cleared her throat. "Just a plain coffee is fine. With cream."

The conversation that ensued over coffee was pleasant enough. She learned that he was a software developer for a logistics business based an hour away (though she wasn't entirely certain she understood what a logistics business was), and he responded with enthusiasm when she told him she worked with kids.

"What is it like, being a nanny?" He asked. "Is it like 'The Sound of Music?'"

She laughed, a bubble of nerves escaping her chest. "What does that mean?"

"You know, the spoiled kids, frogs in places they shouldn't be. The works."

"I don't really know what you mean by 'the works,' but there's only the one boy, and he's pretty stellar." She cringed. Who says stellar?  "Well, if you don't try to feed him vegetables."

He smiled. Had he stopped smiling since he'd walked in? "Well, frankly, I'm the same way." 

They talked for over an hour, about church — they'd evidently been attending the same one for years, though she hadn't noticed him — and all of their favorite things, including movies. His was "The Godfather," which shouldn't have surprised her. It seemed like that movie was the obvious favorite of men everywhere. 

They even stayed until the coffee shop was ready to close, and she surprised herself when she accepted his offer to walk her to her car. And when they got there, they stood speaking for an hour about anything and everything they could think of until the chill of the evening began to set in. 

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know that asking your grandmother was a little..."

"Old fashioned?" She offered.

He scratched his head. "Well, I was going to say weird. But thank you for being nice about it."

"To be honest, it was kind of... different... that you asked her and not me." She looked down at her shoes. "I would have probably said yes if you'd asked me directly instead of... well, ambushing me like this." She laughed.

"Ambush?" He sounded horrified. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to — I thought she had said —"

She looked up at him, reality sinking in. "You thought she'd asked me?"

He nodded.

"Wow." She laughed.

"I really am sorry. I didn't realize that it seemed this way."

She started to shiver. It really was getting cold outside. "No. You're fine. It's just the way she is. She's a buttinski."

He balked at her. "A what?"

"A butt-in ski. Get it? Because she kind of pushed herself into my dating life?"

Ew. Did she really just say that?

"Well," He took a breath. "Even though she probably shouldn't have... and even though I should have just talked to you myself... I hope you don't mind me saying that I'm glad she did."

She paused, her eyes holding his.

"Me too."

Were those butterflies in her stomach?

A/N:

Hey, guys! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating lately. School, theatre, and work have had me crazy busy. 

That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter in KBN. I'll see you guys next time!

-J