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Perhaps she should have been firmer with him before. When he’d started with the little smiles and touches, maybe she should have made it clear to him that he was crossing the lines of professional conduct.
But it was too late now to change the past. All Salina could do was move forward.
And as she got onto the subway car and sank into a seat in the corner, all she could wonder was how something that had started with such promise could go so terribly wrong.
But what had happened in Donald’s penthouse suite proved the adage true: that if something seemed too good to be true, then it was.
Donald Martin may have been one of the best chefs in New York city, but the price to learn the ropes from him had proved too steep.
The opportunity of a lifetime, gone in an instant. God help her, how would Salina ever accomplish her dream now?
Chapter 2
Three weeks later Salina was still in the dumps over what had happened with Donald Martin. She had applied at many more restaurants, hoping that she would have some success in landing another apprenticeship position. She had anything but. She didn’t know if Donald had bad-mouthed her in any way, but suspected that he hadn’t. Indeed, if he was smart, he wouldn’t. He had to know that if he did anything to hinder her opportunities for employment, she could easily let the world know about his failed seduction plan. And given the fact that he knew Salina’s sister was a lawyer—one who specialized in civil litigation—the thought must have come to him that Salina would slap him with a lawsuit if he tried to mess with her possible future employment in any way.
No, Salina believed that prospects were grim because the economic downturn had affected many restaurants to the point where they weren’t taking on any new employees. What that meant for her was that she was going to have to go back to her original plan—go to culinary school in order to see her dream fulfilled. And after the experience she had with Donald, she valued the idea of taking the regular route to success, as opposed to the shortcut. That said, the regular route was going to take her years and thousands of dollars. Thousands of dollars for culinary school that she didn’t have.
She had two options. Either she could head back to Buffalo and once again work in day care, or she was going to have to find something else to do in the city. She was loving the vibe of New York and wanted to stay. But she needed to stand on her own two feet and not live off her sister.
There was another reason she didn’t want to head back to Buffalo. All her friends and family there had had such high hopes for her when she told them she was heading to New York to work as a chef. She didn’t want to go back to her hometown with her tail between her legs, as the saying went, because that would be admitting she had failed.
She was at home on Thursday evening looking through the classifieds and trying to see what other positions might be available when her sister came in the door and practically sang, “I have the perfect opportunity for you.”
“What kind of opportunity?” Salina asked.
“The kind that means cash,” Emma replied, smiling brightly. She wore her hair short, the style Halle Berry had made famous, with bangs falling over her forehead. It was a professional look, easy to maintain and suited Emma’s face very well.
Salina narrowed her eyes as she stared at her sister. “Ah, I get it. You want me to start pulling my weight around here,” she joked.
“You know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want or need,” Emma told her. She approached the table where Salina was sitting, and placed her briefcase on it. “Seriously, though. I think I have the answer for your job woes. At least for a little while.”
Salina put down the paper she had been reading, feeling hopeful for the first time in three weeks. “You got me an interview for a job? What kind of job?” The answer came to her a moment later. “Oh, I know. The receptionist at your law firm finally quit, didn’t she?”
Salina wasn’t sure she wanted to do reception work, as it wasn’t the kind of job that would advance her particular career interest. But the truth was, she was at a point where she had to acknowledge that beggars couldn’t be choosers. She would do what she had to in order to accomplish her bigger goal.
And that goal was to fund her way through culinary school.
“No, not a receptionist.” Emma began to unbutton her coat. “It’s in a field you’ve worked in before—well, sort of—so I think it’s right up your alley.”
Salina narrowed her eyes at her sister. “I’m confused.”
“Of course you’re confused. How many job avenues have you followed?”
Emma smiled wryly, and Salina had to concede that her sister had a point. It was true that she had, in her short twenty-seven years, contemplated about four major career paths. She had become a lifeguard at seventeen, and thought for sure she would end up working in that field for a very long time. Not simply as a lifeguard, but in management at a recreation center. She enjoyed working with children, and especially enjoyed the summer programs where she had helped inner-city kids learn how to swim.
Her love of working with children had led her to her second career path: working in day care. She had done so for four years, hoping to one day have her own child-care company. However, she found that she got too attached to the little darlings in the day care, and when they left to go to school, or because their parents moved, Salina had always been deeply saddened. She realized just how easy it was to get attached to children, and that had her rethinking her career choice.
She had gone on a totally different career path after that, applying to get onto the police force. Again, she’d been interested in doing a job where she could help people and be a positive role model, and she felt she could do that as a police officer in the city of Buffalo. She had gone through the initial physical training and study—and then realized that law enforcement wasn’t for her.
Just six months ago she had decided to pursue her latest passion: cooking. All her life she had liked to cook, to make meals and desserts for family and friends. After hearing a radio show where a woman had talked about how people should turn their passion into a career, the proverbial light-bulb had turned on in her brain. She loved to cook. She should become a chef.
Salina had done her research and learned that it would cost a small fortune to go to a respected culinary school. But there were other ways to achieve her dream. If she could be hired as an apprentice, she could learn the ropes from a master and gain the skills necessary to become a chef and open her own restaurant one day.
“Can’t guess?” Emma asked.
“Well, I know it’s not going to be police work,” Salina said, smiling sweetly. “Is there a community pool that needs a lifeguard?”
“I’ve gotten you a job as a nanny,” Emma told her, since she clearly couldn’t guess.
“A nanny?” Salina asked. “I’ve never been a nanny.”
“That’s why I said that it was sort of in a field you’ve worked in before. A colleague at my law firm needs someone immediately. His nanny had to go to Mexico for a family emergency, and he’s left in a bind. He needs someone right away.”
“But I’ve never been a nanny,” Salina repeated.
“But you’ve worked in day care. You worked in day care for four years. That’s a long time, and that’s relevant experience.”
Salina frowned, but realized that her sister was right. She did have experience, and she could work as a nanny, even if she hadn’t officially done so in the past. “Who needs the nanny? Is it someone I met before?”
“Jake McKnight,” Emma replied. “And yes, you met him.”
Even before Emma said that Salina had met him, a vivid image of Jake McKnight came into Salina’s mind. She had met him at the same charity event where she’d met Donald Martin, albeit briefly.
What Salina remembered was that he was a very attractive man, and one who had stayed at the charity event for a very short time. Initially, upon meeting him and shaking his hand, Salina’s interest had been piqued. In fact, she had been surprised at her instant interest in Jake McKnight. Perhaps because it had been such a long time since she had been involved with anyone—the last guy being an aspiring musician she had met at a friend’s party in Buffalo—she had been particularly susceptible to an attractive face, not to mention a body that was clearly fine. But after that initial handshake, Jake turned away from her and greeted the next person, and so on. As Salina had watched him, she had come to the conclusion that he was the brooding sort. He hadn’t been smiling, but he had made the rounds at the event, greeting everyone, and then he quickly left. Salina had gotten the impression that he was not the kind of guy who liked to socialize.
“I met him at that charity event,” Salina said.
“That’s right,” Emma said. “Jake’s a really nice guy, and had the misfortune of losing his wife two years ago. It was a tragic accident. Slippery roads, and her car skidded off the highway into a ditch, hitting a tree. Jake was devastated.”
“Oh, how awful!” Salina said. Now she understood why he was brooding. To lose someone you loved so unexpectedly and in such a horrible way, had to be absolutely heartbreaking.
“Like I said, he’s in a bind,” Emma explained. “His nanny is from Mexico, and apparently her mother is gravely ill. She had to leave immediately, and with Jake being a single parent, he needs help. He can’t very well bring his daughter to the office every day. He had to today though, which is how I got to know about his issue. I told him that you were looking for work and that you had extensive experience in day care. He was immediately interested. This will be a win-win situation. A good temporary job for you, and a lifesaver for him.”
Salina was relieved to hear the word temporary. As much as she had enjoyed working in day care, despite the emotional downfalls, she didn’t want a career in child care anymore. She loved kids, but her goal was to become a chef.
“How temporary?” Salina asked.
“Probably two weeks,” Emma said. “That’s what he said. His nanny got on a plane two days ago. I get the sense that she’s going to be in touch with him to let him know exactly how much time she needs, but two weeks was her best guess. He did say that her mother was gravely ill, so if she passes away, who knows? I suspect it could be anywhere from two weeks to four, depending on how much time Maria might want to spend with family dealing with funeral arrangements and so forth, if it comes to that.”
Salina considered her sister’s proposition. “I agree that this might be a great temporary job for me, but what if I get a call about permanent employment?”
“You can cross that bridge when you get to it,” Emma told her. “Probably within the time that it would take for Maria to go to Mexico and return, you wouldn’t be starting your new position yet. And if you don’t get a job in the meantime, at least you’ll have some income.”
Salina nodded, but she wasn’t entirely convinced. “How old is his child?”
“He has a little girl, and she’s four. From what I witnessed of her in the office, she is very well behaved.”
“Four. That’s such a darling age,” Salina commented. The problem however, was that with four-year-olds—cute as a button and typically loads of fun—you got attached to them more easily. At least, Salina always had.
“You’re going to do it, right?” Emma asked.
Did Salina really have any other choice? She would be helping out her sister’s colleague and herself in the process. “I—I guess.”
“You don’t sound excited,” Emma commented.
“It’s not exactly what I had in mind in terms of employment, but like you say, I’ve had some experience in day care, so I’m sure I can do an adequate job. And as long as it’s only temporary, and I don’t have to worry about my true career goal being derailed.” And if this job helped to put extra money in her pocket so that she could fund culinary school, all the better.
“Great,” Emma said. “I told Jake you would call him this evening, arrange to meet him immediately.”
“What?”
“I told you, he’s urgently in need of someone. There’s no time to waste.”
“Where does he live?”
“He’s in Manhattan,” Emma explained. “Actually, United Nations Plaza. The Trump World Tower residences there.”
“That’s a nice address,” Salina said. And even though she knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help thinking about Donald Martin, a man with money who had felt that he was entitled to something extra from her. Salina didn’t like the idea of possibly meeting another wealthy man who had expectations of something on the side for his pleasure.
“Don’t worry,” Emma said, and Salina knew that her sister had read her thoughts. They were close that way, and could often gauge what each other was thinking. “Jake is a true gentleman, and in fact, he hasn’t even dated since his wife’s death. He has totally thrown himself into work. Jake’s not going to do anything crazy.”
Salina nodded. “Course not. You know him, and you wouldn’t recommend me for the job if you thought there was anything untoward about him. I just couldn’t help thinking about Donald for a moment. I guess that I may be a little jaded.”
“I know,” Emma said. “And I told you that you totally need to slap Donald’s behind with a lawsuit. What he did to you was out of line and unconscionable.”
Salina raised her hand. “I know, but a lawsuit would be emotionally taxing, and mean that I have to see him in court, not to mention spend money that I don’t have.”
“I wouldn’t charge you,” Emma said. “You know I would do it for the satisfaction of seeing a jerk like him go down.”
“Well, there would have to be some cost. Court costs, I don’t know. The bottom line is, the most important cost to me would be the emotional one. And I’m not willing to pay it.” Salina spoke firmly, hoping to put an end to this discussion once and for all. She knew her sister loved her and had her best interests at heart, but the idea of justice for her was not the same as Emma’s thoughts on justice.
To turn the conversation away from the ugly experience she only wanted to forget, Salina said, “So, you want me to call Jake now?”
“Yes, that would be great. I told him to expect your call.” Emma smiled sheepishly, the look saying that she knew her sister would have said yes to the deal all along.
“All right, give me his number.”
Emma rattled off the phone number, and then explained that Jake should be at home because he had left work early with his daughter.
“I’ll call him right away.”
Salina went to the bedroom to make the call in private, and a minute later she had Jake on the line. “Hello, Mr. McKnight?”
“You must be Emma’s sister,” he said without preamble. “Salina?”
“Yes,” Salina answered. She couldn’t help noting that the man’s voice was deep and sexy.
“Please, call me Jake.”
“Okay. Hi, Jake. I understand you need a temporary nanny.”
“Yes. Can you start immediately?”
Salina had not expected that Mr. McKnight would want her to start immediately. She figured he might even be interviewing other prospects to feel one hundred percent comfortable with his decision. But she said, “Absolutely. If you want me to start right away, I can.”
“By right away, I mean right now. If you could come to my home, meet with me and meet with my daughter, that would make things much easier for when you officially start tomorrow morning.”
“You want me to come right now?” Salina asked, glancing at the clock. It was shortly after 6:00 p.m.
“Is that a problem?”
“No. No problem at all. Just tell me your address, and I’ll be on my way.”
As Salina scribbled the information on a pad, the image of Jake’s handsome face popped into her mind. Releasing a sigh, she vowed to resist the temptation of his allure and promised herself to keep the assignment professional.
Chapter 3
An hour later Salina had exited the subway and was heading to Trump World Tower. The building was enormous, its black-and-bronze-tinted glass stunning. Across the street was a park with landscaped grounds and fountains, which Salina could only imagine was incredibly beautiful in the spring and summer. The Trump building towered over the neighboring United Nations Plaza Tower, a structure with a unique design that angled inward as it neared the top, to form a pointed peak. Both addresses were high-priced real estate, and Salina couldn’t help remembering that unfortunate day weeks ago as she headed toward the exclusive residence on the Upper East Side, but she swallowed her nervousness and reminded herself that Jake McKnight, devoted father and widow, was not Donald Martin.
She went through the typical doorman greeting, followed by the concierge calling her up to Mr. McKnight’s suite. Within minutes, she was on her way up the elevator to the fifty-sixth floor.
A few minutes later she was knocking on door 56-B. Within seconds Jake opened the door.
And even though Salina had known he was very attractive, she was taken aback by the sight of him.
The man was gorgeous. She had forgotten just how much so. He was tall, definitely over six feet. He had wide shoulders, the kind that said he worked out or had played sports. He was clean-shaven, making his strong jawline clearly evident. His golden brown skin was similar in complexion to hers. Everything about him was utterly sexy, but his eyes were his most compelling feature—brown with flecks of gold.
“Hello,” Jake said.
“Hi,” Salina responded. And she noticed in Jake’s eyes the same expression she had seen the night of the charity event. Then, she had thought he was simply brooding. Now she recognized the look for what it was—sadness.
“Thanks for coming right away,” Jake said.
“No problem. I’m happy to help out.”
“Come in.”
Jake stepped backward so that she could enter the apartment, and Salina did so, looking around as she did. The first thing she noticed was the high ceiling, probably around ten feet. The living room area was large, with polished oak floors. Salina guessed that this space alone was probably twelve hundred square feet or so. The unit boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with an incredible view of the New York skyline. Though it was dark outside, Salina could see the Chrysler building in the distance.
Jake’s furnishings were tasteful and elegant. A sandy-beige-colored sectional was near one window in the living room, which looked soft and comfortable. A matching recliner was opposite that sofa close to one of the walls. On the main wall facing the large sectional was a giant plasma television, likely sixty inches.
Unlike Donald’s residence, this condo didn’t feel sterile. It felt homey. In fact, there were toys scattered over the floor in front of the sectional—little horse figurines and stuffed animals. And as Salina walked farther into the living room, she could see that there was a little girl sleeping peacefully on the sofa, a knit blanket wrapped over her small frame.
“Oh, my goodness, she’s adorable,” Salina couldn’t help exclaiming. And she was. The little girl’s hair was done in two pigtails, and she had one of the cutest little faces Salina had ever seen. Round, like a cherub. She looked like a little angel.
“Thank you,” Jake said, a smile touching his lips. Then he faced Salina once more. “I realize that we never talked about a price. I just offered you the job and you accepted. But rest assured, the salary I’m offering is going to be well worth your time.”
And then Jake told her a figure, and Salina was flabbergasted. It was more than she had expected. At least double what she thought he might offer—and very generous.
