Page 9 of At Her Service (Club Velvet #2)

CHAPTER 9

H azel surveyed the collection of crayons strewn across the table, her brows drawn together with concentration. “I want… orange trees!”

“You’re the boss,” Abby said.

Hazel picked up the orange crayon and began scribbling on the sheet of construction paper blanketing the coffee table, humming tunelessly to herself. Abby doodled absently on the opposite end of the paper. It had been a week since Valerie had given her the car. A week since Valerie had turned from hot to cold.

And it had only gotten worse since.

Abby returned her attention to Hazel, who had put down her crayon and was scrutinizing her drawing again. “All done?”

Hazel shook her head. “I want green. Green sky.”

But before she could grab another crayon, the sound of a key in the front door reached them.

“Mommy!” She climbed to her feet and sprinted toward the front door, her drawing forgotten.

“Hazel,” Abby warned. “We walk inside, remember?”

But she was already halfway to the front door.

Abby sighed and went after her, meeting her by the door just as Valerie stepped through it.

“Hi, sweetie.” She swept her daughter into her arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Did you have a nice day today?”

Hazel beamed. “We went to the park. I pet a dog.”

Valerie glanced at Abby. “Did you, now?”

Was that disapproval in her voice? “It was the neighbor's dog,” Abby said quickly. “It was friendly.”

“I’m sure it was.”

“So, how was work?” It was the only thing she could think to say.

“It was fine.” Valerie didn’t look at her as she set Hazel down on her feet. “It’s almost time for dinner. I’ll get Hazel cleaned up. Has she had a bath yet?”

“Not yet. I know you like to do bathtime with her, so I waited until you got home. But I can do it if you?—”

Valerie held up a hand. “I’ll take care of it.”

Abby’s stomach sank. No matter what she did or said, Valerie responded with businesslike firmness. And she seemed to be avoiding speaking to Abby any more than she needed to.

“And dinner?” Valerie asked.

“It’s in the oven. Should be done in half an hour or so.”

Valerie gave her a curt nod. “Come,” she said to Hazel. “Let's get you into the bath. I’ll fix your hair afterward.”

As Valerie led her daughter to the stairs, Abby’s stomach churned. It was as if Valerie couldn’t stand to be in her presence. Had she done something wrong? She must have. But what was it?

She clenched her hands into fists. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Valerie, wait.”

Valerie turned back to her. “Yes?”

“I was wondering…”

But Abby couldn’t just accuse her boss of being cold to her. What if it was all in her head?

Abby took a deep breath. Stop being weird. Be professional. “So, now that I’ve been working here for a few weeks, do you have any feedback for me? Anything I can do better?”

Valerie shook her head. “Nothing comes to mind. Hazel is happy and well looked after, and that’s what matters.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, let me know if anything comes up.”

Valerie nodded. And without another word, she took Hazel’s hand and led her carefully up the stairs.

Abby headed into the kitchen, pushing down the anxiety simmering in her stomach. While Valerie’s private chef prepared meals for them every other day, Abby occasionally had to stick something in the oven or put the finishing touches on a dish. And it was her job to make breakfast and snacks for Hazel.

She grabbed a knife and chopping board, along with some fruit and vegetables which would serve as Hazel’s snacks for the next day. As she set about cutting them up, the conversation with Valerie replayed in her mind.

Valerie claimed she was perfectly happy with her work. So why was she behaving the way she was? If it wasn’t anything Abby had done, was it something she’d said? It wouldn’t be the first time she’d put her foot in it.

Or maybe it’s because you keep acting like a schoolgirl with a crush whenever she’s around. Abby couldn’t help it. That afternoon in the car had only made things worse. For a moment, she’d felt this chemistry between them, this electricity…

Abby shook her head. She was imagining things. With how cold Valerie was being toward her, it was obvious that her feelings were one-sided. It was silly to even fantasize about it.

Abby portioned out the carrot sticks and apple slices into snack-sized containers and put them in the fridge, then checked on the lasagna in the oven. The cheese was bubbling, and it smelled more heavenly than anything she’d ever eaten. The chef-prepared meals were yet another perk of working for Valerie. But with the tension between the two of them hanging heavy in the house, it was hard to enjoy any of the luxuries that came with the job.

As she shut the oven door, her phone began to buzz. She pulled it from her jeans pocket. Erin was calling her.

She glanced in the direction of the stairs. Hazel’s bath would take at least another fifteen minutes, and Abby had nothing left to do but wait for dinner to cook.

She answered the call. “Hey, Erin.”

“God, you won’t believe the day I had.” She didn’t give Abby a chance to get another word in. “You know that guy from work? The one who kept flirting with me? Turns out he thought I was single this whole time. He thought Dan was my brother , if you can believe that.”

Abby murmured along as her friend continued. Erin had always been a magnet for male attention. But she’d been in a relationship with her boyfriend since middle school, and she only had eyes for him.

Abby didn’t understand what she saw in Dan. He still acted like he was in high school. But he made Erin happy, and that was all that mattered.

And a part of Abby envied her. Would she ever find that one person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? It didn’t matter to her whether they were a woman, a man, or anything else. What mattered was that they understood her—what she wanted, what she desired. More than that, they embraced those desires, taking command of her in the way she’d always craved.

“So yeah, he made this dramatic apology in front of everyone,” Erin said. “But five minutes later, he was flirting with Amanda. Let me tell you, she is not going to be as nice as I was when she turns him down. But enough about my job. How’s your job going?”

“It’s going great,” Abby said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

“Glad it’s working out for you. Aren’t you happy you quit your old job?”

“Yeah, but I still feel bad about abandoning the Hendersons. The kids, not their parents. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to them.”

“Like you said, they’re old enough now that they barely need looking after. They’ll be fine without you. You had to do what was right for you.”

“I guess.”

“Well, I’m happy for you. I miss living with you, though.”

“I miss you too. But I don’t miss that tiny room.” Abby was still renting it to store some of her things, and her job was new enough that she wanted to keep her old room just in case, at least for a few more weeks. Valerie was paying her generously enough that she could easily afford it.

“You should come by sometime,” Erin said. “Then you can tell me all about what it’s like working for Valerie Kane.”

“You know I can’t tell you anything. It’s a privacy thing.”

“Okay, but you can at least tell me what she’s like, can’t you? Do you still think she’s intimidating?”

“A little. But intimidating in a kind of… sexy way? It’s like, every time I’m around her, my whole body screams I want you .” Abby groaned. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing’s wrong with you. So you’re into her. If I liked women, I’d be into her too. She’s hot as hell. And she’s a lesbian, right? Used to be married to Francesca Moreno? You know, that actress who was in half her movies.”

“Yeah, and?”

“So it means you have a chance with her.”

Abby scoffed. “I don’t think so. She’s my boss. And she’s Valerie Kane . There’s no way she’d ever be into me. If anything, it’s the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

Abby leaned back against the countertop. “I don’t know. Things between us are kind of… tense.”

“Isn’t that normal for a new nannying job? You always say things with the parents are awkward at first, especially if you’re living with them.”

“This is different, though. It isn’t just the usual adjustment period. The way Valerie is acting, it’s like she’s mad at me. And it feels like she’s avoiding me. I thought maybe I messed up somehow, but I asked her about it, and she said I was doing a good job. So maybe it isn’t about my job. Maybe it’s personal.” Abby’s stomach flipped. “I don’t know. All I know is that she’s upset with me.”

“I can’t imagine you doing anything to upset her. You’re, well, you . There’s a reason you’re a nanny. You’re basically a real-life Mary Poppins, but way hotter.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“What I’m saying is, you’re a total sweetheart who would literally throw herself in front of a bus to save whatever kid you’re looking after. If Valerie has an issue, it’s on her, not you. Don’t beat yourself up about it. I know your shitty parents did a number on your self-esteem, but you need to stop being so hard on yourself.”

Abby opened her mouth to argue. But her friend was right. They’d known each other since they were kids. She knew what Abby’s family was like. In her parents’ eyes, her brothers were angels who could do no wrong. Abby? She could never do anything right.

Abby sighed. “You’re probably right. Maybe it’s not me. Things are just tense. It’s starting to eat at me, you know?”

“You can’t let her get to you,” Erin said. “You’ve gotten through worse on jobs before. Just hang in there. I’m sure it’ll work itself out.”

“I hope so.” Abby glanced at the oven. Dinner was almost ready. She turned to grab the oven gloves from the counter. “I just wish she’d tell me why?—”

She froze in place. Standing in the doorway to the kitchen, only a few feet away, was Valerie.

And her eyes were fixed on Abby.

Her stomach sank. How long had Valerie been standing there?

How much had she heard?

“Hello?” Erin’s voice echoed through the phone. “Are you there?”

Abby swallowed. “I have to go.”

She hung up the phone, heart thumping. And as Valerie stepped toward her, her heart stopped altogether.

“We need to talk,” Valerie said.