Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 91149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“How was your workout?” she asks.
“Good.” I reach over to the large platter lined with paper towels where cooked chicken sits cooling. I snag a piece of fried crust that fell off and pop it into my mouth. “What can I do to help?”
“Not a thing,” she says, taking a moment to step back from the stove and bend to peer into the oven at the baking biscuits. “Table’s all set out back and as soon as this last batch of chicken is done, we’re good to go.”
I glance over at the others. Mandy and Susan are deep in discussion and Tim moved over to the table with Brian and Dad. The boys are occupied with their game and Leo will slide in at the last minute, so I use the moment alone with my mom to get her feedback.
“You know I had the interview yesterday with that Titans player, right?”
“Right,” she replies, keeping her eyes focused on the chicken but I can tell I have her full attention. “You thought it was too risky to accept the position because he doesn’t have full custody.”
“Exactly. But I can’t stop thinking about the opportunity and wondering if I should consider it further.”
“You told me the money was much better and he’d pay you a signing bonus. So that’s a consideration. But you also said it would be a bit more demanding of your time.”
That’s a succinct recap of my thoughts on the job. But it isn’t so much what Foster is offering as it is the one little doubt I have about the other job offer. “There’s a bit of a weird vibe coming from the other family.”
“Like what?” Mom asks.
I explain to her the family dynamic. The father is an older man who I’d guess is in his early fifties and he married a very young, very gorgeous woman who I’d say was my age or younger. I’d call her a trophy wife and she’s in fact a model who travels a lot for her work. They just had their baby, but she doesn’t seem to want to raise it. She’ll be gone a lot and I’ll be at home alone with the baby and the father.
Mom glances at me, slight censure in her tone. “You’re not the type to dock a woman for being career oriented. Besides, isn’t that the same scenario with the Titans father?”
“A little,” I concede, trying to articulate the difference. “Except the Titans dad will be gone a lot. But it’s more that the other dad—the older one—makes me a little uncomfortable.”
Her eyebrows raise but she focuses on the batch of chicken she’s pulling from the cast-iron skillet. “You think he’d cross a line?”
“No, that’s not it either. It’s just… he has a bunch of rigid rules regarding the baby, none of which by themselves are concerning, but I get the impression that I won’t have a lot of latitude. On top of that, he’s just really austere and a little intimidating. At first I didn’t think that would be a problem because he’d be working and I’d be taking care of the baby, but after interviewing with Foster, who’s so laid-back and trusting of my abilities based on the Hamberlys’ recommendation, I’m wondering if I wouldn’t be happier in that environment.”
Mom places the last piece of cooked chicken on the platter and clicks off the stove. She turns to face me, kitchen tongs still in hand. “So basically, one job will be fewer hours and a more consistent schedule, but less pay. The other is a bit more demanding of your time, but for more money. Outside of that distinction, one dad seems very rigid and may be difficult to work for, the other laid-back and trusting of your skills.”
“Exactly,” I reply, not needing to add a single clarification.
“Seems like an easy choice to me,” Mom says, except she doesn’t tell me what the choice is. Because it’s not easy for me.
“The Titans dad, right?” I guess.
“Right.”
“But there might not be an actual job,” I remind her.
Mom grins at me. “This was the guy who handed you a blank check for a signing bonus.”
“Yeah, but I can’t just take some man’s check and fill in an amount. That’s, like… tacky.”
Chuckling, my mother shakes her head. “No, you could never do business that way, but it goes to show you that this is someone who really wants to hire you. Which means things are negotiable. Make a counteroffer that protects you.”
“Like what?” I ask.
Megan Archer is a brilliant woman and while she dispenses the most amazing advice, she doesn’t provide answers to her kids when they can find them on their own. She just waits me out.
I consider how to best protect myself. If I accept the job from Foster McInnis and he doesn’t get custody of his daughter, I’m going to miss out on a good opportunity with the other family. However, I won’t be unemployed for long. The need for good nannies in this area is immense, given the number of executive working parents. Pittsburgh has become a financial mecca in recent decades.