Authors: Stella White
''Wow look at that one,'' Jodie exclaimed as she held Matthew up so that he could see over the wall and watch the turtles. They'd arrived at Turtle Farm, a conservation facility for turtles. While Aaron was busy making phone calls about some deal in Los Angeles, Jodie was showing Matthew the pools where the turtles were kept. There was one small pool where children could paddle among the turtles and pick them up, under adult supervision. Jodie put Matthew next to the pool and watched what he did. His eyes
expanded,
and she noticed him connect with something for the first time. His eyes followed the turtles and he seemed fascinated by them. As they were walking past one of the enclosures that housed some of the large adult turtles, one of the jumped from a wall into the water, sending a torrent over Jodie and Matthew.
Matthew
screamed,
and Jodie gasped. Jodie was wet through, Matthew less so because he'd been protected by Jodie.
Aaron was waiting for them outside on the
sidewalk,
and when they
arrived,
he laughed. ''What happened to you two, you're soaked?''
''A turtle decided to do some diving and splashed us. Apparently there's a warning that they do that sometimes..''
Aaron looked at her. She noticed his eyes fix on her chest and when she looked down to see what he was looking a,t she froze. Her nipples were sticking out like bullets and pointing right at him.
''Oops,'' she said. She smiled at him and despite her embarrassment remained calm. ''Maybe we out to go and sit in the sun of a bit so I can dry out. I can't go back to town like this,'' she said.
''Well, you can, but you'd have to put up with men gawping at you.''
''Like you were, you mean?'' she said. ''Sorry, that was rude of me.''
''I couldn't really help it. Anyhow, you look very beautiful like that. There isn't a single person who would object.''
''Men,'' she said. ''All the same.''
That evening Aaron sat at the same bar he'd used the previous evening and was surprised to feel himself thinking about Jodie and the incident that afternoon. She was a hell of a beautiful woman, he thought. Just the sight of her legs gave him ideas he probably shouldn't be having. The sight of her breasts highlighted so beautifully by the water the kind turtle had splashed over that afternoon, took his lurid thought process to another level altogether.
''Jesus no,'' he muttered under his breath. ''Not Matthew's nanny for Christ sake. What kind of perv are you?''
The following day Jodie took Matthew into the kids pool and splashed around with him. Aaron pretended to be looking at his laptop, but his eyes weren't looking at the screen most of the time. Try as he may, he was unable to take his eyes from her long, sensual body. When he imagined her shapely legs wrapped around his back as he made love to her, he took off his T-shirt and jumped into the cold pool. It helped, but only for a while.
As the holiday
passed,
Aaron found his feelings toward Jodie were developing in a way he had neither expected or wanted. But he was powerless to stop them. She was beautiful, and kind and he wanted her. He'd seen countless beautiful women on the
island,
but none had come up to her standard.
*****
More weeks went
by,
and Aaron began to hate himself. He hated himself for being totally and utterly in love with Jodie. He couldn't think about anything or anybody else. When he was at home in the
evening,
he always hoped she would come and sit with him and when she didn't he sulked. He likened himself to a teenager. In fact, he felt just like he had when he'd met Lindsey as a sixteen-year-old.
''You've got to do something,'' he said to himself. ''You can't go on like this.''
The next evening he had too much to drink in a vain attempt to summon up the courage to speak to her about his feelings. He was the owner of a multi-million dollar
enterprise,
but he was scared to death of talking to a young woman he liked.
''Are you okay? You look a little tipsy,'' Jodie said when she appeared to go swimming.
''Sit down, I want to talk to you,'' he said. The way he said it, she thought she was in trouble.
''Sorry, have I done something wrong?''
''No, sit down. I want to talk to you.'' She sat down and waited for him to speak. ''I'm in love with you,'' he said directly. ''Totally and utterly in love with you.'' He would never have dared say it if he'd been sober. He was able to say it in an inebriated state, but he sounded like some sleazy guy chatting up a young girl at the end of a drunken night in a disco.
''I can't Aaron. Not with you, you're Matthew's dad. I like you but I can't.''
''Why not? You would never have to worry about money ever again. You could have anything you wanted.''
''That's not the point. You are talking about material things. What's important is Matthew's welfare.''
''What would it matter? You would still be here for him. You just wouldn't be his
nanny; you
'd be his step-mum.''
''Jesus, you're drunk. Stop talking to me like that. I don't want it.''
''But I can't help the way I feel. I want you, Jodie.''
''No,'' she said as she stood up and walked to the pool.
''I could make you.''
''What? What do you mean, make me? Do you
mean to
threaten me? Put a frog in my panties?'' her tone was taking on an angry slant.
''I always get what I want in the end.''
''I tell you what, I quit. You can find another nanny to molest. I'm sorry for Matthew, but he's your responsibility. You're a predator.''
The next morning Aaron woke with to a thumping head and Matthew jumping up and down on his bed.
''Jodie,'' he said. ''Where Jodie?''
''Jodie's gone away for a while,'' Aaron said. Matthew began to squeal as loudly as he was able.
Aaron took Matthew to Kayla's and went to the office. When Megan saw
him,
she made him coffee and gave him two aspirin.
''Jodie, it's me.''
''Yes,'' she said harshly.
''I'm sorry. I was really out of order. It wasn't right
of
me.''
''No it wasn't, you were drunk and
saying
things you didn't mean.''
''I was drunk, you are right. But what I said, I meant.''
When the line went
dead,
he looked at his phone and tried to call again. This time, she didn't answer.
He sent her a text. Please come back. I'll double your wages.
He got a reply: No Way.
So, that was
it. He
'd blown it. Not only for himself but for Matthew, and he felt very guilty about that. He could see that Matthew adored her.
Jodie had put so much effort into him, and he'd made real progress.
Aaron doubted whether he would have made as much progress with anybody else.
''What's the matter?'' Megan asked.
''I've made a fool of myself with the nanny,'' he said.
''You didn't.....you know......''
''No. Not that. I've fallen for
her,
and I told her. Only I needed some Dutch courage
first,
and it all came out a bit wrong.''
''What did you say?''
''I told her I was in love with her.''
Megan scowled and sat down. ''You are my boss, but I'm going to call you a fool.''
''Why?'' he asked, a hurt look on his face.
''Because you are a billionaire. You're
thirty-two,
and you've got everything. What is she, twenty-two? And she's a nanny. She was probably intimidated by you. You should have done it gradually. Played her like a fish and reeled her in.''
''Shit.''
''What do you feel for her?''
''I can't stop thinking about her. I love her and don't tell me I have no idea what love is because I do.''
''Then leave her alone. Either she'll think about what you said and come round, or she'll hate you and stay away from you.''
Aaron picked up a letter opener from his desk and pressed the pointed end into his palm. ''I want her. That's all there is to it.''
''But she's not one of your business deals. She a person with feelings.''
''Alright I'll do as you say. Matthew is going bonkers without her.''
''Then get another nanny.''
''There isn't anyone as good as she is.'' It was a sweeping statement but for him and Matthew, it was true. There was no way Matthew would ever bond in that way with someone else. As for his own feelings, he would try and do what Megan suggested, although it wouldn't be easy. He knew how he
felt,
and the thought that someone else could snap Jodie up was
a thought
he didn't want to entertain.
*****
''If you hear this message, Jodie, please call me. You may think I'm trying it on again. I'm not, Matthew is in
hospital,
and we really need you.''
Aaron looked at his son in bed with some wire trailing from his brain to a machine he didn't understand. It had been weeks since he'd spoken to Jodie. She hadn't ever bothered to call and ask how Matthew was, but now Aaron had nobody with her experience to turn to. The doctor had mentioned something abut seizures, but he hadn't taken it all in. He needed Jodie to explain it to him.
Nurses came and
went,
and a doctor checked Matthew. After a while, Matthew woke up and stared at the ceiling.
''Hello,'' Aaron said.
''Jodie,'' Matthew said.
''I know. I called her. I hope she will call me back.'' Matthew had driven Aaron wild with his constant nagging about Jodie. Every waking hour he repeated her name over and over until Aaron could hardly stand it anymore. When Aaron had asked a new nanny to come and look
after
Matthew, he'd gone
mad,
and the woman had left. Now Aaron had to manage with a schedule which meant Matthew spent some days with Kayla and some days with Jean. But it wasn't good for Matthew. Aaron had no idea how he was ever going to get Matthew to accept another nanny. Aaron hadn't been able to go to any of the important meetings he needed to go
to. Instead
, he had to rely on his number two, something he didn't like doing. If only he'd either kept his big mouth shut or been much more gentle with Jodie and done as Megan had suggested, played her very slowly.
When his cell rang, Aaron woke up. He'd been asleep in a chair next to Matthew's bed.
''Where is he?'' she asked.
''In St Edward's.''
''And what happened?''
''He just went mad. Rolling around on the floor, totally out of control. The doctor said something about seizures.''
''Okay wait. I'll be there as soon as I can.''
When Jodie walked into the room, Aaron's heart lifted. ''Hi, Thanks for coming,'' he said.
''Poor little thing,'' she said. She put her hand on Matthew's forehead and stroked him. Matthew opened his eyes and sat up.
''Wow, steady tiger,'' Aaron said. He tried to push him back down, but he sprang up again.
''Jodie, Jodie,'' Matthew shouted. He had a smile and appeared to be his old self.
''Well, who would have believed that?'' Aaron said.
''He's a little monkey,'' Jodie said.
''What do you mean?''
''Has he been asking for me all the time?''
''Yes. He drove me mad.''
''He's faked this
in the hope
I would come back to him,'' Jodie said.
''Jodie back,'' Matthew shouted.
''Look there's nothing wrong with him.''
Aaron looked at Matthew in disbelief. ''Is he capable of such devious behavior?''
''Yes. Very much so. But to go to these lengths is pretty rare.''
''You mean he faked having seizures, or whatever it was, just so you'd come back?''
Jodie laughed. ''It looks like it. You're a devious little boy,'' she said to Matthew.
''Jodie back,'' he shouted once more.
Aaron was stunned and relieved at the same time. He was stunned that Matthew would do such a thing and relieved that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. He took Jodie by the arm and maneuvered her into the corner of the room.
''What am I going to do? Will you come back?'' Aaron asked. ''He's mad about you.''
''I wanted to call, really I did. It's just......''
''I know. I came on far too
strong,
and you got frightened. I'm sorry, it will never happen again, only please think about it, coming back. Will you?''
''You know I didn't completely dislike what you said to me that evening. I was just so
shocked; I
didn't know what to do or say. You're a high-powered
guy; I
'm just a nanny.''