Babysitting Mr. Volkov’s baby

Chapter Two

When I got home, the door was already unlocked, which meant Louise was back from her early shift. I stepped inside, kicking off my shoes with a little more force than I meant to, and tossed my bag on the couch. The smell of something savory cooking wafted from the kitchen, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was the conversation I’d have to have now.

Louise popped her head out from the kitchen, a spatula in one hand. “Hey! You’re home early. Did they cut your shift again?” she asked, her voice light, but I could see the concern creeping into her eyes.

I tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “Not exactly,” I muttered, slumping down onto the couch. My coat, still damp, clung to me, but I didn’t have the energy to take it off. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to say it.

Louise wiped her hands on a dish towel and came over, sitting down beside me. She turned to face me fully, her brows knitting together. “What happened?” Her voice was softer now, more serious.

I exhaled, long and slow, staring at the floor as I spoke. “They fired me, Lou.”

There was a beat of silence before she spoke. “They what?” Her voice was quiet, disbelief coloring the words. “You’re kidding.”

I shook my head, not trusting myself to look at her. “Nope. Mike finally had enough of me being late all the time.” I let out a humorless laugh, but it didn’t do anything to lighten the pit growing in my stomach. “I don’t even know what to do right now.”

Louise’s hand found my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Nina, I’m so sorry. That’s—ugh, that’s the worst.” She paused for a second, thinking. “But we’ll figure it out, okay? This isn’t the end of the world.”

“It feels like it,” I mumbled, leaning back into the couch. “I don’t even know where to start looking for another job. I barely made it through this one.”

Louise was quiet for a moment, then shifted closer, her voice taking on a more determined tone. “We’ll figure it out together. Look, I know it’s rough right now, but you’re not gonna be out of work for long. There are tons of places hiring. We’ll make a plan.”

I raised an eyebrow, finally glancing up at her. “You make it sound easy. Like I can just waltz into another coffee shop and pretend I didn’t just get fired from this one.”

Louise rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe not coffee shops specifically, but there are other jobs out there. You’re good with people. What about retail? Or something in hospitality?”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I don’t know. Hospitality sounds like more of the same mess.”

Louise nudged me playfully. “You’re being dramatic. Look, we can go over some listings tonight. I’ll even help you spruce up your résumé. We’ll find something.”

After eating , Louise and I spread out across the couch with my laptop open, scrolling through job listings. Most of them were the same—retail gigs, barista positions at other coffee shops, minimum wage offers that barely seemed worth applying for. I felt the familiar weight of frustration creeping back in as I clicked through page after page of jobs that all seemed to blur together.

Louise leaned over my shoulder, her eyes scanning the screen. “We’ve gotta find something better than this. You can’t go from one crappy job to another. You deserve more than that.”

I let out a sigh. “I don’t know, Lou. At this point, I might just have to take what I can get.”

She nudged me. “Come on, don’t settle. There’s gotta be something out there.”

That’s when Louise said she remembered something her boyfriend, Jake, had mentioned in passing a few days ago. They were talking about work, and he’d told her about this nannying job that one of his coworkers mentioned. The pay had sounded almost too good to be true, and at the time, I brushed it off, figuring it was just one of those gigs you hear about but never actually find.

But maybe…

She typed “nanny” into the search bar on a job app, not expecting much. A few listings popped up—most of them the usual part-time, low-paying gigs. But then, one caught my eye.

Full-Time Nanny Needed – High Pay, Benefits Included

I clicked on it, barely breathing. The details loaded on the screen, and my eyes widened as I read through the description. Live-in option, flexible hours, full benefits, and a salary that made my heart stop. It was more than I’d ever seen for any job I’d been remotely qualified for—way more.

“Whoa,” Louise said, leaning in closer, her eyes going wide as she read over my shoulder. “Is that number real?”

I blinked, still trying to process it. “I… I think so?”

The job was with a high-profile Billionaire in the city, and he was looking for someone with experience, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Basic childcare, a little tutoring, helping with daily routines. But the pay—the pay. It was nearly three times what I made at the coffee shop, and they were offering housing on top of that if I needed it.

“This has to be a mistake,” I murmured, scrolling through the details again. “There’s no way they’re offering this much for a nanny.”

Louise snorted. “Looks like they are. You’re gonna apply, right?”

“I mean… I guess? But there’s no way they’ll actually pick me. This feels like one of those scams or something.”

She shook her head, a grin tugging at her lips. “Nina, you have nothing to lose. Just apply. Worst case, you don’t get it, and we keep looking.”

I hesitated for a second, still half-convinced that this was some kind of dream. But Louise was right. I didn’t have anything to lose. I clicked the “Apply” button and started filling out the application. It felt surreal, typing in my information, my past experience—none of which seemed impressive enough for a job like this. But I sent it off anyway, my heart pounding the whole time.

“There,” I said, sitting back against the couch, my stomach still in knots. “It’s done.”

Louise gave me a triumphant look. “Good. Now we wait. And if they don’t call back, we’ll just keep searching. But seriously, if they do…”

“If they do, I’m not even sure what I’d do with all that money,” I said, half-laughing, half in disbelief. “It’s insane.”

She grinned. “Guess we’ll find out. But hey, if this works out, you’ll never have to worry about crappy coffee shop shifts again.”

The thought of that was still too much to wrap my head around, but for the first time all day, I felt a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, things were about to change in a big way.

And then, my phone rang.