Chapter 11

Amy yawned, this time so widely she heard her jaw crack. Something in her head, anyway. The semester was nearing its end. Exams and final papers were killing her, but she thought she was doing okay. If only she could stop yawning and pay attention to her work and not focus so much on the summer ahead. But that was seriously difficult.

The thing was, Amy and Hayley had signed on with a reputable employment agency that specialized in placing nannies with appropriate families. So far, Amy hadn’t gotten even one interview and always for the same reason. A lack of experience. Amy knew she was a good person. If only someone would give her a chance to prove herself!

Amy returned to the employment agency’s home page and read for what seemed like the millionth time the official description of the job. A nanny is responsible for following a parent’s instructions regarding the care of his/her child. A nanny is responsible for meeting the child/children’s needs be they emotional, physical, intellectual, or social. A nanny . . .

Maybe applying for a job as a nanny had been a silly idea in the first place, Amy thought dejectedly. Hayley was faring way better. She already had three families interested in her. Well, that was to be expected. She was so smart and had so much more work experience.

Amy exited the site and checked her e-mail account. She didn’t use it much and sometimes forgot to look at it for weeks on end. But now she was very glad that she had, because there in her in-box was an offer of an interview from a family seeking a nanny for the summer.

The e-mail had come from someone named Cressida Prior. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Amy didn’t waste time trying to figure out where she might have heard it. She read the brief e-mail several times with interest. Cressida Prior had found Amy’s name and contact information via the employment agency and in the interest of “preserving her valuable time” had decided to contact Amy directly. Ms. Prior was seeking a nanny to look after her two children, a boy age eight and a girl age ten. Amy felt her spirits rise. She wouldn’t have to change diapers or give the children baths, and she would definitely have fun taking them to the beach and building sand castles and going for ice cream after. Children that age were cool. There was no mention of a father or of any household staff. There was no mention of the children’s names.

Cressida Prior told her to be at The Atlantic promptly at 12:15 on Thursday. It struck Amy as a bit odd that Ms. Prior assumed she would want to apply for the job, but the fact was that she did want to apply. She would have to reschedule an appointment she had made for a pedicure, but that was no problem.

The Atlantic! It was a seriously high-end restaurant. There was no way Amy and her mother could afford to eat there. Well, maybe they could share an appetizer without breaking the bank, but that was about all. Now the question was, What should she wear to an interview in such a fancy setting? Amy ran to her closet and began the search. Homework could wait.