the sitter | lewandowski

three

3 ; as real as can be

Because it was Saoirse's dreaded last week of summer break, Robert took pity on the Montenegrin by saying that she could take it off—he would care for Nova himself. After all, she'd been working for him for a month now, and it was almost concerning to Robert—personally, he would jump at any chance he got to spend time with his friends.

"Oh, it's quite alright. Really, I like this job." Saoirse responded with a small smile after Robert proposed his idea. "Unless you want me to stop taking care of Nova, because then I will—"

"No, it's okay." Robert shook his head. "It's just...are you sure, Saoirse?"

Saoirse dangled a toy in front of Nova's eyes before smiling at the girl and looking back up at him. "Yes, I'm positive."

Robert rose his eyebrows. She almost seemed offended with his suggestion, and because he didn't want to hurt her feelings, he held his hands up and nodded. "Alright, then. But why on earth don't you want to spend time with your friends? I'd jump at the chance, you know—"

"I would love to, but the thing is...I don't really have any." Saoirse blushed.   

Robert grinned a little, but didn't respond as he moved to sit next to Saoirse on the couch. As he lifted Nova up and placed her on his lap, Saoirse spoke. "I read about you in a magazine today."

"Oh?" Robert sounded uninterested. "And what did they say about me this time?"

Saoirse smiled. "I can't tell you, it's embarrassing. The fact that I was reading it, not that you were in it."

"Well, now you have to tell me."

Saoirse lowered her voice and spoke. "It was the interview you did for Vogue Men. I have to say, I was fairly surprised when I learned that I was actually babysitting the daughter of the Sexiest Man on Earth." She air quoted the words.

Robert rose his eyebrows. "That interview was quite a while ago, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was." Saoirse crossed her arms. "Some other man has taken that title now."

"Yeah, right." Robert grinned a little, and began to mess with Nova's fingers before speaking again. "What else did they say about me?"

Saoirse sighed. "That you went from rags to riches, and grew up in Poland...And that you're thought of by most to be rather cold hearted." Robert's expression remained unfazed. In fact, he may have nodded in agreement. Saoirse sighed. "I didn't believe it. I think you're a nice man."

Robert glanced up at Saoirse and offered her a small smile. Saoirse felt her heart flutter; the fact that she had a crush probably wasn't indiscreet, and Robert probably thought she was a silly and naive girl. After all, she could never have him, and this crush would only result in, at best, nothing.

"Listen, Saoirse. Tomorrow morning my mother's coming to pick Nova up so that they can spend the day together. I want you to take the day off because—and I mean this in the nicest way possible—I think you need it."

Saoirse felt her heart drop. Was that an insult? "Uh," Is all she could murmur, "Okay."

"Spend some of the money you've made. You can go shopping in the city, maybe meet a nice boy—"

"—I told you how I feel about boys, Mr. Lewan—"

"Robert."

Saoirse groaned. "But don't the people in your office call you that? Mr. Lewandowski? I don't like calling you Robert, it makes me feel disrespectful."