Married to the Manny

  Married to the Manny

  by Daisy May

  Married to the Manny

  Published by Daisy May

  Copyright © 2017 Daisy May

  All Rights Reserved

  May not be copied or distributed without prior written permission.

  Cover photo: © Deposit Photo

  Cover design: Raven Blackburn

  One—Gordon

  The envelope was pure white with crisp edges and neat folds, and it had been burning a hole in my pocket the entire evening.

  I glanced over at the nine-year-old girl carefully solving math problems in the other room. Now that Kerry was absorbed in her work, I couldn’t put this off any longer.

  The address label read Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I sat stiffly on the couch, slid my fingernail under the fold, and worked the paper back and forth. Little by little, I got it open.

  I took a last, fleeting look at the palm trees outside the window. I already knew the end to my comfortable life was at the tips of my fingers.

  I pulled open the envelope, the paper tearing a tiny bit against the glue. The big bold letters at the top said all I needed to know.

  DEPORTATION ORDER

  I sucked in a breath so loud that Kerry actually looked up from her notebook. Pursing my lips, I waved off her concern. With a shrug, she returned her attention to the assignment. Nothing in her life was more complicated than changing fractions to decimals.

  But everything wasn’t okay for me. Not in the slightest. I might have to leave this entire country and go back to Canada.

  Not that there was anything wrong with Canada. I loved my home, I loved hockey, and I definitely preferred our beer. God knows I loved Justin Trudeau. But…

  I forced myself to read through the rest of the legalese. Basically, I was a “member of a prohibited class.” Probably something to do with my visa having expired, oh, two and a half years ago.

  Leaning my elbows on my knees, I rubbed my temples. They couldn’t honestly send me back, could they? Even if I wasn’t technically here legally…

  “Go-o-ordon!”

  I looked up to see Kerry waving her hand in my face. Despite everything, I suppressed a laugh. She had a lot more attitude now than when I’d first arrived here.

  “What’s up, kiddo?”

  I reached out to muss her hair, and she gave me a pout in return. “You weren’t listening. I asked if you wanted to watch my show with me.”

  “Done your homework?”

  She pouted harder. “Can’t I finish after?”

  “You know your daddy’s rule.” My employer, Cole, ruled the house with a firm hand.

  Opening her notebook, Kerry showed me a page full of neat figures. “Just kidding! I’m already done.”

  “In that case, all right.” I heaved myself up, jamming the envelope deep into my pocket.

  Before looking for the remote, Kerry gave me an anxious look. “You’re not smiling.”

  Most little kids were self-centered, believing the universe revolved around them. To be fair, a lot of adults had that misperception too. Either way, Kerry was perceptive—and right now, I didn’t like it.

  “I’m fine,” I said, wondering if it was really fair to lie to her. She was going to find out eventually… the day I disappeared out of her life, if not sooner.

  She still looked concerned as she dropped down on the couch and turned up the volume on the TV. “If you’re sad, the little monkeys will cheer you up.”

  I faked a smile. I actually didn’t mind this show. It had some adult humor that went right over kids’ heads. Mostly I liked it because it was part of our routine.

  Every weeknight, after Kerry finished studying, we’d put on the TV. At nine o’clock, she got ready for bed, either with me or with her dad if he was home. She liked to complain about her early bedtime, but Cole said she’d go to bed at ten when she was ten. Even though she said it was unfair, I could tell she was looking forward to the milestone.

  “Here we go,” I said good-naturedly as the theme song came on.

  It looked like it’d be just the two of us again tonight. Cole was either running late at work or stuck in traffic. He was a hedge fund analyst, whatever that meant. All I knew was that he kept long hours, which kept him away from the daughter he clearly cherished.

  He used to text me every time he’d be home later than nine, but as that got more and more frequent, I told him not to bother. I was okay putting her to bed or letting him do it, and as long as he woke Kerry up in the morning and packed her off for school, she was perfectly happy.

  And so was I. My life had never been so contented. Sometimes I felt like I’d manifested the whole situation into existence. I’d always dreamed of having a job I loved, a few good friends, and a good yoga studio.

  When nine o’clock rolled around, Kerry climbed into bed without any protest. She did, however, request a bedtime story.

  “Not now,” I told her. Not when the only story I was thinking about was the one where my ass got drop-kicked back to my home country.

  After leaving Kerry for the night, I sat on the back porch. In the warm spring air, I folded the letter over and over. I gazed out at the pool. The weather would be nice enough to swim soon… if I was still here, of course. I had half a mind to tear the letter into a million pieces.

  I thought about calling my moms, seeing what they’d say. But what kind of advice could they actually give me? They’d just yell at me for being here without a proper visa.

  They hadn’t even approved three years ago, when I’d applied to a job on a whim. I didn’t think the Miami couple who’d posted the ad would want to hire someone from out of the country, but they turned out to like the idea of having a Canadian raise their daughter. I’d already been nannying since age eighteen, so they knew I had experience, and they thought I’d teach her to be polite and courteous.

  I left three months ago, because she turned thirteen and everyone agreed she was too old for a live-in nanny. I said goodbye to her and her parents, and then a friend of a friend connected me to this job. The rest was history… history that could soon be over.

  When Cole got home, he nodded to me. Silhouetted against the light from the kitchen, I could only make out his profile—which was bad enough. The strength of his jaw and the set of his shoulders were quite visible, even in the dim night.

  I’d been harboring a tiny crush ever since I’d come here. Anyone would’ve—it was a normal physical reaction to his rugged, mature good looks. It wasn’t like I was in love with him or anything.

  “You’re up late,” he said. His voice—deep and masculine, mellow with a touch of rumble—always gave me a little shiver, even when he wasn’t saying anything profound.

  Rubbing my arms, I looked at the sky. No light at all—it was probably past eleven. “You’re home late,” I said, trying to sound as normal as I could.

  “Things were a little crazy at work,” Cole said. “I did my best to get back, but it was just one thing after another, and then the traffic…” He shook his head. “How was Kerry?”

  “Same as always.”

  “Chipper, verging on hyper, too smart for her own good?”

  “Like I said, just like always.”

  Chuckling softly, he loosened his tie. Seeing him come out of his office headspace and relax was almost a privilege. He was always so stiff when he first got home, I had the feeling that not many people got to see him like this.

  “Homework’s done?” he asked. “Monkeys are watched?”

  “As if I’d let her get away with not doing her homework,” I said. “And as if she’d let me keep her from those monkeys.”

  “So all’s right in the world,” Cole said. “Guess I’ll be heading to bed. Than
k God it’s Friday.”

  It was only Wednesday. I tried to smile at the mild joke, but couldn’t manage it.

  He peered at me. “Something wrong?”

  I heaved a sigh, sinking lower in my chair. Seeing the paper in my hands, he gestured for me to give it to him. His brow furrowed as he read it, his full lips mouthing the words on the paper. His brown eyes darkened as he realized what it said.

  Maybe it was stupid of me to hand over evidence of my criminal activity to my boss. I just wasn’t thinking straight. I needed to tell someone about this, and there was no one else around.

  “Your visa expired?” he asked, taking a seat across from me. “You don’t have a green card?”

  “No.” I sank lower, wishing I could disappear into the wicker chair. “Why do you think you’ve been paying me in cash?”

  “For tax purposes, I suppose.” He leaned in, looking concerned. “I know you’ve been in America for a couple of years, but I assumed you were on top of things.”

  “Apparently not.”

  Cole’s eyes bored into me, and I felt smaller than ever under his gaze.

  “But we can’t let this happen,” he said. “Isn’t there anything I can do?”

  Two—Cole

  “Excuse me? You’re asking your nanny to marry you?”

  From across the table, Talbot stared at me in shock. Behind him, the Miami skyline shimmered against the dark night. This rooftop bar was one of our favorites—although at the moment, I was more focused on wondering why I’d just blurted out my plan.

  “I’m not asking him to marry me,” I muttered, fiddling with the tiny bowl of peanuts. “I was thinking about it, is all. He’s on the verge of getting deported, and I don’t really want that to happen.”

  “Is it really that hard to get laid as a single, successful gay man?”

  “Shut up,” I told Talbot. “Gordon’s an amazing nanny, and Kerry adores him.”

  And yeah, okay… I did, too. The house was a different place since he’d arrived—warmer, happier—to the point where I actually looked forward to getting home. It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes, with a brilliant smile and a cute little butt. Not that I’d ever checked out my daughter’s nanny, or anything like that. Definitely not.

  “So this guy is that important to Kerry, is that it?” Talbot asked.

  I shrugged. “He’s important because I don’t want to shake up her life more than it’s already been.”

  The last few months had been quite an upheaval for Kerry. My ex-wife and I used to share custody, which was already something I felt bad about. Our daughter should’ve been growing up in a loving two-parent home.

  Unfortunately, that ended seven years ago. She was two when I realized I was gay. Putting up a front for the rest of my life wouldn’t have been fair to any of us, including Samantha. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I told her the truth and got out of the marriage.

  We’d been fairly amicable about it. Samantha still liked to make little jibes at me from time to time, but we got along well enough to make sure Kerry was well cared for. She never lacked for anything, and she always knew both her parents loved her, even if we weren’t together.

  In due time, I trusted Kerry would understand when I found a new partner. Samantha had remarried, and I was happy for her. It seemed like everything was working as well as it could for our little broken family.

  Then three months ago, Samantha’s hotshot corporate job took her overseas to Paris. She thought about taking Kerry with her, but I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea. She wouldn’t get a lot of time with whichever one of us she was with, considering the amount of hours we both worked.

  At least if she stayed with me, she’d keep her routine at home. She wouldn’t have to change schools for the length of Samantha’s contract. And she could still keep in touch with her grandparents on both sides.

  Samantha had been reluctant, but had eventually agreed. They Skyped often, and Kerry was adjusting well to the change. Of course, a large part of that was the nanny I’d hired. Gordon had been amazing with her from day one. He was a teacher, a clown, and a teddy bear all in one—to Kerry. To me, he was more like a supermodel-slash-porn star.

  “So you’re only thinking about Kerry’s best interests,” Talbot said, looking at me keenly.

  Sometimes it was annoying how well he knew me. Or maybe I shouldn’t have gotten drunk that one time and confessed that I had a bit of a thing for Gordon. Talbot had told me then that I should ask him out, brushing off my insistence that Gordon was my employee and that Kerry was the most important thing at stake. No way was I going to let my love life get in the way of my daughter’s well-being.

  “This isn’t about me,” I said. “It’s about Kerry.”

  “So you don’t have any fantasies about this nanny falling in love with you if you get fake married?” Talbot asked. “Because I have news for you, Cole. This isn’t a soap opera or a romance novel. Real life doesn’t work like that.”

  I took a long sip of my beer, long enough to let the heat dissipate from my cheeks. “I know that, and like I said, that’s not what this is about. I swear. I just want to help him out. If marrying an American could be a fast track to a green card, why not do it? It’s not like I’m married already.”

  “What’s your exit strategy?” Talbot asked.

  “Exit strategy?” I trailed my finger along the condensation on my glass. I hadn’t thought about that part. I hadn’t thought much past the point where we’d get declared husband and husband.

  “Well, you’re not going to stay married, are you? Not if it’s a fake marriage.”

  “I guess we’d get divorced.”

  “So that’s the plan,” Talbot said, still peering at me.

  “Of course. What else would it be?” I took another sip, hoping he wouldn’t read the embarrassment in my eyes. “I’ve been through one divorce, so I know what I’m setting myself up for.”

  Okay, I had some little soap opera fantasies about what might happen if I proposed to Gordon. He was a single gay man, and so was I. Of course it’d crossed my mind. But this would just be a favor. Nothing romantic. Just a quick in and out marriage for a friend.

  Talbot was a great friend, but the problem with him was that he was a lawyer. “You realize this is not exactly legal, right?” he asked. “It’s called a sham marriage. And it could get you into a lot of trouble.”

  “To keep Kerry’s nanny, I’d take any risk.”

  Which was a little overly optimistic, because Talbot’s next words left me speechless. “I’m talking about a fine up to a quarter of a million.”

  The money wasn’t a huge issue for me. It was nothing to sneeze at, but honestly, my home was worth several times that. If I ever got a fine like that, I’d be able to pay it.

  “Jail time,” he went on. “A criminal record.”

  I froze with my glass halfway to my mouth. Those could be more of a problem.

  If I were to get sent to jail, my clients wouldn’t exactly understand my reasoning. Never mind my bosses. I wouldn’t be able to make any more money from some grimy little jail cell. And I doubted I’d be able to get hired again after that, either.

  Talbot saw the expression on my face and nodded. “Not such an easy decision to make, is it? If you like the guy, ask him on a date. Don’t make any stupid decisions.”

  “I guess you’re right,” I said glumly.

  But when I got home a few hours later, I guess I forgot.

  *

  The pile of Barbie dolls in Gordon’s hand crashed to the floor all at once. “What did you just say?”

  “I asked if you wanted to marry me,” I repeated. “You know, to get your green card.”

  He scrambled for the half-dressed plastic figures, avoiding my eyes as he stood up. “I can’t do that.”

  My throat closed up, and I coughed a few times to clear it. I hadn’t really been prepared for anything other than an enthusiastic yes. I took a step back, instantly wishi
ng I’d just listened to Talbot. Those beers must’ve hit me harder than I thought for me to think this was a good idea. Of course Gordon wouldn’t want to marry some old fogey like me.

  I thought he liked living here. That he liked his job, and all right, in my heart of hearts I wished he liked me. But when it came down to it, he was a charming guy, personable and friendly. He could find just as good of a job back home. I had nothing to offer him that someone else couldn’t.

  Sure, Kerry was a great kid, but all parents thought their kid was the best. In reality, he’d probably be just as happy with any other nine-year-old.

  Then again, he’d seemed so sad the other night. He really looked like he was falling apart when he showed me that letter. I must’ve read him wrong, though. Maybe he was sad because he’d be leaving someone he was dating here. I didn’t even know if he was single, now that I thought about it. And considering his looks and personality, there was zero reason to assume he was single.

  “Never mind,” I said, rushing past him to the staircase. Kerry was already in bed, and I planned to go check on her before heading to my own room.

  Gordon’s gaze followed me, and even though moments had passed, all I saw there was shock. “Hang on.”

  “Forget I said anything.” I put one foot on the stair.

  What had I been thinking, coming back here and saying something like that? I’d known it was a terrible idea, just like Talbot had told me, and yet I’d gone and done it anyway.

  I climbed up the stairs and peeked into my daughter’s room. Kerry lay in bed, sleeping like an angel… At least, until she turned over and shot me a grin. Her eyes held no sign of sleepiness, and in fact, I got the impression she was restraining herself from bounding out of bed.

  “Daddy!” she exclaimed as I kissed her on the forehead.

  “How are you, baby girl?”

  “I’m great,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “Are you and Gordon getting married?”

  “No, of course not. Where did you get that idea?”

  “I heard you downstairs,” she said. “You should marry him, Daddy.”

  With a grimace, I shook my head. “Gordon and I were just joking, sweetheart. Nobody is getting married.”