"You are here about the nanny position?" Carol was stunned. She was staring at the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He had a folder under his arm and he stuck his hand out for her to shake it. She took him all in, from the pushed back sunglasses on the top of his head. The leather jacket. The fitting jeans. Scruffy boots. The sexy smile. "You are D Dixon?"
"Yes... you were expecting someone else?" He asked her, he had sent through some references in an attachment clearly she hadn't read them because it would have read 'Daryl Dixon,' now he was standing there facing all sorts of awkward. He sighed and looked her up and down the slow way she looked him up and down checking him out.
"Um no," Carol was flustered the man in front of her. He just ozzed sex appeal, she looked at folder that could only be references and he was here to apply to be a nanny for her four year old daughter Sophia. "Come in... I just have to make a phone call... um ..." She opened the door wide to let him pass by her, she caught a whiff of a musky aftershave and her eyes trailed down his backside. Get a grip Carol he's here for a job as a nanny not on a date and after her last experience dating she wasn't looking for a man at all.
"Daryl ... Daryl Dixon," he handed her his card. Daryl Dixon - the baby whisperer.. Carol turned the card over in her hand and gave a small smile.
She looked at it and he just shrugged, it started off as a joke when his friends with kids used to ring him at all times of the night to come settle their upset babies. He would show up and within two minutes he would have a sleeping baby in his arms. Something about him that babies and young children were attracted too. His friends started pimping him out at playgroups and baby classes and soon he had a steady stream of clients begging him to help them with their babies and toddlers. He made more money that he ever knew he could - doing basically nothing but holding a baby and playing with a toddler and putting them to bed on a routine. He didn't know parents were willing to pay just about anything for sleep.
He was between jobs right now and he wanted to hang around town while his brother and wife needed him. The job said week day's only, live in nanny position. That suited him. He would help Merle on a Saturday with his family while his wife was busy with her sick father. Her father had a full time carer during the week but at the weekend Merle knew he couldn't cope with his six kids alone. Daryl teased him that he made them, Merle begged him and told him he'd fix up his Harley for him. Daryl agreed. He was going to anyway he just wanted to make Merle sweat.
Carol indicated the kitchen table for him to sit at. She went to pick up the phone to ring her neighbour to let her know that she was alone in the house with a strange man. She turned the card over in her hand to tell the details to the person on the other end of the phone. She watched him take a seat at the table, he tossed his C.V on it and he was now studying his own finger nails.
Sophia come running into the room holding onto a pair of pj shorts. She was in her knickers and her shirt was flapping open because she still had trouble with buttons, she stopped in front of Carol who tried to tell her to cover herself and she was on the phone, indicating to give her a few more seconds. Sophia stared at Daryl. He made a gesture for her to come to him, he did the buttons up and took the shorts and held them out to step into. He shook her hand and introduced himself, he was treated to a rare smile.
Sophia run off again through the house. Carol sighed, she was supposed to be in bed already and it was the forth change of pj's she had been in. Sophia did this every night and it was exhausting for everyone. Sophia come out again with a book and climbed right onto his knee and Carol watched as her daughter with amazement, this was the little girl who was normally scared of men sat there leaned into him and listened to him reading the book at the kitchen table. The whole exchange happened while she was on the phone.
She could hear the low soft tones of his voice as he read the story. Sophia looked like she was settling in for the night on his knee. The little girl was supper tired and Carol couldn't believe her eyes as she shut them and fell asleep on Daryl's knee. Carol was gutted that she just did that for a complete stranger, sleeping confidently on his knee. For the past week she had been chasing Sophia around the house well after eleven and one story and a gentle sway of the legs she was out. She looked at the card again it said baby whisperer- it should say 'Sandman!'
She just filled her neighbour Sasha in that she had a guy apply for a nanny via email and he was at the house so keep an ear and eye out just in case. Daryl lifted Sophia up in his arms to help Carol put her to bed. He followed her through the house and put her in the bed in an all pink bedroom. He looked about as he went. The house was in chaos, boxes like they had just moved in. He tried not to notice the dirty dishes in the sink and he certainly wasn't staring at the sway in her arse as she walked ahead of him taking the little girl to her bed. Carol walked back down the hall following him back to the kitchen trying not to stare at his butt in his molded jeans she was thinking she was mad for even considering having a male nanny, especially a hot male nanny.
"So you're not going to hire me are you?" he asked her.
"Its not that... I um I never even considered having a nanny that was a guy, all her nanny's have been female."
"All her nanny's?" He arched an eyebrow. "How many nanny's has she had?"
"She had too many to count. She's a bit of a handful," Carol told him, he was nodding. She went to the kitchen bench to make a coffee so they could chat. "How many people have you nanny'd for?"
"Quite a few, I just kinda fell into it," Daryl wondered if it was actually worth telling her it all, "Look I need a job, I'm in town helping my brother for a while. I need something live in, if I'm wasting my time here I need to go see if there's a job at the local bar or something," he blurted out. "Hundred of kids, babies... hundreds of references."
"Hundreds? Why so many." She asked him.
"Well sometimes they just wanted me for a week to show them how to settle their baby or help out with a new born,' Daryl shrugged, 'I haven't ever done a full time eight to five gig,' he told her, 'I've got a website, take a look and see for yourself. I go into homes work with families and then I leave.'
'Like the super nanny?'
'Not really like the sleepy nanny or the toilet training nanny or the mummy needs you to sleep before she screams nanny," Daryl told her. He pulled out his phone and tapped in. "Here," He turned it so it displayed his website, he handed her his file. "So have a look and ask me questions," She was shocked when she saw his site and how disappointed people appeared to be when he said he was taking six months of for family business. Women after women posting asking when he would be free so they could use his service.
"So are ya interested? You look interested," Daryl asked her.
"I'm interested, I guess I was a bit shocked that a guy wanted the job," she told him. "Its live in, I'm a doctor at the local practice and its from eight to five thirty, live in. If I get called out on an emergency or something I need someone in the house." He sat listening to her as she went to pour a coffee.
"My sister inlaw... you know her? Michonne... she's a doctor at that practice too."
"Of course I know Michonne, I love Michonne... you are Uncle D?" Carol slowly put two and two together with who Daryl was. He was famous, she had heard the story about him from Michonne and now she had him sitting at her kitchen wanting to move in and help her with Sophia. Daryl the baby whisper... Daryl the man that parents paid big money to have an hour of his time. She looked around her little three bedroom house. Daryl was loaded, she didn't know why he was even applying for a job with her that paid less in one week than he got in one day working with other families.
Yes she wanted him - To be Sophia's nanny. She took him all in trying to see if he was anything like his brother. Michonne trusted him she should too. He would be perfect for the job and hopefully then her stalker would get the message she was not available.
"If you want to work here... I can't afford to pay much, the mortgage and things." Carol told him. "I'm a single mother, its not going to be what you are used too."
Daryl gave her a look, she didn't know what she was used too and he was just looking for somewhere to stay also. "So is there a Mr Carol?" Daryl always wanted to know who to expect to be visiting. The place looked like there was no guy involved.
She shook her head. "She's IVF, I thought I was getting older and had no interest in men so..."
"You a..." Daryl asked she knew he was asking if she was a lesbian.
She shook her head, "No, just ... I haven't had the best of luck with guys. I'm not dating anyone either if that's your next question. I dated this guy last year and it wasn't flash, he... he... he always seems to show up where I am and it freaks me out, so it will be nice to have a male about if he decides to stop by."
"Stalker?" Daryl's eyes narrowed.
"I went on two dates and he gave me the creeps so I said no the next time and now... if I go to the store he's there, I shifted out of my old place because I'm sure he had keys or something."
Daryl's eyes narrowed he didn't like guys like that.
"Its ok, he's left us alone now we moved and nothing been shifted. So when can you start?" Carol asked him still not believing her luck.
Daryl smiled at her she was really cute and sexy and she had no idea. He was going to be in town for a while and he didn't care if she had a kid and he was defiantly interested in a working relationship. It had been a very long time since anyone sparked his interest like she did. He was going to just sit back and see if she was interested in him, by the way her eyes kept going to him he could tell she was so it could be mutually beneficial to both of them.
Her phone was ringing and she went to answer it and he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch to look around. There was a nice yard and it could do with a sand pit or play house. He watched a car drive past, the guy was looking up the drive. He pulled to a stop parked across the drive. Daryl stood there looking at him as he marched up the drive. He looked really really mad. He gave off a really bad vibe.
"Who are you?" the man demanded.
"Who are you, I was invited you clearly are not," Daryl took a sip on his coffee staring the man down.