“Oh…um…okay.” Cassandra shifts in her chair and takes a big swig of her drink as she ponders what she’s about to say. I can’t help but watch her curiously, selfishly interested in learning more about the mysterious woman I’ve hired to watch my kid all summer.
“Okay…here we go. I am a skilled woodworker, I got my bachelor’s degree at nineteen years old, and I hate popcorn.”
The group pauses as they stare at Cassandra like her face will reveal her truth. I narrow my eyes, watching her smirk and chew her lip in that delicious way that always makes me notice how big her lips are.
“The college one is a lie,” Kate says, sitting back in her chair. “Your face twitched when you said that one.”
“I agree,” Lynsey interjects next.
“Let me see your hands,” Sam requests, and Cassandra turns her hands upward. “No way you’re a woodworker. Your hands look too soft.”
I agree with Sam, and when everyone finishes guessing, Cassandra reveals her lie. “I love popcorn.”
“What?” the group exclaims.
“You graduated college at nineteen?” Josh takes the words out of my mouth.
She nods and shrugs. “I had earned my associate’s degree before I was even out of high school.”
“So we’re sitting next to a freaky genius?” Kate laughs. “Cool! Say something smart.”
Cassandra shakes her head and points at Josh. “I’m seated beside a doctor, not to mention the rest of you who are all highly successful in your fields. I’m just the nanny. The smart thing to do is remain silent.”
Everyone scoffs but eventually resumes the game and moves around the circle for more truths and a lie. I try to participate, but my gaze continually turns back to Cassandra. Why would she exclude her college education on her résumé? That makes no sense.
When my turn comes up, I’m so in my own head that I don’t even think before I blurt out, “You lied on your résumé.”
My eyes laser in on Cassandra, who squirms in her seat. “What?”
“You never listed any college degree,” I accuse, ignoring everyone’s gaping at me.
She licks her lips and shrugs. “College wasn’t a requirement for the nanny position.”
“No, but why downplay your education?” I tilt my head and watch her body language.
“Because it wasn’t relevant to the job,” she says, looking mildly annoyed as she sets her beer down on the arm of the chair.
“It seems like you’re being secretive,” I volley back.
Cassandra laughs awkwardly and looks around at the group, avoiding eye contact. “I’m sorry, but my life story really is none of your business.”
“You’re watching my kid for the summer,” I snap, my jaw taut with irritation. “You’re absolutely my business.”
Her eyes widen and jump to mine at my possessive words.
“Max,” Josh murmurs from beside me, but I brush him off.
“Why hide that part of yourself?” I continue, unwilling to let this go.
“I’m not healing the sick or climbing the corporate ladder. Why does what I list on my résumé even matter?”
My teeth crack as I struggle not to lose my temper. I don’t like that she’s keeping shit from me. No, I don’t need to know it to trust her with my kid. She’s proven herself to me this week, and I feel good about hiring her. I just…want to fucking know something real about her. Anything that will make this person with a willy-nilly business philosophy in front of me make sense.
“What kind of woodworking do you do?” I ask, changing tactics to see if she’s going to be secretive about that too.
Cassandra laughs dryly and slaps her hands on the arms of the chair. “I make charcuterie boards, okay?”
“Charcuta-what?” Lynsey interjects, her voice practically squealing with delight. “Are you serious?”
Cassandra’s gaze tears away from mine and softens when they land on Lynsey. “Yeah, they’re simple to make, and I find the act of sanding wood really satisfying. I used to have a huge collection of boards that I made, but my friend Dakota sold them all from her T-shirt shop downtown.”
“Why don’t you make more?” Kate asks curiously.
“Because I moved away from my workshop and don’t really have a good setup here. Trust me, I’m not complaining.” She shoots challenging eyes at me. “I love the guesthouse. But I just haven’t figured out another place to work on them yet. I’ll find something, eventually. I’m still settling in here.”