Never Say Never

The girl looked a little uncertain, her smile slipping from her face, and Camila wondered if this would be the second candidate to burst into tears and flee the room in the space of ten minutes.
She wouldn’t be surprised. The girl was so bright and sunny that it would take no effort at all to dash her hopes and dreams, and then Camila could go about the rest of her day.
“I’m here for the interview. For the nanny position.”
Camila studied the girl for another moment. She may as well give her a chance, seeing as she was there.
And she was early.
“Okay, then,” she drawled, leaning back in her chair and adopting a bored-looking expression. “Tell me why you want this job. What can you offer me?”
“Well, I’m a hard worker, and I’m reliable, and—”
“That’s all very well.” Camila cut her off, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes never leaving the girl’s face, impressed when she didn’t look away. “But I didn’t ask for your résumé. I already have that. Why are you here?”
“I just… I want to be useful, Ms. Evans.”
The girl fiddled with her hands, as if to stop her fingers from trembling. She looked terrified, which was a trait she normally relished in a potential employee but not in someone who was going to spend a lot of time with her son. She needed someone confident enough to communicate with her, not someone who might sidestep.
“And I think I could be useful to you. I would like to be useful to you. I’m new to town, and I saw the job advertised, and I thought a nanny position would be a worthwhile way to spend time while I save up for my master’s degree. I think I can do this job and do it well, if you’ll take a chance on me.”
The girl’s sincerity piqued Camila’s interest, but she didn’t want to make it too easy for her.
“Look”—she squinted at the name on the résumé—“Emma, I—”
“It’s Emily, actually, Ms. Evans.”
The correction was timid, but it was there, and Camila reappraised her original assessment—maybe she had a backbone after all. For the first time, she studied Emily fully, tried to look past the hideous sweater, glancing up into brilliant blue eyes, and tried not to think that the woman was beautiful because that would be dangerous.
“Oh, my gosh!” Emily cowered under Camila’s scrutiny. “That was so rude. I’m so sorry—”
Camila raised her hand to silence her rambling and studied her with renewed interest.
“Perhaps I underestimated you, Emily.” No one interrupted her or stood up to her, ever, and it was—well, it was kind of exhilarating. “Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I expect complete and utter devotion to this job, to my son. I’m a busy woman. I work long, sometimes unpredictable hours, and I expect you to do the same. As you can tell, I am also not an easy woman to work for. You need to think carefully about the kind of commitment I’m expecting before we go any further.”
“I have thought about it,” Emily said firmly. “I knew who you were before I came here, Ms. Evans. I know what you do and I know you’re busy. I can’t imagine how hard you must work, but I’m willing to put in the time, if you’ll give me a chance.”
“Even if it means having no life of your own?” Camila asked. “You’re young—how old are you, exactly?” She didn’t look old enough to have graduated from college.
“Twenty-three. I graduated a few months ago, but I took a year off to do some charity work in Africa before my senior year.”
Of course she did—the girl was practically a Girl Scout.
“And like I said, I’m new to town. I don’t have much of a life to speak of at the moment. I want this job, Ms. Evans.”
“What do you have in the way of experience?”
“I’ve never been a full-time nanny,” Emily said. “But I…I spent some time in the foster system”—Emily looked away briefly—“and I spent a lot of time looking after younger children, keeping them safe and out of trouble. I also did a lot of babysitting in high school and college.”
“Mm.” Camila stroked her chin thoughtfully, but she had already made her decision. “Very well. I’m going to give you a chance, Emily. And you only get one”—her warning cut Emily off in mid-squeal—“so use it wisely.”
“I won’t let you down, Ms. Evans,” Emily gushed.
Camila held up a hand. “Don’t get carried away,” she said, and reaching for a piece of paper, scrawled her address on it. “You need to meet my son first. He’s with my assistant right now, but I’d prefer you meet him in an environment that’s familiar to him. I need to get to know you a little better too, make sure you’re the right person. Can you come over for dinner tonight?”
“I…I’d love to.”
“This is my address,” Camila waved the paper at Emily. “I’ll notify the front desk that you’re coming, and they’ll let you up. Be there at seven sharp.”
“Yes, Ms. Evans,” Emily said, turning to leave.
“And Emily?”
Emily turned around.
“Let me be clear—if my son dislikes you, you’re out. Understood?”
“Yes, Ms. Evans.” Emily nodded meekly before sprinting from the room.
Camila pursed her lips, watching her go, unsure what to make of her.
Emily was eager to please, a quality that Camila appreciated in new hires, and she’d shown that she was not afraid to stand up for herself when push came to shove.
But she was also bubbly and so very, very young. Camila wouldn’t be surprised if she buckled under the pressure a few days in.
She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. There was something about the way she had surprised Camila that made her want Emily to succeed.
It didn’t hurt that she was nice to look at too. She could be a swimsuit model if she stopped hiding behind those god-awful sweaters.
Camila shook her head—it wasn’t appropriate for her to think of Emily like that, not when