Babysitting the Billionaire by Nicky Penttila Page B

deer frozen in the social
headlights. Sadie’s eyes were wide. The senator nodded to them both.
    “Beau, Beau, Beau. What can I say? I was blind.” She
mimed a face palm, and the crowd chuckled. “If only all our unrequited loves
could grow into such successes, we would never need bailouts.” Half the crowd
tittered.
    “But I do love penguins, and I’ve been a longtime
supporter of the Foundation. In fact, my fiancée, Sadie, works for them. Don’t
you, dear?”
    May could not believe her ears. The Senator had outed
herself, here?
    The room went silent as if no one else could believe it,
either. Then phones started snapping out of pockets and purses as people rushed
to be the first to get this bombshell out. The Senator took a shell-shocked
Sadie by the hands and kissed her briefly on the lips. At least two dozen
camera flashes went off.
    The Senator led Sadie off the stage, front, and people started
crowding around them. Beau clicked the mic off. He stepped forward to hand it
to Edmondsson, but the other man turned and stalked off. Beau shrugged.
    “He wanted some publicity, didn’t he?”
    May wanted to jump up and down, and then realized she
was already, and stopped.
    “That story about the penguins and the senator, that’s
not really true, is it?”
    “You doubt a well-told story? Sure, it’s true. I tried
cranes first, because of my name, you know, but they bombed in the focus
groups. But everybody loved the penguins.”
    “Lucky break for them.”
    “And for me.”
    “And for me.” May followed him off the stage, suddenly
shy. “Can I apply for the job, then?”
    “Which job?”
    “Whatever you call it. Media specialist.”
    “Sure. Just send a letter and your c.v. to my
assistant.”
    “Your assistant? When I have your own email address?”
    “That address is only for people seeking the other open
position.” He leaned in and whispered, “You might consider applying for that
one, as well.”
    May smiled to herself. “Personal assistant?”
    “Partner.”
    Her heart swelled, but her head shut it down. “We’re so
far apart.”
    “We’ll be together for the expedition. If we can figure
out how to survive that, we can figure out anything.”
    He had a point. And he had her heart, as well as her
hand, warm in his. May suddenly remembered the boulder that had been on top of
her heart. It wasn’t there anymore.
    The man beside her waited, his attention wholly on her.
She luxuriated in it. She could get used to this. “Then I’ll do it.”
    “Excellent. Now let’s go somewhere we can really dance.”
He started for the stairs, but she pulled him to a stop.
    “Just a minute.” May stepped from the stair to the stage
again, looking for Sadie. The couple had made it only as far as the middle of
the room. Sadie was smiling, but her eyes were suspiciously shimmery, too.
    “All’s well?”
    “Perfect.”
    ****
    Seven months later
     
    “Take a look at this.” Sadie pushed the tablet into
Jane’s hand, not the one waving the toast over the countertop but the clean
one.
    “Another video? If it’s not Senate business I have no
time for it. And this marmalade sucks.”
    “Three minutes. And the marmalade is same as ever. It’s early
menopause that sucks, sweetie.”
    “Marmalade’s easier to change,” the Senator said,
pressing the sound up on the tablet with a somewhat sticky finger.
    “May Reed here,
live at Penguin Station One. Coming up today, more fun with baby penguins, growing
up so fast. But first, I’d like to welcome a very special guest: expedition
leader Beau Kurck.”
    The Senator frowned. “She’s such a doll. But why is Beau
so antsy?”
    “Just wait. It gets better.” Sadie wiped at the edge of
the tablet with a dishrag. The Senator waved her away, intent on the screen.
    “We’ve been out
here for months and chatted to everybody else on the team. But you, Mr. Kurck,
have been camera-shy up ’til now. What made you change your mind?”
    “You did, May.