Page 10 of One Sweet Lie

Must have experience in a Michelin star kitchen.

Must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

Bring one dozen of your best German chocolate cupcakes (unicorn style, please) for consideration.

Arrive at address below twenty minutes before your appt time.

I took the elevator and followed a pink and blue balloon trail to a ballroom with a table and two chairs.

A brunette danced near the windows, pushing a baby stroller back and forth. She reached inside and pulled out a teddy bear, kissing and babbling to it like it was a real child.

“Um, excuse me?” I cleared my throat. “Hello?”

“Hey there!” She kicked the stroller away, and it crashed into the wall. “Are you here for employment placement?”

“Yes,” I said. “I have an appointment. Harlow Hawthorne.”

“Wow, you’re early.” She motioned for me to follow her to the desk.“I’m Mrs. Locklear. Come on, have a seat.”

I obliged and sat still as she flipped through papers and hummed to herself.

“How comfortable are you with children, Miss Hawthorne?”

“Extremely comfortable,” I said. “I’ve baked plenty of custom cakes and sweets for kids’ parties. Just last week, I crafted somePaw Patrolinspired cookies and cupcakes.”

“Paw Patrol?”

“It’s a kids TV show,” I said. “The one with the dogs who protect their town with fun and crazy adventures.”

“Interesting.” She flipped a page. “Are you familiar with gluten, nut, and other common food allergies?”

“Of course. I always ask about those before baking.”

“Are you CPR certified?”

“Yes.”

“What about pediatric first aid?”

“I took a few classes in that a while ago, but?—”

“Perfect!” She interrupted. “Can you tell me how you would handle a hungry, crying child?”

“Uh, I wouldfeed it.”

“Good answer.Very goodanswer.” She nodded. “You’d be surprised how many people say, ‘Let the child cry until he’s not hungry anymore.”

Where is she going with this?

“What about a child who was experiencing anxiety about a parent being away?” she asked. “How would you handle that?”

“Assure them it’s temporary by saying, ‘I’m sure your mommy or daddy will come back to this party soon.’” I glanced at my phone, ensuring I hadn’t misread the age of this party as ‘six’ instead of ‘sixteen.’

“Awww, that’s sweet!” Mrs. Locklear scribbled on a notepad. “Now, let’s talk about your experience with sleep schedules and potty training.”

“Huh?”

“How did you handle setting these at your last nanny position?”