Page 62 of The Surrogate Nanny
She chuckled, “I think I can do that.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Simone
“Mmmm. Mama. Mama. Mama,” Nori cooed as she brought her fingers to her lips.?
“I know you’re hungry. The food should be here soon,” I said, dressing her in her bathing suit. I slipped pink cage-toed jellied sandals on her and set her on her feet. “You are officially beach ready, but I’m far from it. Let’s find your dad so I can get ready in peace.”
I left the bedroom suite I shared with Nori to track down her father. Did I want to share a room with Anthony? Yes, but Nori had other plans. Last night consisted of a vicious cycle of me putting her down, tiptoeing out of the bedroom, only to return two minutes later when she popped her head up and started crying. By the fourth time, I waved the white flag and stayed. Either Nori Rene Livingston was blocking, or she was afraid to sleep alone in an unfamiliar place. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and settled on the latter.
We walked in on Anthony doing his leg stretches, and Nori didn’t hesitate to try and tackle him to the ground. I rolled my eyes. Anthony was to blame for Nori’s sudden desire to roughhouse.
I laughed when he flopped on the floor dramatically and begged for mercy as she climbed on top of him. She took the “L” when he tickled her, causing her to slip onto the floor into a heap of laughter.
“Are those the swimming trunks you’re going to wear?” I asked, observing his milky thighs and the long red jagged scar that ran the length of his right leg.
His brows raised. “Yes. What’s wrong with them?”
“You’re showing too much skin,” I teased.
“Jealous?” he challenged.
“I might be.”
He snorted.
“You’re one to talk. I watched you unpack, and I didn’t see any conservative one-piece swimsuits, just a lot of string. I didn’t plan on bringing my cane to the beach, but I might need to so I can beat the other men off.”
“That’s very caveman of you.”
He shrugged his shoulders casually. “Ask me if I give a—”
“Language.”
“—dang.”
Before I could retort, Nori grabbed Anthony’s attention and motioned to her mouth.
“You’re hungry. I’m sorry, baby. Let me call to see what’s the holdup. You’d think they’d move a little faster, considering we’re paying an arm and a leg to stay here,” Anthony complained, picking up the cordless phone.
“I told your daddy we should’ve gone to the buffet,” I whispered to Nori.
“Excuse me for wanting to eat breakfast with my family in peace and quiet in front of a million-dollar view,” he huffed, punching at the buttons on the phone.
“The view is to die for,” I mumbled as I led Nori onto the balcony adjacent to Anthony’s room. Nori immediately pressed her forehead and hands against the glass panel. I was a nervous wreck yesterday, but Anthony reassured me there was no way Nori could fall, especially since the glass panels came to my chest.
“Ahhh,” Nori whispered as she peered at the cerulean waves. I couldn’t blame her. I shared the same reaction when we pulled into the luxurious resort. There were palm trees galore, cordoning the beach resort from the rest of the world. We were welcomed to the resort by a helpful valet attendant and a delightful bellhop, who were eager to please after Anthony slipped them discrete tips as if they were conducting an illegal drug transaction. I was pissed. I wouldn’t have subjected myself to mental abuse in a call center if I had known I could get paid $20.00 just for parking a vehicle.
I held Nori tightly as Anthony led us into the hotel with his hand on the small of my back, and good thing he did. If not for his gentle directing, I would’ve fallen behind several times as I observed the sleek and polished layout of the hotel lobby. Nori also showed her appreciation for the elegance, squealing and pointing at the gentle-flowing fountain in the middle of the lobby.
I nearly had a heart attack when we checked in, and the kind desk agent referred to me as Mrs. Powell and wished me a happy birthday. I choked on my saliva and suffered a severe coughing fit. Anthony laughed like a villain when I scurried away to compose myself. He caught up to us at the elevators, cheeks pink from laughter. He teased me relentlessly until we reached the two-bedroom presidential suite. Being called Mrs. Powell nearly two hours after agreeing to be in an exclusive relationship was wild.
We spent the remainder of the day settling in and touring the resort’s many amenities, including the restaurants, pool, children’s splash pad and pool, tennis court, and childcare center. Anthony and I went back and forth over the idea of dropping Nori off while we enjoyed some adult fun at the pool or bar. He claimed the staff was fully vetted and trained, and the reviews online were overwhelmingly positive. I told him I wasn’t comfortable with the notion, but I’d consider it, and we left it at that. We spent the evening strolling the South Beach Boardwalk and enjoyed a fresh seafood dinner before returning to our suite.
“Good morning, Mrs. Powell!”
I turned and found a room service attendant wheeling a cart onto the expansive balcony.