The Kid, the Boss, and the Incorrigible Nanny

Part Twenty-Seven

Kid reread the text message glaring up at her from her phone. It was from Matt.

How's the trip going? Hope to see you when you get back.

An unsettling feeling crept over her. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear from him. For some reason, however, she felt guilty. It almost felt like she was hiding something from him. 

He hadn't done anything wrong, by any means. He was showing interest and checking in on her. He hadn't been too persistent in his messages, but he hadn't completely stopped reaching out either.

If she was honest, part of her truly wished he hadn't sent this message.

"Kid, did you hear me?"

She blinked, looking up at CJ. "Sorry, what?"

"I said, you should pick out a dress while we're here. My treat."

Somehow — Kid suspected it had something to do with her friend's powers of persuasion — they had ended up at a department store. It had happened quickly. One moment, they were sitting down to brunch. The next, CJ had convinced her to "swing by" a few stores. This store was their second stop.

The children were handling the excursion well, but Sam and Aiden had both spent time in the sun that morning. Kid knew they had played hard, and now that they had eaten, they were going to need a nap. Time was not on their side.

"I thought you didn't like wearing dresses. And didn't we just go shopping before we came on this trip?" Kid asked. They were, at the moment, making their way down an aisle of evening dresses.

CJ smiled. "A little vacation shopping never hurt anyone." As if to punctuate her point, she gestured to the aisles of clothing around them. "And wearing a dress is a lot more fun when you're with friends. It feels a lot less like I'm picking my outfit to look presentable at a business dinner, and more like we're getting dolled up to hang out... at a beach resort."

Kid supposed she had a point. Still, she hadn't planned for this in her budget. And she didn't feel right about having CJ spend money on her. "I don't think I need anything. I have plenty to wear for the weekend."

Her friend's mouth dipped into a mock pout. "If you say so." She reached out to feel a black dress made of satin. "They are beautiful, though."

She had to agree. "Yes." 

"And, you know, a little bit of cleavage goes a long way in a gown like this one here." 

Kid felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "I am a nanny, you might remember. And even if it wasn't for Aiden... well, I don't really prefer to show cleavage."

"Oh, I see," CJ said. "Well, if you prefer a more modest look, I'm sure we could find something."

"Well, it isn't that, exactly."

"What is it?"

Kid swallowed. "I, uh, had pretty bad acne as a teenager. I have really sensitive skin and... well, some scars. Which I guess you've probably noticed with the swimsuit... I don't know, it's different in a swimsuit. You know? Like, in the sun, I don't think about it that much. But in a dress like these..." her voice trailed off. "It's gross, I know. But I didn't want you to think I just wasn't interested." 

They grew quiet. Kid tried to gauge CJ's response. Her friend didn't seem like the type of person to be disturbed about this (or any) topic. However, Kid had felt the sting of this particular insecurity many times before. 

What she wanted to say was that wearing a nice dress like this one would only emphasize her skin's flaws even more. On the beach, she could easily distract herself from her insecurities by wading into the water or entertaining Aiden. In a dining room, sitting still in a chair and with nowhere to hide... she would feel trapped.