The Nanny

“I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I need the money. That it’s my body, and I’m taking ownership of it. Everything that I do from this point onward is my choice, and I’m in complete control.”

Cassie thinks this to herself as she begins her OnlyFans account. Though she is nervous, Cassie calms herself by focusing on why she is using OnlyFans. Her confidence in her own control is shown to be empowering, contrasting with the self-doubt and other insecurities she faces throughout the novel.

“I don’t breathe until he’s out of sight, cursing under my breath at my very uncool behavior, acting like I’ve never seen a hot guy before. But then again, I actually haven’t ever lived with a hot guy before. Especially not one who attempts (and fails, but it’s sort of cute) at pancakes and worries about how to connect with his kid. It’s a job, I remind myself. It’s just a job.”

This quote shows Cassie’s inner monologue after meeting Aiden and Sophie in their home for the first time. Much of Cassie’s narration is made up of similar observations, unpacking her rationale in real time as she deals with situations. This quote also highlights one of Cassie’s main problems at the beginning of the novel—being attracted to her employer—and how she attempts to deal with it.

“I have to remind myself once a day of all the things I shouldn’t be noticing about Cassie. Like how pretty her smile is, or how bright her blue eyes seem to appear when she laughs, for example. Ultimately, I’m one hundred percent sure now that she is the best person for the job, and finding her attractive in any capacity only serves to potentially fuck up the good thing we’ve started to find. Sophie is more important than a few wayward thoughts I can never give voice to. Even if they are sometimes louder than I’d like them to be.”

Much like the previous quote, this excerpt shows Aiden’s side of the story and his initial feelings about Cassie. The narration of both characters uses a stream-of-consciousness technique to follow their rapidly changing thoughts and feelings. Here, Aiden shows his struggle to avoid his feelings for Cassie and put Sophie first, much like Cassie tries to do.