Page 23 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

Margo.

Signature scent.

Margo.

Synergy!

Marketing campaign.

Next level.

Margo Margo Margo.

“She sounds interesting. Let’s set up a time for me to Skype her. Wait—I’ll Skype Nico. I don’t want her to have my information in case it doesn’t work out. Make sure they’re together. Can we do ittomorrow?”

“I could literally be dead from lack of sleep tomorrow, but sure.”

“I’m quite sure that’s not physically possible.”

“It definitely feels possible.”

“Well, she’ll have to sign our nondisclosure agreement. What about her salary?”

“Oh shit. We didn’t discuss that.”

“Well, what did you discuss?”

She read my palm. She told me she used to have a crush on me. She alluded to dating a lot of European men.“Her excellent driving record, her fluency in French, her preference for kids over adults. You’ll like her. She’s a good vibes person.”

I would never say the words “good vibes person” out loud to anyone but Margo, and only when it involves getting Willa Todd to be my kids’ nanny.

She studies my face for a few seconds. “Okay. Well, I hope it works out. Did you talk to the kids about it yet?”

“No, I wanted to talk to you about it first.”

She smiles at that. “Okay. Take me to them. I need to see them, but I have to go to sleep.”

I take the iPad to the kids in the family room, tell Lucky that his mom’s going to explain time zones to him, and while they’re talking, I go back to the kitchen to text Willa.

When she programmed her information in my phone, she put it underWillow SweetPeaNotUrine Todd. I change it toWilla Toddbefore typing out:Yo.

Shit. Why’d I send that? Why am I texting like a creepy old dude?

WILLA: Hey. Why are you texting me like a creepy old dude?

ME: I hit send before finishing the sentence… YOU are the lucky winner of a Skype call with Margo Quincey. She’s excited to meet you. We’ll set up a call for you and her on Nico’s phone tomorrow. That okay?

Good save,Miller. Good save.

WILLA: Word!

ME: Why are you texting like a boring dork who’s trying to sound cool? Oh wait, never mind.

WILLA: Booyah.

ME: I really hope some of your ’80’s hip-hop awesomeness rubs off on my kids.

WILLA: Fo’ shizzle.