“I’ll pay you five hundred dollars a day,” Andrew continued. “You’ll have your own adjoining hotel room. Car service to your competition events. And your competition comes first. I only need help around my meetings and in the evenings.”
Noah stared at him. “Five hundred a day?”
“That’s what a travel nanny would cost. And frankly, I trust you more than a stranger with references.”
Noah’s first reaction was not excitement but caution.
“Sir, I need to focus on the competition. This trip is… everything.”
Andrew nodded. “Then that remains the priority. But I’d also like to discuss something beyond these five days.”
Noah said nothing.
“My company has a foundation. We fund exceptionally gifted students from underserved communities. Regardless of how this competition ends, I want to talk about supporting your education.”
Noah’s face changed in a way Andrew would remember long after: hope colliding with wariness. The look of someone who wants to believe in help but has learned not to trust it too quickly.
“Can I think about it?” Noah asked.
“Of course.”
By the time the plane landed at Heathrow, Noah had made his decision.