Babysitter Next Door

"We don't work nine to five, Steve! We work until the job's done! Figure it out!" as the steam clears in the bathroom mirror, David hangs up the phone and catches his own gaze staring back at him. Starting with his jaw line and clean shaven face, he eyes his entire frame, still covered in beaded water from the shower. At thirty years old, he stands confident at over six feet tall, his autumn brown hair darkened with water and slicked back on his head. David glances over his large biceps and toned chest, seeking out flaws or blemishes, of which he finds none. His toned chest flows smoothly into his toned stomach and down to a soft white towel tied around his waist. He lays his phone on the counter and smirks at his reflection before dropping the towel and turning away to leave the bathroom.

David takes advantage of living alone as he walks from the bathroom to the bedroom in the nude. His feet sink into the plush carpet and he admires the walls of his hallway, lined with photos. Ski trips, kayaking, European vacations all pass by him on the way to the bedroom. He pauses at the last frame, clearly the largest of them all. He kisses his fingers and pushes them against the glass of the picture.

"I love you, munchkin," he says as his fingers fall away and he continues into the bedroom. The finger prints leave a layer of moisture on the picture, right on the face of an adorable little brunette girl, Marcy. David's one and only child pictured here at four years old, from last fall. Marcy smiles and laughs as she sits on a swing next to her father. The two look identical, if not for age and gender. They share the same eyes and smile. Marcy's right arm is cut out of the picture and you can faintly see a mystery hand that belongs to Lauren, his ex-wife.

A mix of fresh brewed coffee, cologne, and new-car scent intertwine inside the closed cabin of David's new Jeep while he watches the garage door close behind him. His suit coat hangs behind his seat and his tie rests over the seatbelt while he drives out of his subdivision. At the end of the street, David's Jeep sits idly at the red light. Looking around, he notices a young woman jogging. Her brunette ponytail bounces each time her foot hits the paved sidewalk. He can't see her face, but finds himself entranced with her young body. His eyes trace up her capri yoga pants and light, exposed, thin waist. Just as she leaves his view behind a nearby bush, he is snapped back to reality by the honking of a horn behind him. The light has changed.

"Keep it together, Dave..." he mutters to himself as he turns down the road, waving at the car behind him to apologize. As he turns, he checks the rearview mirror, trying to get one last glimpse of the young woman, but she's gone.

A phone screen lights up and the phone rattles with vibration on the marble countertop. The young jogger, now barefoot with her pony tail down walks over and looks at the screen.

MELISSA: Did you get drunk and do bad things last night, or are               you just getting home from an early run like a nerd?

She rolls her eyes and sets the phone back down, just in time for it to vibrate again.

MELISSA: Are you not responding because you're in some guy's bed?!? Did Brittany Mohler! Did you finally get a rebound lay?

She laughs out of humor and frustration before texting her back.

ME: No, weirdo! I did not sleep with some random guy last night! Some of us enjoy getting up early and having some semblance of responsibility, you know? :-P

She swipes across her screen and throws her phone on the towel sitting on the toilet back.

The young woman, Brittany, stands alone and annoyed in her bathroom. Marble countertops match the floor-to-ceiling marble shower. The cold floor is tiled with an art-deco combination of textured marble tiles. Brittany leans her delicate five and a half foot frame against the glass door of the shower, reaching in to turn on the water. She reaches across her body and pulls her sports bra over her head. Her long, perfectly brown hair has a natural wave and bounce to it as it lifts and then falls back over her shoulders. Her large breasts sit high, but move with the motion of her body as she pulls her yoga pants down with her underwear and steps out of both of them. Brittany's soft little feet bounce around the bathroom floor, grabbing a towel, scrubs, and other things out of the medicine cabinet before stepping into the shower.

Brittany stands under the chrome showerhead allowing it to wash away her lackluster love-life, realized again in her short text conversation. The water soaks into her thick hair and she exhales a deep breath as she pushes her hair back, creating a stream of warm water down the small of her back. Her stress quickly moves from sex to finances as she starts thinking about her upcoming year at college while lathering up her loofa. She spends the remaining time in her shower seemingly adding up a new expense with each rinse, counting tuition costs with each slide of the pink Schick up her leg.

Dried off and dressed in jeans and a Victoria's Secret PINK tee, Brittany comes downstairs to find her mother cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom." She greets her mother with doubt in her voice.

"Hey, sweetie. What's bothering you?" asks her mother, reaching out and rubbing Brittany's back. She leans into her mom, reaching out and grabbing a banana off the counter, starting to peel it.

"It's just school, money, wishing I took a scholarship instead of a year off after high school." She groans slightly while beginning to eat the banana.

"Well, honey, it's only May. You can do some work this summer and get some extra money. What about all those kids you used to babysit?"

"Mom! They're all in high school now!" Brittany mumbles between bites of her banana.

"Well not them, but I'm sure you could find something like that," She pats her on the back lightly, "but for now, there's a list on the fridge of some things your father and I need you to get done today. I'm off to lunch with the ladies!"

"Mom!" Brittany exclaims, almost coughing on her banana. She rolls her eyes and begins examining the list on the refrigerator behind her.

Back at the office, David is hard at work. He's a junior account manager for a large marketing firm. He was promoted pretty young for the job and has three people working directly under him. When Lauren filed for custody, David sunk all of his time into his job. He often thought of the double-edged sword it had become. He only sees his daughter every other weekend, but the need for a distraction from that thought has led to him being the youngest person in his position. His office is small, but along the wall with a beautiful view of the downtown area. His desk is kept clean and clear. Nothing but a slim laptop, two cell phones, and a picture of him and Marcy.

"I cannot believe we got that account!" a co-worker stands in David's doorway, similar in age. David looks up, smiling.

"I told you! Follow my lead and we got this! That's what I said, right? Are you ready for this workload?" David eyes a stack of files by his door.

"Strapped in and ready to go," the co-worker says, bending down and taking the box out of the office. As he starts to leave the doorway, David shouts back.

"Lots of 10 and 12 hour days coming up! Get some rest tonight!" The co-worker nods and exits. David closes his laptop before sliding into his leather shoulder bag, along with his two phones. He turns off the light to his office and heads down to the parking lot.

Before a full verse of a song can come through his radio, David's drive home is quickly interrupted by the phone. The in-dash display reads: EX LAUREN EX. He lets out an irritated sigh before answering.

"Yes, Lauren."

"Dave, did you get my email? I haven't heard anything from you!" There is a lack of friendliness in either voice as they begin talking.

"Email? No. You emailed me before you called me?"

"Yeah, I was at work, and talking doesn't always go well between us." There's a pause. "I need you to take Marcy." David immediately perks up.

"Well that's never a problem, Lauren. I'm always trying to get more time with her. This weekend?" There's another pause. "Lauren?"

"I need to bring her by tonight."

"Tonight?!? Until when?" his tone goes back to unpleasant.

"Ten days." She responds quietly, more calm.

"Lauren, I can't do that. I just got a new account. I can't take the time off of work. I'm going to be-" he is cut off before he can finish.

"I'm leaving for Toronto tomorrow morning. If I don't go, I miss out on the promotion I have literally been working towards since I took this job."

"Lauren!"

"I'm sorry, David. I need this." The longest pause so far in the conversation. "Look, if you do this for me, and it goes well, maybe we can re-negotiate the custody terms."

"I'll see you tonight, Lauren."

"Thank you, David. Seriously." She hangs up and David's radio comes back on blaring music for a quick beat before he frustratingly hits the power button.

The rest of the drive is filled with unsuccessful calls to old friends and babysitters. He quickly realizes he's essentially looking for a nanny. Someone who can watch Marcy for 10 to 12 hours a day until the weekend. Pulling down his street, he is flagged down by a neighbor a few houses before his. It's Brittany's mother. He pulls over to the side as she drops her garden shovel and gloves in the front flower bed. David rolls down the window as she approaches it.

"Good evening, Mrs. Mohler. How are you?" he says leaning an arm out the window.

"Oh, I'm fine. And I told you to call me, Cheryl, David!" she chuckles.

"My apologies, Cheryl," he says smiling, "what can I do for you?"

"Do for me? Well, honey, I was just waving hello, not waving you over." They both share a quick laugh, before she makes use of the conversation. "David, when do we get to see that sweet little girl of yours?"

"Sooner than planned, actually." Cheryl perks up intrigued. "Just got a call from Lauren and it turns out I'll have her for the next ten days."

"Oh my! That'll be nice, I bet."

"It will be, but I need to find someone to watch her while I'm at work and have had zero luck finding anyone." His face drops a little from his charming façade. "I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place." Cheryl's face quickly goes from concerned to vibrant.

"Oh, David, why don't I ask our daughter, Brittany? She's going to school soon and is stressed out about money. I'm sure she'd be available."

"Oh, Cheryl, that's great. I didn't even know she was home." David perks back up. "Can you send her over in an hour or two? She can meet Marcy and we can see if they'd be a good fit."

"Sure, David." Cheryl smiles back to him.

"Ok, thank you! You are a life saver!" David exclaims as he puts his car back into gear. Cheryl smiles and nods, waving him off, as he drives to his house to await Marcy's arrival.

About an hour later, Brittany finds herself walking down her street. She's changed from her jeans and tee to yoga pants and a loose sweatshirt. With each step she argues with herself. What am I doing? I just turned twenty years old and I am still babysitting? Why did I wait to go to school? This job is beneath me. Is this job beneath me? I'm good at, I guess. Her mind pauses as she turns down David's driveway, nearly missing his house through the fog of her thoughts. She approaches the door and rings the doorbell. The home is a replica of her parents' house. All made from the same design. Brittany leans forward to peek in the window to the side of the door just as the door handle clicks and swings open.

Holding the door open with the knob just about head level is Marcy. Her big eyes stare at Brittany with a look of curiosity on her face.

"Well, hi there!" Brittany says, completely snapping out of her mental funk. She kneels down to eye level with Marcy. "My name's Brittany, what's yours?" The little girl just smiles big and then hides her face behind the door, still reaching up and holding the knob.

"Munchkin! I said no answering the door alone!" David's voice comes from behind the door before he steps into view, placing his hand on Marcy's shoulder while reaching out the other one. "Hi there, you must be Brittany?" Brittany's smile at Marcy fades to an involuntary jaw drop as she looks up to meet David's eyes. His toned body can easily be seen through his thin t-shirt. His eyes almost sparkle and Brittany loses herself in them, while still managing to muster out some words.

"Yes...hi..." she reaches out her hand to shake his. She can feel his firm grip throughout her entire body and quickly realizes that he is not what she expected.

"Great, come on in!" he says, patting Marcy to walk forward into the house before turning himself to walk in. David quietly shakes his head making himself focus. Touching her young soft hand sparked something in him. Feeling the same thing, but not as trained in hiding it, Brittany completely recomposes herself before walking in the house and closing the front door behind her. She follows David and Marcy into the kitchen. Marcy hops up on a stool situated at the counter where David scoops some macaroni and cheese onto her plate.

"I'd offer you dinner, but this little munchkin here typically has seconds." David says, smiling at Brittany. She laughs lightly and leans against the wall behind her.

"No, no, that's ok. I already ate, anyway." Brittany's response makes her feel silly, but David helps in the recovery by launching in to what his current situation is. The two eventually end up at the dining table discussing Marcy's schedule and David's work schedule. The entire conversation is littered with awkward um's and uh's. After going over everything, David offers to give Brittany a tour of the house.

He holds his arm out, inviting her to go ahead of him. As she walks down the hall towards the living area, David can't help but watch her body move. His eyes become fixated as he follows her, explaining each room. Suddenly his mind begins flashing back to the mystery jogger from that morning. As he shows her the bedrooms and the bathroom, he can feel his pans tighten, staring at her from behind.

Brittany, walking ahead of David looks at all the pictures down the hallway. She can't help but be freaked out. She's never been attracted to an older man before. Was this weird, she thought. She was so wrapped up in her own attraction, admiring the plethora of shirtless beach pictures of David and his friends, she didn't even notice him, noticing her. When they reached the bathroom, Brittany turned to face David. Embarrassed by his arousal, he quickly, and somewhat awkwardly positioned himself against the wall, bending his knee to try to disguise the bulge in his pants.

"This bathroom is way better." Brittany observed. David looked confused for a moment.

"Better than what?"

"Better than my parents' bathroom." She explained to no avail. David still looked confused. "You know? All these houses are the same layout, right? This bathroom, though..." she trailed off while looking at it. She wasn't wrong either. David's bathroom was almost twice the size of Brittany's. The spare room lacked a walk-in closet, so the bathroom was bigger. In addition, it was all stark white marble. The long, wide countertop, the two-person shower, even the floor. Above the counter the thick mirror went all the way to the tall ceiling. Brittany stepped inside for a moment, with David staying a couple steps back. He glanced over to see her in the mirror. It was the exact same angle he saw her when she was jogging. He, again, fixated on her yoga pants, flashing images in his mind of slowly taking them down. Suddenly, he involuntarily shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. This gets Brittany's attention and the two stare at each other for a moment in the mirror, minds fingers, and bodies tingling. This only lasts for a second before they are interrupted by a small voice.

"Daddy, I'm hungry, again." Marcy is standing in the doorway of the bathroom. David immediately and instinctively turns around and picks her up.

"See, I told you she always gets seconds of mac and cheese! Don't you, munchkin?" Marcy nods in David's arms and Brittany smiles, observing the two. It's clear, just in the short time she's been here, that David is an exceptional father. Add that fact with his body and face and Brittany begins to shake her thoughts away, too.

"Well, I better get going." She says as she scoots past the two, now standing in the hallway.

"So what time, tomorrow, mister-, er, um, sir?" Brittany's face flushes with awkward embarrassment.

"Please, please just call me David." He responds laughing. "Can you be here by 6:30?" Brittany's face de-flushes and instead looks disappointed. "Sorry, is that too early?"

"No, no, not at all. I get up super early, but I'm usually in the middle of my morning run at that point. It's really no big deal."

"Well, I'll tell you what, if you want to, you're welcome to use my treadmill here. I don't use it nearly as much as I should and it was too expensive not to use." Brittany smiles slightly.

"Thanks, I'll consider it." She waves at Marcy. "Bye, Marcy, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you in the morning." Marcy smiles and hides her face in her Dad's chest.

"Marcy, can you say bye to Brittany, please?" Marcy turns halfway, enough to show her little smile and one eye.

"Bye, thank you." David and Brittany laugh together at Marcy's response.

"You're welcome, I suppose." Brittany chuckles a second more before turning and leaving David's house.

Back in her room, Brittany sets her alarm for 5:30 before sitting in bed. Her hair is down and she's sitting upright against her pillows, wearing boy shorts and a tee with no bra. As she scrolls through her photo app, she finds David's profile. She begin going through his pictures, occasionally zooming in on parts of his body and his face. As she sinks into her pillows, she gets a text.

MELISSA: Well? Is he hot or what?

ME: Don't be gross! He's like a decade older than me!

MELISSA: So what! Don't you know that dad bods are in right now?

ME: lol!!! Eww! Besides, he DOES NOT have a dad bod!

MELISSA: Oh, really?

Brittany laughs at a series of emoji's that come onto her screen next, each with its own sexual implication. She takes a screenshot of one of David's shirtless pictures and sends it to Melissa. Her friend and her text back and forth for a few more minutes before she puts her phone down to go to sleep. After turning her lights off, she sinks into her covers and closes her eyes.

As soon as she drifts off, she finds herself back in David's bathroom. The two are alone. The shower is on and has steamed up the entire room. David steps in front of her, wearing only a tight pair of boxer briefs. Brittany moans slightly, feeling him press against her panties. She's wearing what she fell asleep in: a loose tee and boy shorts. David leans in and kisses her right on the lips. His stubble gently scratches Brittany's face as his big hands find resting spots on the small of her back and the top of her hip. Their lips part and she can taste his tongue. They part slowly, creating a string of saliva that breaks just when he runs his hands up her shirt to the back of her neck, tilting her head back. Brittany moans again as David begins kissing and sucking on her neck. "You're so tense." he whispers, "You need a massage and a nice hot shower." She only responds with an acknowledging moan.

David spins her around so they're both facing the mirror. They stare at each other in the steamy mirror as he pulls her shirt up over her head. She pushes her ass against him and he places his hands on her shoulders. David begins kneading her shoulders and back, working out knots and putting pressure in all of the right places. She stares at him in the mirror and moans words of encouragement, while her hands reach behind her and find his tight underwear. With each circle his thumbs make on her shoulders, she squeezes and releases him with her fingers. David's strong hands move down her back and across her front, now massaging her breasts while he gyrates his hips with her hands. Brittany releases him and pulls her panties down. David mirrors her and does the same. Accomplishing this all without breaking eye contact, Brittany slides down and leans hard on the counter, pushing her back in the air. She begs David to be inside of her. She wants to feel him. He grabs each of her hips firmly and stares at her in the reflection, pressing against her from behind. Just as he is about to enter her, a loud buzzing starts.