McKenzie, the Hot Babysitter

It didn't matter that Mrs. Yang was old enough to be his mother; Timothy appreciated beautiful women regardless of their age.

He also had a strong affinity for Asian women.

Timothy's thoughts wandered inward as he pulled to a halt at a stoplight.

McKenzie...

It was strange how he still thought of his former babysitter after all this time. He'd periodically browse through pictures that his parents had taken of them. As a child, he didn't notice or appreciate the girl's exotic beauty. But it wasn't primarily McKenzie's appearance that was still making an impression on him 15 years later.

Timothy could still remember the way her hair smelled and the firmness of her chest whenever she had held him close.

But most importantly, Timothy could still vividly recall the way McKenzie made him FEEL. The way the girl could make him feel safe, happy, and loved which were the only things that that he wanted as a child. All the scrapes and falls he suffered as a young boy... all the times the world seemed to be ending when his 4-year-old self couldn't find his favorite toy... Timothy never forgot how "Auntie McKenzie" could make everything right with just a few words or a smile.

And he could still recall his heartbreak when McKenzie went off to college.

It was those lasting emotions that continued to haunt Timothy, and made him unable to forget about his former babysitter.

So weird.

Timothy parked his car and, as he had been doing more often lately, wondered about McKenzie: where she was, what she was doing now. Regardless, he just hoped that the girl was happy and heathy. No... not a girl anymore...a WOMAN, the young man corrected himself.

McKenzie was in her early 30's now... 32, he calculated.

Timothy turned off the ignition and berated himself. You're an idiot! You're pathetic! Why was he pining over a woman whom he hadn't seen since he was five years old when there were plenty of hot females available? The young man never had any problems attracting the opposite sex.

But McKenzie... why had he been thinking about her so much lately?

Most likely it was because he was newly single, Timothy thought ruefully. He had broken up with his girlfriend last week after they had been dating for almost a year. Timothy couldn't really articulate why things with Renee didn't work out; there was no 3^rd party involved. All he could surmise was that their relationship had simply run its course.

Just like with every romantic relationship he had ever been in.

Timothy was still searching for that elusive "someone".

Timothy was muttering at himself when he entered his rental townhouse. His roommate Gary was strewn out on the couch, and staring intently at his cell phone. Gary was usually in the same position whenever Timothy came home. And if he wasn't on the couch tapping away on his cellphone then he was in bedroom playing video games online. Gary led a fairly sedentary life and was a huge slob, behaviors which Timothy frowned upon.

Though their lifestyles different, the young men's personalities weren't TOO dissimilar, and they had quickly become good friends.

"Hey, Gary."

"Yo, Tim-may! How's the personal training going?"

"Good. Spent half the day driving to these huge mansions that I'll never be able to afford, but at least I'm getting paid, right?"

Gary sat up and grinned. "What you really meant to say is, at least you're getting paid to put your hands on a plethora of hot, half-naked women!"

"I don't touch them all the time," Timothy corrected. "Only when they need that extra hands-on instruction."

"Man, I don't get you. You come home almost every day with stories about how these rich, beautiful women are, literally, throwing themselves at you, and you haven't banged any of them yet!"

"Dude, the last thing I need is for some jealous husband to come after me because I slept with his wife."

"It's always the married women who want that extra something on the side, huh?"

Timothy nodded in agreement. "It's always the married women."

"Damn, I'll be they're really kinky in bed, too."

Gary suddenly turned his attention back to his phone and resumed typing. Normally, Timothy would've commented that he was spending too much time on his phone, but for some reason, he decided to ask, "What are you doing?"

Gary looked up and paused in surprise; his roommate never asked him what he was doing on his phone. "Just checking social media... and chatting with an old friend whom I haven't seen in a while."

Timothy raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yea, met this girl at summer camp when I was 12. Man, I really liked her. I decided to look her up online, and found her pretty easily. It's cool to reconnect, you know?"

"You found her just like that?"

"Just like that."

While Timothy did not use social media and disliked the mere thought of it, he had, of course, considered using it many times to find McKenzie. But he had always resisted. He figured that his attempts would prove futile because his former babysitter probably didn't even have a social media profile.

At least, that what he constantly told himself.

The truth was, Timothy was afraid.

Afraid that he wouldn't be able to find McKenzie.

Afraid that he might come across as a deranged stalker if he actually found her.

Afraid that McKenzie would dismiss him disdainfully once he connected with her.

But most of all, Timothy was afraid that McKenzie wouldn't be the same person whom he remembered.

He began to second-guess himself. He was just 5 when she went off to college, after all. Who was to say which of his memories pertaining to his former babysitter were accurate, and which were concocted by his mind? Though it was depressing to even consider it, maybe McKenzie was never the girl whom he remembered and idolized.

That thought especially scared him; he did not want to shatter his happy childhood memories.

But what if I can actually find her again...

"You ok?"

Gary snapped him from his deep thoughts. "Yea. Sorry, man. It's just been a long day."

"I'd be exhausted staring at half-naked women all day, too."

They chuckled as Timothy headed to his room.

"Hey, we're still meeting the crew at Charlie's tonight, right?" Charlie's was the local dive bar where the young men routinely hung out with their friends.

"Yup," Timothy responded. "At our usual time. 10 o'clock."

He fist-bumped his roommate then retreated to his bedroom. Stripping off his sweaty clothes, he then entered the shower. And as he stood beneath the cascade of warm water, the young man gave much thought to looking up McKenzie on social media.

What's the worst thing that can happen? Timothy asked himself. Either you don't find her, or she gets creeped out and doesn't want to talk to you ever again.

He profusely hoped it wouldn't be the latter.

Timothy was so anxious that he was still wearing a towel around his waist and hadn't fully dried himself when he opened his laptop and created a perfunctory profile on a popular social media platform. His heart began to beat faster as he typed in McKenzie's full name and waited for the app to finish its search.

She's probably not even on here... and maybe it won't even matter if she is. She could be living in some other country. Timothy was doing anything he could to prepare himself for disappointment.

And there she was... just like that.

He was staring at McKenzie's headshot on his laptop.

His former babysitter looked different... and, yet, she didn't. Her face was slightly fuller in a more grown-up sort of way--- it had been 15 years, after all--- but everything else her was still the same.

That bright smile...

Those deep brown exotic eyes...

McKenzie was exactly the way he remembered them.

He didn't understand why he was suddenly overcome with a myriad of emotions. Happiness. Longing. Heartbreak. A sense of victory that he had found her.

Timothy caught himself smiling at McKenzie's profile pic.

But despite this victorious moment, he hesitated in sending his former babysitter a message. Will she think I'm a stalker? A pathetic loser? What would he even say to her after all these years?

Eventually, however, Timothy eventually found the courage to begin a short, simple message.

Hi, McKenzie. This is Timothy...

And after an agonizing day, during which Timothy forced himself not to constantly check his social media messages and told himself that just because McKenzie possessed an online profile didn't mean that it was active, he received a response.

******************************************************************************

Timothy was so anxious that he wanted to stand up and start pacing. His mouth was dry and his hands were shaking. He stared at the entrance of the coffee shop where he waited for McKenzie.

They had exchanged several messages after he contacted her 2 weeks ago, and she actually seemed happy that he had found her! And though McKenzie had moved several times since high school, Timothy couldn't believe that now lived only about 2 hours away. They were excited to see each other again, and quickly agreed to meet at a halfway point. He was more than happy to let her choose the time and location.

Timothy's eyes widened when McKenzie appeared.

The Asian woman's hair was slightly shorter compared to 15 years ago but it was still silky black and layered. And those brown, almond-shaped eyes, poignant cheekbones, and naturally tan skin were as striking as he remembered. McKenzie had physically matured, and though she was definitely a woman now, she still possessed the athletic, gangly body of a teenager.

Time had been very good to her.

Then Timothy noticed what his former babysitter was wearing.

McKenzie was wearing a tight dress that was the perfect combination of classy and provocative. It was long-sleeved with a skirt that ran low to her calves. And black high heels were a perfect complement to the outfit.

It wasn't the form-fitting nature of McKenzie's dress, however, that caught Timothy's attention the most, but rather its color. The fabric was a tan, and almost the same complexion as her skin to the point that where it appeared as though the woman had strolled into the coffee shop naked! In fact, he had done a double-take when he first saw her.

Still, Timothy couldn't help but admire the way the dress hugged McKenzie's body so snugly. It stretched over her form like a thin film, highlighting every feminine curve--- her shoulders and hips as well as her breasts and bottom--- in the most flattering way. As the young man glossed over her perfect figure, he realized that he remembered each one of those curves as if they were long lost friends whom he was getting reacquainted with, as well.

McKenzie's curves didn't have the same effect on him as a child as it was having on him in the present.

McKenzie may have looked nearly the same after 15 years, but Timothy never actually processed that she was THIS beautiful until now.

Timothy gazed at her in wonder; nor was he the only male in the coffee shop staring at her. But he suddenly experienced a strange guilt viewing McKenzie in this light. This was, after all, the woman who had been like a 2^nd mother to him when he was a child.

But when McKenzie's familiar brown eyes fell upon him, Timothy's heart practically stopped.

******************************************************************************

McKenzie couldn't believe how delighted she was when Little Timmy found her via social media! No... he's not "Little Timmy" anymore! She had to remind herself that the sweet boy whom she used to babysit so long ago was a grown man now!

Had it really been 15 years?

Though she was delightfully surprised when she first heard from Timothy, the fast-paced craziness of her life had nearly snuffed out that joy. McKenzie had many things going on, both internally and externally, and despite her eagerness to reconnect, she suspected she would've forgotten about their planned get-together had she not marked it on her cell phone calendar. The past year had been especially brutal; her personal life was in shambles and she had cried herself to sleep more times than she could remember. And while she was extremely well compensated at a job that she loved, that, too didn't come without its own stress and tradeoffs.

That was part of the reason why McKenzie was so happy to hear from Timmy; it was a bright moment in an otherwise dark time in her life.

Not Timmy... TIMOTHY!

But as McKenzie entered the coffee shop where the young man presumably waited for her, her mind was partially preoccupied with other matters. There was so much going on in her life, so many things that she had to do, that she felt harried. Had McKenzie been coming to meet anyone but a fondly-recalled long-lost acquaintance, she would've cancelled. And even still, she felt guilty coming to meet Timothy with her mind elsewhere.

McKenzie halted as she entered the coffee shop and scanned the patrons. People glanced at her from all directions... men smiling flirtatiously and women studying her with open hostility... but the beautiful Asian woman pretended not to notice. McKenzie, in the most modest way possible, was used to that type of attention.

She froze as she noticed a particular man gaping at her.

Normally, McKenzie would've politely ignored him, but something about him caught her attention. He was tall--- she estimated that he was around 6'2"--- extremely broad-shouldered, and EXTREMELY gorgeous. The woman was particularly impressed by the way the stranger took care of his body, though she didn't care for the shaggy blonde hair that made it appear as though he just rolled out of bed.

McKenzie quickly scanned his handsome but youthful face and realized that he was probably more boy than man in terms of age.

But those eyes... those deep baby blue eyes...

There was something very familiar about them.

McKenzie's own eyes widened as she and the young man stared at each other. And as they remained rooted in place, their expressions mirrored the same caution, hopefulness, and disbelief. There was only a short distance between them, but it felt like miles.

McKenzie realized that she had been holding her breath. But when the gorgeous young man didn't rise and remained gawking at her with a dumbfounded expression, the woman slowly approached. She drew close to him and discovered that he was holding his breath, too.

"Timmy?" McKenzie asked cautiously.

When the young man didn't react, the Asian woman blushed in embarrassment. She was about to stammer an apology when his face suddenly split into a broad grin. McKenzie felt her heart instantly melt as there was genuine joy and happiness behind his expression. And when the young man bolted up from his chair, she realized that he was much, much taller and way more muscular than she had assumed.

"McKenzie!"

******************************************************************************

The pair hugged excitedly.

"Timmy... omigod, Timmy! It's you! It's really you!"

"I can't believe you're here! I didn't think... I kept hoping that..." He stumbled over his words until he cut himself off and regarded her helplessly.

But McKenzie laughed that same musical laugh that Timothy had never forgotten. And she hugged him even tighter. Their embraced lingered for a long moment.

God, you're GORGEOUS! You smell so good... you feel so incredible.

The young man mentally chastised himself for thinking indecent thoughts, and slowly pulled back. But as he peered down at his former babysitter, he began to grin foolishly. Then, unable to contain himself, Timothy chuckled.

McKenzie was bemused. "What?"

"Uh, it's nothing."

She slugged him playfully in the shoulder as if they were lifelong friends who had just seen each other yesterday. "Yea, right. Tell me!"

Timothy was so oddly giddy that he had to compose himself. Finally, he stated, "It's just really good to see you, McKenzie."

She arched one eyebrow. "And?"

"And," the young man began sheepishly. "Well, it's just that... it's just that you're a lot shorter than I remember. I used to think that you were a giant!"

Timothy immediately regretted his oafish comment, but McKenzie merely laughed again. "Well, yea! It's because I stopped growing at 17 while you sprouted another 3 feet!" She looked up at Timothy who stood well over 6 inches taller than her. Then the Asian woman became serious as she looked at the young man as if seeing him for the first time. "You've grown up, Timmy. I have to stop thinking of you as a little boy." McKenzie's declaration was grave and quiet, and the young man felt himself grow warm. Then he grew even warmer as she added, "You look great."

Timothy responded, without thinking, in a dreamy tone, "And you look exactly as I remember."

McKenzie blushed girlishly and inclined her head in thanks. "Let's sit. We have so much catching-up to do. I want to know what you've been up to for the last 15 years."

They sat down.

******************************************************************************

Timothy recapped his life after McKenzie left for college, filling her in about his childhood, briefly glossing over his high school and teenage years, and mentioning the more momentous events in his life. He didn't believe that his past was particularly interesting, and was more eager to hear what McKenzie had to say. And when she opened her mouth, Timothy found himself practically hanging on her every word.

The first thing McKenzie asked about was his parents. He informed her that they had moved to Florida over 2 years ago, and McKenzie was delighted to hear that they were both healthy and doing well. She still considered them family.

"You have to let them know that I was asking about them," begged the woman, to which Timothy promised that he would.

Then McKenzie began detailing her personal life. After she stopped babysitting Timothy, she attended college, literally across the country in Southern California. Growing up in New York and having never travelled beyond the Midwest, Timothy conjured images of the bright sun, crowded beaches, and gorgeous 6-foot blondes in 2-piece bikinis as he pictured what life must be like on the West Coast. But he became attentive to McKenzie again as she proceeded with the details of her life.

"... so after I graduated from college with an engineering degree, I stayed in California to get my PhD in biomedical engineering." Timothy found it extremely endearing--- and somewhat sexy--- how McKenzie's voice took on a scholarly tone as she spoke about her education. "It was right before I entered graduate school when parents moved out of New York and relocated to Arizona to be closer to my grandparents from my mother's side of the family."

Timothy suddenly recalled vague memories of his parents informing him that McKenzie's parents were moving out of state. And, subsequently, he had a recollection that, as a child, he interpreted that McKenzie's parents moving far away meant that he would have an even less chance of seeing her again. It was strange that he didn't remember any of it until now.

Timothy mocked himself: Maybe I've been repressing these memories.

"I now work for a major medical company with a dual specialty in advanced prosthetics, and R & D in artificial hip and knee joints."

McKenzie couldn't help but smile broadly. College and postgraduate school had been EXTREMELY grueling, and she was very proud that her hard work and academic achievements had led her to a career that was her true calling in life. But as she opened her mouth to continue, she noticed that Timothy had a glazed look on his face. He had been paying attention, but his expression turned from thoughtful to confused.