by Emily Bishop
“Are not.” David gets off his stool. “I’ll think of something harder next time.”
“You do that,” Sabrina says, getting back on her stool. “I’ll call you when it’s time for your dinner.”
“Do your homework,” I call after him as he walks out of the kitchen.
“Already did it,” he says before disappearing.
“Yup, he did it before we started,” Sabrina confirms.
She lets out a deep breath as she folds her arms on top of the counter and buries her face in them.
“Hey. Are you all right?” I ask as I go around the counter so I can stand beside her.
“Sorry you had to see that,” she mumbles.
“Don’t worry about it.” I sit in the stool beside her. “In fact, I have to say I’m impressed. I’ve never seen a woman eat that fast before.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.” She lifts her head. “And I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that fast before. Have you?”
“Maybe. But I’ve never tried an eating challenge before so you beat me to that. And you won, too. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I don’t feel like a winner.” She touches her stomach. “I feel so full I don’t think I can eat anything for a week.”
“Too bad. I was going to ask if you’d like me to make you a burger this weekend. I make pretty mean burgers.” I look around the kitchen and lower my voice. “Better than Mrs. Wilson’s.”
“I’ll pass.” She buries her face in her arms again. “I don’t think I can eat another burger for the rest of my life.”
I rest my arms on the counter. “Well, at least they were burgers and not like heaps of mashed potatoes or burritos. And at least there were only three.”
“Yup. If there had been more than that, I definitely would have lost.”
“So, what’s the deal again? You pull off three dares and David will start acting nice to you?”
“That’s the deal.”
I shake my head. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I don’t think it would work with you. You’re a guy.”
I crease my eyebrows. “You did say something about girls.”
“Your son doesn’t like girls.” She lifts her face again, this time resting them on her hands as she props her elbows on the counter.
“He doesn’t?” I never thought of that. “Well, I guess most of his friends are boys.”
“That’s normal. But thinking that girls are stupid or being mean to them and pushing them all away just because they’re girls isn’t. So I’m trying to teach your son a lesson.”
“By having yourself covered in bugs and letting him encourage you to throw up?”
“By doing things your son thinks girls can’t do.”
“So, earn his trust and make him think girls aren’t so bad?” I tap my fingers on the counter. “That’s a big weight you took upon your shoulders.”
“I know, but I have to do it.” She raises her fist. “For all the girls. We–”
She stops, covering her mouth as she coughs.
“Are you all right?” I ask again, looking at her.
“I’m okay.” Suddenly, she burps. “Oops. Sorry.”
“No worries.”
Sabrina runs her hands through her hair. “You must think I’m a slob now, huh?”
“No.”
Actually, I can’t think of anything that could make me want her less.
“In fact, I should thank you for doing this,” I tell her. “You’re the first nanny to go through these lengths just to get along with David.”
“Yeah. I got that impression from Lucy.” She looks at me. “I don’t understand why the previous nannies didn’t, though.”
“They probably thought it wasn’t part of their job to care.” I grab the fork on a plate and start twirling it around. “Or maybe they didn’t want to get attached. How about you? Why do you care so much?”
“Because I don’t like seeing anyone lonely.” She clasps her hands on top of the counter. “Because I want to make a difference, however small it may be.”
“Trust me. If you succeed, it won’t be a small difference.”
“If I succeed.” She rests her cheek on the counter. “Until then, spare your thanks.”
“I’m sure you’ll succeed.”
She turns her head and narrows her eyes at me. “Are you putting pressure on me?”
“No. I’m just expressing my confidence.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not that confident.” She gets the fork from my hand and twirls it herself. “I’m not even confident I can get out of my bed once I’m in there. I just feel so full, like an anaconda after a meal. I must have gained ten pounds.”
“Then why don’t you spend a few minutes at the gym with me tomorrow morning?” I suggest, resting my jaw on my hand as I look at her.
“Gym?”
“Yup. You know, that place with the dumbbells and the benches and all those nice machines. My favorite place in all the world.”
“I know what a gym is,” she tells me, lifting her head. “I’ve just never been to one.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I happen to have one.”
“I knew that.”
“So, let’s work out a bit tomorrow? Burn some calories and get rid of the pounds from those burgers?”
She frowns. “Are you challenging me, too?”
“I’m offering you a chance to feel better,” I say.
And to spend some time with me.
“Fine. I’ll meet you at the gym tomorrow after David has gone to school.”
“Good.” I give her a wide smile. “I’ll be waiting. And you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
***
“So, this is the bench press.” I point to the equipment as we walk through the gym. “It’s one of my best friends. And this here is the dipping bar and that’s the squat station and that there is the leg extension machine.”
“Leg extension machine?” Sabrina lifts an eyebrow. “It sounds like a torture device. Actually, most of these machines do. They look like it, too.”
I chuckle. “Oh, come on. They’re not that bad. Anyway, you’re not going to use any of those. You’re just going to stick to the cardio equipment and then maybe do ten dumbbell rows for strength.”
“Okay.” She still doesn’t look happy.
“Hey. Chin up. Whatever happened to that girl power, huh?”
“I just feel a little out of my depth here. That’s all. But I’m ready.”
I smile. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s start some breathing exercises and some stretches.”
“All right.”
I stand a few feet across her and start warming up, setting examples for her to follow. Then when we’re done, I gesture to the treadmill.
“Now, let’s try this one, all right?”
“Are you sure that it’s okay for me to wear this, though?” She looks at her shirt, jogging pants and sneakers.
“Yup. It will do for now. I’ll just have to get you some proper clothes later on.”
I can just imagine how hot she’ll look in a sports bra and tight shorts.
She frowns. “You mean, I have to do this regularly?”
“Come on. You’ll love it. And it’s good for you.”
Sabrina sighs. “Why is it that most things that are good for you are so damn hard?”
“Hey. Enough with the complaints. Just step up on the machine and we’ll get you started.”
She obeys. “All I have to do is run on this one, right?”
“Yup.”
As she jogs, her breasts bounce and I fix my gaze to the machine and force myself to remain calm. Every part of me.
I’ve trained many women before. I’ve never looked at them the way I’m watching her.
After a few minutes, I move her to the stair mill, then the elliptical trainer. Finally, we go to one of the benches for the rows.
; “So, just put your left knee and your left hand on this bench,” I instruct. “Keep your other foot on the floor.”
“Like this?”
“Move your hand forward so that your back is parallel to the bench,” I say as I stand over her then behind her, checking her form.
For a moment, I grip her hips as I adjust her body but move away as I realize how awkward that feels. Her position is awkward enough as it is, making me want to just slide and settle, nestled against her ass.
Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
No. This is a serious workout, not play, so I have to be more serious. I’m supposed to be guiding her, not letting my imagination and my hormones get the better of me.
“Now, with your right hand, just pick that dumb bell on the floor and pull it up to your side, making sure you squeeze those back muscles,” I continue. “And then lower the dumb bell back to the floor slowly.”
She does that.
“That’s good. Now, do that five more times.”
Two… Three… Four… Five…
“Now, let’s switch to the other side.” I go around the bench. “Just put your right knee and your right hand on the bench and pick up the dumbbell with your left hand.”
She starts.
“That’s it. Beautiful. One… Two…”
Suddenly, though, she drops the dumbbell, falling off the bench. I catch her in my arms in time but I’m still worried as I look at her expression of pain and fear.
“Sabrina?”
“Sorry. I just…” She rubs her arm. “I guess my left arm isn’t a hundred percent yet.”
“Yet? Were you injured?”
Stupid. I should have asked that at the start.
“It’s nothing. I just…” Sabrina stops, staring at me, this time with an expression of surprise.
I feel my heart stop as well, her face just inches from mine, her body still against me. We’re so close I can smell her shampoo and the fresh sweat off her skin, so close I can feel her breathing and the heat from her body that’s still on edge from her workout.
Fuck.
She must feel how close our bodies are, too, because quickly, she picks herself up and scrambles away from me.
“I think that’s enough for today, don’t you?”
I can only nod.
“Good. I’ll go take a shower.”
Without waiting for me to say anything, she runs off. I stay on the floor, sighing, then frown as I look down at my pants.
I suppose I should take a shower as well.
Messy
Sabrina
I shouldn’t have agreed to work out with Randall, I scold myself as I stand in the shower, letting the water cool my body and wash the sweat away.
I should have kept my distance. I should have stayed away from him.
If I had, I wouldn’t have seen him in those workout clothes, which make him look ten times hotter than usual. If I had, I wouldn’t have had to drool over those gorgeous muscles. If I had, my heart wouldn’t have raced as I felt his gaze on me, over me and I wouldn’t have felt a shiver up my spine at his every touch. If I had, I wouldn’t have tumbled into his arms, speechless under those waves of heat and desire coming off him.
Heat and desire.
I thought he was interested in me but now, he wants me?
I know he does. That look he had in his eyes was the same Vince had when he was trying to seduce me and like before, I find myself melting, wanting to give in, wanting him back.
Even now, as I close my eyes and remember it, I can feel heat flowing through my veins, my breasts tingling and my sex swelling, aching.
I almost stroke it, my hand feeling compelled to, but I reach for the soap instead as I open my eyes, turning the knob with my other hand to make the water slightly colder.
No. I must fight this. I mustn’t want Randall.
He’s hot, yes, and he’s sweet and caring and he’s single and a good father but I mustn’t want him. Didn’t I swear off men? Didn’t I promise myself I’d never go down that road again, never let my emotions and my hormones make a fool of me again? Haven’t I learned my lesson?
As I soap my left arm, I wince, the muscle above my elbow still hurting. It’s healed now and yet, it still feels sore whenever I exert too much effort with it. I guess that means it hasn’t completely healed.
It hasn’t completely healed and here I am, making the same mistake again.
But he’s not Vince.
How will I know for sure until it’s too late? I used to think that Vince was perfect, too.
It isn’t worth the risk. In a mansion this size, I could stay lost forever.
Besides, Randall is my boss. The fact that he wants me doesn’t change that. If I screw up, I could lose my job – I’m pretty sure the contract I signed with Stargazers included something about not sleeping with the client- and even damage the agency’s reputation. I can’t do that to Carol, not when she’s done so much for me.
Then there’s the fact that I’m his son’s nanny. I don’t want to be like the other nannies who only wanted to go to bed with Randall and not take care of David.
No. I should focus on David. Randall may want me but David is the one who needs me, and he’s the one I’m being paid to take care of.
Right. David. Just think of David.
I wonder what his next challenge will be.
***
“A bath challenge?” I look at David with wide eyes, stopping in the middle of picking up a discarded shirt off his bedroom floor.
What is that supposed to be?
“All the good YouTubers have done it,” David says. “All I have to do is fill the tub with weird stuff and you just step into it and soak in it for a few minutes. It’s that simple.”
“Weird stuff?” I arch an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah. Weird stuff like lemonade or hot chocolate or cotton candy…”
I blink. What on earth are YouTubers thinking?
“Or blood,” David adds.
“Blood?”
“Well, it’s not like I have real blood around. I’ll just use whatever I find in the kitchen, I guess, and mix it all up. It will be really gross.”
Okay. “And I just have to soak in it for a few minutes?”
“Yup.”
Something tells me I’m going to have to soak in a real bath for hours after.
“So, are you up for it? Are you giving up?” David asks with a sly grin.
I’m definitely not giving up.
I stand straight. “Sure, let’s try it.”
“Are you sure?” David’s eyes narrow.
“Yup.” I nod.
“You’ll have to soak in gross stuff for like ten minutes.”
He’s really trying to scare me now but I’m not going to flinch. “I think I can handle that.”
I think I can handle that better than I can handle his father.
“We’ll see,” David says. “Now, why don’t you go changed into a swimsuit?”
“A swimsuit?” I give him a puzzled look.
“You have one, don’t you?”
“Yes.” The agency issues one for every nanny along with the uniforms, just in case the nanny has to go swimming with the child.
“Good. So, change into that while I get all the stuff for your bath. When you’re done, you come back here and just hide over there.” He points to the tower in his fortress. “And don’t come out until I tell you the bath’s ready.”
“Okay.”
I leave the room to do just as David told me, changing into my one-piece black swimsuit and then putting on a robe. When I come back, I hide in the tower, trying not to peek as I hear him coming in and out of the room and pouring stuff into the tub.
I wonder what he’s putting in there. Juice? Soda?
Finally, I hear him calling. “Bath’s ready, Sabrina!”
“Okay!”
I head to the bathroom, gasping as I see what I’m supposed to soak in.
I can’t tell exactly
what’s in there but it seems like there’s tomato sauce, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, flour and chocolate syrup. At least, those are the stuff I can identify and smell. I can see an empty bottle of cooking oil and an empty bottle of maple syrup in the corner so I guess they are in there, too.
Boy. This is going to be one sticky, smelly bath.
“You did tell Mrs. Wilson you were getting some stuff from the pantry, didn’t you?” I ask David.
“No,” he answers. “Why should I? My dad is the one who gives money for the stuff that’s in the pantry.”
He has a point. Still, I’m sure Mrs. Wilson won’t be pleased when she sees all those missing condiments.
“Do you still want to go in or are you backing out now?” David asks.
I’m sure he’s hoping for the latter.
“Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but I’m going in.”
I take off my robe, hanging it behind the door, then put one foot in the tub, gripping the edge so I don’t slip and grimacing as I feel the mixture against my skin.
It feels gross already.
I put my other foot in, then slowly lower myself into the tub up until the mixture is up to my chest. Even with my swimsuit on, I can feel the mixture sticking to me, rubbing against my skin. And it does not feel good.
I’m tempted to say ‘yuck’ but I don’t, knowing that David is expecting that.
Don’t worry, Sabrina. It’s just food.
“Lower,” David says. “Like the stuff should be up to your chin.”
Really? I don’t complain, though, just obeying and trying not to get any of the stuff in my mouth. Sure, they’re edible and I love them when they’re mixed with food but I’d rather not eat them like this.
Thank goodness this isn’t an eating challenge.
This really is such a crazy idea, not to mention it’s such a waste of good stuff.
I don’t say that out loud, though, smiling at David. “So, ten minutes, right?”
“I’ll start counting now.”
I nod then take a deep breath, doing my best to relax and shut out all the smells and textures as I wait for the time to pass.
Just ten minutes, Sabrina. You can do this.
Then, just when I feel like everything is going to be all right, I hear someone approaching, along with panting.
Zombie.