Growing up with the Sitter

by Jean-Luc Cheri

I chuckled and glanced up at Tyler, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with Alexis. “I hate the Bruins too, Amanda. Bye.”

  Tyler grinned and rolled his eyes.

  “Bye,” she replied.

  I hung up and turned back to Lori, who was glaring at me with a frown.

  “What are we going to do?” she said, holding out her hands. “We can’t find another sitter on such short notice.”

  I stared at her incredulously. “How could you talk to her like that?”

  “She promised to be here.”

  “She’s fourteen years old. You can’t be saying those things to her. And in front of Tobias.”

  “Don’t tell me how to raise my child.”

  “You’re lucky Mandy’s father didn’t hear you talking to her like that. He’d be really pissed off.”

  “Oh please,” she said, scoffing, “he’s fat and bald. You can take him.”

  “Lori, it’s not about me taking him. It’s about not screaming obscenities at a child.”

  “But that still doesn’t answer the question of where we’re going to find a replacement babysitter.”

  “We’ll find someone. I’ll make a few calls.”

  “Not this late. Our reservations for dinner are in a half hour. That bitch screwed up our whole night.”

  “Knock it off. I said I’ll find someone.”

  Tyler cleared his throat. “I might know someone.”

  I turned to him. “Who?”

  He grinned. “Sarah.”

  I was slightly surprised. I hadn’t thought about his little sister in years. Since the night of the parking lot incident.

  “Sarah babysits?”

  “All the time. She claims it’s for the money, but I know she just loves taking care of kids. It’s like she’s made for it. You should see her. If anyone was born to be a mother, it’s Sarah.”

  “Is she available?”

  “Only one way to find out.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Give me a minute.” He punched in the number as he turned and went back in the living room.

  “Mommy, are you mad?”

  We all turned to Tobias, who was still sitting in front of a bowl of dry Cheerios staring up at Lori.

  “No, honey, I was just upset. I’m fine now.”

  “You said some bad words.”

  “I know, baby. Don’t you be repeating them now.”

  “Is Mandy coming over?”

  “No, baby, not tonight.”

  “But I like Mandy.” His eyes began to brim with tears.

  Lori looked at me. “See what I mean?”

  Tyler stepped back into the room, and while still on the phone, gave me a thumbs up.

  I stepped over to Tobias and moved to one knee beside him, bringing my face to his level.

  “Guess what?” I said.

  “What?”

  “Someone special is coming to visit you tonight.”

  “Who?”

  “A friend of mine named Sarah.”

  “I like Amanda.”

  “Sarah is just as nice as Amanda is.”

  “Will she play games with me?”

  “Of course. She really loves little boys. Especially cute ones like you.”

  He smiled. “Is she pretty?”

  I thought back to the last time I’d seen my pesky red-haired neighbor.

  “Very pretty. She’s got red hair, just like you.”

  He grinned wider. “Okay. Sarah can watch me.”

  I ruffled his hair and stood. When I turned to Tyler, he was hanging up his phone.

  “Sarah can do it,” he said. “Mom is going to drive her over, but she’s going to need a ride home later.”

  “No problem,” I said. “I can do that.”

  “They should be here in fifteen minutes, so we can still make the reservation.”

  I turned back to Lori. “See?”

  She rolled her eyes. “We got lucky.”

  It was about that point when I realized that I was looking forward to Lori moving out of my house. Tobias could stay as long as he wanted, but his mother was beginning to wear on my nerves. It also occurred to me that we hadn’t had sex since the first week she moved in. That was partly due to the fact the team had gone on a two-week road trip during that time, but there’d been plenty of time before and after that to squeeze in a quickie. But she hadn’t been willing, and I wasn’t in the mood to push it, not wanting to seem like I was expecting sex in exchange for a place to stay. But then again, we’d had sex all the time when she was living in her apartment.

  So we all hung out waiting for Tyler’s mother and sister to arrive. Tyler turned on the NHL Network, catching up on the action around the league and watching a preview of the game tomorrow night, where they talked about Tyler and I growing up together and facing each other professionally for the first time. They had interviewed both of us, and included excerpts from those interviews.

  Tyler chuckled. “What did you think of Traci McFaddon?”

  Traci was the beautiful blonde from the NHL Network who had conducted the interviews.

  I looked at my friend and saw him grinning at me.

  “Seriously?” I said. “You too?”

  He laughed. “Damn. I thought I was special. She hit on you too?”

  “Yeah. Asked me if I wanted to come up to her hotel room after the interview for a little one-on-one.”

  He shook his head. “Really? That’s the same line she used on me.”

  We both laughed together, and Alexis folded her arms. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?”

  Tyler grinned at her. “Relax, honey. I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t important. If I told you about every female reporter hitting on me, you’d go crazy.”

  “And even some male ones,” I added, and we cracked up again.

  Alexis wasn’t completely placated, but before she could say anything further, the doorbell rang. I got up to get it.

  When I opened the door, a big surprise was waiting for me. Mrs. Cain looked pretty much like she’d been the last time I saw her a couple of years ago. Maybe a little older, but not much.

  But the amazing red-head standing beside her was a different story.

  Sarah’s hair was longer now, reaching halfway down her back. Her body was lean and curvy, like a jungle cat. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a white blouse that accented her figure. Her breasts were large and round, and I was pretty sure I could see the bumps of her nipples but I was careful not to stare.

  But her face had undergone the most change, with her cute teenage looks giving way to a sensual young woman’s face. Her lips were full and her green eyes were wide, with her nose turned up slightly at the end, giving her a slightly pugnacious look. Which seemed to fit her perfectly.

  But since her mother was standing right here, I knew it would have been inappropriate to make a fuss about Sarah.

  I smiled and hugged Mrs. Cain.

  “So nice to see you again,” I said.

  “Oh my, how you’ve grown,” she said, smiling up at me. “I remember you sitting at my kitchen table drinking Kool-Aid, and now you’re on the television all the time.”

  I grinned. “I owe most of my success to your Kool-Aid.”

  She laughed, and I turned to Sarah.

  “Hey, Sarah. Long time no see. You look great.” It was an effort, but I kept my gaze on her eyes.

  She grinned. “Yeah, I remember the last time. You were my knight in shining armor.”

  “I appreciate you doing this for us.” I led them into the living room, where Tyler gave his mother a hug.

  “Did Tyler tell you the good news?” Mrs. Cain asked.

  “He sure did,” Alexis said, holding up her hand and showing off her ring again.

  Mrs. Cain glanced between me and Lori, who was now holding Tobias in her arms.

  “Maybe you’re next?” Mrs. Cain said.

  I grinned. “Maybe.”

  “And who is this?” Sarah said, walking to Lori and Tobi
as with her arms out. “What a handsome young man you are.”

  “It takes him time to warm up with strangers,” Lori cautioned.

  But to everyone’s surprise, Tobias leaned out of his mother’s arms and right into Sarah’s, who held him to her side so their faces were level. They grinned at each other. Lori frowned.

  “What’s your name, cutie?” Sarah said.

  Tobias grinned wider. “Tobias.”

  “I’ve never met a boy named Tobias. What a special name. Do you like to play games?”

  His smile almost split his face in half, and I knew he was in good hands.

  “Chutes and Ladders?” Sarah asked.

  “That’s my favorite!”

  I stared at my friend’s sister. Tyler had been right. Sarah had a gift with children.

  “Well, we’d better get going,” Lori said, giving her son and babysitter a sneer before turning away. “Don’t want to be late.”

  As everyone walked out, I hung back to talk to Sarah.

  “All the information is on the refrigerator. If you need to call us, don’t hesitate. We’ll be back by midnight.”

  “We’ll be fine,” she replied.

  “I know you will. You’re obviously good at this.”

  She smiled and seemed to swell with pride. “Hey, Luke.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You look great too.”

  I grinned. “Thanks again, Sarah.”

  “No problem. Go have some fun.”

  I leaned in to Tobias a kiss on the forehead, and when I inhaled, I took in the sweet, strawberry scent of Sarah too. I also felt the warmth of her arm pressing against my chest.

  Then I pulled back and smiled at her.

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Chapter 7

  Dinner was pretty much Tyler and I talking, catching up on everything going on in our lives since the last time we saw each other. A few people stopped by the table for autographs, which we happily signed.

  At one point, Lori and Alexis headed off to the restroom together, and Tyler took the opportunity to quiz me about her.

  “So,” he began, “is this serious? Her son’s living with you?”

  I shook my head. “Not really. We were dating, and she needed a place to stay. It’s not like we decided to move in together.”

  “But you are living together.”

  “Yeah, but it’s only temporary. Just until she gets on her feet again.”

  “Temporary sometimes isn’t temporary.”

  I nodded. “You’re right. But after tonight’s outburst, I’m going to make sure temporary is temporary in this case.”

  “That was really weird. In front of her kid even.”

  “Yeah. I’ve never seen her like that before. Thanks again for helping with the crisis. Asking Sarah was a great idea.”

  “No problem. She lives for that shit.”

  “You were right about her being a great mother someday. She was amazing with Tobias.”

  “Remember how she used to be such a pain in the ass?”

  I chuckled. “Of course. How could I forget? She messed up my chance to be with Rachel Gardotti.”

  Tyler laughed. “I remember that. Rachel was pissed. Sarah came downstairs while Rachel was blowing you, right?”

  “Right. Luckily, she didn’t see anything.”

  “Would’ve served her right if she did. I told her to stay in bed.”

  “So does she have a boyfriend?”

  “Who? Sarah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Mom told me she was dating some guy in her class. Why?”

  I grinned. “Maybe I could walk in on them, and disrupt what they’re doing.”

  He laughed. “That would serve her right, the little nebnose.”

  We were both laughing when the girls came back to the table, and they asked what was so funny. So I told the story of how Sarah had ruined my evening seven years ago. Alexis thought it was funny, but Lori didn’t laugh.

  “So how old was Sarah when this happened?” Lori asked.

  “Eleven,” Tyler replied.

  Lori looked at me. “So she saw you doing that?”

  I shook my head. “She didn’t see anything. Rachel was blocking her view.”

  “But she could still see what Rachel was doing.”

  “No. Rachel’s back was to her.”

  “That’s just weird.”

  “It’s not weird at all. She was eleven. She had no clue what was going on.”

  “And you’re worried about me swearing in front of my kid?”

  I stared at her. “Lori, just calm down.”

  “You judge me, but you’re the one having sex in front of an eleven-year-old.”

  “I didn’t have sex in front of her.”

  She shook her head. “That’s sick.”

  I lifted my hand and signaled to the waiter. “Check please.”

  We drove home in silence, with me trying to figure out a tactful way of telling Lori I wanted her to move out. This wasn’t working and we both knew it. Maybe I could pay for her apartment for a few months.

  When I pulled into my garage, Lori got out and went straight into the house. I followed her in, and saw Sarah sitting on the couch watching television.

  “Hey,” I said. “How’d it go?”

  “Great. Tobias is a super little kid. He wasn’t a problem at all.” Then she glanced at the stairs before looking back at me. “What’s up with Lori? She looked pissed and went right upstairs.”

  I shrugged. “Who knows?”

  After walking to the couch, I sat down on the other end. She picked up the remote and switched the TV off, then turned to face me.

  I said, “I can drive you home whenever you want.”

  She smiled. “Just like when I was little, you’re in a hurry to get rid of me.”

  I chuckled. “No, I’m not. We can hang out a little if you want.”

  She glanced towards the steps again. “So what’s the deal with you and Lori? Are you going to marry her?”

  “No way. She’s just staying with me until she finds a new apartment.”

  “So it’s platonic?”

  “I wouldn’t say that either.”

  “Oh.”

  “Although lately it seems that way.” I smiled.

  She grinned also. “You deserve better.”

  “Speaking of that, Tyler tells me you’re dating a guy.”

  “I was. We broke up last week.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  “Don’t be. He was a tool.”

  “Uh-oh, what did he do?”

  “I thought everything was fine, then out of the blue this girl sends me an Instagram of him sucking on her tit.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I mean, he couldn’t even deny it. So that was the end of that.”

  “You deserve better,” I said, repeating her words.

  She smiled softly. “Thanks.”

  “I’m serious. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you tonight.”

  Her smile widened. “Really? You mean that?”

  “Of course.”

  “You practically ignored me.”

  “No I didn’t.”

  “You hardly looked at me.”

  “Your mother was standing right next to you. What was I supposed to do, start drooling?”

  She laughed. “I guess that’s true.”

  “Your mom can be intimidating. Whenever I’m around her, I feel like I’m ten again.”

  “I feel the same way sometimes.” She paused, then added, “So you really think I’m drool-worthy?”

  I knew she was fishing for a compliment, so I gave it to her. “Oh yeah, definitely. If you were a little older and not my best friend’s sister…” I let my voice trail off, allowing her imagination to fill in the rest.

  “I’m eighteen now,” she said. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

  “I can see that. But I’ve known
you since you were a baby. You’ll always be that annoying little girl to me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not like that anymore.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry, but that’s a lot of years and memories to overcome.”

  She thought for a moment, then said, “I had a huge crush on you growing up.”

  I found this a little surprising. “You did?”

  “Yeah, couldn’t you tell?”

  “Not really. I guess I never thought of it. I wasn’t very nice to you.”

  “Most of the time. But sometimes you were very nice.”

  “Like when?”

  “Like the time I came downstairs and you were with that girl.”

  “Rachel? You remember that?”

  “Of course I remember that. How could I forget it? I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at the time, but after I learned about sex and stuff, I knew exactly what you and she were doing.”

  “Oh,” I said, not sure how to answer that.

  “But what I remember most about that night, is how you defended me from her. And then let me watch TV with you. Even letting me sit on your lap. I remember feeling so safe there.”

  I smiled softly. “I guess you caught me on a good night.”

  “And then you saved me again, three years ago. In the parking lot after the hockey game.”

  I nodded. “Garth was such a jerk. He was cut a few weeks after that. I think he’s selling cars now.”

  “But you stood up to him for us. Even though he was bigger than you.”

  I shrugged. “I can handle myself.”

  “But there were three of them.”

  “The other two were just following Garth. And they had more to lose than him.”

  “Still, I thought it was amazing. I went over it again and again in my head. Sometimes even when I was–” She stopped.

  “When you were what?” I asked.

  She smiled and shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just say the event had a lasting impression on me.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  “And then you screwed Nicole, Angela’s sister.”

  I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Huh?”

  She smiled. “Don’t try to deny it. Nicole told Angela all about it, and Angela told me.”

  “Oh.” I rolled my eyes. “You women.”

  “At first, hearing that upset me, because I still had a crush on you. But then it was kind of intriguing, thinking about you and Nicole together. I was still pretty naive back then.”