Falling for my Neighbor: A Virgin Babysitter and Single Dad Romance

by Lila Younger

  As I walk down the hall, I peek down into Jamie’s room. She’s still napping soundly in her crib, so I quietly close the door. I have the baby monitor, but sometimes I still need to see her for myself. She’s the most precious thing in the world to me, and my gut clenches even at the idea of something happening to her. I won’t ever let it.

  I open the front door, but instead of another new neighbor, it’s Sarah from yesterday. She’s a plain Jane, but nice enough. I get the feeling that she’s a gossipy type, because in less than half an hour, she’d filled me in on the dirt from everyone on the street. She had brought over a tin of chocolate chip cookies, and I’m ashamed to say that we ate all of it for breakfast this morning. Or at least, I did. Jamie crumbled her cookie up and threw it all over the floor. I also ate pizza for dinner the last few nights in a row, but that’s because I can’t be bothered to unpack the dishes quite yet.

  “Macon, have I got a nice surprise for you,” Sarah says, her voice almost overly sweet.

  “What is it?”

  “I found you a babysitter!”

  “That’s fantastic,” I say. “I appreciate that. Has she ever worked with babies though?”

  And it really is. Finding a babysitter is on the top of my list of things I have to do. Jamie is particular about her routines, and she’s been crabby the last few days with the move, and she’s easily upset when I’m out of her sight. Her old babysitter was a wonderful old grandmother who’d taken care of her ten grandkids before Jamie, and never minded if my hours managing a hotel ran late or if I had to take an occasional night shift.

  “Quite a few,” Sarah says, clapping her hands together. “I’ve known Vanessa since she was little, and she’s very, very responsible. She even babysat my own kids. There’s nobody else I’d trust.”

  Vanessa. Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa. Why did that name sound so familiar? Sarah answered my question.

  “She took tennis lessons from you, do you remember? Although I guess you had so many students they must have all run together.”

  I have a vague recollection of large glasses and knobby knees, but that’s about it. She was a quiet one, I remembered that, although she did open up to me after a couple months. Terrible tennis player, but that didn’t stop her from trying her best. I respected that.

  “I remember,” I tell her. “Thanks for finding her for me.”

  “No problem,” Sarah replies, and gives me Vanessa’s phone number. I put it into my phone right away.

  “Thanks,” I say again, when it looks like she wants to hang around. I have a million things to get to, and I don’t want to invite her in. I’m not sure what we would have to talk about anyways.

  She looks disappointed, but finally turns around and walks back down my drive. I close the door behind me and immediately send Vanessa a text. Luckily, she responds.

  Sure, I can come right now for an interview, she writes to me. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

  Once that’s taken care of, I head back upstairs, because I can hear Jamie starting to stir. She’s not a big crier, at least, not when she first wakes up. Sometimes she doesn’t even make a sound, playing with her little stuffed sheep that she has in the crib with her.

  I walk into Jamie’s room. It’s painted a soft yellow, a bright happy color to match her normally sunny disposition. She climbs to her feet when she sees me, raising her arms so I’d pick her up.

  My daughter is the spitting image of me, with light sandy hair and green eyes, and I’m thankful, in more ways than one. Jamie’s mother and I met at a club one night for my buddy’s bachelor party. She was beautiful, sexy, and played hard to get. The man in me wanted her, and when she finally said yes after a few weeks, my male ego roared.

  Because it was completely on the spur of the moment, I hadn’t brought a condom along, and Jamie’s mother supplied one. I didn’t think anything of it, but a month later, she tells me she’s pregnant.

  I knew what I had to do, so I stepped up and did it. I went with her to every appointment, read all the baby books, scraped up the money for the crib and rocking chair and everything else that comes with a baby.

  And then when she said she wanted to get married, I said yes to that too.

  My baby daughter, Jamie Sasha Daniels was born at three a.m. in the morning, and the second she was placed in my arms, I made a vow to her that I would be the best father on earth.

  But parenting is hard as fuck, let me tell you. It’s not hard in the way it is for a final exam, or running a marathon, or trying to learn a new language. But it was draining. The constant alertness for her crying, her screaming when she’s hungry and wanted her bottle. The constant sleep deprivation, rocking her for hours in the middle of the night, only to have her wake up again in just a few hours. The constant worry about doing the right fucking thing so I don’t irreparably damage her.

  All of it could have been manageable I think, if Jamie’s mom was my partner. But she declared that she’d suffered for nine months, and now it was my turn to take care of her. Don’t get me wrong; of course pregnancy was far more difficult on her than it was on me. But that didn’t mean it was okay for her to dress up every night and head out with her friends.

  Maybe I could have forgiven her, maybe I could have kept going on if that was all of it. But one day, when I had Jamie asleep in my arms, her mother’s phone buzzed. I caught sight of a guy’s name, and then I caught sight of the text.

  I saw red in that moment.

  And this next part I’m not proud of, but I could only run on fumes for so long. I opened up her phone, and I scrolled through her texts. There were at least three guys she’s been juggling since Jamie was born.

  But that wasn’t the kicker.

  Nope. I went back, all the way back to when we first got together, because I had to know, if she was cheating back then. And of course, she was. But then I saw another conversation, mentioning Daniels Communications, and the throbbing pulse in my head grew.

  It turns out that Jamie’s mother had gotten pregnant in the hopes of marrying into the Daniels family. There’s even a text where she brags about how she managed to do it without a pre-nup.

  I was shaking with rage by the time I finished that text conversation. It explains so much. The only reason I didn’t do anything rash was because I had Jamie sleeping away in my arms.

  Too bad the joke’s on fucking her. Because my grandfather, the one who started Daniels Communications, had a falling out with my dad, the firstborn son. Instead, the company was to go to me, but only if I completed my MBA. Grandfather wanted to make sure that I’d learn the value of a dollar by making my own way first and would be somewhat qualified to run Daniels Communications.

  I never completed my masters, ironically, because of Jamie’s mother. I made enough after college to have my own place, and go out every weekend. And I liked the fact that nobody befriended me for the sake of money. I was a semester away from graduation when Jamie was born, and I put it on hold so that I could be there. But this explains so much about why she suddenly turned when I told her that there was no extra money to pay for the hospital bills.

  Over the next month, I divorced her mother, gained custody, and made plans to move away from one of the biggest mistakes of my life. But no matter how she came about, I would never, ever, wish things turned out a different way because it led to Jamie.

  I hug my daughter close to me again, pushing away the rage I still feel sometimes whenever I think of her mother. I can’t even say her name. Instead, I blow a raspberry, and listen to the sound of Jamie’s laughter.

  Together we go downstairs and I ready a bottle for her. She takes a mix of solids and formula, although lately she’s decided she doesn’t want any of the former. I’m giving her the bottle when the doorbell rings.

  “Must be your new babysitter,” I tell Jamie. “Let’s go meet her shall we?”

  I hoist Jamie higher up and walk towards my front door. Vanessa looks surprised when I greet her, but then she smiles when she sees
Jamie, a smile so pure and beautiful that everything about my past is momentarily swept away.

  “Hi,” I say, “Vanessa right? How’s your backhand these days?”

  She blushes. In the span of just a few years, Vanessa’s definitely grown up. She’s wearing a pink sweater and jeans, but they do nothing to hide her soft curves, a complete opposite to Jamie’s mother’s angular, stick thin body. I find myself drawn to Vanessa, the attraction so intense I want to crush my lips to her right there and then. I force the thought away, because the last thing I need is to stir up gossip in this neighborhood. Not with Sarah around. But damn, she’s sensual yet innocent, from those plush pink lips to her long legs. That old image of her? Erased entirely.

  “Oh, I-I haven’t really kept up with tennis,” Vanessa says, the cute blush on her cheeks making my cock twitch in my jeans. “I wasn’t very good as I’m sure you could tell.”

  “I think you had promise,” I say, and she turns even redder. “Anyways, come on in.”

  I step back from the door and Vanessa walks through the door. I gesture towards the living room, and she heads for it. Jamie is watching her curiously, but at least she isn’t crying like she did for some of the other neighbors. I take it as a good sign.

  The living room is big, and my furniture hardly fills up the space. The house is in one of the nicest parts of town, so there’s plenty of square footage. I dislike it though because the house feels too big for just Jamie and I. Stuff like the right location and a grand house mattered to my father more than it ever did to me.

  “I’ve only got water for you. I haven’t had time to hit up the store yet.”

  “Water’s fine,” Vanessa says quickly.

  Jamie wiggles, and I put her down onto the floor. I expect her to head straight to her blocks, but instead she goes towards Vanessa and pulls herself up using Vanessa’s knees. I can’t believe it. I didn’t think my daughter would take to Vanessa so quickly.

  I head into the kitchen and then I remember that I haven’t even unpacked the glasses yet, so I spend a minute moving boxes until I find the one with the cups. I clean out two, fill them up with water from the fridge, and walk back into the living room.

  Vanessa has Jamie on her lap, and they’re playing patty cake together. There’s a big smile on Jamie’s face, one that I haven’t seen in a while, and Vanessa’s completely concentrated on her.

  The afternoon sun shines through the window, illuminating the gold in both of their hair. For a moment I could even believe that it was a picture of mother and daughter, they looked so at peace together. When the rhyme finishes, Jamie leans in to Vanessa, drawing comfort from her. And Vanessa-she looks so at peace with her arms around my daughter, so maternal, that I feel my need for her sucker punch me in the gut.

  Because this is what Jamie deserves, someone who would love her as much as I do, care for her wellbeing as much as I would. A possessive desire streaks through me, stronger than anything I ever felt for my ex-wife.

  But for Vanessa, there’s much more than just physical desire. Her personality, her whole person is so different from the conniving, polished woman that Jamie’s mother was. Vanessa is so gentle, so open and real that I couldn’t help but feel a connection. I want her for myself. I need her to be mine.

  The urge I feel is like nothing else. I was sure that after my divorce, I wouldn’t even want a one night stand for a long, long time. But Vanessa’s different. With her, I feel like there’s a future.

  I’m going to claim her for myself. It’s only a matter of when.

  Vanessa

  When I first agreed to babysit for Macon, I thought that the best part of the job would be to get to see and talk to him almost every day. He’s thoughtful, kind, funny-and a perfect dad to Jamie. I can really see how much she means to him, and how much he does for her when I show up before he leaves for work. Jamie never wants to let go of her daddy, and I don’t blame her.

  What I didn’t expect was how much I would attach to baby Jamie too. She’s such an easy baby, and our time together is never boring for me. I love watching her explore her new house (which, as the daughter of a real estate agent, I can safely say is really expensive and beautiful), the way she scrunches her forehead when she tries to figure out how to work my phone, her cautious steps as she cruises down the hallway.

  I’ve always loved kids, ever since I got my first baby doll at three years old. I carried that thing around with me everywhere, my mom told me. I was always obsessed with babies. I begged my mom for a baby sibling to take care of too. And when I was old enough to babysit, I jumped at every chance to do it. I don’t know why, but something in my heart always had me looking out for the younger ones in my neighborhood, to swoop in when someone got hurt.

  Jamie and I settle into a routine very quickly. We read together a bit, and then she gets her first nap. During that time, I make our lunch, and unpack a bit around the house. At first Macon didn’t want me to do that extra work, but I told him that I had nothing else to do. My mom would have preferred if I had picked up even a few online classes, but I didn’t want to waste money when I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to go to college.

  When Jamie wakes up, we have lunch, and then I go for a walk around the town, taking in Main street and the surrounding neighborhood. They live in a really nice part of town, full of other big McMansions, old trees, and well maintained lawns.

  Macon also signed Jamie up for mommy and me classes at the Y, so we do that too. At first I felt really awkward, because Jamie isn’t my baby, but nobody questioned it at all. Sometimes I secretly pretend that I am her mommy, that Macon and I are married. It’s silly, but I can’t help it, especially when Jamie holds on tightly to me. She’s shy after all, and even after a few weeks of classes, she doesn’t go more than an arm’s reach away from me at all times.

  Then it’s time for her second nap, and that’s when I relax a little too. We go to the library every week to get new books, so I always have something to read. I’ve been going through a lot of parenting learning books, things to do to help develop Jamie’s growing brain and stimulate her. I want to be the best babysitter I can be after all so Macon doesn’t have a reason to let me go.

  The more I read about child education, the more interested I am. There’s so much learning that happens at this age, and it can really help shape a child for life. I never knew that, but it gives me even more purpose. I feel like it’s something I want to be a part of, and secretly I begin to look into an early childhood education degree. My mom would never approve, I know it, because she expects me to follow in her footsteps, but the more I think about it, the more I want to do it.

  When Jamie wakes from her second nap, we play together, and I try to put everything I read into practice. Sometimes we do photoshoots, which are the best part. I know my camera phone isn’t great, but Macon always appreciates it when I send a picture showing what Jamie’s doing. I decided to add a little bit extra to the pictures in case he wants to print them out one day and put it in an album, plus it gives me a chance to flex my photography skills.

  Macon always comes home at five, and Jamie’s quickly learned that the sound of the lock in the door is a signal that her daddy’s come home. No matter what she does, she’ll drop it and crawl as fast as she can into the foyer to meet him.

  Secretly, it’s my favorite part of the day too, because I can see just how great a dad he is. The joy on his face as he swings his daughter around in the air just adds another dimension to how I feel about him.

  Macon has to work late tonight though, and it definitely confuses Jamie. The poor little girl keeps crawling back and forth from the living room to the front door, until finally at seven, she’s so tired that her eyelids droop. I have to take her upstairs to her crib, and she’s asleep by the time I make it downstairs to the baby monitor, poor thing.

  I decide to tackle the dining room since I finished unpacking everything in both the kitchen and living room. I think someone, maybe his ex-wife, must have decorate
d for him, because there’s so much stuff. Beautiful vases to go along a mahogany table that could seat ten, charger plates carved out of wood, silverware that looks like it’s never been used, cloth napkins, crystal glasses, candles and even more plates in an elegant lavender palette.

  I’m trying to figure it all out, whether some of the stuff is supposed to go into the hutch or on the table when I hear the lock in the door turn.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Macon calls out as I head towards the door. “Crazy situation today.”

  He looks extra sexy today, with his shirt rolled up from his forearms and the top button undone. I guess it was a stressful day after all. He always looks good in his suit, but I like this relaxed look even more.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I tell him. “Jamie’s already gone to bed though.”

  He’s carrying a plastic bag of food from the new Asian fusion restaurant that opened in town. He eats so much takeout, and I make a mental note to cook him a meal one of these days. It can’t be healthy to eat that all the time. Takeout is full of salt after all.

  “I got enough for two,” Macon says lifting up the bag. “To say thanks for staying late. I hope you like Pad Thai.”

  “I’ve never actually eaten Asian food before,” I admit.

  To be honest, I’ve never even really traveled outside of the state. We only go to the city to get presents for Christmas, and both sets of my grandparents live in state. I probably seem like such a country bumpkin now.

  “You’re in for a treat then,” Macon says. He hands me the food. “Do you want to set things out while I check in on Jamie?”

  “Sure,” I say.

  He heads upstairs and I go to the dining room before I remember that I’ve just set everything out from the boxes. There’s no way for us to eat together on there, not without having to move a bunch of stuff. I’m debating whether or not I should move everything when he comes back down.