Returning to her room, she figured she might as well finish her hair straightening – there was little point in leaving it half done. She tried to tune out the tiny speck of resentment she felt towards Abby for taking this night away from her, berating herself for feeling it, because Abby came first. Abby always came first. One evening with Zach and her friends – well, missing it wouldn’t kill her. She had the rest of the week – and Abby needed her. As she ran the straighteners through the separated layers of her hair, she hoped that Zach would get her message – that it would be passed on, so he didn’t think she’d stood him up, or forgotten. With a slight shiver, she decided to go downstairs: hopefully, the fire would be lit; the heat didn’t seem to reach her room very well, and the weather had definitely turned more autumnal. Maybe it was down to the amount of times the window was left slightly open, so that she could come and go as she pleased, when she felt just a little snowed under with family stuff.
She was right: the fire was lit, and her two babysitting charges for the night were sat a little way away, playing with a bunch of old make-up that someone had found for them. A smile flickered across her face: Abby was happy, therefore Imogen felt happy. Simple.
“I’m off now, Imogen. We’re going to see this film, then for dinner – we’re getting a lift in a back with Dad, so I reckon we’ll be back at eleven-ish.” Sara informed her, as she grabbed her bag from a chair, with Daisy in tow.
“Fine,” was Imogen’s short response: she was happy, but that didn’t mean she had to be nice to the likes of Sara! The door slammed just moments later, after William and Millie had said a quick goodbye to their daughter – who was more preoccupied on the make-up than her parents leaving – and had thanked Imogen for babysitting at such short notice. Then, maybe ten or twenty minutes later, Ella made her way down, looking nervous in a purple dress worn over black footless tights. She looked nice, in her normal, wholesome way, and as she entered the living room, she glanced at Imogen for approval.
“Does this look all right?” she asked, obviously thinking that their brief moments of conversation meant they were getting along better now.
“Uh-huh.” Imogen answered without much conviction or interest. It seemed to satisfy Ella, however.
“Great. Now, I’ve got my mobile on me, I don’t know what time I’ll be back, but the others will be back at eleven. And – oh, shit-” whatever had gotten her worried was forgotten as she worried over accidentally swearing in front of the two young children, and Imogen laughed at how worked up she was getting over this date. “-I mean, sugar. Oh, whatever, they’re not listening,” she added, with a small grin in response to Imogen’s laughter – it was clear the girls were far too preoccupied painting each other with the make-up to care about Ella’s profanities! “Now, what was I – oh, yes, I’ve just remembered – I can’t believe I forgot. They haven’t eaten yet. And you haven’t either – damn, I-”
“You’re babbling.” Imogen cut across her coolly, as she looked frantically at her watch. “I know, they’ll be back at eleven, and by the looks of it, you’re going to be late for this date. I’m perfectly capable of looking after them, and don’t sweat it, I’ll cook them – and me – some food. Seriously, just go!” It was cold, unfeeling, and yet helpful all at the same time. Imogen could certainly be a weird mix of attitudes.
“Are you sure? Thank you, thank you!” she said, babbling again, not waiting for a response. “The fridge is pretty full, there’ll be something in there that’ll be quick. And you’re right, I really should get going. Thank you, again…” she trailed off as she landed a kiss on Dana’s cheek, then Abby’s. “Be good for Imogen,” she instructed, grabbing her keys – although since when had Abby ever been anything else for Imogen? Abby and Dana only giggled. “Go to bed when she tells you.”
As she grabbed her purse from the sofa, she kissed Imogen softly, quickly on the cheek too, a whirl of perfume, before leaving with hurried, shouted goodbyes. Imogen sat, shocked for a few minutes: since when had that become acceptable behaviour? She wasn’t sure how comfortable she felt with Ella treating her like…well, a daughter.
Pondering this development, the teenage girl curled up on the sofa, as it was too early for dinner yet anyway, and began to flick through the TV channels. Nothing – what a surprise. She was probably the only teen home this Saturday night – normally she wouldn’t have needed there to be anything decent on the television. She shut it off with an annoyed sigh, and stared towards the stack of DVDs by the set – there had to be something worth watching.
“Immy try make-up too!”
“Yeah, Immy try!”
Imogen shook her head. “Nuh-uh, no make-up on Immy! Now, what do you two fancy to eat when it’s time for me to-” the doorbell interrupted her question. “-okay, hang on here for a sec, while I go get that: I bet one of them has forgotten their key or something.” Jumping up from the sofa, she wondered which one of her ‘family’ had needed to return. “And no spilling that make-up everywhere while I’m out of the room!”
“Hey.”
To say she was surprised was an understatement; she was also exceptionally glad that she had not allowed her experimenting sister and babysitting charge anywhere near her with their make-up: stood at the door, with clearly recently towel-dried hair, a cute green t-shirt and black jeans, was Zach.
“Did you get my message?” she asked, confused at why he would be here – she assumed he was out with Eve and the rest.
“Yeah – but I weighed up my options, and decided that babysitting was my best bet for this evening. That is, if you don’t mind an extra babysitter here for the evening.” Imogen’s mind whirled: was he giving up his night out to sit in with her?
“And, you can’t babysit without takeaway food, so I picked up a couple of pizzas too.” A large grin spread across his face, and he raised an eyebrow as Imogen’s silence continued a little longer than was natural.
“Hullo? Can I come in while the pizzas are still hot?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry…” She moved out the way, a similar grin playing on her lips. “Are you sure you wanna be here? I mean, I don’t wanna ruin your evening…” She bit her lip: since when had she been so…so pandering, to a man? To anyone?! The door closed gently.
“Either a night out with my sister, and her dopey friends-” Imogen poked him in the ribs, gently, for that one;
“My friends too!”
“Okay, okay, them, and my friends taking the piss out of me for having a girlfriend, because they don’t, or a night in with you. It was a tough decision, but…” He grinned cheekily, and Imogen laughed.
“Okay, okay, since I won by such a small margin – you’d better come into the kitchen so we can start on those pizzas!”
“Immy’s friend!” They couldn’t even make it to the kitchen before Abby and Dana descended on the visitor, finally drawn away from their make-up. Imogen looked to Zach for a reaction – he’d been great with Abby before, but she didn’t want him overwhelmed – but he was still smiling.
“Yeah! Hey Immy’s sister.” Abby grinned at his name for her.
“This is Dana, my friend.” After the ‘introductions’ had been completed, Imogen pointed to the pizzas.
“Zach’s saved me from doing any cooking – so if you kids want some pizza, you’d better get into the kitchen quick, and wash that make-up off your hands!” Doing as they were told, they ran off, giggling.
“Thank-you…” Imogen’s murmur was lost in the soft kiss she pressed to his lips once the children had left.
“I’m not sure what you’re thanking me for, but if that’s my thanks, then you’re definitely welcome!” he answered in a low murmur, a cheeky grin on his face.
“Well, for coming round, when I can bet going out would have been more exciting. And for the pizzas, and for being so nice to them.” She gestured to the kitchen, and more specifically the two little kids in there.
“And, actually, I think I might just thank you like this-” her lips touche
d his again, briefly, “-without having anything to thank you for, more regularly.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Zach leant his head down to meet hers, as they shared a rough but all-too-brief kiss in the hallway.
“Pizza!”
“Pizza!”
“Coming,” Zach responded, his breathing a little uneven. Imogen knew hers would be – that was why she hadn’t bothered to respond just then.
“Right. Babysitting. Forgot about that for a second,” she chimed in, with a smile, heading in the direction of the shouting children.
“No pizza until you’re sat down!” Imogen warned, her left hand clutching a pizza box, her right clasping Zach’s, the other pizza box in his right hand. Her hand fitted perfectly with his, and it felt so natural just to stand there, hands held. It still made her heart pound a little faster, and caused a weird feeling of excitement inside her to fizzle, but aside from all that, it felt like the place her hand should be. The young kids didn’t even comment – that was the beauty of young children: that childhood innocence, where holding hands meant very little, and was of little importance compared with the pizza that was held in the other hands.
Once the expectant kids were sat, Imogen moved around the kitchen swiftly, leaving Zach to take a bar stool whilst she set out plates, and placed a slice of pizza each on the girls’ plates, before taking one for herself. She hadn’t realised how hungry she was, until the smell of the pizza had invaded the kitchen, and suddenly she was starving!
“Where are the others, then? How come you’ve been left to babysit?” Zach asked, before biting into his own slice.
“Ella’s out on a date-” she began with a roll of her eyes, as Zach smirked. It wasn’t that Ella wasn’t pretty, or that she was too old to date – she just seemed so much like the stay-at-home, have-no-fun type. Imogen couldn’t imagine her on a date.
“-William and Millie – they’re Dana’s parents, and William’s Ella’s brother-” what a ‘family’ to have to try and explain, she thought to herself, “-have dinner reservations, and Sara’s taken Daisy – that’s another of Ella’s kids – to see some movie.”
“Complicated family you’ve got here, huh Kingsley?!” Zach answered with a grin.
“Meyer,” she corrected almost immediately, before realising that, technically, that was no longer true.
“What?”
“Sorry – I guess you’re right. It’s just that my parents’ surname was Meyer. Ella asked me to change to Kingsley when I moved here, and I guess I didn’t think about it… but I was always a Meyer. I guess I’m not anymore…I just still think of my surname as being Meyer. Not Kingsley,” she said, with a sigh.
“Complicated family you’ve got here, Meyer…” he rephrased, before grabbing another slice of pizza.
“Hey, kids, no stealing all the pizza. I want at least half a one to myself,” he continued with a grin, as the kids giggled away. Imogen couldn’t believe it, and her heart fluttered in agreement. Was it possible, that a guy should be at this place she’d assumed she would hate, and he’d be…well, she didn’t want to think it, because it was so clichéd, and romanticised and not Imogen at all, but she couldn’t help it – so perfect? Seriously – he ticked all the right boxes with the looks, the attitude, the humour – and then there was this caring side, a side he seemed to show to Eve, to Imogen, and now to her kid sister. If she had had to list all the qualities she’d want in a boyfriend, her perfect man, she couldn’t have done a better job. She was pretty sure that everything she would have said was here, encompassed in Zach. Did anyone really ever get a guy like that? And especially when they weren’t even looking for it…
“Imogen?” His deep voice interrupted her thoughts, as she realised she had missed out on the conversation whilst she’d been letting her mind ramble away, and they were clearly addressing her now.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“They wanna know if they can watch a DVD.”
She nodded, before thinking to check the time. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall; “Okay, but just for half an hour – then it’s bed time. Your mum won’t be happy with me else, Dana.” Abby was her responsibility – but Imogen usually agreed with Ella about the time she ought to be in bed. Besides, despite feeling a little guilty for thinking it, when she should have been focused on her sister and babysitting, she had a distraction now that made her quite happy for the kids to go to bed early.
The girls settled on the smaller of the sofas in the living room, their legs curled up and stifling yawns, waiting for Imogen to set the DVD player up for them to watch their latest favourite film – Imogen didn’t even know what it was called, all she knew was that it had a load of animals with very annoying voices in it. It was played a lot.
Once the play button had been pressed, and the annoying, high-pitched voices filled the living room, Imogen moved to the larger sofa – to find Zach already sat on it. With a grin, he tugged at her arm, and pulled her to sit down beside him, wrapping an arm around her waist as she sat, pulling her arm to wrap around his waist. The two sat there, arms wrapped closely around each other, not worried about the two little kids in the room, and watched as the dull film played out.
The silence between the two was comfortable, as they lay warmly on the sofa. Imogen laid her head on his chest, waiting for the half an hour to be up, so that the annoying voices could be switched off – but also quite content. To be honest, she wouldn’t have been too bothered if she’d had to watch the entire film, if she’d got to do so cuddled up with Zach like this.
In the end, Imogen didn’t have to tell the kids it was time to stop watching the film – they were both fast asleep by bedtime.
“Great,” Imogen murmured sarcastically, unwillingly getting up from the sofa where she had been sat with Zach, in order to lug the girls up the stairs and into bed. Carrying them when they were awake she could cope with – although they were both starting to make her arms ache after a while – but as dead weights, it was even more difficult.
Placing her hand gently under Abby, she lifted her slowly, and she didn’t wake. Not that Imogen expected her to – she was a sound sleeper.
“Sorry, I’ll be back in a-” she began quietly, turning to face Zach – and finding him stood right next to her.
“I said I’d help with babysitting, didn’t I?” he answered softly with a smile. “If you can manage to carry her up, I think I can manage Dana.” He actually lifted her a lot more easily than Imogen had lifted Abby, and the two headed towards the stairs, carrying the sleeping, deep-breathing children with them.
“Her room’s in there.” She pointed out the open door to Zach, and shifted Abby’s weight slightly, beginning to feel the strain on her arms. Placing her into her bed fully clothed, Imogen pulled the duvet over her, kissed her goodnight and flicked the light-switch off. Dana was also fully clothed in her own bed, the light switched off and the door pulled to.
“Not bad at this babysitting, are you!” Imogen commented with a grin, still in hushed tones so as not to wake their charges. As soon as they were back in the living room, she turned the kid’s film off – she’d had enough of it to last her a lifetime. Zach grinned.
“Nothing to it. Don’t know what parents complain about – kids seem pretty easy to me!”
Imogen chuckled, and the two sat down on the sofa once more, Zach pulling Imogen close to him once more. She laid her head on his chest, and sighed softly, contentedly.
“What’s wrong?” Zach asked, and Imogen smiled.
“Nothing,” she answered truthfully. “I was just thinking that I’ve had a fun evening – which I didn’t think was possible in this house.” That wasn’t all she was thinking – she was also considering all he’d done for her that evening. Coming round to the house, despite having made plans to go out. Spending the whole evening with her little sister and her little…relative, watching a stupid movie and joking about with them. Helping her carry them off to bed. Did she really deserve this? She didn’t kno
w, but she wasn’t about to let him go.
“Wherever I am’s always fun!” he answered, with a grin, as he pressed his lips to her forehead gently. This wasn’t standard Zach Monroe: he didn’t normally chase girls, didn’t have to try to impress them, didn’t want to know all about them. He had never helped anyone to babysit, had never been so content just to sit and cuddle up on a sofa. Maybe his sister had been right – was he falling for her? It felt like it, as they sat, snuggled on the settee in this warm, comfortable silence. They seemed to have it all – they could be kissing each other lustfully, laughing at each other or just spending time together like this – it didn’t matter, as long as they were together. That was the key part – the part that suggested to Zach how deep his feelings ran for this girl.
“What time are they all due back?” Zach asked softly, absentmindedly drawing circles on her palm.
Family Portrait (Kingsley Family Trilogy Book 1) Page 9
