Cop's Babysitter

by Flora Ferrari

  Not knowing is killing me.

  “Do you handle most of the parenting responsibilities or does your wife help out too?” Oh my god. That slipped out way to easily and way to obviously.

  “My wife?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  I can’t tell if he’s about to burst out laughing or say something to me for being out of line. His face is impossible to read right now.

  “I’m not married,” he says in a bit lower tone, slower voice, and with very heavy eye contact.

  “Oh. Sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. The closest I’ve ever had to a wife is this job. Once you’ve been a cop as long as I have you get used to it I guess…not that it’s necessarily a good thing. Or a bad thing either.”

  The last sentence seemed a little forced. I think back to my thoughts about appearing desperate. The last thing I would picture Carter as is desperate. With his age, job, love for kids, ability to charm so naturally, muscles, good looks…oh my god what doesn’t he have? So why in the world is he single?

  I’m not really sure what to say.

  “So,” he says breaking the silence. “Can I walk you out.”

  “Yeah. Sure,” I say a bit shaken at his last words. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how this guy is single and how long that’s going to last. I can only imagine what would happen in this town if that kind of news got out. I’d quickly finding myself babysitting not only his child but his new wife’s too.

  He’s that good of a catch. I imagine women are practicing putting his last name behind theirs before the first date is even over. He’s the kind of guy you don’t just daydream over…you obsess over. And I have a feeling I’m headed down that path already.

  Carter helps me get Brooklyn ready and everything packed up. Just a few minutes later and we’re walking through the station which is much emptier and much quieter than it was during the day.

  “It seems way different than earlier.”

  “Yeah. Most of the officers are trying to get their overtime in by extending their normal hours. The ones who work the night shift are mostly out on patrol.”

  “It’s more of an office job during the day than I realized,” I say. “I hope you don’t take that the wrong way.”

  “Not at all. I had the same realization earlier in my career. I pictured myself out on the beat doing the kinds of cool things you see in the movies, and I did do a lot of that in my early days. But once I decided to adopt Brooklyn I knew that kind of behavior would be way to selfish. She’s already lost her parents once. The absolute last thing she needs is for that to happen again.

  Add conscious, responsible, and thoughtful of others to the list of qualities that make this guy too good to be true.

  He holds the door open for me and we step out into the night air.

  “Where you parked?”

  “Just over this way,” I say motioning to the side of the lot.

  He laughs.

  “What? Is that a bad spot?”

  “Well, I think any spot in a police station parking lot is pretty safe, but that one might be the safest.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I’ll show you,” he says.

  We start walking toward my spot in the parking lot. Thankfully my friend had let me borrow her car for the day.

  “When I brought back those burritos for lunch I parked right…next…to…”

  “That’s your car?” I interject. That’s why he was laughing. There are only two cars in this part of the lot. Since I was walking this way and he knew he was parked over here, once he saw the two cars next to each other he just let his words tail off.

  “Right next to yours.”

  “You didn’t know that was mine?”

  “Not a clue. You were ready and waiting this morning, remember? I had no idea what you drove, or if you even drove to get here.”

  “You’re right,” I say. “I guess great minds think alike.”

  “I guess so,” he says.

  We arrive at the cars and I help him get Brooklyn all situated.

  When he’s leaning into the back seat his shirt comes up in the back and I can see his back muscles. And his bum is right in front of me too. I want to reach out and give it a squeeze, but just make a fist and bite down on my knuckles instead, preventing me from sexually harassing my new employer.

  “Okay,” he says. “All set. Thanks for today.”

  “Thanks for the opportunity,” I say.

  Neither one of us moves.

  “Want me to follow you home? Make sure you get home safe?”

  “I’ll be okay. And I have to run some errands first,” I say.

  “Okay,” he says.

  He’s standing right in front of me. I’ve got my back to the streetlight which is illuminating him beautifully in the darkness.

  I look up at those eyes which seem to be an even darker shade of brown now. The whites of his eyes really pop against his darker features. It’s harder to see just how much he’s staring at me, even with the light on him. His eyes look so different out here. Just as captivating, but in a totally different way.

  I feel myself starting to lean forward and I see he’s doing the same. It’s barely noticeable to the eye, but it’s definitely noticeable to each of us.

  His hand slowly comes up and finds my hip.

  Oh my god this is happening right now!

  His knees bend and he move in closer his body only inches from mine as he looks down at me from above.

  “I didn’t think you could be more beautiful, but this light behind you makes you look angelic,” he says.

  “I was just noticing how incredible it made your eyes.”

  “My eyes which I can’t take off you,” he says.

  He leans in and I come up on my tiptoes.

  My eyes close and I feel his breath on mine.

  Suddenly a siren blares to life and a squad car shoots out from around the side of the building whizzing by us, startling me and ending our moment.

  “I should probably go,” I say.

  I move quickly to my car and jump in the driver’s seat. I pull out of the lot but take one last look in the rear view. He’s still standing there in the same spot. The only difference is his head has turned and he’s watching me as I increase the distance between us.

  CHAPTER 5

  Alyssa

  I fall into my bed wondering what in the heck is going on.

  After leaving the police station I drove to my favorite coffee shop and sat there for a whole hour, just trying to unwind.

  It didn’t work.

  I didn’t even drink a coffee. I was already so high strung the caffeine would have just pushed me over the edge.

  When I got home my dad was in the living room watching a game. I just flew right past him and up the stairs to my room and into bed where I am now.

  I roll over onto my back and stare up at the ceiling.

  All these years and I’ve never met a guy I fell for like this. And he’s not even a “guy.” He’s a man. A real man. And that’s both a blessing and a curse.

  As a man he knows who he is and what he wants and isn’t afraid to get it. He’s care free and direct because he doesn’t care what other people think. He’s does what he wants to do and that’s that.

  But on the flip side I don’t have any experience with a man. What am I talking about? I don’t even have any experience with boys my own age.

  I’m in way over my head here.

  And what if we had kissed? That complicates everything.

  And how could I tell my friends? I’m twenty-one and he’s somewhere in his mid to late thirties I’m guessing? It’s not like the two of us can go out without getting stares, although I know he wouldn’t care. But what about me?

  And how in the world could I tell my dad?

  My dad had me when he was really, really young. He and my mom were only both barely eighteen. Somehow they made it work though and after me they
even had my little brother. My mom was a tough woman. I wish she was still here so I could ask her for advice, but unfortunately heaven had plans for her already.

  But who can I talk to about this? No one.

  Does that include him? Should I call him?

  Will he call me?

  Are we still on for tomorrow? And if so, how awkward will that be?

  But what wasn’t awkward was the way we almost kissed. He was so slow and patient. Watching him admire me under that light was making my heart beat a mile a minute. Just seeing in his eyes how much he wanted me, and then when he slowly and gently placed his hand on me and then still continued to look at me. A boy my age would have just rushed in and never let the anticipation build.

  And thanks to that cop car the anticipation is still building.

  Building to the point of explosion.

  I jump up out of bed and lock my door. I flip the switch to the lights and dig in the drawers on the nightstand next to the bed looking for the ever-elusive pack of matches with the light from my cell phone. Found them!

  I light the candle on the nightstand and lay back down.

  Next I search YouTube for a long relaxing playlist without words and set my phone next to the candle where the tone and the lighting are just right.

  I imagine him…how close our faces were to one another.

  But this time there’s no cop car flying around the side of the building. There’s just us and it’s perfect.

  I imagine his lips meeting mine and me melting right into his arms. I’m weightless floating on cloud nine, but not for long. I’m back in the moment running my hands up and down that body of his.

  Now I’m getting hot and it’s my own hands on my own body where the rubbing is starting to take place.

  I slide my hands down the front of my pants and underneath my panties. I’m already wet as I begin to rub in a circle.

  My hand unbuttons the top button of my pants giving my other hand room to work.

  I picture his tongue doing the work as we’re lying in some fancy hotel next to a tropical beach.

  He’s naked and bronzed, from the day we spent together at the beach we discovered. And since we’re in the middle of nowhere of course we didn’t need clothes.

  I rub faster and faster before sliding my soaked finger deep inside imagining it’s his tongue.

  My body tightens and I choke back the sound of my climax. My arm is twitching as my peak continues right into another.

  A good twenty seconds pass before my body relaxes and the tension leaves me. I melt into the bed and try to catch my breath.

  The music on my phone stops and I reach for the phone.

  Sorry about today. I wasn’t acting very professional earlier.

  Oh my god, it’s him. It’s like he knew what I was doing, but right now I’m the one who’d way past the line of professionalism. Bringing myself to climax, in record time no less, while fantasizing about my boss isn’t exactly the kind of employer employee behavior that wins you employee of the month.

  With my dominant hand still down my pants I quickly type with my other. I have to. He can see that I read his message.

  I’m typing as quickly as I can and then my texting app suddenly disappears and my camera appears. I hear a snap.

  I look down. My camera is pointed right at my hand which is still down my pants.

  Oh my god! Did I just send that?

  I reopen the app and there’s the picture ready to be sent.

  Oh no, no, no, no.

  I carefully back out of the last words and the attached pussy pic and breathe a sigh of relief.

  That would have been a complete disaster.

  It’s okay. I was also out of line.

  I wait.

  We’re still on for tomorrow?

  Looking forward to it.

  We are too. Brooklyn went right to sleep. You did a great job with her today. Thank you.

  My pleasure.

  See you tomorrow morning at the house.

  See you then.

  So tomorrow morning I have to show up at his house bright and early.

  If I’m as early tomorrow as I was today then maybe I’ll catch him coming out of the shower. Wouldn’t that be nice.

  But there’s no need to be that early since he lives just next door.

  Wait a second. Does he know we’re this close?

  We just met for coffee so I never actually filled out an application. Sure he’s got my first name and my number and he knows I live in the neighborhood, but does he know just how close I really am?

  Unfortunately my window faces the house on the other side. If it faced his then I’m afraid of what my temptations might lead me to do.

  CHAPTER 6

  Carter

  “Washington. Daniels. You’ve got First Street through Alyssa Avenue.”

  “Smith. Hernandez. You’ve got the Boulevard through Polk.”

  A few of the officers bring their hands to their faces, trying not to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” Maybe they’re surprised that this old dog is going out on the street again. It feels good to get a day out on patrol.

  “Captain, where in town is Alyssa Avenue?”

  I look back up at the map. Talk about a Freudian slip.

  “Alpha Avenue. Right there,” I point out on the large map everyone is not looking at, but when I turn back around they aren’t. They’re still looking at me.

  “Got ya, captain.”

  “What? I said Alpha.”

  “Alpha just like your game out in the parking lot last night, huh?” the chief says. “That will be all.”

  The room clears out and the chief continues. “Nice catch, captain. She’s a young one, but she sure is cute and she sure is good with Brooklyn.”

  “The babysitter?” I say, not wanting to say Alyssa’s name again right now. It will only give the chief gasoline for the fire I already started.

  “Right. Your babysitter,” he says, bringing his hands up so he can do the imaginary quotes with the first two fingers on each hand.

  “What? I don’t see what the problem is.”

  “No problem at all. We’re glad to see you’ve finally got a lady in your life. And quite a nice one at that. Keep up the good work, captain,” he says, slapping me on the back.

  The chief leaves the room. It’s just me now.

  Damn, this girl isn’t just on my mind she’s on the front of my mind, on my thoughts constantly, and consuming my thoughts.

  When she came over this morning we both did our best to act like nothing happened last night, but it was so obvious that we were trying too hard to avoid it. It wasn’t uncomfortable. It was more just funny really. It was the unspoken thing that was louder than if we had just yelled it.

  The moment from last night passed, but I’m more worried about the next moment that presents itself. I know I’m not going to be able to contain myself, and I don’t know if she will either.

  On the one hand I’m in a tough spot. Pursue romance and possible lose both a potential perfect young woman and a babysitter.

  On the other hand I don’t pursue and I get an amazing babysitter…while I go crazy from holding back my thoughts about everything we can be together and everything I want to do to her.

  But what’s more important than anything is that I know Brooklyn is safe and sound at home today thanks to Alyssa. I know I can trust her in my home and with my child and that’s first and foremost. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

  Now I can’t help but wonder if there’s going to be a cherry on top.

  CHAPTER 7

  Alyssa

  I put Brooklyn down for an afternoon nap.

  I’m pretty sure I wore her out and if I’m honest with myself she wore me out too, but in a good way.

  I always knew I loved kids and wanted to have my own someday, but I never knew I loved kids this much, or at least how much I love Brooklyn. And an even bigger surprise is that I can’t believe how much being around h
er makes me want to have my own kids soon.