Cuffing Her

by Emily Bishop

  “David.” I approach them. “Was this your idea?”

  “No,” he answers, quickly glancing at me before turning back to Sabrina.

  Sabrina, on the other hand, just waves at me and then continues eating as she glances at the timer.

  No? So, this was Sabrina’s idea? I find that hard to believe. If it is, though, then she must have a good reason behind it.

  As she finishes the second burger, she grabs the glass of water, gulping it down. Then she pushes her plate away and grabs the third, cutting the burger on it into four and chomping away at the first quarter. She seems to be struggling now, though, slowing down.

  “Spit it out! Spit it out!” David cheers as he beats his fist on the counter.

  “David,” I warn him.

  “What?” He shrugs. “It’s part of it.”

  I guess it isn’t unfair. Even so, I can’t help but want Sabrina to succeed at whatever this challenge is and glancing at her, she seems to be having a tough time already.

  Unable to resist, I grab one of the quarters of the burger, hoping to help her.

  “No!” both Sabrina and David shout at the same time, Sabrina with her mouth still full.

  “Sabrina has to finish all that by herself or she loses,” David explains.

  Fine. I put down the piece of burger and anxiously wait for her to finish. I want to cheer her on but I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. I don’t even know if she should be doing this.

  Finally, she’s on her last quarter of burger and David looks scared, especially since there are still sixty seconds left on the timer. She goes through this one quicker than the rest, then gets off her stool and puts her hands, ketchup, mustard and mayo-coated fingers and all, up in the air.

  David has the opposite reaction, his face falling on the counter like he was just the one who ate a ton of burgers.

  “Oh, man.”

  Done with cheering, Sabrina washes her hands and mouth, then goes back to the counter to drink another glass of water.

  “Now, could you please tell me what’s going on?” I ask her.

  She sets her glass down. “Your son and I made a deal. Basically, he gets to dare me to do three things that he thinks girls can’t normally do and if I do them, he’ll start thinking better of girls and be my friend. This is the first challenge. Well, technically it’s the second but…”

  “First,” David says. “The one with the bugs was a trial.”

  “Bugs?” I ask curiously.

  “You know how your son already has his collection of fake bugs? So, the first challenge was for me to lie down on the floor and stay still for ten minutes while he covers me with those bugs, and mind you, there was a real beetle mixed in. But, hey, I did it.”

  “But that doesn’t count?”

  “It’s a trial,” David says again. “This is the first challenge.”

  “Yup. So, this time, he told me to eat three burgers in ten minutes and that’s what I did.” Sabrina grins triumphantly as she lifts the three empty plates on the counter. “So, I guess we’re down to two, right, David?”

  He doesn’t answer, lifting his face but still letting his chin rest on the counter. “Are you sure you’re a girl?”

  “Of course, I am, silly.” Sabrina chuckles as she ruffles his hair. “What? Do you think I’m wearing a disguise?”

  “Hey. Don’t touch my hair.” He smooths his hair again.

  “Sorry. I forgot boys are touchier about their hair than girls are.”

  “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.”