A lot of thanks goes to MissJenny54. Her support and edits improved this story a lot.
***
My name is Sam. I was a mess when my wife died, leaving me with my two beautiful children. Having the children,
our
children were comforting to me, but I had to help them deal with their grief as well as my own. It wasn't easy, but I had to keep moving forward because of them.
I asked my sister to help; she is married and has children nearly the same age as mine. I thought it wouldn't be much more work for her to take on two more. Well, that depends on the children, but her kids and mine get along well. It seemed like a good idea because they would have someone else to spend time with instead of arguing or dealing with boredom at home. Most times, this arrangement worked out pretty well.
The easiest decision was to work from home, where I could look after my children and ease the burden on my sister. I brought them to school, sometimes dropped in at my workplace for a while, then picked them up after school. It was more convenient for everyone involved, and since I was their only parent now, I wanted to be there as much as possible for them. I loved them and missed them when they were away.
My work colleagues invited me to join them for an evening out since we did not see each other often. Rather than rely on my sister again and not wanting to disrupt the children's schedules, I hired a babysitter to stay with them for a few hours. A good friend highly recommended Beth, a graduate student who used babysitting jobs to earn extra money.
The Arrival
When I opened the door, I was met by a young, good-looking woman, somehow beautiful in a unique but not classical way. She was perhaps a little harsh; athletic, with slightly visible veins on her forearms and average height. She reminded me more of a tomboy than a classical soft woman.
My children were often left alone even though I worked from home. They weren't wild, but they did have their moments of misbehavior. Since their mother passed and I had less time to correct them, they tended to be rude and dismissive to people they didn't know. I hoped Beth would be able to instill some respect in them than I had managed to do, even if it was for only a few hours.
"Hi! I'm Beth," she introduced herself.
"Hello Beth, I'm Sam, but I'm sure you already guessed that," I said, laughing. "Welcome! I'm glad you're here. I appreciate your help tonight!"
I heard loud crying from the children's room, almost timed to prove the necessity of the last comment.
I was in a rush to leave and didn't have time to deal with them. Of course, they had to choose now to act up, as I was getting ready to go out.
"I'm already running late," I sighed in exasperation to Beth. "Usually, they're very good, but this evening, as you can hear, they've decided to have an argument... or something.
I immediately thought,
why not let her jump right in then I can evaluate her capabilities in handling them and the situation. If she's any good, I won't have to worry about them
.
"I still have to shower. How about you see what's happening and if you can resolve their problem? It'll give you a chance to introduce yourself. Down the hall, third door on the left."
Beth smiled warmly at me. "Don't worry; I'm going to enjoy meeting them!"
Don't be so confident, young lady
, I thought and hurried to the bath while she looked for their room.
When I emerged from the bathroom, I heard no sound from the children's room. I dressed, then, curious, I went to their room. My children were happily lying on the floor with a coloring book and crayons, quietly enjoying themselves. Beth sat comfortably on a chair, reading.
I was astonished! "How did you get them to calm down so quickly?"
Beth didn't look up from the book she was reading. "Turn around."
I turned around in confusion and, seeing nothing, faced her again inquisitively.
She sighed, "Turn around! You're going to be late. Go!"
At first, I refused to turn around. I'm old enough to know what I am supposed to be doing and where I'm supposed to be, so I stood my ground just to prove I wasn't about to give in to her demands. I decided to listen to her and noticed she was pointing to the clock on the wall. She was correct; I
was
going to be late.
I said goodnight to the children before I left and told Beth again I would be returning at 10:30 as we agreed before.
That was an interesting, weird encounter,
I thought, as I headed off for my engagement!
The social evening with my colleagues was fun. For far too long, I had been busy being 'Mr. Dad' and not taken part in social affairs with friends or co-workers. It was nice to have some freedom and interact with adults. Too soon, the night was ending, and as most of the others had decided to head home, I followed. Looking at my watch, it was later than I thought, but the time spent with them was worth every minute.
I arrived home at 11:00 pm to find Beth sitting on the couch, reading in the living room. She had removed her shoes and looked comfortable with her legs stretched out.
Beth didn't look up. "You're later than you said you would be," she announced.
I was irritated at being chastised by this young woman whose time I was paying for. "I'm sorry, but I'm only a half hour late, and I engaged your services..."
"Save your breath," she silenced me with a hand wave. "Don't say something you will regret, young man. Listen, I could have had plans tonight, and your being late would have spoiled them. You said you would be home by 10:30."
I repressed a smile; I'm not so young anymore, but what man doesn't like hearing a compliment like that from a lovely young woman?
She turned towards me. Her feet left the couch, and she placed them on the floor. Slowly she spread her legs apart, assuming a confident and fearless stance.
"By the way, you wanted to know how I calmed your children earlier? It's called being a natural authority. If they simply see you as a leader, they will do what you suggest. In fact, they will even want to know your wishes because they want to please you. That's the whole secret, and it seems I have already managed this. There was no problem at bedtime. They wanted to show me how good they could behave. They are two lovely children. I guess they inherit that from their father."
She stared into my eyes for a moment, disquieting me. "Every man has weak spots, and I'm very good at finding them," she said suggestively. "Now, kindly pay me so I can leave."
She was assertive and demanding. I gave her the agreed money.
She looked at the cash, then at me in disappointment. "You said you're sorry for being late? I don't think I believe you."
I blushed and gave her more money for an additional hour. Of course, she was right, and I perhaps had inconvenienced her.
Beth stood up, strode over to me, locked her eyes onto mine and placed a hand on my cheek. It seemed to burn like fire on my skin, and sensuality suddenly oozed from her.
What the hell...?