Lara needed a place to stay while back in the country after completing a contract teaching English in Germany. Aunt Beth was going into hospital so she volunteered to baby-sit Beth's house and her cousin.
"Just keep an eye on him. He won't be any trouble." Beth said, on the phone.
As it turned out it was Lara who got into trouble. She hadn't seen little Timmy for some years and he had grown up and that was the trouble. He was eighteen and had become a handsome young man.
Lara phoned Beth from the airport. "Sorry Beth I'm running late. The flight was delayed and they lost my luggage. No. It's OK. You go ahead, I'll be out there in a couple of hours; they'll deliver my luggage when it turns up. OK. Good luck for tomorrow. Bye."
The taxi was expensive but it was the only way to get to the farm. She couldn't help calling it that although it was no longer a working farm since her uncle had died and the land was sold off. The house stood by itself among trees overlooking a river. It was as beautiful as she remembered, only a little more run down.
"Hi! You must be Timmy." Lara said, offering her hand.
He took her hand in a diffident shake. "You just missed mom." He said.
"Sorry about that. I'm sure she'll be fine." Lara didn't know what to say. He didn't seem to want to talk much. He shrugged his shoulders and pointed up the stairs.
"Your room is up there on the right. Bathroom to the left." He said.
She remembered the house well from summer vacation times. It would be nice to spend some free time there reminiscing. Timmy didn't seem to be a problem. All she would have to do is keep the place tidy and cook meals. He was eighteen and she was twenty-five with plenty of experience of handling youngsters. He probably saw her as being old.
Without luggage she had nothing to unpack and was dying for a cup of coffee.
"Do you want a cup?" She asked.
"No. I'm on the computer talking to friends." He said, over his shoulder.
She watched him scuttle up the stairs then headed into the kitchen. Looking through what used to seem a huge kitchen dresser she found some cups. At the back was a dusty Mini Mouse mug. "Good Grief!" She murmured. It looked like hers from when she was about twelve.
Lara had grown up into a woman over the last twenty-three years. She was five foot five, brunette, thin, pale skin with a nice a figure. Her breasts had filled out to c cups but her best feature was a cute arse. At least that's what she had been told by the last boyfriend.
In her room she sat on the edge of the bed looking around noticing the changes. Rousing herself she went for a much-needed shower. Wrapped in a towel she padded down to the kitchen with the only clothes she possessed until her luggage turned up. "Damn. It's only one in the afternoon. I need to stay awake to get rid of this jet lag." She told herself, stifling another yawn.
With her clothes in the washing machine she padded on bare feet back up stairs to find something to do. "Oh! Timmy. You startled me." She said feeling foolish.
Almost colliding with him she stepped back. He was taller than she thought. She held on to the towel feeling just a little embarrassed. Despite being her cousin he was a stranger and he was standing there staring at her. "My clothes are in the washer." She said, feeling foolish at stating the obvious.
"Mom made me bring a box down out of the attic. It's your old stuff I think." He said with a shrug.
"So where is it?" She said. Excitement over the idea of reviving old memories overcame her embarrassment. He pointed to her room. She ran in seeing the dusty cardboard box, noticing it before but without interest. Hurriedly opening it she found an old teddy bear on top. More treasures were revealed with each dig.
"There's more stuff in the basement." He told her.
The sound of his voice brought her round to the present. She was kneeling on the floor bent over the box in just a towel. 'Damn it!" She thought. She stood up quickly straightening it trying to conceal her body as much as it allowed.
"Hey Timmy. Don't come in to my room." She scolded him. He shrugged and turned away, back to his room. For a moment she felt like the teacher at school being cross with an errant pupil. She giggled at the thought of being in class dressed in just a towel.
The box kept her busy for a while musing over the past. Lying on the bed she read one of her favourite novels and nodded off. With a start she awoke from a dreamless deep sleep. The sun had gone down but she was still feeling exhausted from lack of sleep.
Walking into the kitchen she was put out to see Timmy with a friend. They were eating cereal at the kitchen table. "I need to get my clothes." She said, lamely. Edging round them she leant over the machine on tiptoe not wanting to bend over. Not wanting to make the same mistake again.
At last giving up she asked. "How do you open this thing?"
"Here let me help." Timmy's friend offered.
He was the same wide shouldered slim hipped shape as Timmy only with dark hair not auburn. The auburn hair was an unmistakable family trait. He wasn't even family and he was standing a little too close for comfort.
"It's broken. Perhaps the fuse has blown. It won't open until the cycle has completed." Timmy said offhandedly.
His friend was looking down at the mounds of her breasts adding to her discomfort. "Damn! What am I going to wear?" She said out loud.
"There's an old trunk in the basement." Timmy said, round a mouthful of cereal.
"You two can bring it up for me. I'll be in my room. By the way what's your name?" She asked.
"Bobby." He said.
"Let me know if you want friends round next time, Timmy." She scolded him. She looked at the kitchen clock. "What time are you due home." She asked.
"I'm staying over. Keeping Tim company." He answered.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." She felt self-conscious, as he was talking to her breasts not her. They were both sullenly staring at her now. "OK. With Beth in hospital I guess you could do with some company." She relented.
She almost muttered, 'Youths of today, no manners.' She dismissed the thought as it made her feel old. There was a knock at the door. "Ok come in. Drop it down here." Lara hoped there were some clothes in the trunk. Anything would do.
Even if she could bear to wear something of Beth's they were several sizes to large. Besides the bedroom door had been padlocked shut to keep out Timmy and his friends. 'This was a real minimalist existence with no home, no car, and without even clothes.' She thought.
Back in the kitchen she told them. "It's locked. Do you have a key." She stated. "Well look around!" She scolded them, in exasperation at their idleness. With some small hope there might be something in the trunk she joined in the search.
Pulling out a draw in the dresser she found at last a collection of old keys. 'Just like Beth to keep old junk." She thought. Half way to the table the towel slipped. She hesitated with the heavy drawer in both hands then lurched forward to drop it onto the table. Quickly turning to pick up the towel she trod on one corner of it and fell.
She quickly stood grappling it around her. "What's the matter with you two. Haven't you seen a naked woman before?" Their expressions told her they hadn't and at their age where would they have. She knew it was just a silly remark from the panic but still she felt ridiculous.
Attempting to recover her dignity she told them. "Carry the draw up to my room."
It didn't need the two of them but they followed like little puppy dogs with tongues hanging out. As she climbed the stairs she realised the towel had been pulled up too tight in trying to quickly cover her breasts. They were getting a view of both cheeks, perhaps more. Too late now! She just carried on trying to ignore the idea of them ogling her arse.
As though they were leashed together they both stepped into the room to leave the draw. All the time their eyes were wide upon her. "OK. Now leave." As an after thought she said. "Bring me a cup of coffee. White no sugar." They both nodded and backed out of the room. 'Well I have their attention now.' She thought.
They dutifully knocked both peering in to see what she was or wasn't wearing now. Their looks were obviously predatory and Lara looked each of them in the eye telling them.
"You can go now. I'll be down later to get something to eat. It might be best if you go to your room Timmy." She told him sternly.
There were clothes in the trunk, some hers and others cousin Jenny's. She wondered what Jenny was up to these days. She had last seen her father's older brother with Jenny and the rest of his family at her father's funeral last year.
She laughed at the thought of her old clothes fitting. Jenny was older and even back then on the large side so her clothes looked a possibility. It was no good the jeans wouldn't fit. She wished for once she had listened to Beth and learnt to sew.
With a pair of scissors she hacked off the legs of a pair of Jenny's jeans. They just about fit around her tiny waist although they were a little too high cut on the legs. It was the only way to get them on. Taking a scarf she wrapped it around her chest. "Well. It'll have to do until I get my clothes back." Pleased with herself she marched down to the kitchen.
She was about to tell the young lads she wanted them out of the way but realised they needed to be fed. After all that was what she was there fore in exchange for free accommodation.
There was still bottled gas so she busily searched for pots and pans and hunted out a can of beans. "Eggs, bacon and beans alright for you guys?" She asked cheerily. They nodded vigorously.
