"Mia, lunch is ready!" I called up to the second floor. I laid the platter of sandwiches out on the kitchen counter along with a platter of chips and veggies with dip.
Within seconds her and her four friends came running down the stairs.
"Manda, Manda, look what I made!" She said to me holding up a bracelet she made with her friends.
"Awww sweetheart, It's beautiful!" I said taking a look at it closer, it was a mixture of beads and tiny sea shells. "It's for you!" She said pulling on my hand to put it on for me.
"Por moi?" I said surprised. "I'm flattered! Merci!"
Her parents took her to a trip to France a month ago and she was obsessed with the language. I tried to insert little french words here and there that she understood.
She wrapped her hands around me and pressed her face against my hip. I have the best baby sitter ever! She said to her friends as they all grabbed plates and made a mess of my perfect lunch spread. They couldn't care less, they were just hungry.
I couldn't believe it had been three years since I started babysitting her. She was just two when I started, the most adorable little girl. Her mom, Nina, was a super bitch who never had time for her but her dad, Mark, he was as sweet as sweet can be.
I didn't want to take the job, I didn't want to get any job. I was nineteen, just a college girl trying to get by with a balance of good grades and partying. My parents decided I was asking for money too much and decided I needed a job.
** 2015**
"Amanda, our responsibility is your education. We give you an allowance and yet thats still not enough! If you want money to blow on partying, you're going to have to come up with it yourself!"
"But mom!"
"No Mandy, I mean it! You're such a spoilt brat and your father's to blame!"
"Great here we go again, blame everything on the parent that actually loves me!"
"Oh grow up!"
It was true, my daddy did spoil me. I was his only girl, I just had to bat my eyes and tell him I loved him and money would be in my hands seconds later but mom was putting her foot down and dad couldn't just give in anymore.
"Look, your dad's boss may have mentioned something about needing a sitter for their two year old."
"Mom! So this is all a set up? You already have something lined up?" I was upset, "Dad's boss? Ain't he like seventy? He should not have two year olds!"
"No, I'm not talking about Ralph, I'm talking about Ralph's partner Mark, he's like thirty or thirty-two or so. Anyway, he's a really nice guy and he sure as hell can use your help! Will you please meet with him?"
"You realize babysitters work nights and weekend? Thats when the parties are happening!" I said bitterly.
"Just meet with the guy would you?"
"Fine!" I rolled my eyes before grabbing my backpack and keys off the kitchen counter and headed to school.
**Present**
"Manda!" Mia called loudly, "Do we get to go swimming after lunch?" She asked.
"You know what, after lunch, you all get to finish that movie you started from last night and put your toys away then you get to go swimming!"
"Oh, alright!" Her little smile turned into a frown.
"Don't gimme that young lady!" I tickled her little tummy with my finger as she sat finishing up her potato chips.
I sat through the boring Disney movie til it was all over, "Alright girls, time to get you're suits on!"
I said as I got them off the couch and up to the bedroom. Getting them in their bathing suits then getting myself in mine before we headed down to the pool.
The back yard was huge with an in-ground pool. It was almost butterfly shaped. The left wing was a large pool and the right wing, the top part was a jacuzzi and the bottom, a kiddie pool with some of the regular pool bleeding into the middle of that half.
I got in and sat in the kiddie pool with them for a bit then they got to splashing. I got out and relaxed in a lounger overseeing their shenanigans when Mark walked through the glass sliding doors that led to the pool deck. He slowly came fully into my line of sight. He was wearing swim trucks.
"Hey, how's it going with the girls?" He asked as he sat in the lounger next to me.
"They're just angels!" I smiled at him, "I thought you were at an all day conference?"
"That's the good thing about having the wife work at the same company. I can leave when it gets boring and she can fill me in later!" He winked at me.
He was still as charming as he was when i fist met him. When my dad told him that I was willing to meet him to discuss the job, he invited us to a pool party that weekend that he was having.
**2015**
"So Mark is having a pool party this weekend, we're all invited. I know you never go to any of my work things but I figured this is a way for you to meet Mark and his wife and their little munchkin." My dad said at the dinner table.
I sighed deeply, "Sure Dad."
That weekend I was trying to get out of going. My friends were all going to the movies and I didn't want to be at this boring old persons pool party but I certainly wasn't getting out of it and oh boy was I wrong when I thought it was going to be boring.
We got there just after 5pm. The music was blasting. I was expecting some old school party mix but the music was actually current, they were playing all the hottest hit. There was more younger people there than older adults. There was some pretty hot guys in the pool tossing a ball around. I turned to my dad, "I didn't know your co-workers were all half your age."
"Watch it young lady!" He warned.
My dad walked us over to the grill where Mark was flipping burgers and hotdogs, a drink in one hand. His wife stood next to him, she was hot! She had a perfect hour glass body, fulls breasts, small waist, wide hips. Her complexion was flawless, smooth, white skin. She was wearing a tiny two piece bikini, showing off her curves.
As Mark turned to face us, my eyes lit up. He was tall, about six feet, two inches. He had strong, broad shoulders, short brown hair that was combed back, deep brown eyes and washboard abs. He was slightly tanned. This was one of those couples you see in magazines. They perfectly complimented each other.
"Hey, Joe!" Mark greeted my dad.
"Hey Mark, Nina." He said giving Nina a nod, "This is my beautiful wife Tina and my lovely daughter, Amanda. My son couldn't make it."
Mark complimented my mom then turned his attention to me. His wife whisked away my mom to go get drinks. "Joe! You didn't tell me how beautiful you're daughter is!" He said taking my hand and bringing his lips to the backside of my hand to kiss it, I blushed. He was really hot and he was complimenting me! We were off to a good start if you asked me.