Thank you so much to my editors Incredimeters and dpga 4625 for helping me clean this story up.
"A babysitter. You hired a babysitter?" I yelled at my dad from the porch of our house in full view of the neighborhood. "I'm 19 years old and you think I still need a babysitter?"
"From the way you're acting right now, yes," my dad yelled back from the trunk of the car. "I am so glad Carl said he would do this," my father said to my mother in a much lower tone as he walked back into the house.
"Carl!" I yelled. "Are you kidding me? You hire my boss to babysit me while you and mom are gone for a week?" I asked, flabbergasted.
"Well, we didn't hire him," my mom said, the only person still talking at a conversational level. "We asked him and he volunteered. We thought it would be just like old times. You always used to love spending time with Carl and Riya.
I lowered my voice to match my mother's, "I did Mom when I was 12." Then I faced my dad and began yelling again. "But I'm 19 and I work with Carl all week."
"Which is why we thought it would work so well. He can make sure you get to work on time." My mother smiled at her little joke. The rest of us didn't.
Meanwhile, Carl Khan rolled over a small overnight bag and walked up the front steps. Carl is 5'9" and about 200 hundred pounds and thanks to being a professional mover, most of it muscle with just a little bit of it forming a belly. His ancestors come from the middle of India so his skin is the same shade as milk chocolate. He owned the two-man and a truck transporting company that I had been working for all summer. To be more precise, we are the company, he and I.
"Thing is, this is not open for debate. Carl's here and we are going," my dad said matter-of-factly while he walked out with the last of their bags.
Carl sat on the porch railing and smiled at my mother. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Why no Carl. Mom, do you want to change my diaper one last time before you go?" I asked sarcastically.
"Hey. You mind your manners to your mother," Carl insisted.
My mother was confused then got back on track. "You have all of our contact information and we will be back Saturday afternoon. I'm sure Travis will settle down once we leave. He has had a bit of a shock." My mother grabbed her handbag and my father popped his head out of the car window.
"And if he doesn't mind you, don't be afraid to dock his pay or use your belt." My dad added, "Come on Mary, I want to get to Sarah's before dark."
My mother handed Carl a small envelope. "This is for your trouble and a little extra, just in case Mr. storm-clouds dries up and you want to take him for ice cream later. But only if he's good."
Carl smiled handing the envelope back, "Thank you Mary, but I'm good."
She handed it back to him, "Then keep it just in case."
"Yes, Mary," Carl gave up. My dad honked the horn. Mom stared daggers at the car. I sighed loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Yes dear," my mother turned to me and gave me a huge hug. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too Mom," I said in a half-mumble.
My mother got in the car and dad started backing up even before she had her seatbelt on. Mom rolled down the window and waved. "You boys have fun," she called out as they drove off.
Carl turned to me and raised his tone loud enough to be heard at least several houses away. "Now you get your butt in that house and come Monday you're going to do
all
(he emphasized the A in all) the heavy lifting."
Once we were both inside the house, we lowered our voices to a whisper. "You think they bought it?" I asked.
"I almost bought it. Was all that really necessary?" he answered.
"Yes, Carl. Wouldn't it have looked a little weird to have you coming over here all of the time for the next week? Now everyone knows you're just checking up on me and they won't think anything of it," I explained.
"I guess," he lamented.
"Riya gone?" I asked.
"She spent the night at Judith's. They were on a red-eye to New York this morning and will be flying down to Jamacia this afternoon. Judith found this great little resort, Mi Deh Yah, and they always stay there," Carl answered.
"I think we have waited long enough." I moved closer to Carl.
"What if they forgot something and come back?" Carl asked.
"My father wants to get to Aunt Sarah's and more important Uncle Jimmie's basement bar and 70-inch big screen before tip-off so I am pretty sure they're gone," I remarked.
Carl and I kissed there in the living room. I had just seen him less than 16 hours ago but it had felt like a lifetime. His lips were so soft and I could taste the tea he had drank with breakfast. "You know I would never talk to you like that, Daddy," I declared.
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Sorry to break the fourth wall but at this point, you are probably wondering what hell is going on. Hi, my name is Travis Kelce. If you didn't hear me screaming it earlier, I am 19. I am 5'6" and 120 pounds. My hair is brown and my eyes are too. I played baseball in high school but never got a look from any pro clubs. Since I started working for Carl, I have traded 20 pounds of weak muscle for 20 pounds of not-as-weak muscle. All of my ancestors came from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. In summary, I am a short, plain, pale, bean pole.
Now I know what you are thinking. How dare I go into Carl's home and break up his happy marriage? You see Riya, his wife, is a lesbian. She only married Carl because her parents arranged the marriage back when she and Carl were kids. They became friends and discovered very early on that while they liked each other as friends they would never like each other as anything else. They both agreed to play their role as a married couple with allowances for lovers on the side. She was the first person we told, about our budding relationship and she was ecstatic.
Now on with the story
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"Damn straight you wouldn't," he said as he took off the green polo he had been wearing. "Or Pita would do as your father advised and show you, my belt."
I started kissing his neck. "What's Pita?" I asked.