Or: Water Babies
Janet returned to the living room after tucking the baby in for the night. Sitting back in her spot on the couch next to Dean, she commented, “You should probably be going home now.”
“But, we’re finally alone,” Dean replied, knowing full well that Janet wouldn’t stand for him staying any later, but what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn’t tease her a little? “I’ve been good. I even helped you out with the little squirt, and her bratty brother.”
“That’s right,” Janet remarked, pleased at Dean’s maturity. “It wouldn’t be right for the babysitter to have company over, and you’ve been here long enough. And I’m so proud of you for behaving. Especially when Zack turned out to be the kid from the park that had been bothering you.”
“Yeah, and it’s been awfully hard not to kill him,” Dean grinned to himself over his good deed. “Don’t I deserve something special for that?”
“Yes, you do,” Janet replied as she looked deeply into his eyes, “but you still can’t stay. It wouldn’t look right to have you stay late.”
“Not even for a few minutes?” asked Dean innocently. “I won’t tell, and nobody will ever have to know.”
“No,” was her answer. “I’m getting paid for an overnight babysitting job, and if the parents thought that included an all night boy friend, nobody would ever trust me again to sit up with their kids. I’ve already let you stay longer than I should have Now go home before your mom starts to worry about you.”
“My mom won’t worry about me if I don’t get home until late,” Dean said.
“Don’t tell me that,” Janet gave him an accusing look.
“She wouldn’t worry about me,” Dean finished, “she’d be a lot more worried about you, if I got home too late.” With that Dean gave Janet a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the door.
Just as he stood in the door, he heard the commanding voice behind him say. “Stop right there mister. Come back here and give me a real good night kiss.” After the long embrace, the young couple separated, and Janet again told him, “You did so well with Zack tonight. Taking him popcorn to his room, even after he locked himself in to hide from you.”
“It was nothing,” was Dean’s modest response. “The kid needed something, since he skipped having supper with the rest of us. He sure seemed thirsty though.”
“You’re so sweet.” purred Janet.
“I kept telling him not to fill up on the sodas. Too much of that stuff will make a kid pee the bed or something.”
“Dean,” Janet scolded, “you didn’t say that to him did you?”
“Well, it’s true.” Dean defended himself. “He shouldn’t drink so many, especially right before bedtime.”
As Dean disappeared out the door, he called over his shoulder, “Give me a call when you’re ready to leave tomorrow. I’ll pick you up. Let me know if the kid wakes up in a water bed.” Dean’s laughter at his joke lingered in Janet’s mind as she wartvhed the tail lights disappear down the street.
Back in the house Janet turned down the lights, and flipped through the channels on TV. In her bedroom, the baby was cozy, warm, and dreaming peacefully. In Zack’s room, where he had been remorseful at his misdeeds during the day, then terrified of his sitter’s boyfriend, then confused at the nice treatment from him, had just awakened after drifting off to sleep some time earlier. “I guess I’d better turn off the light, and get some sleep,” Zack mumbled as he kicked the little pile of empty soda cans out of his way, where they laid in the floor of his room. How many did he drink anyway? There had to be at least six… maybe eight empties. As he drifted off to sleep, he began to have a strange dream. One where he had an incredible urge to use a restroom, but there wasn’t any to be found.
Note: If you feel like you’ve missed something here, go back and read the earlier misadventures of Zack, and his day of misbehaving.
Disclaimer This has been a complete work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, place, or event is purely coincidental.