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The Longest Time

Two

My first few days in Pittsburgh was a blur of campus tours, supply lists, and exhaustion. I wasn't used to doing so much in a day. My live in Edmonton had been more on the relaxed side. I got home after buying the majority of my supplies and realized I needed a job more desperately than I had anticipated. Sitting at the desk we'd built, I turned on my laptop and typed 'Pittsburgh Jobs' into Google. Millions of hits appeared and scrolled down to a Craigslist link. I wasn't sure how working on a student visa would pan out so I decided to aim low. Ads for call girls, midnight gas station attendants, and door-to-door sales left me a little discouraged. I wanted to aim low but not that low. I sent off resumes to a few retail stores and hotels, trying to keep my options open. I was about to give up when I saw the final ad on the fifth page. WANTED: After school in home caregiver for three children, preferably energetic. The ad was posted by a Mrs. Jessica Jones and listed the children's ages as 2, 5, and 8. With nothing to lose I typed up an email and attached my resume.
Moments later I had one new message in my inbox from Jessica Jones.
Hi Colbie,
Thank you for your email. Are you available to meet tomorrow?

Jessica

We had arranged to meet at her home that Saturday afternoon. I left an hour early wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a loose white blouse, my chin length red curls pinned out of my face and my make up on the minimal side. My goal was to look casual but professional. I found the house easily, it was more central than I was, in a nice suburban area. Like most suburban neighbourhoods I’d been in, the houses all seemed to look alike. Two car garages in the front, nicely manicured lawns, the same square shape, and red dirt colour. It wasn’t the kind of area I’d want to photograph, but it seemed like a nice enough place to raise a family. I circled around the block a few times, not wanting to appear over eager by arriving too early. I noted the slightest of possibilites that I could be walking into a crazy person’s house and dug around my back seat looking for some kind of self defence weapon. I pulled a screw driver from under the passenger’s seat and stashed it in my purse. Realistically I had no idea what I was walking in to and I’d hate to find myself without a weapon capable of gouging someone’s eyes out. I checked over my appearance one final time and the clock on my cellphone. Only ten minutes early. Ten minutes seemed responsible.

I rang the doorbell and almost instantly the front door was opened by a small blonde woman holding an equally small blonde toddler.
“You must be Colbie,” She smiled and welcomed me in to the casually decorated home. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. Come sit and you can meet the boys.” She led me into the living room where I sat on a blush brown couch. The room was bright and clean, with toys neatly piled in baskets and clutter hidden away.
She left for a minute and I heard her call outside for the other two children before sitting in a chair across from me.
“You have a lovely home,” I smiled nervously.
“Thank you,” she adjusted the little girl on her lap. “The boys should be in in a minute. In the meantime, how long have you been in Pittsburgh?”
“Three days,” I replied, blushing unnoticeably. “I moved from Edmonton for school.
“Wow, that’s quite the move, how are you liking it?” The little girl rest her head on Jessica’s shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth.
“It’s great so far,” which wasn’t exactly the truth. Honestly I found it overwhelming and lonely, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
“I’m glad. It’s a great place to live,” she smiled. “So what kind of experience do you have with kids?”
“Well I’m one of five in my family. I have three younger siblings. The youngest is five and the oldest is seventeen. I also babysat for a few families in Edmonton, I’m sure I can get references if you’d like me to.” I was starting to ramble and consciously closed my mouth before I said anything stupid.
She was about to reply when we heard a little voice hollar from the kitchen. “Mom! Can you get me juice?” he called.
“I will in a bit, can you guys come meet Colbie?” Jessica called back and the two little blonde boys came running into the room. The looked at suspiciously. “This is Jack,” she pointed to the younger of the two, “and this is Riley.”
“Hi guys,” I smiled at them. “I’m Colbie.” I figured interacting with them would be a good way to get the job.
They mumbled what sounded like hello then sat on the floor in front of me and dumped out a basket of toys. “Oh, and this is Ruby.” Jessica looked down at the half asleep girl on her shoulder and smiled maternally.
We went over the details of the job and Jessica immediately offered me the position. “I have a good feeling about you,” she patted my shoulder as I said goodbye. I’d start on Monday after my first morning of classes. I left feeling excited. After years of being in limbo, my life was finally falling into place. I had my own apartment, a new job, and the hope of school. It was more than I’d had since graduating a few years prior. Energized by the positive results I couldn’t bring myself to drive home, instead I headed to the downtown core of the city and parked at a meter. Two hours worth of change, I grabbed my camera and set off to see the city through new eyes.
If I’m being honest, it didn’t take much for a city to be nicer than my hometown, so Pittsburgh seemed to radiate energy and possibilities. I wandered the streets taking capturing everything around me. By the end of my two hours I had pictures of the river, of graffiti and alleyways, and more than one shot of the Consol Energy Centre. When I finally went home I was just tired enough to eat dinner and head to bed early. A very uncommon occurrence in my life, I was without a doubt a night person, but night people don’t do so well in morning classes so I’d added to my list of things to change. A list that had been getting shorter and shorter.

“Colbie, what’s your favourite movie?” Riley asked as we sat at the kitchen table colouring.
“Probably Monsters Inc.”
“Cobie, what’s your favourite colour?” Jack asked immediately after.
“Yellow, like the sun.” They’d quickly warmed up to me after Jessica left for work. The two boys didn’t start school for another week so Jessica would be with them in the morning and I would come over after classes so she could go into the office.
“Colbie, what’s your favourite sport?” Riley asked me very seriously, placing his crayon infront of him.
“I guess hockey,” I shrugged and got up to refill Ruby’s sippy-cup.
“That is a very good answer!” Jack screeched excited then jumped up from his place at the table.
“Very, Very good!” Riley followed him.
“Good!” Ruby screamed clapping her hands together.
“I’m glad you approve,” I turned around to see two little blonde heads running out the back door. I picked up Ruby and went out after them. “What are you doing?” I called to them across the yard.
“Nothing!” They sang in unison, but I could see they had something up their sleeves. I watched them throw a ball back and forth. They were dangerously close to the neighbour’s fence and I warned them to be careful. The last thing I wanted was to have them break a neighbour’s window on my first day supervising them.
“Juice,” Ruby whined, putting her tiny hand on my cheek.
“Right, juice. We can do juice,” I smiled at her then held her high in the air like an airplane. We flew into the kitchen and made a smooth landing on the counter. I filled her cup with half juice half water like Jessica had shown me then handed to her. She smiled and put it directly in her mouth, sucking half of it back without a break.
“Colbie, we have to go next door,” Riley said matter of factly, walking through the kitchen and to the front door, his brother following behind.
“What for?” I trailed behind them, taking Ruby and her juice with me.
“Jack threw the ball into the other yard.” Like any kid, Riley blamed his little brother, although I doubted there was anyway Jack could throw that high.
“I thought I told you guys to be careful?” we slipped our shoes on and walked out the front door.
“It happens,” Riley shrugged and I tried not to laugh at his nonchalance.
We walked up to the house on our left. It looked like the other ones on the block except there were no toys or bikes in the front yard. I rang the doorbell and the boys grinned at each other. They had to be up to something but I couldn’t figure out what it could possibly be. We waited a few minutes then Riley rang the bell again, hitting the button three times.
“Easy, maybe no one is home,” I suggested.
“He’s home,” Jack said.
Sure enough, a few seconds later the front door opened to reveal a man standing shirtless, his sweatpants hung low on his hips. He ran his hand through his dark hair and I found myself staring at his bare chest. Toned and muscular with the tiniest trail of hair. I bit my lip and tried to refocus my attention but then found myself captivated by his blue eyes.
“James!” Riley grinned at the man. “We lost our ball in your yard.”
“Is that right?” The tall man looked down at the boys and smiled. “Well go get it,” he held the door open and they ran past him giggling.
“I’m so sorry about that,” I shifted Ruby in my arms and tried not to stare at his smooth skin.
“Don’t worry about it, I think they do it on purpose,” he laughed and invited me in.
“Why would they do that?” I asked, slipping past him and standing the entryway of his nearly empty house.
“I have a Xbox,” he smiled and reached out to play with Ruby’s hand. “Their mom doesn’t let them have video games in the house so they find excuses to come over here.”
“I knew they were up to something,” I shook my head. “I’m sorry if they disrupted you, I’ll go tell them it’s time to go.” I headed for the patio doors where I saw Riley and Jack outside looking for the ball.
“Don’t worry about it,” he followed me, grabbing shirt along the way. “I wasn’t doing anything. You must be the new sitter?” He leaned against the island counter and watched the boys outside.
“Yeah, I’m Colbie,” he shook my outstretched hand.
“James,” his smile gave me goosebumps.
“Can we play?” Riley asked, running into the kitchen.
“Ask Colbie,” James looked at me.
“I guess, but nothing violent.” I tried to sound authoritative and mature. They ran past us and into the living room. Ruby squirmed in my arms and I set her on the floor to join her brothers.
“How long have you been sitting for them?” James asked, opening the fridge.
“This is my first day,” I noticed the fridge was filled with mostly beer and gatorade.
“Ah, Jessica must have forgotten to warn you about their schemes,” he chuckled. “Do you want a drink?”
“Water would be great thanks,” I sat on one of the stools at the counter and tried to appear calm and collected, when really I couldn’t stop staring at his sculpted ass. “What do you do?” I asked casually.
“Either you’re new here or you don’t watch hockey,” he winked and placed the glass of water in front of me.
“New,” I blushed. “I just moved from Edmonton a few days ago, so I definitely like hockey.”

“I play for the Penguins,” he sat down beside me. “Number eighteen.” I blushed deeper realizing who he was. How could I not have recognized him? Better yet, what cosmic force did I impress enough to lead me to be sitting in James Neal’s kitchen?

Notes

Now things are starting to get going!
I'm hoping to write this for NaNiWriMo this month so I have a feeling I'll be updating more often.

Let me know what you think :)

xx-T

Comments

WOop

@Ambidextrous Thoughts
I am!! I should have a new chapter up soon!

TheoAirplane TheoAirplane
2/8/18

Omg are you back for good! :D

@yyc1223
I promise it isn't! I promise!!
See my update on Stay for more information <3

TheoAirplane TheoAirplane
4/22/17

Ugh i had to reread this story because i loved it so much ❤ i hope this isn't the last we will see of this story!

yyc1223 yyc1223
11/19/16