DEPRAVITY: KING UNIVERSITY Page 2

  I climb onto the couch and he grins up at me. His smile must be contagious because I can’t help but return one right back. He’s unbelievably adorable with blue eyes like his father and a curly mop of brown hair.

  Miles rises to his feet and rakes a hand through his thick strands. “Sophie, I’m Miles. I’m sorry we didn’t have time for an introduction sooner.” He smiles sheepishly and it lightens his entire appearance, like the sun appearing on an overcast day.

  “No worries. I figured out who you were pretty easily.”

  “Thank you for babysitting on such short notice. Miranda told me Joey is in good hands with you. She speaks highly of you and I trust her judgement completely.” He reaches in his front pocket and pulls out his cell phone. He types in a code and hands the black rectangle to me. “Can you please program your number, so I can reach you if I need to?”

  “Sure.” I save my name and number before ringing my phone, so I’ll also have a way to reach him.

  His lips press together in a tight semblance of a smile. “Thank you.”

  I hand the phone back to him and our fingertips graze against each other. His warm skin makes me tingle all over. I give an imperceptible shake of my head, scolding myself. Relax. It’s just nerves. Anxiety causes the same symptoms as attraction.

  “I need to head out or I’ll be late. I didn’t allow for getting locked out of the house in my schedule.”

  I giggle at his dry comments and he looks at me questioningly. “Sorry. Now that it’s all over, you have to admit it was pretty funny.”

  “Not for me, it wasn’t.” His tone is scolding.

  Oookay, maybe it’s too soon for him to make light of what happened, but a sense of humor is one of the most important traits a person can possess. Maybe he lacks one, but at least I’m learning that right away. I won’t make any more jokes in front of him.

  He leans over, picking up a piece of paper from the end table. “Here’s a list with the order we do things each night. I try to keep Joey on a strict schedule and if you could stick to it as much as possible, I’d appreciate it. He does better when we follow a routine.”

  I pluck the paper from his hold and glance at the long list of items. Holy shit. How am I going to get all of this done before he gets back and get Joey to bed on time?

  I smile at Miles, faking confidence I’m not feeling. “No problem. We’ll be fine.”

  He leans down and kisses his son on the top of his head. “I love you.”

  “Love you, Daddy.”

  Miles tweaks Joey’s nose and winks. “Be good for Sophie and go to bed like a big boy. I’ll be home right after you’re asleep.”

  * * *

  Checking off each item on Miles’ list isn’t easy while Joey does his best to sabotage my efforts. This kid climbs like Spider-Man and he’s as fast as The Flash. When I get used to him playing with one toy, he’s off to grab something else.

  “Joey, come here. We need to put your toys away before you go to bed.”

  “No go bed,” he yells.

  “Come on. Let’s see how fast we can pick these toys up. I bet I can clean up faster than you.”

  He giggles and grabs two books from the rug in front of the couch. Running over to the corner, he places them on his bookshelf and charges back for two more. I smile as I watch him race around, his brown curls bouncing around his forehead. God, he’s precious. Leaning down, I pick up a dinosaur and carry it to a toy box that has his name painted in a bold red across the front.

  Five minutes later, everything is cleaned up and it’s time for Joey to have his bath. I get him situated in the deep tub and sit down on the wide corner ledge to watch as he plays with some boats. My phone chimes with an incoming text. Digging it out of my pocket, I glance down and notice Miles’ name.

  Miles: How’s everything?

  Me: Good, no worries.

  Miles: Are you sure?

  I smile. Joey is definitely a handful, but I think I figured him out pretty fast.

  Me: Positive. Stop worrying.

  Miles: Okay. I’ll be home in another hour or so.

  Me: Sounds good.

  I let Joey play in the water for fifteen more minutes until he begins to splash me. As soon as that happens, I flip the drain. He cries out as he hears the water get sucked away and notices the level going down.

  He splashes his hands against the surface. “No. Water. Need water.”

  “No. You splashed me. It’s time for you to get ready for bed.”

  “No splash. No splash.”

  “Next time you can show me how you won’t splash, but right now we need to get your jammies on. Can you step out by yourself like a big boy?”

  He nods and clambers over the edge like the professional climber he already is. I wrap him in a towel and breathe in his soapy, clean scent.

  Once he’s dry, I help him put on his pajamas and brush his teeth before we head into his bedroom. With blue painted walls and trains everywhere, including a large track set up on a low to the ground table, it’s perfect for a little boy. Does he like trains, or does his dad? I notice some older trains are displayed on a corner wall shelf. Maybe Miles is a collector.

  “Show me how you can get into your bed all by yourself.”

  Joey scoots up onto the red toddler sized race car bed and I draw the covers over him.

  “How about if we read a book?” Of course with Miles being a professor reading a goodnight story would be on his list.

  “Yes.” Joey points to one with thick pages about Thomas the Train on his nightstand.

  I spend the next ten minutes reading the book and acting out all the different characters’ voices. Since I’ve never seen the show, I improvise. By the end I think I sound pretty darn good and Joey didn’t have any complaints.

  “Want water.”

  “You want some water?” He nods. “Can you say please?”

  “Pleeease,” he sings.

  “I’ll be right back.” I head back out to the kitchen and find a cup with a lid. Filling it halfway, I pop the cover on and carry it back to his room. When I get there he’s no longer in his bed. What the hell? I set the cup down on his nightstand and look around his room. My head swivels in every direction and there’s no sign of him. “Joey. Joey, where are you?” He doesn’t answer. Not that I expected he would. I’m assuming this is some kind of hide and seek that I’ve been unexpectedly thrust into.

  I move over to the closet and check inside, but he’s not there. He can’t be under his bed, because there’s no space for him to fit. I scurry to the windows to make sure he didn’t get one open and climb out onto the porch roof, but they’re all locked. “Joey, where are you?”

  I hear the sounds of a faint giggle and hold still. Listening closely, I try to figure out what direction it’s coming from. I hear it one more time, a little louder than before.

  He’s in the bathroom.

  I smile and shake my head as I step into the hall and head in his direction. My eyes dart around the space looking for an area he could be hiding. He’s not in the linen closet or the giant tub. He must be in the cabinet below the sink.

  Placing my hand on the handle, I pull the door open and call out, “Gotcha.”

  He jumps, his blue eyes open wide with surprise before he laughs.

  “I’ve got you now.” I wiggle my fingers and stretch them out toward him.

  He giggles.

  “Come on, Joey. Hide and seek is over. It’s time for bed.”

  I’m pleased when he does as I say and takes hold of my hand, leading me back to his bedroom. He climbs into his bed and I draw the covers up, tucking him in snugly. I flip on the tiny night light beside him on the nightstand and turn off the overhead light.

  “Goodnight, Joey.” I return to the bathroom to make sure I shut the closet door and the sink cabinet. I don’t need Miles finding things out of order. I need this money too much.

  Before I go downstairs, I check on Joey and see he’s fast asleep.

  Damn.
I wish I could fall asleep that fast. I quietly pad downstairs and fall onto the couch to wait for Miles. Exhausted due to my early start this morning and from everything I accomplished in the last two hours, I prop my head on my hand and rest my eyes for a moment.

  2

  Miles

  Walking up the front porch, I roll my neck from side to side and hope the knots of tension will somehow work their way free. When Joey locked me out of the house earlier, every muscle in my body went rigid and even once I had him safely in my arms, they still didn’t relax. And now I’m still wound taut as a bow. I’ll have to formulate a plan to make sure that never happens again. He scared ten years off my life. I can’t afford to lose any more.

  Opening the front door, I step into the foyer of my gray colonial. I drop my keys in the basket on the console table and tuck my shoes underneath, so Joey won’t trip on them when he’s running around.

  Everything I do these days centers around my son and what’s best for him. As his only parent, I work doubly hard to shower him with love and affection. I never want him to feel rejected by his mother or that he’s less than he needs to be.

  I won’t ever allow him to take on her mistakes or think that if he was more worthy, she would’ve stayed.

  Sandy is a selfish woman who thinks only of herself. She wouldn’t have stayed no matter what. I’m only sorry it took me as long as it did to realize the truth. I allowed myself to be blindsided by her twice. First when I found out she was cheating and second when she told me she was leaving.

  My sock covered feet are quiet on the hardwood floors as I walk past the entryway and enter the living area. Sophie sleeps on the couch, her head propped on her fist. Great. When was the last time she checked on Joey? Frustrated, I push my hair back and let my eyes roam around the space. All the toys that littered the floor and the books that covered the coffee table have been put away. At least she managed that.

  “Ahem, ahem,” I clear my throat to wake Sophie and it appears to do the trick. Her pert nose wiggles as if something’s tickling the tip and her eyelids raise and lower as she blinks to awareness.

  “Oh,” she exclaims when her eyes land on me, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to doze off.”

  “I hope not.” I cross my arms over my chest, pointedly studying her.

  Flushing a deeper hue of pink, she springs to her feet. Nervously wiping her palms on the front of her pants, her mouth opens and closes like a puppet.

  I hold up a hand, putting an end to her awkward struggle. “How did the night go?”

  “Good. It went well. Everything was great.” She nods so exuberantly I expect her head to break away from her thin neck at any time. She’s obviously nervous, or maybe she’s simply shaken because I caught her off guard. That’ll teach her to sleep when she’s supposed to be watching my son.

  “There were no issues at all?” I arch a dark brow in query.

  “No. I checked off each of the items on your list as I did them, so I wouldn’t miss any.”

  At least she appreciates organization. I’m impressed she finished working her way through each item. I may have added a few extra things on there as a test, but it looks like she passed.

  “Joey wasn’t looking for me at bedtime?”

  She shakes her head. “He went out like a light. I went to get him a cup of water and by the time I returned he was asleep.”

  My lips quirk with a hint of a smile. Joey plays hard. By the time evening rolls around he’s usually pretty worn out, and so am I.

  “Miranda explained that I need a babysitter three nights a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “So, I’ll see you Wednesday at the same time?”

  She nods, eagerly bobbing her head up and down. Is she eager about head bobbing in all scenarios? Shit. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I silently admonish myself. The wayward suggestive thought is out of the norm for me. And I really shouldn’t be an asshole. She seems like a perfectly nice girl. And though Miranda informed me that Sophie’s well past the legal age, I’m not one to take an interest in younger women. And these days, as a single father, I’m lucky if I find time to jerk off in the shower. Screw that. I’m lucky if I can take a piss without company. Joey is usually right on my heels no matter where I am.

  “You’re free to go. Unless there’s something you’d like to discuss with me.”

  “No, sir, I’m good.”

  “Sophie, please call me Miles.” As much as her chirping the word sir in reference to me is amusing, it will be less awkward for her to call me by my first name.

  “Okay… Miles,” she replies, hesitantly saying my name and dragging out the first vowel. She gives a sharp nod and smiles as though she likes the way it sounds. We stand still, both of us staring at the other. What the hell is going on? Why isn’t she leaving?

  I clap my hands together. “Thanks for watching Joey. I’ve got some papers to grade so…”

  “Oh. Right. Let me just grab my things.” She scurries over to pick up her bag next to the couch. She pulls her keys from an outside pocket and slings a strap over her shoulder. “Have a good night. If anything changes please drop me a text.”

  “Will do. Goodnight.” I follow her to the door, catching hold of it as she passes through. Leaning against the door jamb, I watch her walk to the car. And I don’t at all notice the way her ass sways in her jeans as she reaches to open the door. Raising my hand, I give a quick wave before turning back inside.

  Triple checking the locks, I make sure my little Houdini won’t be able to escape while I’m asleep. I make a pass through each of the rooms, scrutinizing that everything is copacetic before I head upstairs for the night.

  Stepping into Joey’s room, I pause beside his bed to watch his chest rise and fall with even breaths. Leaning down, I brush his hair back from his forehead and press my lips to his soft, warm cheek. He doesn’t stir and I can tell by the way his eyes twitch under his eyelids that he’s deep in dreamland. I hope he’s dreaming of pleasant things. I want his days and nights filled with laughter and no worries. His happiness comes before everything else.

  * * *

  “How did it go with Sophie last night?” Miranda questions. And there it is. My sister doesn’t make it a habit to pop over for lunch on a weekday. I knew something was up when she showed up at my house fifteen minutes ago. I’m actually surprised she was able to hold her question in until now. She must be learning restraint.

  I peer over my shoulder at her before turning back to focus on the grilled cheese sandwiches in the frying pan. “It was okay.”

  “Okay? Weren’t you impressed with her?”

  I shrug, edging the spatula underneath the sandwiches, flipping them. “Not overly.”

  “That’s because you have impossibly high standards. No one can measure up to them.”

  I turn to face her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She leans back on the bar stool and crosses her arms over her chest challengingly. “Just what it sounds like.”

  “I shouldn’t want the best for my son?”

  “I didn’t say that. I only meant that no matter how great of a job Sophie did, it wouldn’t be good enough for you.”

  “Your perfect babysitter was sleeping when I came home.”

  “Was Joey running around or being neglected?”

  “No, he was asleep.”

  “Exactly. So what does it matter if Sophie was asleep?” Her frustration is evident in her tone.

  “That’s beside the point. He could’ve woken up and needed her.”

  “Did he?”

  “No. But I’m not paying her to sleep.”

  “You’re such an asshole. I bet you gave her a long list of things to take care of while she was here, didn’t you?”

  I shut the burner off and plate the last of the sandwiches before answering, “I might have.”

  “Well, you’re a dick. That girl works harder than anyone else her age. She
goes into the bookstore at seven a.m. every day and works until four or five. And she still wants more hours from me.”

  I feel slightly guilty about everything I had Sophie do, but she’s young. I’m sure she can handle it.

  Walking between the stove and the island, I set our lunch plates down. “That’s got nothing to do with her performance here. If she can’t handle staying awake the entire time, then she shouldn’t be watching him.”

  “Did you reprimand her for sleeping?”

  “Not really.”

  “What do you mean, not really? That sounds like a yes to me.”

  “I think I got my point across without having to say that she shouldn’t be sleeping.”

  “So you were a dick?” She tips her head, studying me. “Yep. You were.” She nods as if there’s not an iota of doubt before picking up her sandwich and taking a bite.

  “Why do you need me to converse with? Seems like you’ve got it all figured out.” I amble to the fridge, waiting for her next shot to be fired. Maybe she’s too busy chewing to get one off. Opening the stainless steel door, I grab a bottle of water and hold it up for Miranda to see. She nods and I grab another for myself before nudging the door closed with my elbow.

  “So, did you make her cry?”

  I knew it wouldn’t be long before she had more to say on this topic.

  “No, I did not. She seemed embarrassed that I caught her sleeping. I didn’t have to say much at all.”

  “I’m sure she probably was. That’s the kind of person Sophie is.”

  “What? An easily embarrassed one?” I smirk and relish how much fun it is to be a smartass with Miranda. Being younger by four years I have to take what I can get. I have to say that even as adults, the thrill is still there. That little zing of boo yeah, how you like me now? It never gets old.

  “No, asshole, a conscientious one. She does everything to the best of her ability and always gives one hundred percent. I’m willing to bet she didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  “Whether she meant to or not doesn’t matter. She did.” I bite the end from my sandwich and sit down next to Miranda.