Chapter 5
For the rest of the weekend Ali stuck to her resolve. She forced herself to avoid looking at men, or their crotches, concentrating on her studies and chores around the house. Yet, all during the week which followed, she couldn't help but notice the way her uncle would look at her from time to time. She didn't know why, but she felt as if he was undressing her with his eyes.
"Don't be silly," she told herself one night. She was in her bed, listening to the sounds of her aunt and uncle fucking away in their own bedroom, next to hers.
Ali could hear the moans and cries of pleasure of Aunt Sara as she urged Alex to fuck her, to fill her pussy with his big, beautiful cock. The sound caused Ali to feel her own passions start to rise.
Determined to keep her vow, she pulled a pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise and erotic signals racing through her body. Finally she fell into a fitful sleep.
The next day, during her classes, Ali had some trouble concentrating. One of her professors finally asked if she felt all right. She told him she did; but she couldn't wait until her final class was over so she could hurry home.
No sooner had she entered the coolness of the air-conditioned living room, when the phone rang. She went to answer it, wondering why her aunt wasn't home yet.
"Is this Ali?" a strong male voice asked.
"Yes, it is."
"Ah", my name is Carl Davidson. You were recommended to me as a good babysitter, and I find myself needing a sitter tonight. Are you available?"
Ali liked the sound of the man's deep, friendly voice, and automatically wondered what he looked like.
"Well, yes. I don't have anything else scheduled for tonight. Where do you live? And how long will you be needing me?"
"I live on Seventeenth Street," he replied. "As for how long, well, I'm not sure. Maybe only for a couple of hours. I have to go to an emergency meeting, and I have no idea how long it might last."
"All right," Ali replied.
"Great. Tell you what, give me your address and I'll pick you up."
She gave him the address, hung up, then rushed upstairs to take a quick shower and change clothes. She had just slipped on her shoes when there was a knock at the front door.
Ali was pleasantly surprised when she opened the door to find a man not much older than she, standing there and smiling at her. Her heart beat faster as she looked at his handsome face.
During the short drive back to his house, Carl told her about his two small twins, left motherless after his wife ran off with another man. Ali felt a sense of sadness that a woman would run off and leave her children, knowing how much she missed her own parents, despite their strictness.
When they got to Carl's house he introduced the twins, a boy and girl, both with big, round blue eyes and cornsilk blond hair. They smiled at Ali shyly. Carl apologized for not being able to stay longer, gave her the number where he would be in an emergency, kissed his kids and then left.
Ali and the children got along well. She played a few games with them, colored some pictures, then fixed supper. As she listened to their happy chattering, she noticed that the children never once brought up the subject of their mother.
Around eight-thirty Ali decided to put them to bed. Tucking them in and telling them a story, she finally kissed them good night and left their room. She turned out the light and closed the door behind her, thinking what sweet, well-mannered children they were.
She had no sooner walked into the living room when the front door opened, and Carl came through it. His face looked haggard and weary. Strained.
"God, I hate these late-night meetings," he told her. He hung up his jacket and loosened his tie. "How are the kids?"
"Just put them to bed," she replied with a smile.
"They didn't drive you crazy?"
"Heavens, no. We got along great! We played games, colored, had dinner, and then I read them a bedtime story. They're just about the easiest kids I've ever sat with. And they really are sweet."
"It's been hard on them since their mother walked out. But I do the best I can."
He sat on the couch and Ali sat on the other end of it. She admired this easy-smiling man who seemed devoted to his two little children. It had to be hard for him, working the way he did, and raising two kids on his own, without a woman in his life. But he appeared to be doing a pretty good job of it.
His clothes were expensive, and the house was definitely one of the better ones, located in a very exclusive section of the city. And his children were happy, healthy and well-loved.
The more Carl talked the more relaxed and comfortable Ali became with him. But she was also aware of feeling a little uneasiness in the pit of her stomach-which told her she was becoming turned on by this man.
Up to that point, Ali had been congratulating herself for being in such control of herself and the situation. Suddenly she didn't feel so secure.
"I guess I should be getting home," Ali said. Her voice sounded a little weak in her own ears.
"Do you have to, Ali?" Carl asked, fixing her with his easy smile. "Maybe you could stay a little while longer and have a glass of wine with me? There's no harm in that, is there?"
Ali colored slightly, trying to dismiss the sexual feelings she was experiencing due to the closeness of Carl. But his tone was so sweet, almost pleading. "I ... I don't know," she said softly. "Maybe I should go home."
Carl looked at her strangely for a moment and she knew he was upset. His meeting hadn't gone as well as he wanted, she knew. But there appeared to be something else on his mind.
"All right," Carl said, suddenly sounding angry and upset. "If you want to go, Ali, no problem! Hell, why not? Nothing else is going right! Last night, I finally got the nerve up to ask a woman out, for the first time in three months-and I got stood up! And now this damn meeting went screwy."
Carl gulped down a large swallow of wine, setting the glass down hard on the coffee table. "How about that?" he asked her. "I get the nerve to ask a woman out, after three months of being without one. And then I had to sit in a bar for nearly an hour before I finally went to her apartment to see what the problem was. And only then do I find out from her roommate she's out with some other guy! She said she didn't think it was a good idea to date a man with young kids. So tonight I try to be civil with you. And I'm thinking, maybe if I'm nice enough, maybe sometime I could ask you out. But all you want to do is step on my hospitality."
Carl pointed a finger at Ali. "I guess women are all the same. First my wife, then that bitch last night. And now you!"
Ali was shaking. With all the tension that had built inside her during the past week, since her experience with George Wilson, she simply couldn't understand Carl's sudden verbal abuse. Or take very much of it.
"You're an awful man!" Ali cried. Despite her anger, tears spilled from her incredibly blue eyes. "I ... I don't blame that woman for not going out with you. Or your wife for leaving you! You're mean!"
She watched as Carl's jaw dropped open and he suddenly slumped back against the couch. He looked as if he had just been punched in the guts. He lowered his head and Ali could see a tear work its way down his cheek. She knew she had hurt him with what she had said.
"I'm sorry, Ali," Carl said after a moment. Looking up at her, he wiped his eyes. "I didn't mean to take things out on you. You're a nice kid and I was wrong. Before I called you I had been looking for a good babysitter for my little ones. I wouldn't leave them with just anyone, and I heard good things about you. Everyone I spoke with had nothing but praise for you. I'm sorry. Of course I'll take you home."
Ali could see Carl really was sorry, and she found herself feeling sympathetic about his situation. At least the awful way she had lately felt about herself wasn't shared by the people she sat for. It was apparent that Rick and George hadn't blabbed about what had happened.
"Did they really say that?" Ali asked.
"You better believe it," Carl assured her quickly. "Nothing but the highest recommendations for you. Everyone thinks you are just great. And ... so do I. Are you sure you won't have a little wine? It will help you to settle down, really. And I'm very sorry about what I said."
Ali accepted the glass of wine he offered, hoping it would help her calm down. She had never had white wine before, but after the first sip she decided the clear liquid was pretty good.
"Thank you," Ali said. She took another sip of the slightly fruity fluid.
"You're welcome," Carl told her, somewhat awkwardly. His own face was flushing slightly. "Listen, you were right about what you said earlier. But I'm not always like that. It's just that, being alone these past three months, trying to devote my time to work and my children, well, it's starting to get to me. I just snapped and took it out on you."
Ali looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity and honesty in them. "That's all right, I can understand." She held up her glass. "This is good."
"I'm glad you like it," Carl smiled. "So, are you still in a rush to get home? Or do you think you could sit and talk with me for a while and share a little more wine?"
Ali took another sip of the wine. "It's just that I don't like to waste my clients' money. Since you were home, and the children were in bed, I didn't see any point to hanging around, that's all."
Ali silently prayed that Carl couldn't tell that she was lying. The only reason she was uneasy about staying alone with Carl-despite his earlier outburst-was due to her own promiscuous behavior. She recalled the events which had occurred over the past couple of weeks when she found herself alone with a man.
She knew her newly discovered desires couldn't be kept under complete control, if pushed. And she was actually afraid of being alone with a nice-looking tempting man like Carl so soon. She needed more time to gain mastery over her body and emotions.
"Hell, if it's the money, don't worry," Carl told her with a smile. "That's the one commodity I have plenty of. I'll be more than happy to pay for your time."
"You don't have to do that," she told him quickly.
"Don't worry about it, Ali. In fact, it would be worth it just to have someone to talk with for a while. I guess I've gotten lonely. I haven't had anyone with whom I could just sit and have a drink and talk since my wife split. Especially after last night...." He spoke softly, letting his voice trail off.
Carl poured more wine into his glass. He leaned back on the couch. "What I mean to say is, if you would stay for a little while, I would be very grateful. I'll even pay you double for your time."
Ali looked at the apparently lonely, slightly desperate man. Then she remembered the last time she babysat for an older man-the time that George had gotten her to suck his cock. A shiver ran up her spine.
"You don't have to pay me," she said at last.
Carl smiled and poured her more wine. His soulful brown eyes were pleading with her. Ali felt her heart melting.
"Oh, all right," she said finally, smiling. "What can it hurt?"