The Babysitter

 Patrick knew he did not need a babysitter but his mum continued to have Connie come in even when he was home alone. Connie was seventeen, six years older than Patrick and four years older than his sister.

Connie would often bring a friend or two babysitting with her, they would spend the time doing homework or talking about boys while Patrick stayed in his room. Connie brought someone Patrick had not met before, a new girl, no, not a girl, a young woman.

“Patrick this is my cousin MaryBeth”

Patrick blushed as MaryBeth leant and kissed his cheek, her low top displayed a cleavage that belied her nineteen years. He scurried up to his bedroom, shut the door and leant back against it. Connie and MaryBeths distant sniggers and giggles came under his door, Patrick knew they were still downstairs, he knew every loose floorboard, every stair creak, he pulled out a sketch pad and settled into drawing. 

The third stair from top creaked, his pencil paused.

“I do not believe you haven’t…every babysitter does it…come on” 

It was MaryBeths voice, the third stair creaked again. They were both coming upstairs, Connie never came upstairs. Patrick heard whispering close, in the hallway.

“Patrick will hear us, come downstairs right now MaryBeth”  

Voices had become loud enough for Patrick to hear clearly. Footsteps paused, a floorboard made a noise, they were outside his mums room, the click of door handle, they were in his mums room.

“Try this on” MaryBeth said then began giggling

“Shhh, Patrick is in the next room” 

Patrick crept along the hallway, tippy-toe silent. Tippy-toe was easy, he knew every loose floorboard in the house. The girls had pushed the door nearly closed behind them, just a peeping size gap remained. Patrick held his breath as he watched Connie and MaryBeth admiring their reflections in the mirror, each wore a dress belonging to his mum. 

Frightened that sounds of his pounding heart might give him away he felt unable to move, even if he had wanted to. As Patrick watched Connie changed into a short dress with a revealing neckline, even the clingy material rendered her small breasts hardly visible. 

MaryBeth stepped out of the dress she wore, Patrick felt his heart race as he saw her underwear. Not the sort of underwear he had ever seen in the laundry basket, white, plain, practical, MaryBeth wore the sort of underwear that girls wore in his dreams.

“Only perverts peek through cracks in the door” MaryBeth said, she opened the door wide “it’s okay, don’t be shy. Come in Patrick”

Having been caught Patrick was surprised at being invited, no, instructed to ‘come in’ as if it was the most natural thing in the world for a boy to be there while girls tried on clothes. He stood just inside the doorway, the doorway offered an, unnecessary,  escape route, his mothers dresses were tossed in a heap, scattered on the bed. 

“Look away Patrick” Connie turned away as she put her jeans on under the dress she wore and quickly, shyly, pulled the dress over her head and put her own tee back on. 

MaryBeth followed suit but took the dress off first “you put everything back Connie while I persuade Patrick to keep our little secret”

“I won’t tell” Patrick was nervous, he could hear his voice quiver, MaryBeth took his hand “I promise, make her stop Connie”

“MaryBeth usually bribes with chocolate” Connie smiled as she put dresses on hangers.

Still holding Patrick’s hand MaryBeth closed the door behind her “show me your sisters room” her voice soft and low Patrick relaxed and opened Helen’s door. MaryBeth closed the door behind her and leaned back “your turn”

“My turn? My turn for what?” 

“To play dress up” MaryBeth said as she opened a drawer “put these on” she held a pair of Helen’s panties out “take them, I’ll turn my back if you are shy” she smiled and gave an encouraging nod “we’ll surprise Connie, won’t that be fun?”

Patrick took the panties, even though she was not his babysitter MaryBeth was an adult, Patrick knew he should do as she told him “you promise you won’t look?”

“Tee shirt off, how am I going to help you into your training bra while you are dressed?”

 

MaryBeth seemed calm about dressing him in Helen’s underwear, but Patrick was unsure, he said “it feels wrong to be putting Helen’s things on MaryBeth, she will be angry”

“Then we won’t tell her. Just like us trying your mums dresses on, you wearing Helen’s clothes will be our secret” MaryBeth fastened the bra around him and handed him a white blouse “you put on the rest of her school uniform while I make us all a nice cup of tea, wait here, I will call you when it’s ready” 

Sounds of Connie and MaryBeth in the kitchen mingled with voices that filtered up the stairs, Patrick waited on the landing.

 

MaryBeth said” don’t make a fuss about it when he comes down, boys like to play dress up as much as us” 

“Patrick has never asked me…why did he suddenly ask you?”

“Once he knows you won’t make fun of him he might ask you” 

Helen’s new uniform was too big, at the back of her closet Patrick found her old uniform; grey blazer, grey pleated skirt, white blouse, white knee socks and her black Mary Janes.

He was feeling silly, shy and nice all at the same time when MaryBeth called out “Patrick…come down, tea is ready”

Connie was sitting at the breakfast bar, she pretended not to notice when Patrick sat on the stool next to her, she passed his tea to him “would you like a biscuit?”

MaryBeth smiled and slid a candy bar next to his tea “having fun Pat?”

“Helen’s clothes feel funny” Patrick looked at the counter and said “Patrick not Pat, that is a girls name” as he sipped his tea.

“How can we call you a boys name when you are playing dress up?” MaryBeth smiled, kissed his cheek, his eyes settled on her cleavage “isn’t that so Connie?”

“I guess” 

MaryBeth held up her iPhone “I want a picture of you together to remember today”

“That is not a good idea” Connie said 

“Just one more secret, right Pat?” MaryBeth said as Patrick nodded “Put your arm around Pat as if you are ready to take him to school”

Connie put her arm around Patrick’s shoulder, she smiled as she looked down at him, felt his head settle into her side. She gave him a little squeeze, wondered if Helen still had last years summer dress in her closet. “Having fun Pat?”

“Yes” Patrick settled his head onto Connie, three feelings became one - good, shyness and silly transmuted into contentment and best of all Connie had not laughed at him. He liked the way it felt in his ears when Connie called him ‘Pat’ he looked up, smiled “will we do this again Connie?”