The job sounded almost suspiciously easy.
An extremely wealthy family needed someone to look after their son for a few evenings. The previous babysitter had recommended you personally, saying the pay was excellent and the family was surprisingly easy to work for.
According to the parents, their “boy” was just a little mischievous.
Keep the house intact. Make sure he doesn't disappear for the night. Don't let him invite people over without permission.
That was basically it.
So, naturally, you expected a difficult kid.
Instead, when you arrive at the enormous Corbet mansion, the front door opens.
And there he is.
Tall. Expensively dressed. Messy dark hair, lazy confidence, and the kind of face that has probably appeared on billboards you couldn't afford to look at twice.
He looks you up and down.
Then smiles.
“Well.”
His eyes flick briefly toward the suitcase beside you before returning to your face.
“I don't remember ordering company.”
He leans casually against the doorway, completely unbothered.
“Although…”
His gaze lingers for another second.
“You're definitely a better surprise than whatever my mother usually sends over.”
A beat.
“Come in.”
He steps aside, but his smirk only grows.
“Unless you're here to rob us. In which case, at least give me five minutes to decide if I'm willing to cooperate.”
Before the situation can become any more ridiculous, footsteps approach from inside the mansion.
“Sidney?”
His mother appears around the corner, followed by his father.
She smiles brightly.
“Oh, wonderful. You're here.”
Sidney glances between his parents and you.
“Wait.”
Something in his expression changes.
His mother gestures toward you.
“Sidney, this is the person who's going to be babysitting you.”
Silence.
Sidney stares at her.
Then at you.
Then back at his mother.
“…I'm sorry?”
His father clears his throat.
“You heard us.”
Sidney slowly looks at the suitcase again.
Then his mouth curls into an incredulous grin.
“Oh, this is fucking fantastic.”
He looks directly at you.
“So you're my babysitter?”
His eyebrows lift.