thought, laughing to herself. She waved a cheerful
goodbye as she bounded up the front steps. While waiting for her knock to be answered, she deftly opened the top button of her short-sleeved blouse.
It was all Suzanne could do to keep from laughing aloud at Mr. Collins's astonished look when he opened the door to find her standing there.
"Liz couldn't make it," she explained, sailing inside. "I hope you don't mind, but she asked me to take her place."
He frowned. "She should have called to let me know."
"Oh, well ... she said she was going to, but I guess she forgot. She was in kind of a hurry."
"That doesn't sound like Liz. She's usually so responsible."
Suzanne smiled. "I guess no one's perfect." She leaned close to Mr. Collins, accidentally on purpose brushing up against him. She enjoyed watching him redden. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about a thing. I love little kids. Teddy and I will get along just fine."
Roger Collins's frown deepened as he glanced at his watch. "I don't like last-minute rearrangements, but I suppose it'll have to do. I'm having dinner with some friends; so it's too late to back out. Anyway, I should be home around twelve-thirty."
At that moment Teddy came bounding into the living room. When he caught sight of Suzanne, his face lit up at the unexpected surprise.
"Are you gonna baby-sit?" he asked. "Where's Liz?"
Suzanne flopped down on the couch. "Whoa! One question at a time. But first I have a question for you: Would you like me to baby-sit?"
"Yeah! That'd be neat!"
"OK, then let's seal it with a handshake." Solemnly she shook his chubby hand. "Later on, if you want to, I'll show you how to make a cat's cradle."
"Neato!"
Suzanne cast a demure look up at Mr. Collins. "See what I mean? Teddy and I will get along fine. We're friends."
Mr. Collins knelt to give Teddy a goodbye kiss. "OK, Bear, you know the rules. Bed by eight-thirty. And don't forget to brush your teeth."
He gave Suzanne the phone number where he could be reached. "Call me if you have any trouble--any trouble at all." Obviously he had trouble on the brain where Suzanne was concerned.
"Don't worry about a thing," she purred. "Everything will be just perfect."
After Mr. Collins had left, Teddy clambered up to sit beside Suzanne. "Do you know the story about Theodore the Turtle?" he asked.
"I don't know any stories," she replied in a bored voice.
She picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. Mr. Collins had a lot of magazines. Books, too. They were scattered all over the place. Didn't he have any hobbies besides reading? Well, she would soon find out.
"Liz knows a lot of stories," Teddy persisted.
"Well, I'm not Liz," she said flatly.
Teddy looked crestfallen. "Aren't you going to show me how to do the cat's cradle?"
"Later," she snapped. "I'm busy right now."
Teddy's big blue eyes shimmered with tears. "How come you're mad at me, Suzy? You said we were friends."
"Look, can't you watch TV or something? I told you, I'm busy."
Annoyed at his persistence, she jumped up and disappeared into the bedroom. Now that there was no one around to impress, she didn't have to waste time being nice to some stupid little kid. She'd only taken this job in the first place to get close to Mr. Collins. Let Teddy take care of himself. Hadn't she taken care of her self during all these years of being shipped off to boarding schools? Oh, they pretended it was
for her own good, but she'd known they were only trying to get rid of her. She'd never told anyone how much she hated it--and them. Someday she would show them, though. Someday all the creeps who smiled and pretended to be her friends would find out how she really felt about them.
Meanwhile, here she was alone in Mr. Collins's bedroom. Her skin prickled at the deliciousness of it; her stomach felt floaty with excitement. She spent the next hour or so going through his closet and drawers. She wasn't looking for anything in particular--she just liked going through
goodbye as she bounded up the front steps. While waiting for her knock to be answered, she deftly opened the top button of her short-sleeved blouse.
It was all Suzanne could do to keep from laughing aloud at Mr. Collins's astonished look when he opened the door to find her standing there.
"Liz couldn't make it," she explained, sailing inside. "I hope you don't mind, but she asked me to take her place."
He frowned. "She should have called to let me know."
"Oh, well ... she said she was going to, but I guess she forgot. She was in kind of a hurry."
"That doesn't sound like Liz. She's usually so responsible."
Suzanne smiled. "I guess no one's perfect." She leaned close to Mr. Collins, accidentally on purpose brushing up against him. She enjoyed watching him redden. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about a thing. I love little kids. Teddy and I will get along just fine."
Roger Collins's frown deepened as he glanced at his watch. "I don't like last-minute rearrangements, but I suppose it'll have to do. I'm having dinner with some friends; so it's too late to back out. Anyway, I should be home around twelve-thirty."
At that moment Teddy came bounding into the living room. When he caught sight of Suzanne, his face lit up at the unexpected surprise.
"Are you gonna baby-sit?" he asked. "Where's Liz?"
Suzanne flopped down on the couch. "Whoa! One question at a time. But first I have a question for you: Would you like me to baby-sit?"
"Yeah! That'd be neat!"
"OK, then let's seal it with a handshake." Solemnly she shook his chubby hand. "Later on, if you want to, I'll show you how to make a cat's cradle."
"Neato!"
Suzanne cast a demure look up at Mr. Collins. "See what I mean? Teddy and I will get along fine. We're friends."
Mr. Collins knelt to give Teddy a goodbye kiss. "OK, Bear, you know the rules. Bed by eight-thirty. And don't forget to brush your teeth."
He gave Suzanne the phone number where he could be reached. "Call me if you have any trouble--any trouble at all." Obviously he had trouble on the brain where Suzanne was concerned.
"Don't worry about a thing," she purred. "Everything will be just perfect."
After Mr. Collins had left, Teddy clambered up to sit beside Suzanne. "Do you know the story about Theodore the Turtle?" he asked.
"I don't know any stories," she replied in a bored voice.
She picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. Mr. Collins had a lot of magazines. Books, too. They were scattered all over the place. Didn't he have any hobbies besides reading? Well, she would soon find out.
"Liz knows a lot of stories," Teddy persisted.
"Well, I'm not Liz," she said flatly.
Teddy looked crestfallen. "Aren't you going to show me how to do the cat's cradle?"
"Later," she snapped. "I'm busy right now."
Teddy's big blue eyes shimmered with tears. "How come you're mad at me, Suzy? You said we were friends."
"Look, can't you watch TV or something? I told you, I'm busy."
Annoyed at his persistence, she jumped up and disappeared into the bedroom. Now that there was no one around to impress, she didn't have to waste time being nice to some stupid little kid. She'd only taken this job in the first place to get close to Mr. Collins. Let Teddy take care of himself. Hadn't she taken care of her self during all these years of being shipped off to boarding schools? Oh, they pretended it was
for her own good, but she'd known they were only trying to get rid of her. She'd never told anyone how much she hated it--and them. Someday she would show them, though. Someday all the creeps who smiled and pretended to be her friends would find out how she really felt about them.
Meanwhile, here she was alone in Mr. Collins's bedroom. Her skin prickled at the deliciousness of it; her stomach felt floaty with excitement. She spent the next hour or so going through his closet and drawers. She wasn't looking for anything in particular--she just liked going through
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