Sydney (Babysitter’s Club 2)

I’d timed it perfectly, everything coincided with her one week away. Her downtime away from the stress of raising a family, or so the story goes.

I couldn’t have planned it better myself if I’d tried. It’s as if everything had been lining up perfectly and falling in step with my plans.

I wore the insipid smile I’d practiced in the mirror a thousand times as I was introduced to the rest of the staff. They seemed lovely enough I guess, but I didn’t care, I wasn’t here to make friends.

The housekeeper seemed a bit chatty as she led me up the stairs to what was to be my room. It was in the main part of the mansion, away from the servant’s quarters, because I was to be the primary caregiver for the two young children of the family.

My room was right off the nursery where the twin girls slept. I hadn’t met the four year olds as yet, but I knew all there was to know about them. It’s amazing what you can piece together from what people post on social media.

Plus, I have the added bonus of knowing how to hack into people’s accounts and see even the things they keep hidden from the rest of the world. In short, I know all this family’s secrets.

Well, mostly all. Sebastian had proven to be more careful than his wife in that respect. There was literally nothing about him anywhere, except for a few business mentions here and there, which had been a huge source of frustration for me.

I guess when you have the kind of money he does it’s easy to keep your life hidden away from prying eyes, but it had put me in an awkward position the first time we met.

I do know that though he came from money and had made even more himself, Sebastian Fisher was a relatively nice guy. Hard to believe of someone in his position.

By all accounts and I can vouch for this having gone through what I could of his personal life from spying on those close to him, he’s fair and just in his dealings with others.

As I walked up the stairs and entered the room that was to be mine, no one would ever guess that I’d been here before. I made sure to show the right amount of interest in the family portraits that lined the walls as we passed them by. And of course the housekeeper was only too happy to give me their history. Chatty!

Once in the room I stood off to the side, holding up the wall as she explained where everything was. She left and I sat on the bed with my hands clasped in my lap, waiting for the butler to bring up my suitcase.

“Well, young lady, do you have a body in this thing? It’s a bit heavy for such a little thing as yourself.” He looked at me expectantly and I quelled my natural instinct to snap at him and gave him a winning smile instead.

He did a double take as if he’d seen a ghost. I didn’t feel bad that he was the first to get a glimpse of the real me. I’m sure there would be a lot of that same reaction in the days to come.

“Oh no sir, it’s just my school books and laptop that makes it feel that way. I’m sorry you had to lug it all the way up here.” I gave him my most innocent caring look as I moved aside for him to drop the case on the bed. “No problem at all, Sydney is it?”

“Yes sir!” I reached my hand out politely and felt the sweat on his palm. Now that’s more like what I’m accustomed to when dealing with the opposite sex. “Frank, you can call me Frank.”

‘Thanks again Frank.” I walked towards the door in an unspoken invitation for him to leave. He almost tripped over his own feet as I closed the door gently in his face.

I moved around the room slowly, going to the window and looking out, running my hand over snugly fitted sheets on the neatly made bed. There was no haste in my movements though inside I was all over the place.

I took my time unzipping my suitcase and removing the few items of clothing I had there along with my trusted laptop and the other small devices I never leave home without.

Once I had everything where I needed it, I sat on the bed, crossed my legs and removed my glasses. I lifted just my eyes to the tiny hole in the top right corner of the room.

A hole that no one would notice unless they were specifically looking for it. A hole only I knew was there. The smile that came across my face was meant only for the one I was sure was watching intently.