Here's the starter story:
My whole family is nuts. There's a reason why when I moved out after high school, I moved 3 and a half hours away. I had absolutely no intention of ever moving back home, because I knew I would get depressed and I wouldn't be happy. So, I kind of ran away from that. I also thought it'd be stupid to move all my shi home, when I would have to move it back 3 or 4 months later. I wanted to stay in Cedar, but...I still hadn't found an apartment by the time finals rolled around, and I was pretty sure...based on what there was in Cedar, that there wouldn't be any jobs.
Now for the story:
So I decided I would move to St. George and live with my grandma. I went all over looking for a job for almost a month, and I found nothing. It was super frustrating, because my mom would call me and ask what I was doing, and I would tell her...I would either be at Target, laying on the couch, or watching TV. When she called me, would be the times that I wouldn't be looking for a job at all. Not that I wasn't really trying, it was just I had other things I was doing.
My mom called me one day and told me to look up a nanny website and tell people I would be a nanny. I had honestly been thinking about it, but I was putting it off. My friend Hannah had found one of these websites, and she's nannying in New York right now (super jealous). So...I did. One night, late, I googled nanny websites, and found this one. So I signed up...not expecting much to come from it. But, the next day, I got a text from an 801 number I didn't recognize. It said something along the lines of "Hi Alyssa. My name is Jeane Taylor. I found your name and number on care.com, and I was wondering if you would be interested in coming over for an interview. We have 2 boys ages 5 and 7, and we're an easy-going fun-loving LDS family and we need a live in nanny. Please let me know if that would be something you'd be interested in."
I texted her back...probably faster than I've ever texted anyone back before in my life, and we set up an interview for that night. I went over there, and met their current nanny, Hillary. I saw the boys, and waited for the parents to come home. Hillary told me she loved working for them, and she was really sad that she had to leave, but she wanted to move home to be with her mom. And then they came home.
Jeane was in a wheelchair, and came to shake my hand, when I realized...she didn't have fingers. I was a little bit in shock. I didn't want to seem rude, but I was a little caught off guard. We went in their office, and we talked. They told me that a year and a half ago, she got sick and was in the hospital for 8 months. As a result, she had had 12 amputations: all of her fingers, and her legs just below her knees. They asked me a few questions, and thanked me and I left wanting the job more than I think I've ever wanted anything before in my life.
I called my mom and told her, and she said I couldn't do it if it was a live-in position, because of grandma, which I had told them. I went home and prayed about it, and called my best friend, and talked to my aunt, and decided that this was something I really needed. A few days later, I texted them and told them I worked it out and would be able to live with them if they were willing to hire to me. Jeane said she needed to talk to Tony, but she would see. A few days later, I got a text from her again, asking if I could come over for a 2nd interview. So I did, and I moved in the next Monday.
It was an awesome experience..to say the least. Before I was offered the job, I was talking to Laura, and I said that I wanted to take this job, not for the money, but for the environment. It felt like a stable family, and I needed that, because it was something I never felt I really had.
It was also, one of the hardest jobs I've ever had. I was ready for bed around 9 every single night, which was weird for me. I called my mom more than once apologizing for every stupid fit I'd thrown...up to the time I was 17 (because those were justified). I had always heard that being a parent was the hardest job a person could ever have, but I didn't believe it to be true until I was given the opportunity to take care of Sam (7) and Nick (5). Especially Nick.
Sam and Nick are special spirits. Sam really liked spiders, and Nick loved turtles. They had a pet tarantula. You better believe...all summer, I pretended that I wasn't completely revolted by spiders.
A week after I was hired, the Taylor's left for a family reunion in Yellowstone. They asked if I would be able to stay and feed their dog, Darcy, and Fang. They told me I could either stay at their house, or stay with my grandma, just as long as I came over a few times a day to check on everything. I decided that I liked their house, and my bed at their house, better than I liked being with my grandma, and my bed at my grandma's house, so I stayed there all week. My grandma called me and asked if I would be able to take her to the grocery store, and I said yes. We decided on a time, and I went and picked her up. I was a little bit frustrated, because we had been to the same grocery store two days before, and I thought it was a little...redundant. I was bitching a little about it in my head, until I saw the boy who was bagging the groceries.
I sat there thinking 'that kid is so cute. I kind of...want to date him'. He kept smiling at me, and I at him. I was trying to remember if I had met him somewhere before (not in my dreams) I honestly thought I had hung out with him before, another weekend that I'd been in St. George, but I wasn't sure if the kid's name that I had hung out with almost a year before, was the same as his name tag. I kept trying to remember his name, but it wasn't coming to me. Either way, I figured, I wanted to date him. Way bad.
I was listening to him talk to the people in line in front of us, and he asked if they needed help with their groceries. They said they should be fine, and we moved forward. I kept staring at him (I'm sure he thought I was an idiot), and then...he asked me if I had any plans for that night.
Holy...shit.
The giddy girl inside of me was...peeing her pants. Did he want to date me too? I was sure of it. Why else would someone ask that? I mean...really.
I tried to contain myself and play it cool. I told him I didn't think so, and I just planned on hanging out. And then I realized I would be a complete idiot if I didn't ask him if he was doing anything...since, obviously he knew I was free. He told me he was just working late for a friend, and I said something along the lines of 'how fun.' We made small talk, and then he said: "will you let me help you with your groceries?"
I tried to contain myself and play it cool. I told him I didn't think so, and I just planned on hanging out. And then I realized I would be a complete idiot if I didn't ask him if he was doing anything...since, obviously he knew I was free. He told me he was just working late for a friend, and I said something along the lines of 'how fun.' We made small talk, and then he said: "will you let me help you with your groceries?"
Okay, I am not an idiot. What was I supposed to say? No?
I said 'of course you can', and smiled...again.
He asked which way I had parked, and I pointed. We all walked outside, and I started booking it across the parking lot. I was pretty much...to my car, ready to go, when I looked back, and saw him, standing with my grandma at the door. My heart = melted. I was even more sure that I wanted to date him. He helped us load the 4 bags we had into the car, and I thanked him, as he walked to bring in some carts. On the way home, my grandma commented on how nice it was of him to help us. I just smiled because I thought 'it was nice. It's going to be even nicer when he and I get married!' (Okay...so maybe I'm jumping to conclusions...but keep reading)
I made a mental note of it, and every time anyone needed groceries, or a movie, I was always the first to volunteer. I went back to his work a lot, and whenever he was there, I went through his line. Every time I talked to him, I just kept thinking "we need to date each other. Because he's just to cute...not to date".
I'd been through his line maybe...5 times when the thought that he could be married occured to me. The next time through, I made sure to check. Yep. No ring. Cha-ching!
I told Jeane about him, and she was sure that we needed to at least, get to know each other better. Since the kid that I was kind of crushing on, was leaving on his mission.
On August 5th, Nick threw a huge fit. I'm a little bit of a jerk nanny, because I thought it'd be super great if I could video record it. It was a little bit like that YouTube video where that little boy asks if this is real life...it was that great. He had just gotten a BenTen toy from Target, and a small piece of it had broken. His parents were gone, so I was left to deal with the tantrum alone...something I was becoming quite an expert at.
He was sprawled out on the floor screaming "I NEED TO GO TO TARGET TO GET A NEW TOY!" I know that laughing encourages bad behavior, but I really couldn't help it. It was just so funny. He was really upset, and he got mad that I was laughing. He told me that it wasn't funny, and he really did need to go to Target to get a new toy. And we needed to go...right now. I told him that we'd have to talk to his parents when they got home to see what they thought. I was still chuckling about it, and so I told Nick that I didn't really think it was funny, I just thought it was cute.
His parents came home, and he told them that he needed to go to Target to get a new toy, because he just "had a feeling deep in his heart that he needed it". His dad just looked at him and said he didn't think so. He had another little...tizzy fit, and then told his mom when she came home. She told him that toys from Target were expensive, and he would have to wait and save his money. He didn't really like this answer, and another fit pursued. His mom caved and said that maybe, if he was good, he'd be able to get something from the dollar store.
The next day, we went to the dollar store. After spending close to an hour there, and not finding anything they liked, Jeane went to sit in the car, and we went to the party store in between the dollar store and the store he works at. They found something little and cheap that they wanted, I paid for it, and we went out to the car. When we got there, Jeane said "I'm craving string cheese. Will you go get some? ....And tell me if that boy is there."
So I gladly go. And he's there. Scoree. So, I find the string cheese, and go...conveniently stand in his line. Behind someone with (no joke) $270 worth of groceries. So, I'm sitting there thinking 'this is just perfect. This will give me enough time to think up something witty and charming to tell this boy that will make him fall head over hills for me. I have no problem waiting...' when...the boy in the next register over says he can help me.
Uh..what? No thanks. I want to stay in this line. Thank you very much.
So I go and stand in the other boy's line. Right as I hand him my string cheese, Jeane texts me and says "And milk!" So I ask the other boy if he could hold on while I go get something else I forgot. (I have zero skills at subtly). This all happened mid-me handing him my string cheese. So I try to take it with me, when he says he can just hold on to it while I go get my milk. I glance back at the boy in the line I want to be in, say 'okay' and go get the milk.
I come back, and there are 4 people in the other line, and no one in the line I was originally in. So I said I could just go back to line one, but the kid tells me that it's okay, because I only have 2 things, and it won't take very long, and he knew everyone behind me, and he was sure that they wouldn't mind waiting.
This is getting weird.
Okay. So..he rings me up. Doesn't ask me for my number or anything. WTF? I wanna switch lines. (Just kidding!)
I go out to the car, and I'm smiling...because it was retarded. I open the door, and Jeane says "you're smiling. That's a good thing." So I tell her how it went down, and tell her that it was that stupid kid's fault, and then Nick said I was in trouble because stupid is a bad word.
Jeane says that I just need to go back. So, we go home and take stuff in, and make a list, and I find some cute paper and write my name and number on it and I go back. I'm attempting to be subtle, while I look for him. I about...poop my pants when I don't see him. There is no freaking way that he got off his shift in the time it took to go home and make the list. This, obviously won't do.
So, I go and get my things, and conveniently, come out at the top of an isle that's just at the end of his line. This, my friends, is bliss. Meant to be. Perfection.
I start unloading my cart (I normally hate using carts. Can you call me a mom please? Because that is how I feel when I use them) and he looks at me and just smiles. So, I naturally just melt. He's ringing the person up in front of me, and he starts talking to me, and says something along the lines of 'oh, you're back.'
I just plummet into explaination about how, contrary to what he probably thinks, I am not stalking him, and that I am a nanny for a family, and they forgot that they needed a few more things, so they sent me to get them (please disreguard the fact that there is another grocery store...across the street, and closer to their house than his work because the one he works at has better prices on...almost everything. Except Hershey's Hugs. Because WalMart wins that one). So, he starts checking me out (ha ha..) and we just keep talking about how I'm a nanny, and how...I have to quit within the next week to go to school at SUU, 45 minutes away. He told me it sounded like a cool job, because it was like fortified babysitting. I said it was, most of the time.
I opened my wallet, took one look at the cute piece of paper that had my name and number, and changed my number. I paid, and I guess...I just got caught in the moment, and wouldn't stop looking at him long enough to realize that I wasn't done paying, and I needed to say if I wanted cash back or not. He had to prompt me, and so I pushed 'no.' I picked up the groceries, and put them into my cart.
(Remember how...when you're trying to flirt, you want to try to impress whoever it is you're flirting with? Well, I'm sure that's exactly the...opposite of what I did next) My shopping cart then gets stuck on the backing of the register next to me. (Embarrassing, huh? Tell me about it!) So I look at him, giggle, and try to walk away without tripping over myself because I'm already blushing hard core. When I'm almost to the door, I hear him say that "maybe I'll see me one more time before I get off tonight." I turn around and say the first (jerkish) thing that comes to my mind: "Hopefully I won't have to come back."
I go out to my car and...die. I go back to the Taylor's house, and tell Jeane that I might as well just die alone, because that was my one chance (I may or may not have been menstrating) at love. She tells me to calm down, and we'd be able to figure out something. So I'm trying to think of something super cute and not-creepy I could do. My go-to plan was that I would go and hang out by the doors and wait for him to come out when he got off, and offer to buy him a snow cone, that was right next door and say something along the lines of 'I think it's about time we take our relationship beyond just the professional level' or something...I was going to come up with something better than that...don't worry.
I go out to my car and...die. I go back to the Taylor's house, and tell Jeane that I might as well just die alone, because that was my one chance (I may or may not have been menstrating) at love. She tells me to calm down, and we'd be able to figure out something. So I'm trying to think of something super cute and not-creepy I could do. My go-to plan was that I would go and hang out by the doors and wait for him to come out when he got off, and offer to buy him a snow cone, that was right next door and say something along the lines of 'I think it's about time we take our relationship beyond just the professional level' or something...I was going to come up with something better than that...don't worry.
But, that didn't happen. Because I didn't know what time he got off, and what door he'd even be coming out. (Sometimes there are secret parking lots, okay?) But..I did go back.
I drove around for about an hour, trying to think of a plan. I called my mom, and went to my aunt's condo. And sat in the parking lot, and called Laura...87 times. She called me back and wondered what the eff was wrong. I told her I didn't know what to do now, because I'm not one to just sit and let time pass, especially after all of this excitement was happening. I needed her advice about something I could get that would impress him.
The first thing she said was: 'don't buy string cheese.' (she didn't know that that's what I purchased on trip 1 to the grocery store.) Her next solution was fruit, but she ruled out melons of any kind (trip 2). She said finger food was good. So I got $4 raspberries, dove chocolate and dried pineapple, and went through his line for a third time. I thought I'd be gutsy, and be able to give him my number, and I got it out and was holding it in my hand, and then...I felt silly so I just put it back. Pretty much, the same run-down as trip 2, but these were actually for me. He told me to have a nice day, and I walked out the door and to my car.
I may or may not have cried on the way home. I got home, and Jeane asked how it went, and if I had given my number to him. I broke down and said no. Just then, her sister Tash, and brother-in-law Dan came in. I was busy peeing my pants, and Tash asked what my deal was. We explained the situation, and we all started trying to think up a plan. I could do the snow-cone thing, but I didn't know what time he got off, and I felt silly calling asking because hellooo..he could answer the phone. After about 8 minutes of diliberation, Dan said that his family still needed to eat dinner, so he'd just go to this store and pick up a chicken or something fast. He said he would take my number, go through his line, and tell him he was my brother and I apparently, wouldn't shut up about him.
I kinda laughed, because I would never be able to do that (hello? I had just been through his line 3 two and a half times, and he still didn't have my number.) I didn't really think he would do it, and I jokingly handed him my number and was pretty positive that he'd be back in like, 15 minutes with it, telling me he was just kidding.
He wasn't. He really did. 15 minutes pass, and he comes back and I ask him how it goes. He told me he was married. I told him to shut up as I punched him, because I checked. He didn't have a ring. Dan told me he was kidding. He said that the kid knew exactly who I was, and that he would for sure give me a call sometime.
I stayed up til probably...2 that night, not really expecting a call from him, but too excited to sleep. I think I just kept myself busy, and watched TV or folded clothes or something, when I realized that it was stupid, and I should just go to sleep. So, I did.
The next morning, I woke up real early. I was straightening my hair, when Nick came running up the stairs. He climbed in my bed and told me it was warm. I kept getting ready, and told him [nicely] he should get out of my bed. He sat up, and looked at my phone and said 'oh, a phone.' and then he went downstairs while I changed my clothes. I got ready, and was about ready to go to my grandma's house (kind of hoping she'd have to go the grocery store) and tried to find my phone. I could not find it anywhere. I was freaking out. I decided that I would just go to my grandma's, and help her out and keep myself busy so that I didn't have to think so much about if he would call me or if he would not. It didn't really work.
I went and pampered myself by getting a pedicure thinking 'if I ever run in to this kid, I have to have cute toes...duh!' But I was still anxious about it. I went back to my grandma's house, and called my mom and asked if she could call my phone in like...10 minutes when I would be back at the Taylor's. She agreed, so I left. I got there, and I could not find it anywhere. I swore Nick took it, and was hiding it from me, so I asked him if he had it, and he said he didn't. I thought he was lying. I could hear it ringing, but I couldn't tell if it was upstairs in my room, or down on the main floor.
Tony offered to call it, as I kept searching frantically for it. I was crying, and a total mess, when I could hear it upstairs. I was opening my drawers, and looking in my bathroom, and underneath my bed. I kept running up and down the stairs, and I thought it was pretty much a lost cause. As I passed my closet door, I stopped. I opened it up, and dug through my laundry basket (mental image: tornado). I found it! I had put it in my pajama pocket, and thrown my pajamas in the dirty clothes and didn't even think to check there.
I had 6 text messages, 4 missed calls, and 2 voice messages. I think...all the texts were [wanna-be] booty calls, hoping for some action (all from the same boy...not the boy at the grocery store). The calls were first, from a number I didn't recognize (peed my pants...twice), 2 from my mom, and one from Tony.
I scan the texts, delete the ones from Sean, and listen to the messages. One was from my mom, saying she was hoping I had found my phone, but I guess not, and one from him that said: "Hey Alyssa. You came through my line a couple of times at work yesterday, and then your brother came and gave me your number, so I thought I would just call and say hey, and see how you're doing. Anyway, call me back or text me or something...oh, I'm working tonight, so I might not be able to get back to you until like, tomorrow or something. But yeah...I'll talk to you later. Bye."
I had missed it by a half an hour. I was laughing...so hard when I heard it, and I made Jeane and Tony both listen to it. I texted everyone that I knew about what was going on, as I tried to figure out what I was going to say back to him. I decided, after deliberating with Laura, that I would just text him and say "Hey! Sorry I didn't answer when you called...I lost my phone."
I went to bed that night, and woke up the next morning to a text from him, saying not even to worry about it, and that he always loses his phone, or doesn't hear it or something, and he asked how I was.
We texted...all day the next day, pretty much. Except for when I had to go to church, and when he had to work. This is getting super long, and I'm sure...if you've made it this far, you have wrinkles. So I will sign off. Maybe I'll post some of the conversations we've had another time...all 28 pages of them.
xoxo.
