When her phone sounded from across the yard, Blair assumed it was another text from Marisol making fun of her for being so disconnected from the real world . One of the reasons Blair loved her best friend was because of how honest Marisol was with her, but right now, she could do without that honesty.

When the text tone went off again, Blair’s curiosity got the best of her. She rolled off of her raft and swam to the edge of the pool, lifting herself out of the water and wrapping up in a towel before she picked up her phone. She was surprised to find the texts weren’t from Marisol, but instead, from an unknown number. It was even more shocking to find  that it was someone getting back to her about babysitting.

Hey! This is Erin. Thank you for messaging me. My son is potty trained. He’s a little wild (aren’t all toddlers?) but also very loving. As I mentioned in my post, I’m looking for someone to watch him Monday through Thursday. If you’d be able to come from about 8:30-6:00, that would be great. Fifty dollars per day sounds great to me if you’re sure that’s okay with you. I’d love to learn more about you. Are you free for a phone call at some point?

Also, if you are able to do a few hours on Fridays as well, that would actually be great. But if not, it’s no big deal.

The second message must have been an afterthought because it was sent a few minutes after the first. Being given the option of only working four days a week made Blair hesitant to agree to five, but at least that didn’t seem like a deal breaker. She thought about texting Marisol to ask her how to respond, but this was the first person to actually show interest in her, so she didn’t want to waste any time.

Hey! Thank you for reaching out. Glad to hear your child doesn’t shit himself anymore. She shook her head at herself as she erased that last sentence and continued to type. I would be happy to speak with you. I’m free whenever, so just let me know a time that works for you. I’ll have to let you know about Fridays. I’m not positive if I can make that work, but I can definitely keep you updated.

Less than a minute after Blair hit send, she received a reply. I could call you tonight when I leave work if that’s okay. It will probably be around 5:30/5:45.

That works :) Can’t wait to hear from you. Blair smiled at her phone in satisfaction. Marisol would be proud. She had handled that well. Now she just had to make sure she didn’t fuck up this phone call.

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