Our New BabysitterWife books the sitter, the sitter books the husband

The story

Breaking from a quiet suburban house: the wife is out until midnight, the house has gone still, and the new sitter is already at home in the living room. She was told to help herself to anything, and she takes that literally. Her boyfriend texts, she brushes him off, and the husband asks polite questions about the schedule. She mentions she bills by the hour and suggests the clock is ticking. Episode 1 is a courteous negotiation that gets less courteous every minute.

The twist

Episode 2 finds the husband reminding her that he is married. She reminds him that she has a boyfriend, and finds the whole thing delightful. The wife phones to say she is bunking elsewhere and tells him to settle her bill through morning. Sophia grins: she is paid until morning.

Developing story

With the wife away and the sitter on the clock, the paid episodes tally who is really in charge of the evening.