| Wishful Thinking |
| Melody never cared much for her little cousins. The three girls, ages eight, five, and four, pestered her endlessly every time she saw them. She didn�t mind her aunt and uncle, they�d raised her for the last three years after her parents died in a plane crash. They�d even encouraged her to audition as a model. The two had even taken out loans so Melody could go to modeling school and take courses in fashion design. She just hated coming home from school on break and having to put up with the Terror Trio, as she so affectionately called them to her friends.
Today would be a different day, though. Melody was finally twenty-one and she was going to celebrate that night. So many nights, too many by her count, she�d had to cancel plans with friends because the three had begged and pleaded with Melody to play with them all night to the point that she�d cave in to shut the little brats up. This time, they�d been informed in advance that any such attempt would not by tolerated. She carefully worked her mascara and stepped back to view her handiwork in the mirror. Perfect seemed right as she gazed at herself. Her push-up bra made up for the A chest and the miniskirt with the slit meant guys would check out every inch of her. Melody considered some more makeup, but decided to leave the rest of her skin au natural. She was a shade lighter than olive skinned and it drove the local guys wild. Tonight would be the night this 6'2" beauty would never forget! �Hi Melody,� her aunt said, stepping into her niece�s room. She looked at her and snapped her fingers. �Damn, girl, you are lookin� hot!� The two giggled for a minute, as they always did whenever she tried to play like she was in the younger crowd. �Hi, Aunt Tina, wha�d�ya want?� �Oh, bad news about your plans.� Her face darkened and became serious. �Your uncle�s flight for his business trip got cancelled, bad weather at the connecting airport. I�m going to have to drive him to another airport myself so he can make another flight. You�ll have to watch your cousins tonight.� Her face fell suddenly. �Oh... okay.� Her aunt Tina burst out laughing. �I�m just jerking you around, honey. I know this a special night for you. Hell, it was for me too. I�ve hired a sitter. She�ll just be a little while. You�ll only have to entertain them for about two hours.� �Come on honey,� his voice bellowed up the stairs. �You done with your little joke?� �Of course, dear,� she called back. �I�m coming right down.� �Don�t worry, Aunt Tina. I�ll be able to watch them for a little bit and then hit the town.� �Have a good time, sugar.� She kissed her niece on the cheek. Melody returned the gesture. �You try not to let Uncle Vernon drive you too nuts in the car.� Melody made a quick call on her cell phone to update her friends on the plan. They�d go on ahead to the first club and she�d catch up with them at the second. Then she made her way to the bedroom she feared. How those three girls could live together in that room and survive was beyond her understanding. Maybe it was because they were so much alike. �Did Mommy talk to you?� the oldest, Ashley, asked her. �Yes, she said I was to watch you three rug rats until the sitter comes. I want you to promise that you�ll be good to her.� �As long as she plays our dollies game with us,� the middle one, Vanessa, added. She could never just say �playing dolls,� or �dollies,� it was always �dollies game.� �Don�t you ever get tired of your dollies game?� Melody asked her. She frowned as the girl shook her head emphatically. She crouched down to the floor. �How about you, Susie?� she asked the youngest. �Dollies game, dollies game, dollies!� she shrieked. �Oh boy,� muttered Melody. �I don�t ever remember being this much of a pain.� |
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