Cabernet Problems

With dishwashing soap in her left hand and white vinegar in her other, Savannah cowered down to the carpet and began to pour. She continued pouring and scrubbing, scrubbing and pouring for several minutes, pinching her nose and coughing at the pungent stench in the air. Mr. Mauer was going to throw a fit when he saw this mess, and she could not afford to lose this job. All she wanted to do was relax a bit, but when she heard rustling outside, she writhed and knocked over the bottle in her startle. She’d had experience with wine spills before, but never a stain like this, and NEVER on her boss’s carpet. This wasn’t her regular bottle of seven dollar Merlot, this was Opus One, 2017 Cabernet (whatever that meant). The bottle had settled without making a sound, but the sinister, crimson liquid spread across the floor as if it were trying to escape. The hint of licorice and black cherry lingered in the back of her throat as she gasped. The Mauer’s had left their wine cabinet unlocked, and now the wine had spilled, leaving behind a large, elliptical stain.

Babysitting for Mr. and Mrs. Mauer was still new for Savannah. She had no seniority or even the faintest relationship with the family. She would babysit, take their money, and come back again the following week. The Mauers had a beautiful three year old girl named Aubree. Luckily, Aubree fell asleep early, allowing Savannah to spend most of her time with her feet up, watching Grey’s Anatomy on their 86'' Smart TV.

When the Mauer’s offered her 25 dollars an hour, she cancelled all jobs for anyone else and focused on them. Building a rapport with the family was critical, she eventually hoped to get a raise. Except now, of course, she stole their fancy wine and spilled it all over their expensive carpet.

The pitter-patter of footsteps approached the porch. She stuffed the half-empty bottle into her purse and nudged the ottoman over to cover the area. She rubbed lotion up and down her arms to ease the stench.

The parents walked in, stumbling over their feet, and Mrs. Mauer threw six twenty-dollar bills onto the side table. Having only been there for four hours, Savannah hesitated, peering at the extra cash, but she grabbed the money and abandoned the scene.

Crap, crap, crap!! Savannah panicked the entire drive home. She knew they would find out and her future as their babysitter would be nonexistent. Once home, she crept into bed with her baby, feeling his warm breath as she nuzzled next to him. When matters got tough, at least she had Lucas.

The next morning, the booming radio of the alarm clock woke Savannah up. She opened her eyes, allowing the light bubbles to dissolve from her view. She laid there for a second thinking about how grateful she was that her sister was in town. Emory lived in Oregon with her fiancée and their one year old baby. They had come into town for a few weeks, and Emory was helping to watch Lucas while Savannah babysat for the Mauers.

Emory skipped towards the table with an enormous grin on her face. “Coffee?” she asked, placing a steaming cup in front of Savannah.

“That explains the nutty smell,” Savannah replied while rubbing her eyes. “Yes, please and thank you.”

“AND I got hazelnut cream! Your favorite!” said Emory.

“Oh my God, you are the best!” The creamer filled her mug. She guzzled down her coffee. When she heard her phone ring from the bedroom, she jumped in her chair, splashing fresh coffee onto her fingers.

“MAMA PHONE,” declared Lucas, emptying his hot chocolate into his lap.

Savannah chuckled, “Don’t worry about it, boog, it’s the weekend. Mama doesn’t need her phone right now.” She grabbed napkins and cleaned up both the spills.

“All done work??” asked Lucas.

“All done! No work for mama today.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead and continued drinking her coffee. They all sat there in silence for a minute until Savannah’s phone rang again.

“Ugh,” Savannah lifted from her chair and went to her room to see who was calling her. Flipping her phone around, the screen filled with the name “MRS MAUER." She stood there for a second, processing why she might be calling. Last night came back to her memory, the wine spill. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath. She looked down and the screen was black. Would she leave a message? She waited. If, after a few minutes, she had no voicemail, she would call her back.

Her phone dinged. A little red bubble floated up her screen. “ONE NEW VOICEMAIL,” read her notification. She sighed in relief and allowed her shoulders to release. She was happy to see the voicemail. Now she could find out what she was getting herself into.

“W’are you, Mama” yelled Lucas from the kitchen. “Mama go?”

“I’m right here, booga, just give me one sec.” She drew another deep breath and pressed on the notification.

“Hi Savannah, it’s me. You know that by now. I had a favor to ask you. Could you stop by today? I’ll be at home with Aubree until 3. Thanks!”

Disbelief filled Savannah's face. She didn’t even mention the wine! This meant she had time to sneak more cleaning supplies into the house and remove the stain. She looked at the clock and it read 9:48 AM. She realized Emory would want to go back to her Airbnb soon, so she figured she should get this favor over with. Her clothes were on, teeth brushed, deodorant applied, and her hair was up in a messy bun in a matter of minutes. As soon as she had everything situated with Emory and Lucas, she left the apartment.

As Savannah was driving, she realized she hadn’t even called Mrs. Mauer back! “She took her phone out of her pocket and said, “Hey Siri, call Mrs. Mauer.”

A single ring echoed, and then, “Savannah, I’m so glad to hear from you! Did you get my message?”

“Yes,” sighed Savannah, “I forgot to call you back, but I’m on my way to your house right now,” She stomped down on the brake as she watched the light go from yellow to red. There was a loud rumble from another vehicle. She rolled up her window. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh yes, yes, dear, just drive safe, and I’ll see you in a few.”

After hanging up the phone, Savannah speculated all the reasons Mrs. Mauer would need her. Did it have to do with the wine? She squeezed the steering wheel, hoping it would just be something simple and quick. This was her weekend, and she wanted to spend it with Lucas. She began feeling frustrated and anxious. The light was blaring red at her, and she was losing the taste of her bubblegum. “Come on,” she announced to her windshield.

Eight minutes later, Savannah was parked in front of the Mauer’s home. She walked down the cobblestone path and up the steps past the gate. She rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. The doorknob rattled, and Aubree opened the giant door with a grin. “‘Vannah!” she said. The perfume scent of the house enveloped Savannah, as well as Aubree’s diminutive arms.

“Hi you! Where’s your mommy?”

“Over there,” she announced, pointing to the living area.

The ottoman had not been moved. She let out a breath of air as she continued to scan the den. It didn’t take long, though, for her to break off her gaze and notice a beautiful man sitting across from Mrs. Mauer. What was he doing here? She had asked the Mauers when they first met if they had any other children, and they claimed they didn’t. Who was this beautiful stranger?

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Mauer stood up and sang, “my nephew is here!”

That made sense. But does her favor have to do with him? She remembered her messy bun and lacking makeup and felt embarrassed.

“H-hi, my name’s Travis,” he stated, no longer the handsome stranger.

“Savannah… is my name,” reported Savannah, waiting just a moment too long before shaking his outstretched hand.

Right then, Mrs. Mauer jumped in as if for a surprise birthday party and squealed, “I told you she was cute, right?”

He smiled at his aunt and then looked back at Savannah. “Yes, yes, you are. Would you like to go out with me?”