Looking For Love

Harmless crush?

TW:
This fanfic will have themes of "cheating " and age gap.

There is one vaque mention of the chemical cloud in this chapter that happened in the novel/movie. Until December 30 2022 ,for spoiler reasons I won't mention anything else from it since not everyone read it or saw it yet.

Day 367.

The kitchen was a mad house, full of kids scrambling around, grabbing their brown paper sack lunches.

Jack had did his best to prepare their lunches for school. He even incorporated wearing a white apron while making them food.

Slices of bread and butter pickles, saltine cracker packages from the diner, peanut butter sandwiches. No Jelly. No jams.
He had forgotten to go to the store to pick up a few things this week. He barely had time to go to the store inbetween getting ready for work and getting home from work. He knew his kids were beginning to feel embrassed by their lunches..

"Kids, I made breakfast! Come eat." Jack yelled , turning down the gas to the pan of almost burnt scrambled eggs.

He wasn't particularly the best cook but he tried his best.

"Where's Heinrich! I need his help around here."
He sighs while going threw the cabinets to grab paper plates for the semi burnt eggs.

"He headed off to school about 10 minutes ago. He said don't tell you." Steffie said innocently, while putting her sack lunch in her backpack.

Denise frowned upon hearing how he had dipped once again without helping, again.

"I got it Jack. I'll feed Wilder. Then I'll drop him off with Mrs. Brown before school. She can only watch him until 2pm this week. I'll have to leave school a hour early to get him from her this week." She announced it as a reminder to Jack, that he possibly couldn't rely on the elder neighbor as much as he used to when Babette first left.

He shock his head, feeling like a pile of shit.
This set up was beginning to effect the children's education and slowly their relationship with him..
"No, I can't have you miss that much class, your education is very important. "He stated, plopping their eggs on the plate, handing them their suspicious food.

"So. What do you purpose we do?" Denise said curiously.

His hands went to his hips as he tapped his foot, thinking.

"Hmmm."
He caught a glimpse of the newspaper on the table.
The light bulb went off in his head.

"A ad! I'll post a ad for nanny to help out. Not just with Wilder. But the house, you know? Meals, cleaning, homework." He says enthralled by his own idea.

LOOKING FOR A NANNY:
Need care for 4 kids. Would prefer someone who has experience in toddlers. Preparing meals and tidying up the house. CPR trained. Most have transportation to house but I can drop you off at your home if needed. Must be available 7:30am-3:30pm /weekdays. Please no smokers.
Start time- asap
Pay rate: 2.00 hourly.
Call- 253-8483

He proofread the ad to his colleagues while they ate in the cafeteria of the college. He hated that he would be letting a complete stranger into his house to care for his children. It should be Babette. Not him paying someone to do it for him.

But he desperately needed the extra help running a 4 children household.

All he had to do was drop of the paper at the newspaper and it should be in print by tomorrow morning.

"Sounds good! I think I'll let my daughter know about this job. She's been looking for a new one. Remember my daughter Jasmine? She took your course 6 years ago." A fellow teacher, Eric chimed.

"Oh yes. I do remember your daughter. She was a excellent student. Baked delicious butter cookies too. I remember she wore leg warmers everyday. She wanted to be in the Guiness world record book badly." He chuckled about it to himself. He recalls her kind personality. Definitely someone he'd trust around his kids.

"Maybe you can-- I don't know-- get out of the house an meet someone if you get a nanny. Have time for yourself. " Murray suggested it as if he's been thinking about it for awhile.

Jack thought about it momentarily. Was it time to m

ove on too? Babette certainly did with some strange out of town drifter.

Jack cleared his thoart while pushing his peas around his tray.
"Meet someone? As in date someone. While I'm married?" He asked nervously. He pushed up his glasses on his nose getting nervous just thinking about it.

He would even feel guilty jerking off to the Sears swim catalog in bed since she left ! How in the hell would dating make him feel. How would the kids feel?

His fingers idly graze the wedding band, that hasn't left his finger. While Babette left her ring on his night stand table a year ago ,leaving it behind with a goodbye letter under it.

"I feel lonely. I long for the company of a woman but I still have my hopes Babette will come back to me when she comes to her senses. I still love her." He says towards her affair.

His colleagues gave each other eye contact that screamed.
"He's lost his fucking mind."

It was quite ironic because he definitely needed to come to his senses about what was going on.
She was gone! No phone call. No letters. No visits. She wasn't coming back.

*******

"2.00 a hour, off weekends, doesn't sound terrible at. It's enough to cover my end of the bills each month too."
Jasmine reads the newspaper column to her roommate. She points at the phone number on the paper.
"My dad said I should call Jack as soon possible. I need that job!"
Jasmine hops up from the beanbag with the paper in hand. She races to the kitchen phone an dials the number.

"Are you sure it's the job you're interested in? Don't forget. I know how you really felt about him. The goo goo eyes, the one on one after school lessons you took to learn mispronounced
German from him.
The baking him cookies for his birthday." Kate hounded her. She scanned Jasmines face. Trying to see if she crack and admit it!

Jack...
She admired him . Just a harmless school girl crush from 6 years ago. She was drawn to his flashy robes, the way he would hold a grip on a audience , his corny dad jokes an his kindness. But that was 6 years ago.

"He's like, 20 years older than you Jas! An don't get me started on the Nydone D." Her roomie reminds her.
It made her sick to stomach thinking of the age gap alone, but then there was....THAT.

"I need the job Kate. That's it. An he really needs the help since his wife left." She hisses directly at her, throwing a kitchen rag onto her head to shut her up like a bird in a cage.

******
"Hullo. Jack Gladney speaking, how may I help you?"

The sounds of a cap gun were going off in the background of Jack's house. *pop*,*pop* *pop*
"I'm a cowboy!!!" A boys voice blared.

"Wilder, please! I told you not in the house." Jack plead having no control over his son.

"Oh, Hi Mr. Gladney. I don't know if you remember me. I took your class a few years ago, my name is Jasmine Tanner. I'm Eric Tanners daughter . Well I was interested in the nanny position. I was wondering is it still available?"

"Jasmine.. yes. I do remember you.
Yes ,the position is still open. I have 2 interviews I'm conducting this evening. But if you come before 4, I can squeeze you in first. " he said.

"I can. I'll be on my way very soon .Okay Mr. G. Okay ,bye bye." She unknowingly twirled her hair, she hung up the phone and took a deep breath.

Ok.. maybe there was still a little crush on Jack?