JEALOUSY IN DEATH

7.

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7. Desiree

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For Desiree, the first day had gone well. The only difficulty was Lucas, he didn't like her playing with his son and he didn't like dinner, although he had been kind enough to let her have some.

She got up from the sofa in the living room after reading trending news online and went to the bedroom. She took her night wear from the wardrobe and went to the bathroom. When she came out cleaned, she found the room freezing cold, it was as if the A.C had been cranked up to the lowest temperature but she never touched it. She rubbed her arms as beads of goosebumps formed on her flesh and made her way to the bed. Something clattered to the floor and made her jump in fear.

"Oh, God!" she said when she got her breathing steadied.

She looked around the bedroom to find out where the noise came from, but everything looked in place so she walked around the house. When she saw that nothing was out of the ordinary, she went back to the bedroom and convinced herself it was simply nerves. The room was also back to its normal temperature. Her feet padded to the blind and her hand stilled as she tried to close it.

There he was in all his glory, she saw him get out of the water and his body glistened as the light from outside the house shone on his perfectly toned body. He walked towards the lounge chairs and she licked her lips at the yummy sight in front of her. When he raised his head towards the guest house, she moved quickly to avoid being seen then tripped and landed hard on her butt.

What was wrong with her? Standing by the window checking her boss out like a creepy teenager, it was beyond embarrassing. She crawled to the bed and realized she had no bedsheets for the bed, she'd forgotten to get some from the laundry room despite having it in her to-do list. In a split-second decision, she peeled out of her night wear and quickly got into her work clothes then made a dash for the main house. She rushed in and quickly got some sheets and pillow cases. Lucas wasn't anywhere in sight and she made a hasty escape.

She slammed into a hard wall on her way to the guest house. Her hand came out to reduce the impact, and she held on to wet rock-hard muscle. She looked up to find her boss looking irritatingly at her.

"I'm sorry, came in to get some sheets."

"Okay."

"I'm leaving now."

She had to snatch her hand from his stomach. All she would like to do was take that hand lower but she hurried along and huffed a breath as she got to her bedroom. She wasn't attracted to the brooding, silent man, there was no way. Mr. Grumpy wasn't even her type and even if he was, he was her boss. He was off limit. All thoughts of smoothing the lines on his forehead when he frowned had to be thrown out of the window. Not happening.

She did the bed and settled into it.


Desiree woke up suddenly and smelt smoke. The air in the room seemed clogged with it and when she got out of bed, it seemed to have suddenly cleared. She blinked and looked again. Was she dreaming? She shook her head and went back to sleep.

By the time her phone alarm rang in the morning, she'd forgotten about the incident that had her up in the middle of the night. She went to the main house after taking her bath and took the stairs to Bobo's room. The door to his room opened as she knocked and she called out his name.

"Hey, sweetie. You have to get ready for school." Immediately he heard school, he threw his blanket aside and got up from the bed.

"Morning, Dee."

"Morning. Can I come in?" she asked still standing by the door.

"Yes," he said rubbing his eyes.

"Get to the bathroom, I'll put out your school uniform."

He hesitated and looked at her. "Are you still my friend?"

"I'll always be your friend, hurry now."

He smiled and came to hug her before running to the bathroom. Desiree smiled and got out a clean, ironed pair of uniform from his wardrobe and laid it out on the bed. She added a pair of socks and cleaned his shoe. Bobo came back from the bathroom as she was leaving the room.

"Won't you check my teeth?"

"Oh." Was that a thing? She wasn't aware it was. She moved closer to him and bent to his height. Bobo opened his mouth showing her every corner of his teeth, she shook her head in satisfaction when she smelled his fresh minty breath. "Looks clean. Lotion next."

"'kay."

"Do you need my help getting dressed?"

He jumped up and down and said, "No."

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast then."

She got out pans and bowls to prepare waffles once she got to the kitchen. She mixed the batter and poured it out on the waffle maker. As she waited for the waffle, she got eggs and placed them inside a boiling water. She checked the watch on her wrist after setting the table for breakfast. She waited for Bobo to walk down the stairs and when he didn't, she wondered what was holding him up. Desiree raced up the stairs when it was almost seven o'clock, she found Bobo in just his underwear standing on one foot.

"Look at me, Dee," he said in excitement and she smiled to mask her mounting frustration.

"Come, let's get you in your uniform. You don't want to be late for school, do you?"

He chuckled and didn't answer and she almost rolled her eyes. She got him in his uniform with few minutes left to spare for breakfast. She lifted him in one arm with his school bag in the other as she went downstairs.

"Breakfast is ready," she said after placing him on the kitchen stool.

He looked at the waffles then looked at her. "I want oat."

"You'll have oat tomorrow, I promise."

He seemed pleased with her answer and she gave a silent thanks to the universe when he started eating his breakfast. She got a napkin in one hand, ready to clean whatever mess he made as she watched him eat. When Bobo finally finished his meal, they were two minutes late. She got his lunch box and added juice pack and snack to his packed lunch.

Lucas came downstairs when they were almost out of the door in only track pants. Bobo rushed to his dad and she looked at her wrist so she wouldn't salivate over the nude back that was turned to her. Four minutes late, she noted. She quickly stole a glance and noticed the burn scars she'd seen at their first meeting went up to his shoulder. What could have happened to give him such scars?

She got the car key, took the kid's bag and lunch pack to the car before coming for him. She was on her way back to the house when Lucas came out with Bobo still in his arms. She watched him place him in the back of the car and muttered a greeting his way. He looked at her and nodded then looked back at his kid.

"Be a good boy." He dropped a kiss on Bobo's forehead and shut the car door. "Do you know the way to his school?" he asked Desiree.

"I'll find it. I have the address."

"I already told his teacher about you so she'll be expecting to meet you."

"Great." She smiled.

"Alright, drive carefully."

"I will." She got into the car and got her seat belt on. "Ready?" she asked her companion.

"Yes."

She backed out of the driveway when she was sure she had everything with her.

"Do you know my teacher's name? Her name is Miss Dammy," Bobo started talking immediately she left the house.

"Wow. Do you like her?"

"Very much."

"Aww, I'm going to be seeing her today." She checked the time and they were almost fifteen minutes late.

She took a turn and kept driving then took a right turn before finding the school. It took about seven minutes to find it, it wasn't that far from the house and that put her mind at ease. She got Bobo out of the car and she could tell by the way he skipped towards the multi colored building that he didn't want her smothering him in this environment. Desiree got his bags and walked behind him.