The Chauffeur [Complete]

Chapter 36

"Joder(Fuck)!" I jolted out of bed, remembering I hadn't put any money under Everly's pillow. After last night in the kitchen, -my body shuddered at the thought- Rade and I watched T.V before going our separate ways. I had been so exhausted that it completely slipped my mind.

I yanked my bedroom door open and went out into the hallway. I was in such a hurry to reach Everly's room before she woke up that I didn't see Rade coming out of the bathroom. I ran right into him.

He caught me before I could stumble. He held on to my arms, steadying me. He just got out of the shower, the towel around his waist the only thing keeping him from being fully naked. 

He smelled like the body wash he uses. If he wasn't currently holding my arms, my hands would have been roaming all over his tatted chest.

Curiosity flashed in Rade's eyes. He tilted his head down at me, amusement playing on his lips. "What's the rush, mikrí fotiá(little fire)?"

"I forgot to take Everly's tooth and put money under her pillow."

"It's already taken care of."

Just then, I heard my little girl's excited voice. She rushed out into the hall, leaping around with three green bills in her hands. "The tooth fairy came! The tooth fairy came!"

I sighed with relief and mouthed a "thank you." He nodded, releasing me so he could slip into his room and get dressed. I brought my attention back to my daughter, who hadn't stopped jumping.

"Look, Mommy! I got three dollars."

She showed me what was in her hand, and my eyes widened. Rade hadn't given her three dollars. He'd given her three hundred dollars. 

I had to smile to play off the fact that I was shocked and that my daughter definitely wasn't going to be keeping three hundred dollars. That's way too much for a six year old.

"Why don't you go see what Cereal you want for breakfast? I'll be down in a minute."

She nodded and raced downstairs with what she thought was a total of three dollars. I knocked on Rade's door and waited for a sign before entering. He was looping a black tie around his neck. He looked handsome, as usual. Black slacks, white top, and a tie and jacket to go with it.

"Three hundred dollars, Rade? For a six year old?"

He ended up tossing the tie onto his bed and leaving the first two buttons of his shirt undone. "I wasn't sure how much to give her," he admitted.

It was clear that he's never dealt with children a day in his life. I've never gone higher than five dollars whenever Everly lost a tooth.

"It's too much. She's not keeping it."

He turned to me. "You're not giving it back to me."

"I can't-"

"You can," he said firmly, his tone of voice making it clear that he wasn't going to take it back.

I sighed. I wasn't about to argue with him. So I'll just put it in her savings for college should she decide to go. "Thank you," I said again. "You saved me from a lot of tears."

He walked up to me, grabbed the back of my head, and pulled me in for a kiss to the forehead. "I'll be back later tonight."

He pulled away from me, and I couldn't hide my disappointment. "Wait? You're going to work? On a Sunday?"

I know it's a restaurant, and they're usually open seven days a week, but surely it could run without him there. He's done it many times before. Besides, I'm so used to being with him all day when he was my Chauffeur. I've always been clingy, but with him, I've become even more clingy.