JEALOUSY IN DEATH

5.

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5. Desiree

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She watched the taxi drive off then dragged her luggage towards the gate. I can do this, she said to herself with a calming breath. It was a whole new odyssey, and according to the document he'd sent her, it involved a five-year old son fondly called 'Bobo' who happened to be his father's namesake. Lucas Smith III, finally, she had a name to the cold face.

The gate slid open and she saw Lucas in shorts and a fitted top walking up to her. "There you are."

"Yes." She smiled even though she knew he wasn't going to return it.

"Let me help you with that." He took the single luggage from her and she walked in with him.

"Did you go through what I sent?"

"Every page. I know I'll be staying at the guest house and looking after the kid while you're at work."

"More or less."

"Thanks for employing me, I know you must have had lots of offers."

He grunted in response and kept walking. Desiree didn't say anything else, she just walked by his side until they got to the guest house.

"This is where you'll be staying. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a private kitchen and the living room. Get settled and join me in the main house afterwards."

"Alright, boss."

"Lucas," he corrected and walked away.

What was his problem? He didn't smile, didn't engage in small talks...what then did he do? Desiree mused. She took the luggage he'd dropped at the front door and walked in. The living room looked small but magnificent, and when she checked out the two bedrooms, she picked the one closer to the living room. It was bare except for the furniture; a bed, bedside drawer and built-in wardrobe.

She dropped her luggage on the bed and went to the kitchen. There was a two burner hotplate on the counter and several dishes, cutlery and pots were in the drawer. The guest house looked like it had never had an occupant, every single thing in it was still new and unused.

Desiree went back to the bedroom and arranged her clothes and toiletries. She'd brought only her oversized and ugly clothes, those were her new identity, her new context. She went to the window and opened the blinds, her new bedroom had a clear view of the swimming pool and the main house. It was actually by the side of the main house.

Before she left the house to meet her boss who insisted on being called Lucas, she checked the full length mirror on the wardrobe door. She looked okay, her locks were packed stylishly and her baggy pants hid her figure excellently, even the large button down man's shirt was doing a good job. Nothing could go wrong.

Desiree got her phone and handbag before leaving the guesthouse. She entered the main house and saw Lucas waiting in the living room. He stood when he noticed her and moved to the area that was unmistakably the kitchen. She followed him in and sat on one of the stools around the kitchen island.

Lucas dropped a car key close to where her handbag rested. "This is the key for Bobo's car. It's the SUV parked in the driveway, you'll take him to school and get him back home with it."

"Okay."

"Right now he's in school but in..." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "Two hours' time he'll be back. I'll get him this afternoon while you acclimate yourself to your surroundings."

"Thank you."

"You'll prepare his meals, just his, I'll take care of myself. I just want you to focus on him as I won't be around to take care of these things myself."

"I read that in what you sent, and you can count on me."

"I have to say, if I find anything that displeases me about this arrangement as we proceed, I'll fire you."

She smiled as she looked up at him. "I wouldn't expect less. I'll be on my best behavior, Lucas."

"You'd better."

The smile brightening her face disappeared and she scowled. "Yes, sir."

"Follow me."

"What?"

"I need to show you around the house."

"Oh, okay."

She walked out of the kitchen with him and they walked past his study to the laundry room.

"This is where you'll be doing his laundry."

Desiree nodded then followed him up the stairs. She tried to study his feet as they went up, but his butt was on her eye level as he climbed the stairs ahead of her and it was such an appealing sight. It was the epitome of firm, nice and a handful. Wait, where had that thought come from? The last thing she wanted was to be attracted to him or his delectable butt. Relief washed through her as they got to the top of the stairs.

"This is Bobo's room." The door had his name stenciled on it in block letters. "You can't go in when he's not around and when he is you have to knock before entering or wait till he invites you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They moved to another room and Lucas turned to look at her. "This is my room, if a problem arises knock and I'll attend to it."

"Okay."

"There's a theater room downstairs but you can't allow him watch the TV for more than two hours. He knows it but since you're new, he might test you."

"Two hours' screen time, got it."

Lucas nodded and they went down the stairs into the kitchen. He handed her an ATM card. "For groceries and other supplies. We get foodstuff from the local market, no packed meat or vegetable, everything has to be fresh."

"Yes, I got that from the file already."

"I know that."

She realized then that he was nervous about her, it hadn't been evident before but he was now repeating everything that was already in the document he sent. "Lucas." She let his name roll off her tongue and he looked at her, waiting. "I know how this looks but you can trust me, I'm not going to do anything to make you or your kid uncomfortable. You can relax."

His face twitched and she wondered if she'd hit a raw spot.

"I need to pick him up from school."

"Okay, I'll be here waiting." She smiled in encouragement but he didn't return it, his face remained passive.

Desiree sighed when she heard the car drive out of the house. "What a man," she said loudly and waited for his return.

When she heard tire on gravel as Lucas returned, she walked out of the house and towards the car. Lucas got out and went to the passenger door, he lifted a little kid into his arms and Desiree drew closer to the duo. Bobo thankfully wasn't brooding like his father so she wore her biggest smile as he squirmed to get down from Lucas' arms.

"Okay, buddy." Lucas put him down and shoved his hands in his pocket. "I need to go out for few hours, will you be okay with your nanny?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Take care of him," Lucas said to Desiree and drove out of the driveway.

She watched the gate close and crouched to the little boy's height. "I'm Desiree, but everyone calls me Dee, I'm your new nanny."

"I know, my daddy told me about you."

"Oh, that's good. Well, he told me you're the cutest boy in the whole wide world." That got him to laugh and Desiree sucked in air as she took in his cuteness. Her life was looking so much better with his presence. "Let's go in." She held her hand out and smiled when he took it, they walked into the house and he ran toward the stairs.

"Be careful, Bobo," she shouted after him.

It was her first day and she didn't want to start it with him being hurt. She waited for few minutes and when she didn't see him come downstairs, she headed up to his room. She noticed the display of family pictures placed on the walls to his room, it was mostly just Lucas and Bobo.

"Come in," he answered when she knocked on his door. She opened the door and walked into the room.

"You have a beautiful room." The room wasn't the usual generic blue everyone seemed to like for their sons. It was cream colored with bed frame that looked like a ship. Bobo was laying down on the bed with his legs crossed, and a tablet on his laps. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Okay." She heard dramatic gunshots noises coming from the tablet. "How about we go outside to play?"

He accessed her for a moment. "Are you my friend?"

She shrugged. "I would love very much to be your friend. We can play together."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Uh-huh." He stood from his bed still dressed in his sky blue and royal blue school uniform. "You have to change out of your uniform first, I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

She smiled as she closed his room door. It didn't matter if she couldn't win his father over, the son was open and friendly and that was all she cared about. Bobo joined her in seconds, he was holding a truck in one hand and a bag of toys in the other.