9. Chapter 9 #4
I was still able to keep an eye on him, though the nanny cam was set up on the iPad in the kitchen.
Something I learned from my briefing packet.
I know some people find it odd to watch what your kids are doing, but these things were designed for a reason.
Children are unpredictable, and I feel way more at ease being able to watch Theo this way than not watching him at all.
Especially since we were still getting to know each other.
I made Kimchi Fried rice for dinner today, with a side of leek dumplings and a fried egg garnish.
An undying favourite of mine growing up, and making it always reminded me of being in the kitchen with Ji-ji, and although her version of Kimchi will never taste the same as his did, I was grateful Gran shoved me out of the house with the giant container full of the spicy cabbage.
In the middle of frying off the dumplings to make them nice and crispy, my phone rings. I was half tempted not to answer it since I was technically working, but after checking it was Macy’s, and after the surprise I had today, I just had to.
Plus, it could be important; what if her water broke and she couldn’t get hold of my brother? What if she fell over or needed me? All possible, so I answer it.
“Hey Mace,” I say with my phone tucked between my ear and shoulder as I turn the dumplings over to brown on the other side.
“Hey Lulu, how’s it going working for Surly Bastard?
” she asks suggestively as I go on and tell her about my day, starting with the whole contract situation.
She, of course, acts accordingly, screaming in shock when I told her my hourly pay rate.
She even joked that if she weren’t pregnant, she’d agree to be a live-in nanny for that pay, but I don’t think that would really fly with LJ if I’m completely honest. Then I tell her all about how I was running late, including pick up, and… about him.
“Ugh, Mace, I swear if I didn’t have Theo in my arms, I wanted to punch him straight in the nose,” I shiver as earlier events replay in my head.
“I’m glad you didn’t; that fucker would’ve liked it,” she adds. Then there’s a moment of silence before we both mutter the word “Ewwwww,” then burst into laughter.
“No, but seriously, what are the odds of running into him, my first day on the job? Honestly, Mace, I wanted to bolt the second I saw him,” I mumble, sticking out my tongue, faking a gag.
“I can’t believe that fucking asshole has a job. You should have asked him how his one remaining testicle was treating him?” she teases in an evil tone, showing she was curious about her handiwork. The testicle story isn’t for the faint-hearted.
Macy is in the middle of reminiscing about that very day when she achieved revenge on my behalf, when I heard a set of keys turning through the front door.
“Surly Bastard’s home, and I’m not supposed to be on my phone, call you later, bye!” I impressively manage to say within the same breath, then hang up, shoving my phone in the pocket of my leggings, take a breath and turn to reach for the set of bowls to start plating the food.
“I’m home.” Those are the words that travel through the house as I hear the door shut. Seconds later, Theo bolts down the stairs and judging by the ‘Oof’ I hear not long after, he crashes into his dad the same way he did with me earlier, which oddly made me smile.
Oliver Walters may be a grump of a bear to everyone, but the spot he has for Theo made me think he wasn’t all icy-hearted and fur-coated after all; there has to be a soft underbelly in there somewhere.
The sound of the two of them conversing carries all the way through the house until they reach me in the kitchen.
Prepare for awkward impact.
As I finish plating the food, he holds Theo in his arms as we stare at one another in suffocating silence. Unable to be sure I can speak without putting my foot in my mouth, I just turn back to the stove and add myself an extra spoonful of food for courage to get through the rest of this evening.
“Hello, Luna,” Oliver calls, his deeply rich yet silky-smooth voice bouncing off the kitchen walls and into my ears. I spin around a little too quickly.
“Oh, heey Oliver, didn’t see you there.” I squeal awkwardly, flicking the spoon in my hand upwards, causing blotches of rice to fly around the room, including a small portion of it to stick to the ceiling.
“Sorry! I’ll clean that up, I promise.” I wince, putting the spoon down and hurrying to pick up the few grains of rice off the floor. “Hope you’re hungry!” I add, looking up from my squatted position. Why is it that most of my interactions with this man end with me on my knees?
“Theo, honey, go wash your hands for me; dinner is ready!” I say softly.
“Yay, dinner! I can add another gold star to my chart.” Theo cheers, leaving Oliver and me alone in the kitchen.
“Let me just get Theo sorted, and then I’ll head back in to do yours,” I politely explain with a smile, as I straighten up and pick up Theo’s bowl along with the small plate of dumplings to take them to the dining room.
“No need, I still have a lot of work to do, so I will eat later on, if that’s alright,” Oliver replies, glancing at the food I’m holding, then back at me, staring at me intensely.
“What? Do you not like dumplings?” I prompt, wondering if he was like his son, a picky eater in need of his very own food chart because he could be the type to turn his nose up at new-smelling foods.
He doesn’t say anything but slowly stalks over to me. The heels of his expensive smart shoes click and clack against the tiles until he reaches me, staring at me with those ever-changing chocolate orbs of his and raises a hand.
I half expect him to slap the tray out of my hand and declare he won’t eat a single bite of this trash, yet another unwanted memory I was reliving today.
But I shove that back down and resist the urge to flinch as his hand moves closer towards me, and I close my eyes.
Bracing, the tray hit the floor, but instead, the pads of his finger brush my cheek, and I open my eyes again. He steps away.
“You had a piece of Kimchi stuck to your cheek,” he reveals, revealing the bite-sized piece of kimchi between his fingertips.
Then, without another word, he walks away and heads down the hall towards his office. It isn’t until I hear a door close and Theo comes running back down the stairs that I realise something.
How the hell did he know what Kimchi was??
Maybe Oliver Walters isn’t as uncultured as I originally thought.