The Chauffeur

Episode 13

Celeste's POV

Rade and I weren't talking. Well, I wasn't talking to him, and he hadn't put up much of a fight about it. I wished his hurtful words didn't get to me. But they had.

My job isn't to make friends. My job is to take you wherever you and your daughter need to go. And to get you there safely.

That's what he had told me. At first, I thought he was a grump who only knew how to answer with vague, one word responses. But it turns out that he's a grump who only knew how to answer with vague, one word responses and just doesn't like me.

I don't want or need friends.

I could still hear the harshness of his words and see the hard, uninterested expression he gave me through the rear-view mirror.

I didn't attempt to start up a conversation or even greet him anymore. I didn't so much as crack a smile whenever he came to pick me and Everly up. I simply gave him what he wanted. Which was a client. And nothing more.

So when he came by my place, I didn't invite him inside like I had before. I let him sit out in the heat. Only friends are allowed in my house.

I was seated on the couch with a book in my hand. I was halfway through the romance novel as I didn't have many plans today.

I'd just finished another chapter, my day consisting of nothing more than my interest in the love story between the two characters in my book. In the midst of starting the next chapter, I couldn't stop thinking about Rade.

It's been a few hours, and as much as I've tried to focus on reading, I can't. At least not as long as I would have liked. I slid my bookmark into the book before closing it and getting up.

I left the book on the couch as I stealthily made my way into the foyer to look out the window. Rade was exactly where I thought he'd be. Jacket-less, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and his attention trained on the machinery under the hood of the car.

He's always doing routine checks like he's expecting something to be out of order. It seemed like a bore. I'm sure there were far more interesting things he could be doing with his free time.

Though I suppose it is his job to make sure the vehicle is in mint condition at all times. God forbid it break down in the middle of nowhere or a bomb blows it up.

I was still staring out the window, watching him work while the sun beat down on him as I couldn't look away. Even under the sun's heat, he looked beautiful.

I squealed when my phone started ringing. Loudly. His head shot in my direction and I ducked my head.

Oh, s**t. He totally saw me. It's like he has f*****g super hearing.

My heart pounding in my chest, I crawled away from the window before taking off back to the living room. Seeing that it was Andi who had called me, I answered the phone.

"Hey, boo. Why are you breathing so hard?"

"I just ran up a flight of stairs," I lied quickly. "What's up?"

"Oh, okay. Well, I was wondering if I could pick up Everly from school? Zoe wants to have another sleepover. Is that okay with you? I know it's a school night."

"No, it's perfectly fine."

Sam has his office party tonight. So having Everly spend the night at Andi's saves me the trouble of having to find a babysitter. Especially because I was going to ask Andi anyway.

"Okay. So, how's your hot Chauffeur? Are you two still not talking?"

After Rade had basically told me that he didn't want anything to do with me, and that friendship wasn't an option for us, I called Andi that day and told her what happened.

She likes the grumpy, mean, mysterious guys, -even though Reuben is the exact opposite- so she didn't advise me to fire him like I had wanted her to. Instead, she had chuckled and said something about how much hotter his attitude had made him.

Personally, I didn't see it. As a matter of fact, I felt his attitude took away from his attractiveness.

"We haven't said a single word to each other."

"In three weeks?" Andi questioned in surprise. "All that tension, I would say f**k it out. But you're married and he's I don't even know. Is he dating anyone?"

"I don't know, or care."

"Someone that good looking is usually taken." She started having her own side conversation with her husband, wondering what he thought. "What do you think, babe? You think Celeste's hot Chauffeur is taken?"

Neither one has actually met Rade. I'd managed to get a picture of him when he wasn't looking and sent it to Andi. Ever since she saw what he looked like, she's been dying to meet him. Of course, I wouldn't dare let her anywhere near him knowing her mouth. She has no filter.

"Hell yeah," I heard Reuben reply in the background, his voice faint like he was in an entirely different room than Andi.

"See," Andi said, directing her attention back to me.

I don't know why she was telling me. I could care less about Rade's love life. And as rude as he is, I doubt anyone would want to be in a relationship with a guy like him.

"Anyway," I said, wanting to change the subject. "Tell Everly that I love her."

"I got you."

After talking with Andi, I took the time that I would've spent leaving to go get Everly to get ready for tonight.

For my makeup, I had a smoky eye and a red lip that I thought went well with the black ruched one shoulder I was wearing. I paired it with a black gladiator heel, diamond drop earrings and a matching necklace that made me feel expensive.

I not only looked good, but I felt good.

Sam got home right around the time I was applying one last coat of red lipstick. He changed out of his work clothes and into a simple black and white suit and tie. He didn't say a word about my appearance. He only asked about Everly.

"She's at Andi's for a sleepover."

"Oh," was all he said.

He was fixing the cuff links on his sleeve, prompting me to clear my throat. He looked up and I smiled, giving him a small pose. "How do I look? Good, right?"

"Mhm," he said, bringing his attention back to his sleeves.

I frowned. "Sam, look at me."

He sighed, his blue gaze back on me. "You asked me if you looked good and I gave you my answer. So what's the issue?"

"Forget it."

I turned and walked out, grabbing my purse along the way. I don't know what has gotten into him lately, but I don't like it. This isn't the Sam I fell in love with and married.

Now I know people change, but it's like he doesn't care. He's a totally different person. A stranger to be more specific.

Not wanting my husband's failure to properly compliment his wife to ruin tonight, I decided to suck it up and put a smile on my face. Walking out the front door, I paused when I saw Rade leaned against the car with his arms crossed over his chest.

He pushed himself off the car, dropping his arms when he saw me. He had this look in his stormy eyes. I wasn't sure what it was as they slowly raked over my body, but it had heat blossoming on my cheeks.

We still weren't talking. And I had to remind myself often that this three week long silent treatment was still happening, despite the urge to open my mouth every time he was near. Most of the time I wasn't saying anything important. I just wanted to make conversation.

And I wanted to hear his voice.

I did my best to pretend like his eyes on me didn't make my insides all warm and fuzzy. And that the heat pooling between my thighs had nothing to do with him.

I had been waiting for him to open the door. And when he made no move to do so, I rolled my eyes and attempted to reach for the door handle only for him to side step and completely block the door with his body.

I slowly lift my gaze to his. "What are you doing? Either open the door for me or move."

"You're talking to me now?" He questioned, still staring down at me in the same way he had when he first saw me.

"No."

His lips lift, the gesture so subtle and quick that I almost miss it. "You're talking to me right now," he challenged, that accent of his making my cheeks flush.

"That's because you're in my way."

I can smell the cologne on him. It's an intoxicating scent that I find myself needing more of. I manage to keep my expression neutral to avoid giving myself away.

I didn't think he was going to move until he stepped out of the way, opening my door in the process. I sat down and placed my purse on my lap.

He was taller than the door and had to duck down, my heart racing when his eyes settled on my lips. "Ómorfi," he murmured in a language I didn't understand. I think it was Greek.

"What does that mean?"

He looked like he was going to tell me, and probably would have if Sam's appearance hadn't torn his gaze from me. He stepped away from the door as Sam joined me in the backseat.

I kept my eyes on Rade, watching him shut the door and walk to the driver's side. His stormy gray eyes were back on me. He didn't break eye contact, even as he spoke to Sam. "Where to, sir?"

It was becoming more and more difficult for me to breathe. I don't know what it was about Rade that had my body reacting in such odd, uncontrollable ways, but I knew that it wasn't something I should be feeling at all.

I think Sam gave him the address. I wasn't too sure. I wasn't really listening to anything he was saying. Not when Rade's storm gray eyes were fixated on me and only me. If only I knew what ómorfi meant.