“I’m sure it’s not a bother. Right, Benne?” Celsie asked with a smile, and then stepped back to jab his side with her elbow, asking him to say something.
Benne cleared his throat, “Yeah, it’s fine. We will be leaving now,” Benne said, and then looked at Jamal, “Feel free to run around the house,” he told the kid before walking past them, leaving Celsie to hurry after him.
“You are a terrible host. You sounded so unwelcoming,” Celsie pointed out quietly as they both walked down the stairs.
“Jade said I wasn’t going to notice that they were in the house. She said they were going to be invisible. What part of what happened was invisible to you?” Benne asked with a slightly raised brow.
“Well, maybe not so invisible. But he is only a little boy. I’m sure you know first hand how boys can be around that age.”
“And that’s the reason I gave him the go-ahead to run around the house. I have no problem with the kid. I would be a complete douchebag to have an issue with a kid, wouldn’t I?”
“So you have a problem with the mother?” Celsie asked, but before he could respond, the butler interrupted them.
“Good morning, Benne! It’s good to see that you’re back to looking… Decent,” the butler greeted with a wide smile as he approached them, and Benne could only imagine how eager he was to tattle to his mother.
“Good morning, Miss! It’s good to see you again,” he told Celsie with the same smile, and her face flushed with embarrassment when she remembered the last time she had met him. He was the one who Benne had said reported everything to his mother. She made a mental note to always be careful around him.
“Good morning, sir,” Celsie greeted with a polite bow.
“Good morning, Adolf. How may I help you?” Benne asked the nosy butler impatiently since they needed to stop by a clothes shop on their way to the office for Celsie to change out of the previous day’s clothes.
“The chef asked me to inform you that breakfast has been served, so you should have a bite before leaving. She was up really early to fix breakfast when she realized that you spent the night here… Especially with company,” Adolf said in a confidential whisper.
“And how did she know that I was home?” Benne asked curiously since the entire house had been silent when they got home, and he had assumed that everyone had gone to bed.
“You should know that nothing goes on under this roof without my knowledge,” The butler said with a smug smile before glancing at Celsie with something akin to amusement, and then he winked at Benne, making Benne chuckle as Celsie’s face flushed with embarrassment. Of course, it was her. She had made so much noise the previous night that it would have been a miracle if no one had heard her.
Seeing how embarrassed she looked, Benne cleared his throat, “You know everything that goes on under my roof, yet you didn’t deem it fit to inform me that guests arrived here unannounced yesterday?” Benne asked with a stern expression, changing the subject so that Celsie wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
Adolf shifted from foot to foot, “I’m sorry, Benne. I wanted to call but…”
“But you chose to listen to my sister against your better judgment?” Benne cut in.
“She said you were already aware, and there was no need to talk to you about it,” Adolf said defensively.
“Is my mother aware that the guests are here?”
“Yes, sir. No. I mean no,” Adolf quickly corrected when he realized his blunder.
“I see you thought it was okay for my mother who doesn’t live here to know about the guests, while you kept it from the house owner. Henceforth, you will receive your paycheck from my mother since she is the one you report to,” Benne threatened before guiding Celsie towards the kitchen, leaving the butler who remained there staring at them speechlessly.
“Wasn’t that a little too harsh?” Celsie asked in a whisper as she turned to look at the man.
“Do you want my mother to hear about all you did last night?” Benne asked, and Celsie shook her head very quickly.
“Good. That would scare him, at least for a couple of days. So he wouldn’t report it to her,” Benne assured her as he led her into his state-of-the-art kitchen.
“Oh, Benne! Good morning,” The matronly chef greeted, coming forward to embrace him, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“You’re so dramatic. You sound like you haven’t seen me in weeks. Yet I was here just two days ago,” Benne reminded her with a fond smile as he hugged her back.
“No, I meant I missed this real you. Not that handsome rascal with those piercings,” Samantha explained, making both Benne and Celsie laugh.
“Meet my girlfriend, Celsie. Celsie, meet Samantha, the face behind those delicious meals you’ve enjoyed,” Benne introduced, and Celsie smiled at her politely.
“Good morning, ma’am. I hope I get to learn a few recipes…” Before she could finish speaking the chef embraced her.
This was the very first time Benne was introducing a lady to him, and she could tell that Benne really loved her, “It’s so good to finally meet you officially. You’re welcome,” she said as she stepped away from Celsie, who was smiling in embarrassment.
“The pleasure is mine. Thank you,” Celsie said politely.
“We are in a hurry right now, so we can’t have breakfast. Have Adolf deliver it to the office. Also, we will be here for the weekend, so you don’t have to worry about missing me,” Benne assured her, and she smiled happily at him.
“I will have dinner ready for you both then, so you don’t have to eat leftovers,” she promised them.
“That will be nice. Have a lovely day, Samantha, and please make sure the guests are comfortable,” Benne added before leading Celsie out of the kitchen.
Once they were both seated in the car and Benne was back to being her driver, Celsie turned to him, “Do you really think that they heard us last night?” She asked with a concerned frown making Benne chuckle as he started the car.
“Not us. You. They heard you. When you decided to be naughty at the dining table, what did you expect?” Benne asked, making Celsie’s face color with embarrassment.
“It was that damned alcohol,” she groaned in embarrassment as she raised both hands to cover her face, making Benne laugh out loud.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.