Beauty and the Billionaire

Chapter 9

Amy passed her a look: acceptance and frustration.

Claire led her to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"We had a deal," Claire said then as she stopped inside the spacious bathroom with luxurious fittings. She took up a shocking pink toothbrush. She looked around for the toothpaste. "We agreed to not let your grandmother know about our outing yesterday. I can't belive you would betray me."

Amy ignored her.

Claire lifted her up on a small stool so she could see the mirror before the wash hand basin.

She asked Amy to open her mouth.

"I can do it myself," Amy said.

"Sure, ma'am," Claire said. "You have the floor. But if you do not brush your teeth properly enough and your teeth fall off from all the candy you eat, don't call me."

Claire shrugged for effect.

Amy watched her dubiously. She thrust the brush at Claire. "Do it for me."

"Ask nicely," Claire said. "Use the magic word."

"Abra cadabra," Amy said. She thrust the brush at Claire again.

Claire shook her head, not finding it funny at all. "Please," she said. "It's 'please'."

Amy thrust the toothbrush at Claire once again. "Please?"

Claire blinked, surprised that that had come easy. She had to be wary whenever Amy was being cooperative.

She however accepted the brush from her. She gave Amy a thorough brushing and dressed her up. At about seven- thirty, they were down for breakfast.

Mrs Kimberly was coming down at about quarter to eight and she looked quite impressed that Claire had arrived so early and had taken care of Amy and dressed her up on time.

She had breakfast with them. Jayden did not appear at breakfast, but Claire saw him leave. He did not spare her a glance.

Claire took Amy on her salon appointment. Mrs Kimberly had decided that Amy's hair had overgrown and she wanted it shortened and styled. So Claire went with her.

After the salon appointment, Claire and Amy came back to the house. It was around midday and the sun was high in the sky. The house was quiet. There were always cars in the premises, but for some reason, Claire noticed and recognised Jayden's car parked to a side, close to the porch area.

She recognized the brand all too well. It was a black Jaguar car. And she remembered it from that night a few months ago. It was looking as black and sleek as it had looked that night.

As expected, Jayden was in the house when Claire and Amy entered through the double doors. It was surprising that he was back home early. Claire entered the lobby with Amy and her eyes first met Jayden's. He was standing by the foot of the stairs and talking with one of the drivers.

Amy and Claire were going to head to the dining room then to have lunch. Amy complained that she had to ease herself and so they headed for her room which meant they would have to go up the stairs.

By the time they reached the stairs, Jayden had dismissed the driver and stood, hands in suit pants' pockets by the stairs. As Claire and Amy reached him, he moved his gaze down to Amy and the little girl gave a small wave, still sulky from her trip to the salon.

She had cried throughout the process and except that Claire had threatened to report her to her grandmother if she did not cooperate, Amy was ready to struggle with the hairdressers until she ran out of energy.

Claire had thought that the only person truly capable of taking care of Amy very easily was Mrs Kimberly. Amy had a healthy fear for her grandmother despite loving the woman dearly. But Mrs Kimberly was more busy than not during the week days and so Claire was employed to take care of Amy, Claire thought drily.

It seemed with Amy and Claire, it was a matter of tolerance between them. At this point, Amy was too angry at the fact that she'd been coaxed to go to the salon and made to reduce the length of her locks.

"Hi Amy," Jayden said smoothly, eyes on her. Her face was still stained with tear tracks and she still sulked. "What made my little princess cry?"

Claire watched Amy as she sniffed for effect. She cleaned her eyes. "Nanny cut my hair."

Claire looked sincerely surprised at the accusation. She hadn't been the one to order Amy's salon appointment, nor had she been the one to run the scissors through the little girl's hair.

"Oh did she?" Jayden asked Amy.

"I miss my hair," Amy said as though some important part of her had been severed.

"Your hair is nicer and more manageable this way," Claire informed her. "Your bangs were overgrown. This is best."

Amy did not look convinced. She wanted to say something.

"And anyways, your grandmother wants this, so there's little you can do about it," Claire said. "Or should I tell your grandmother that you're discontent?"

Amy quieted instantly. She acknowledged Claire's emotional blackmail and dropped the topic, drying her tears. "I need to use the bathroom, nanny," she said quickly as she headed upstairs.

Claire made to go after her when Jayden's voice stopped her.

"Babysitter," Jayden said.

Claire turned to him. "Claire," she corrected, snapping. She watched Amy rush over the stairs and reach the landing.

"I hope you take this job very seriously," Jayden said. "I can see you're desperate to keep this job. My mother has qualms about keeping you employed. You'd better step up, else you might lose this job. You know you still owe me a windscreen."

"You have an okay windscreen," Claire snapped. "You couldn't have left it unfixed that long. You didn't."

"You still have to pay me, remember?" Jayden said. "I never forgave you. You still owe me. And if you would take your job a little bit more seriously, my mother won't consider firing you. You're walking on thin ice. I won't interfere to save you again."

Claire did not dwell on the fact that Mrs Kimberly had considered firing her and he had interfered. He was still a jerk as far as she was concerned.

"Well it's not my fault you have a problematic niece, is it?" Claire snapped back, annoyed. She stopped then, watching Jayden's intense gaze turn on her at her words.

"Good. You have a sharp-tongue," Jayden commented. "Why don't you exercise it with your employer? But you're such a hypocrite."

Claire watched him steadily.

"What, you think I didn't know? That I wouldn't know how difficult it is to take care of my own niece?" Jayden asked. "Do you know how many babysitters Amy has been through in just two weeks since she started to stay with us only recently? I could have asked my mother to reject you for the job. It would have been easy. It would have been satisfying. I would have done it because you are cocky and impudent and you needed to be taught a lesson. But I didn't."

He stopped as he turned to the upstairs landing of the grand stairs. Amy was out of sight, long gone.

" I didn't," Jayden repeated. "It's because taking care of her is an even better and more satisfying punishment than denying you this job." He paused as a small smile tugged his lips. "You're just getting started. I hope your heart does not break easily."

Claire stared at him in surprise and annoyance. "I cannot believe you could be this petty, " she said.

"The truth is, you don't know me," Jayden replied. "That was carelessness on your part. If you knew me, you wouldn't mess with me; would have thought twice before doing what you did."

Claire scowled at him as he headed for the double doors. A noise from upstairs jarred her from the thoughts she sunk into. It was Amy. Claire dashed upstairs to see what the little girl was up to.