When the Night Falls

JASMINE

Flower, wake

bunking my eyes open. I saw Thea’s shining face leaning over me

“Morum. Then,” I mumbled, sitting up against my sheets. My head was pounding, which wasn’t surprising Aher all, I hardly got any sleep last night.

“As Its is angry. She wants you to get up” Then Informed me, looking nervously at my closed

A moment later, her words were confirmed. I heard a pounding on my door, followed by Iris’s cl*pped voice, “Ms. Cilsson, are you planning on laying in bed all day? You have a job, you know.”

I groaned, glancing down at my alarm clock. It was only 9:30.

“It’s Naturday,” I grumbled into my pillow, causing Thea to giggle.

“Let’s do something fun today, Flower,” she said, prodding me on the shoulder.

“Oh yeah?” I asked, raising my head from the pillow, “Like what?”

“Like decorate my room? We can get the maids to get decorations and make it Frozen-themed!” she invented hopefully

“What if we went out to get the decorations ourselves?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. Poor Theat never got to go be a normal kid, and I needed a break from this house. After what happened last night with Theodore, I needed to think about something else for a while.

“Really? We can Thea’s lace lit up like a firework, and I had to chuckle at her excitement.

“Of course,” I

I chuckled, but my words were drowned out by renewed pounding on my door from Iris. “Let’s go clear it with Ms. Sunshine and Datstes first.”

I climbed out of bed and pulled on some clothes before walking to the door and opening it to reveal fis’s glowering fee.

“Good morning. Iris,” I said, plastering the biggest smile on my face that I could muster. “Thea and I are off to buy decorations for her room.”

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3:06 Wed, 24 Jan GO

tried to keep the smirk from my face as I watched Iris’s expression go from annoyance to arprise.

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You most certainly are not. That is out of the question,” she said coldly. I just smiled sweetly.

Let’s go see what Mr. Jefferson thinks, shall we?” I said. Then, without waiting for a reply. Thea nd I took off down the hallway.

We found Theodore in the dining room, sipping his coffee and reading the paper. The sight of him nearly took my breath away. How was he so perfectly put together after the long night we ust had?

‘Morning, Mr. Jefferson,” I said. He glanced up at us, giving us a small smile.

“Thea and I want to go to buy decorations for her room,” I announced. “I saw online that there’s a Disney store in London, and I think Thea deserves a treat.”

At that moment, Iris appeared behind us, smirking as she leaned against the doorframe. It couldn’t be plainer that she thought Theodore was about to put us in our place.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Theodore said, turning back to his paper.

Thea looked crestfallen, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily.

“Mr. Jefferson,” I said pointedly. He grunted in response but didn’t look up. So I tried again.

“Theodore!”

The word seem to shock him into surprise. He looked up at me suddenly, while Iris looked livid.

I stared at Theodore, then moved my eyes pointedly down towards Thea, who still looked like. Christmas had been canceled. When Theodore’s gaze landed on his daughter’s, his face softened.

“Oh, alright,” he conceded. “You can go to the Disney store. But you’re taking Sherry with your for protection.”

Thea jumped up and down, then seemed to remember her manners. “Thank you, Daddy,” unable to keep the massive smile on her face.

“You’re welcome.” Theodore said, his gaze moving from Thea to me.

Then he winked at me.

****

“Is this all Frozen stuff?” Thea asked, her jaw practically hitting the floor.

She, Sherry, and I were standing in the middle of the massive Disney Experience Store near Hyde Park.

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I looked over at Sherry, surprised. “Why’s that?”

“Well, none of the other nannies could convince Mr. Jefferson that Thea deserves to be a normal kid sometimes. Not until you. You seem to have the magic touch with him.”

I felt my face heating up and turned away from Sherry’s gaze. Thankfully, I was saved from having to answer her question by a wh oop from Thea as she noticed a bicycle with Olaf the Snowman all over it. She ran over to it as fast as her little legs could carry.

“Be careful,” I called after her. Sherry and I followed at a distance, letting Thea have her fun.

“So, how long have you been working for Mr. Jefferson?” I asked conversationally.

“About five years. I’m from Brazil, but I have always interested in Britain and private security. I was with the Rio De Janeiro police for a while, but when this job came up, I knew I just had to take it. What about you?”

I told her about my job as a chef and about Mr. Hobbs and then how Mr. Jefferson had found me at my worst moment. Finally, we came to the offer, and how I accepted it so I could use the mansion’s grand kitchen.

“I’d love to try your cooking sometime,” Sherry said excitedly. “Do you cook for Mr. Jefferson?”

The smile faltered from my face as I remembered last night. Why didn’t he try my pork tenderloin?

“Not yet,” I said, hitching the smile back on my face.

“I don’t blame you,” chuckled Sherry. “He’s pretty intimidating if you ask me.”

I watched Thea test riding the Olaf bike with the supervision of the store clerk.

“Actually, he’s pretty sweet,” I said after a few moments. “He’s just… I mean, you just have to get to know him. He puts up a lot of walls, and he doesn’t like to open up to people. But under the surface, he’s actually a big teddy bear.”

I blushed suddenly when I realized that I’d just said that out loud. I turned to Sherry, who had a massive smirk on her face. “Oooooh, seems like someb*dy’s got a crush,” she teased.

I gave her a playful nudge in the ribs.

“As if,” I chuckled.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my jeans as I received a text.

Theodore

13:06 Wed, 24 Jan GO

Theodore

We’re having dinner out tonight.

Theodore

Bring Thea and Sherry to L es Royaux Vivants at 8 pm.

Jasmine Oooooooh French.

Jasmine.

we’ll be there 😉

Le s Royaux Vivants wasn’t just any French restaurant. It was as if King Louis se decided to start selling hundred-dollar plates of Ratatouille out of the banquet hall of Versailles.

As we stepped into the brand, gold-trimmed restaurant, my jaw hit the floor faster than Thea’s did in the Disney store.

The waitress led us to our table, where Theodore was already waiting.

As always, he looked like he’d stepped right out of a Cologne billboard in his crisp shirt with his perfectly groomed head of hair.

“Good evening, Mr. Jefferson,” I said as we reached the table. Sherry caught my eye over Theodore’s head as she sat down across from me.

“Hey, Daddy, thanks for having dinner with us,” Thea said as soon as she sat down. “I didn’t believe it when Flower told me. But it’s true. You wanted to eat with us. I’m so excited. And Flower and I got so much at the Disney store today. Elsa blankets and snow wallpaper and an Olaf bike, and Daddy, the place was so huge, and….

“Take a breath, Thea,” I chuckled. She gave me a sheepish smile and paused to gulp water.

I noticed Theodore was smiling at her like I’d never seen before. She didn’t usually behave like

this, it seemed.

“Well,” Theodore said with a small smirk. “I guess Flower and you have made a great start designing your new room.”

“We have,” Then said proudly.

“Maybe next, we’ll design your room,” I smirked at him. “I know it needs it.”

Our eyes met across the table briefly, and I could see that familiar, hungry expression in them for just a moment. Then it was gone.

At that moment, the restaurant’s door opened, and two large men walked in from the street.

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It was Mr. Hobbs and one of the other chefs at my old job. His name might have been Jonothan.

My fists clenched as I saw those familiar beady green eyes and the wicked grin on his sharp, cruel face as he nodded in agreement to whatever Jonathan was saying. How was he here?

I sunk down low in my seat, hoping he wouldn’t see me. Too late.

No sooner had they stepped into the room than Mr. Hobbs’ eyes swiveled around to lock with mine as if he had some kind of pe rv radar. I felt my mouth go dry.

The evil grin on Mr. Hobbs face grew wider, and he pushed past the maître d’ and made a beeline for me.

“Sh it,” I muttered. Theodore’s head turned from the menu to glare at me instantly. But when he saw the look on my face, his expression changed.

“What is it?” But before I could explain, Mr. Hobbs had reached us.

He came around to me and laid his fingers on my shoulders. I saw Theodore’s eyes flare furiously at that.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous,” Mr. Hobbs said smoothly. His fingers caressed my shoulders as he spoke. “I’ve been missing our mornings together.”

I wanted to tell him to f uck off. I wanted to call him a creep and assure him I’d never be spending another second with him, no matter what time of day. But I couldn’t seem to move at all. Theodore, Thea, and Sherry were all staring at me in surprise.

Just then, Mr. Hobbs leaned down. He whispered in a carrying voice that everyone could hear, “I’m still here if you ever want to reconsider my offer.”

Suddenly, there was a loud scraping sound as Theodore shoved his chair backward and stood up, glaring at Mr. Hobbs.

“If I were you, I’d stand up and walk away. Now,” he said dryly.

Mr. Hobbs stood up and raised an eyebrow at Theodore, a slight sneer playing on his face. “And what if I don’t want to, Mr. Jefferson?”

A shiver went down my spine. Mr. Hobbs knew who Theodore was, and he still wasn’t afraid. “It would be such a pity if your restaurant happened to be investigated by the health inspector,” Theodore’s voice was as cold as ice. “I’m a very connected man, Mr. Hobbs.

This seemed to finally scare Mr. Hobbs. His hands jumped off my shoulder as quickly as if he’d been burned.

“I’m still there, darling,” he said, running a careless hand through my neatly combed hair. Then he turned and marched back to the maître d’.

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“I’m still there, darling,” he said, running a careless hand through my neatly combed hair. Then he turned and marched back to the maître d’.

For a moment, there was silence at the table. Thea looked confused. Sherry had a tense expression, glancing between Theodore and me. And Theodore… His face showed abject fury.

Finally, he spoke with a crisp, businesslike voice. He seemed to be forcing himself to stay calm.

“Ms. Gibson, come with me, please.”

Feeling my heart thundering in my chest, I stood up and allowed Theodore to lead me throught the restaurant. He threw open the door to the kitchen like it was nothing.

He led me past the mass of shouting cooks, and I was too nervous to admire the glistening kitchen around me.

Finally, Theodore wrenched open the door to the walk-in freezer. Then he stepped aside for me

to enter.

I shivered as the icy air hit my skin. Theodore followed me inside and closed the door behind him.

and I could see the anger in his eyes.

The moment we were alone, he rounded on me, and I could see the

“What is your relationship to that man? Explain. Now.”

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