28. You should have a uniform.

Elena.

We were able to sort the bullying case with Mia and now, she started see me in a different light than she did before. She even asks about my night, day and how I am doing whenever she sees it.

Progress. Baby steps.

I had been feeling some type of way about how I had shouted and yelled at the alpha during the incident with Mia. I didn't know what to do, how to apologize nor how to even start to say I was sorry for how I had yelled at him even though he actually deserved it. Hence, instead of doing any of things, I exchanged little to no words with him unless it was highly necessary.

I remained seated just before the kids extra lessons with Sofia and while they ate, I sat with them, only Sofia was with us. Mrs Cali and Camila was out on a personal endeavor for some hours.

While we ate, Diego suddenly spoke while eating, despite having been corrected not to do this several times, "uh... Ms. Elena, why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

The fish nearly fell out of my mouth. “What?” I ask, shocked at the suddenness of this question.

“You don’t have a boyfriend,” he repeated. I was not sure if it was supposed to be an insult but it sure felt like one.

“How do you even know that?”

“Because you’re always with us.”

Well, that’s true. Even though I have Sundays off according to my job rules, I never use them outside the house, I never visit anywhere alone, never. That's just like leaving the umbrella I was under and going outside to look for danger intentionally.

“I could have a boyfriend, you can never tell."

“But you don’t, I am sure that you don't. Why is that? No boyfriend. No husband.”

“Jeez, Diego,” I told him, frowning as I munch on my food. “A woman can be without a man, dear or haven’t you ever heard of an independent woman before?”

“No I have not,” he said earnestly. “The nanny before you, she had a husband. We saw him once. He had candy in his pockets and would always give us some but he is old, the one before her had a boyfriend too, they all had people. You have no one. We never see anyone of your friends too."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and I took a quick glance at Sofia who was simply acting like whatever they were talking about was not getting through to her ears.

“Did you even ever have a boyfriend?” Diego pestered as he continued to really push the subject. He almost sounded like a mother trying to know about her daughter's personal life.

Without bothering to wait for my response, he continued, “ Have you ever been kissed like my mommy and daddy do?"

I sighed in defeat, knowing that I just had to satisfy the curiosity of the little boy, kids can be so random. “I have uhm... never had a boyfriend but I have been kissed, but it's just probably not like your mommy and daddy,” I said to him.

Diego looked disgusted. I have been kissed a lot tho, a lot." I added with emphasis for more effect and he nearly turned green causing me to chuckle. Imagine asking questions and getting disgusted at the answer you get. Kids.

He went silent only for a few seconds before he then spoke again “Maybe you’ll get married. One day. To a prince."

“Oh, maybe you’ll get married to daddy!”

I’m in the middle of drinking sparkling orange juice when he said this and I completely spit it out in a spray across the table, narrowly missing everyone on the table. This reaction earned me a very harsh glare from Sofia and an eyeroll from Mia.

“I’m so sorry,” I quickly said as I frantically grabbed a napkin and wipped my mouth, hand and the table. I was still trying not look like what Diego had just proposed hadn't in anyway affected me but of course, Diego who didn't see anything wrong with what he was saying continued.

“And remember that you promised to never leave me so it will make it easier because if you marry him, you wouldn’t have to move and you could be with us always.”

“Diego!" Mia said sharply, glaring at her baby brother. “Dad isn’t going to marry anyone. Ever. Okay? Mom is our mother, no one else is and no one else will ever be.” She said sternly, that it almost sounded like a warning.

"I'm done with my food, Ms Sofia." Diego announced as he got off his chair at the same time that Sofia was packing the plates into the sink.

Diego then giggled. “I must play hide and seek with you later. There are so many hiding spots, you’ll never ever find me.” He said to me.

“Diego,” Mia chided him quietly. “You know what happened last time.”

“What happened last time?” I asked, looking at the plated on the sink and wondering if I should just offer to wash them so Sofia could go tutor the kids.

“I hid so well, it took them days to find me,” Diego said proudly.

“It was a few hours,” Mia corrected him with a shake of her head. “And it was enough to make the former nanny cry when she couldn’t find you. You must promise you won’t do that to Ms. Elena here.”

Diego merely laughed as he was guided to the lecture room by Sofia while Mia followed behind.

I walked into the kitchen to wash the plates and clean the kitchen before the cleaners arrived, since I had nothing to do.

Where did they go?” A familiar voice said from behind me, and I whirlrd around to see Mr. Deangelo standing there and eating cranberry apple pie from a plate in his hand, leaning against the doorframe.

Again, I’m struck by how casual this seems. He keeps vacillating between being an all powerful alpha and a regular guy. One that eats pie for lunch. Even though he was still an imposing figure with his large, tall frame in a sharp grey suit with a white dress shirt underneath, and his hair perfectly arranged, there was something about him that seemed more real.

His features seemed less sharp and when his eyes were focused on me, all the ice and chill seemed to drain from them a little, becoming something warm and bright. I didn’t think it was possible for him to get more handsome, but there you have it.

“She’s taking them upstairs. Apparently, I get my private time right now.” I responded and he didn’t say anything to that, he just calmly forked a piece of pie into his mouth and chewed, his eyes never leaving my face.

I couldn't help but wonder if Diego's voice had been loud enough for him to have heard every of our conversation minutes ago, heat creeps to my cheeks in embarrassment and I inwardly cringe and hope that he didn't hear any of that embarrassing moments.

We stayed silent for a moment as the air buzzed between us, and if I was not mistaken, even he seemed a little nervous too… or maybe that was just because I was nervous enough for the both of us.

I swallowed, feeling extra awkward. “So, uh, I think I’ll go to my room and get myself organized.”

He nodded and I turn to leave, not wanting to get trapped in his vibe, when he says, “I'm thinking that you should have a uniform.”

I halted instantly and looked at him over my shoulder, confusion imprinted on my face, “A uniform?”

“Yes,” he said, his eyes dropping to my legs again and back up. “I’ll have Luca give you some money— we’ll cover the expense. You can wear it just as the chef does.” His voice dropped as he spears his pie again.

"I... uh... I do not think that I need a uniform, Alpha. Nobody wears uniforms around here, wouldn't it be off for me to have one." I manged to let out.

"I just said that the chef does?" He said sternly almost like he was daring me to speak out of turn.

"That is an apron sir. Not a uniform?"

"A uniform still? Where do you get these dresses, do you not think they are too short to be worn around a house that has so many people roaming in it." He finally said his problem which was my short outfit, one that was given to me by Camila of course.

"Oh... uh... I'm sorry sir. These gowns are all I have, they are gifts from Camila. I have nothing else to wear because I didn't come here with any..."

"Okay... I'll have Luca take you and Camila out shopping and this time, I hope you buy dresses that don't have your whole body out like this." He simply said and then he disappeared leaving me wondering what the hell had just happened.