Chapter 31: Compliment

I sleep over, again. We decide that we'll go to my house tomorrow morning before school so I can get my backpack and change (he says I can keep his clothes. I try to refuse, but he won't let me. I don't think I'll wear them to school anytime soon, though, just because he's a high profile character and I don't want to be associated with him in that way).

So, on Monday morning, I wake up for the third time in a row in a giant bed, wearing his clothes, to a knock on the door.

"Come in," I call quietly, still feeling awkward about it since it isn't actually my room at all.

He opens the door, comes in, and quietly closes it behind him. He crosses the room to the bed and sits on the edge of it, smirking at me a little. I blush and pull the covers up a little more.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he whispers, which leads me to assume that he's trying not to wake his parents up, wherever they sleep. "Why are you pulling the covers so high up? Are you naked?"

My entire face goes red. "No!" I whisper hiss, and he smirks even more.

"Whatever you say..." he gives me a suggestive look, and my face feels even hotter than before. I push down the covers an inch or so so that he can see that I'm definitely not naked (I would never sleep naked in someone else's bed) and he goes back to smirking.

"Don't worry, I didn't actually think you were naked. That doesn't seem like something you'd do. Anyways, one of my parents washed your clothes sometime yesterday and packed them up for you along with your homework- honestly, sometimes I think they have nothing to do. I'm going to go make breakfast, so you get dressed and do whatever else you need to do before we go. Try to be quiet, my parents aren't awake yet. And though they definitely wouldn't get mad at you if you did wake them up, they would also not go back to sleep in favour of fussing excessively and telling me to drive safely for your sake if not mine."

I smile a little at the idea of his parents telling him to drive safely for me. "That might not be so bad."

He smirks a little. "Don't worry, I'll stick to my promise and drive almost like a normal person. Though, I'll bet after sitting in a car with my dad driving, you're craving the excitement."

"I wouldn't use the word 'craving'. That implies that I want you to drive like a lunatic."

He gives me a rakish grin. "Don't worry, I won't judge you for admitting it. But I should go down and start on breakfast. Do you like omelettes?"

"I'm sure I'll like anything you make, after that salmon last night."

His smirk softens a little to become more of a genuine smile. "Don't think that complimenting me will make me tease you any less."

"Aw, rats."

He snorts and stands up, starting towards the door.

"Wait. Name?"

"Noah."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me stay over, Noah."

He grins. "Anytime, Todd."

I watch him leave, finding an automatic smile on my face.

I get dressed in some of his less expensive looking clothes (everything is such high quality, it's nearly impossible) and go downstairs. He hears me come in and gives me a small smirk.

"Here. I took the liberty of assuming you like cheese and bacon."

"I'd hope so, after that grilled cheese."

He smirks and slides a plate across the counter to me, then slides another one a little to my right, where he usually sits, and I stop the plate before it goes off the edge of the counter. He doesn't seem to notice.

Once he's cleaned up (or at least put everything in the sink to soak) he comes over and sits beside me. I haven't started on my omelette yet, because I was taught never to start eating until the host has taken the first bite. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"You could've started."

"I wanted to wait for you. You made it for me, after all."

He rolls his eyes (smiling a little bit) and takes a bit of his omelette. I follow suit. Not surprisingly, it's amazing. The cheese is melty, the bacon is crunchy, the egg is perfectly cooked, and whatever herbs he's used are just right to bring out all the flavours.

"This is incredible," I tell him after I've swallowed. "So good. You should be a chef."

"You're just saying that because you're polite."

"I'm not. If I was just saying it to be polite, I would smile and tell you it tastes great and thank you so much for making me breakfast. Oh- thank you, by the way."

He's grinning now. "Don't worry about it. I like cooking."

"You're good at it."

He snorts a little and finishes his omelette. "Complimenting me still won't get me to stop teasing you less."

"It seems to be working so far."

"For right now. Oh, and your bag is there." He points to a small cloth bag leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.

"Alright. If you think of it later, would you thank your parents for me?"

"Sure. Done?"

I take my last bite of omelette and stand up, trying to quietly push my stool in before grabbing the bag and following him to the front door. He opens it and holds it for me, then closes it behind us.

We get into his purple convertible, and he starts it before pulling out of his house's driveway onto the road and practically flooring it.

"This is driving like a normal person?!" I yell at him over the wind. He flashes me a toothy grin and slows down.

"Wanted to get away from my house fast so the engine wouldn't bother my parents too much. And I said I'd drive almost like a normal person. I wouldn't deprive you of my thrilling driving."

I scoff, and he smirks.

"You admitted to thrilling, after we tested this car. You can't deny it. I've been preserving that memory."

"I'd prefer safe over thrilling."

"I'm safe. I'm alive, aren't I?"

"That's not a very good measure."

He waves a hand. "You're so nit-picky."

"Keep your hands on the wheel!"

"See what I mean?" He's grinning now. "Honestly, I would let you drive- it'd probably be a lot easier- if you had your license. Do you at least have your probationary?"

"Class 7."

"I'm 18. So you could drive, actually."

"Do you have a Full Class 5, or a Class 5- GDL?"

He scowls. "I'm only like, a month away."

"Then no, I couldn't drive, because you don't count as a fully licensed driver who can accompany a learner. And I definitely don't want to drive this car." I'm hardly comfortable driving with the car we have at home. I mean, I practice with it regularly, for the sake of being able to say I've been driving for a few years, but it's still terrifying to know that the thing I'm controlling with a few pedals and a steering wheel could actually kill someone.

"Fine, then. Here." He pulls up into my driveway. "Are your parents home? Oh- right, and I should pay you, too."

"You don't need to," I say before I can stop myself. He looks at me, surprised.

"What about your parents?"

"Right." I avert my gaze, uncomfortable. I don't like taking his money. I enjoy spending time with him, and I chose to stay at his house- it's unfair to accept what's essentially charity. Almost 6 grand, in fact. "No- I- don't. Don't." I shake my head. "I can't accept it."

"Todd. I don't want your parents to get pissed. The note said you'd get paid."

"Noah..." I meet his eyes helplessly. "I can't. It's not fair. I chose to stay at your house."

"I wanted you to. And we were supposedly working on a project, yeah? Your parents will be suspicious and probably won't let you leave the house again if you don't come back with payment."

"It doesn't feel like payment if I wasn't even contributing to your project for more than, what, an hour or so?"

He swallows, looking away. "You stayed on Saturday. You more than earned that money."

I wait for a moment or two. I can tell that this isn't a topic he usually talks about. "But that much money feels like charity, Noah. And I can't accept that."

"Is it the amount, then? Because I don't... I want you to be able to..." he exhales carefully and looks down before meeting my gaze again. "How about a thousand a day? Or five hundred?"

"Fine. Five hundred."

He counts it out and gives it to me.

"Thanks," I mumble, still not fully comfortable.

"Thank you," he whispers as I get out of the car. I pause, then go inside.

Dedicated to @depressed_gay_bella for all of the lovely comments on all of my books! Thank you so much for your support :)

What do you think of Todd staying the entire weekend at the millionaire's house? Todd's reluctance to accept the money? How about the millionaire's insistence? Why do you think the millionaire cares so much that Todd gets paid? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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