Team Babysitters | Daniel Ricciardo

Chapter 04

The next morning I woke up by loads of sounds coming from the hall a level under me.  My headache that arrived yesterday because of the tears was still present and it has gotten even worse as the tension in my forehead hadn't gone away either. Still, I slowly tried to get up, took a shower in my new bathroom that I didn't have to share and put some clothes on before walking downstairs. I had hoped the shower would make my headache go away, but unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky today. When I got downstairs I heard everyone sitting in the kitchen and I was about to walk in when I heard the conversation between James and Daniel. 
"Is she always so uptight?" I heard Daniel ask. Was this about me? 
"She's not uptight. Shut up with that. She's going through some stuff." I heard James say. Seconds later he started to talk again. "And no it's not only about Sarah. There's more to the story," I wasn't sure whether or not he would tell Daniel, but I didn't look forward to everyone in the house to know about it. Before their conversation could go any further I decided to make my way into the kitchen and pretend that I hadn't been listening to their conversation. 
"Good morning everyone," I said and yawned with that to make my act look more real. James smiled back at me while he was feeding Hazel. 
"Good morning Saf, slept well?" I nodded and a "yeah," came out of my mouth while I got myself a glass of orange juice as I didn't feel much like eating right now. I joined the whole family at the dinner table. 
"Is that all you have for breakfast?" Daniel asked before he took a big bite of his cereal. My eyes went from Daniel to my glass of orange juice and back to Daniel again. 
"For now, yeah." I mumbled. I saw him looking at James, but decided to just ignore it. I just wasn't hungry right now with my headache being the main attention for me right now. That didn't mean I wasn't going to eat something later. I loved breakfast. 
"Okay, anyway. Now that I have you both here, let me go through the planning one more time." James said, changing the topic.
"Again?" Daniel complained with his mouth full. "You already told us yesterday in full details."
Daniel was right, he did when they were having the barbeque yesterday. Knowing James he will also have it written on some paper. He just wanted everything to go well, for the kids. So that things wouldn't change as much.
"Yeah yeah, I know. But I've written it on paper and I wanted to make sure that you both understand everything. Just to be sure, you know?" James laughed awkwardly. I was pretty sure that he knew he was being ridiculous, but I get it. James got out his piece of paper that he had kept in his pocket, making Daniel look at me with a sigh.
"Can you believe it? He has it on a piece of paper," he said to me. The corners of my lips curled up. I reached my hand towards James so that he gave me the piece of paper and I looked at it. He had put the times that Vicky needed to be at preschool and when she needed to get picked up this week and the same was for Flynn and when we needed to pick him up from school. Other than that he had his work times on there, when Hazel needed either her milk or food, when Hazel needed her nap, the kids their sleep time for the night and when normally groceries were being bought. Most of these things I already knew and I'm pretty sure Daniel knew about them also, but just so that James didn't get concerned of us not taking this serious I looked up at him and smiled.
"We'll make sure we'll follow this list, James. I'll put it on the fridge. Don't worry about it." I told him, making him sigh relieved. 
"Thanks, Saf." James looked at his kids and stood up. "Flynn, Vicky, let's get you two dressed up." 
"We can do that too if you want," Daniel interrupted and stood up, ready to take over. James shook his head.
"I've got some time. I want to bring them to school today." James explained and he walked out of the kitchen with both Flynn and Vicky. 
"I'm questioning now if he will let us do anything," Daniel said and sat back down on his chair. I took another sip of my orange juice before I responded to Daniel.
"He will. He just needs to find his rhythm back," I told him, making Daniel nod. Hazel suddenly made some noise. As a seven-month-old, she didn't really make sense, but my only guess was that she just needed someone to give her attention. So I took her out of her chair and instead hold her and let her sit on my lap with her face towards me. 
"You know James really well, right?" Daniel suddenly asked, making me look at him with surprise. 
"Uhm, yeah, you could say that," I said as my eyes slide from Daniel's to Hazel. "He was my neighbour when we still lived with our parents. And even though he's around the same age as my siblings, we got along better. But that may also be because he had babysat me a lot when I was younger."
"Really?" Daniel laughed. "Was he any good as a babysitter?"
"He was fine. My parents didn't had much money to get a real babysitter and because my siblings didn't want to watch me every single day James offered to do it for free and we played a lot of board games and stuff like that." 
"Awh how cute," Daniel couldn't help but joke as he laughed. I rolled my eyes but laughed with him. "Oh, by the way Savannah?" 
"Mhh?" I looked at him, but when Hazel tried to grab with her hand to my face, my attention went straight back to the little one in my arms. 
"Can we forget about last night?" 
"Last night?" I asked, looking again back at him. He was about to explain when James came back with Flynn and Vicky. 
"Flynn, where are your shoes?" James sighed and sent his son back upstairs to get his shoes. 
"That's almost a perfect run with a fast time," I made as a comment to James for helping his two kids with changing their clothes. 
"It helps when you prepare the night before," James smiled as he waited for his son to return back to the kitchen. Flynn came back and pushed his arms in the air to show his shoes that he was holding in his hands. 
"I got them!" He yelled happily. I scrunch my nose from the hard noise that made my attention go back to the headache that I still had. James told his son to keep the volume a bit down and helped him get his shoes on. He finally took his own jacket and bag and gave Hazel a kiss before saying goodbye to us.
"Don't forget to keep good attention to the list," James said, pointed to the piece of paper that was still laying on the table.  
"Yeah, yeah. Bye, bye, James." Daniel grinned. Vicky and Flynn both gave Daniel and me a hug before running past their dad to go outside. 
"I guess I should put this on the fridge as I promised James I would do." I said when James and his two kids officially left and took the piece of paper off the table and stood up. I gave Hazel to Daniel and I walked over to the fridge to slide the paper under one of the magnets. 
"Savannah?" Daniel asked, making me turn my body so that I could look back at him. I smiled at him and nodded as I knew what he was going to ask again.
"Last night is forgotten," I said as I knew what he meant when he asked me the question before James had interrupted them. Last night's sort of argument was a weird one anyway. I guess we all have to get used to this whole situation. 
"Thanks," he smiled brightly. 
"Oh and it's Saf to you," I grinned as I leaned against the kitchen island. "Savannah is for strangers... or when I did something stupid." 
"Can I say Saffie like Flynn does?" I shook my head to Daniel as he asked the question. 
"No way. I hate the name Saffie, but he's my godchild so I let him," I told him as my eyes suddenly looked at an unfamiliar face that was standing in front of the door outside. "Do you know him?" I asked Daniel and pointed with my head behind him while the strange man opened the door. 
"Michael! You're early." Daniel greeted the man he obviously knew. I didn't even know we would have company. Not this early anyway. I secretly checked out the stranger and pressed my lips together. I ripped my eyes off the stranger and right on time as Daniel looked back at me as he stood up, carrying Hazel in his arm. I couldn't be checking a man out the morning after I cried myself to sleep thinking about my ex-fiance, right? 
"Saf, this is my trainer, Michael. I forgot to tell you or James that he would come. But he's earlier then we had agreed on so it's not like I had an opportunity to tell any of you." Daniel explained. "Michael this is Savannah or Saf or Saffie. She's like my co-worker now." Daniel had a big grin on his face, explaining who I was. Michael walked over to me to properly introduce himself.
"It's nice to meet you... Savannah? I don't know if that's the right answer," Michael laughed.
"You can say Saf if you want," I smiled sweetly at him and we crossed eyes with each other, making me blush slightly. 
"Isn't he practically a stranger to you? Shouldn't he then say Savannah?" Daniel interrupted. I rolled my eyes as I looked at Daniel.
"If you keep annoying me like that you can call me with my surname," I responded to Daniel, although it was more as a joke. 
"Got it," Daniel laughed as he walked over to me. "Take the baby, I need to change into my sports clothing. No flirting while I'm gone, that's bad for the baby." 
Daniel ran out of the kitchen and suddenly I was alone with Hazel and a good looking man in front of me. His muscles were the thing that impressed me the most as they were very visible with the top he was wearing.  
"Are you sure you can handle an extra toddler in this house?" Michael asked me. "A big toddler," I laughed and looked at Hazel who had put her thumb in her mouth as she had all eyes on Michael. She actually looked very curious at him. 
"I'm sure Hazel can help me with him," I said and even though I mentioned Hazel's name, she still was having all eyes on Michael. I guess I wasn't the only one charmed by the man. 
"I actually believe that. But if you ever need an extra hand with that big kid I'm only a phone call away, if you would want that." I couldn't help but gave him an impressed smile. 
"Is that you asking for my phone number?" I laughed. 
"Depends. If I say yes would you give it to me?" He asked with a mischievous smile. My lips started to curl even more, but before I could answer Daniel came back to the kitchen and he was being very loud, making my only guess be that he had heard the short conversation.
"Michael, let's go. Time costs money," Daniel said as he was jumping around, trying to get his shoes on while forcing Michael to go with him.
"I'll see you later," Michael laughed at me and gave me a wink.
"Or maybe not. Bye Saffie!" Daniel pushed Michael outside and walked behind him.  I waited until the door closed behind them and they were gone before my attention went back to Hazel. She finally looked back at me.
"I know, I know Hazel. You technically saw him first." I grinned at the child. "But your father would say you're too young to date... Actually, I think your father would only allow you to date when you're like thirty-five or something." I let out a laugh as I could see James tell Hazel that every night before she falls asleep. "I know it's not fair," I went further. "But he also asked for my number and not yours."