Two
—
Tiredness weighed on my limbs as I made my way to my car.
My car was twelve years old and it looked and sounded its age. Most people could jump into their cars, turn the key and it would purr to life. Not mine. I had to beg or threaten it to start. And when it did start, I’d drive around with a niggling anxiety that any moment it would come to a stop in the middle of the road.
It was on its last legs, but money was tight. Between debt collectors and daily living, I couldn’t afford to have any work done the metal junk. I certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new one.
Relief filled me when after several seconds of wheezing, the engine rumbled to life. I started pulling out of my parking spot when my phone pinged with a text notification. Right after the ping, my phone rang.
I rummaged through my bag for my phone. Nadine. I answered the call and put it on speaker. Nadine’s voice came through in a demanding tone before I could respond.
“Julia, Kim is sick and can’t work her shifts. I need you to fill in for her until she is well. I’ve sent the address she was schedule to clean today.”
That’s pretty presumptuous.
“I don’t know, Nadine. I’m pretty wiped.”
“It shouldn’t take long. Kim says the client is tidy and the work is minimal.” She exhaled. “Look, it’s more money for easy work. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Her tone pissed me off and I hated it even more she’d spoken the magic words: more money. An unpleasant feeling coiled in my stomach. Nobody enjoyed confronting the darker truths about themselves. For instance, acknowledging how easily I caved to someone’s demands if it meant more cash in my hands.
I worked my jaw, fighting my instincts. It was no use. The moment I thought bills, I gave up.
“OK, I’ll do it.”
“Perfect. The client’s name is Graham West. I’ve already notified him a replacement is coming. He’s home and he’s expecting you in the next half hour. Don’t be late.”
Nadine ended the call and I reached for the phone to check the address she’d sent. I made a sound of irritation as I flung the phone back into my bag.
I hated when the client was home while I cleaned. It made me antsy and stiff. More often than not, the client liked to check up on me to make sure I wasn’t stealing their stuff or going through their drawers. Or, worse, they’d try to strike up conversation with me and delude themselves into thinking we were friends.
Some cleaners didn’t mind being chatty or making friends with their cleaning clients, but I wasn’t one of them. My aim was to keep a professional distance and do my work uninterrupted. Besides, I liked to listen to music and sing out loud while I cleaned to pass the time. That wouldn’t be possible if I was conscious of a presence watching my every move.
I sighed as I drove away to the new address. None of it mattered. It didn’t matter that this Graham West person would be home. It didn’t matter that I was running on fumes. Just like Nadine had said—it was extra money for little work. And that extra money would go toward the mountain of debt crushing the life out of me.
Grabbing something to eat and a cup of coffee helped perk me up. The closer I got to the address Nadine sent, the nicer the neighbourhood became. My old beater car looked so out of place, I was sure some ‘concerned’ resident was already on their phone notifying the police of a ‘suspicious individual’ lurking in their neighbourhood.
I parked outside the house I was supposed to clean. Grabbing my bag, I marched up the driveway to the front door and rang the doorbell. I didn’t have to wait long for someone to answer.
The door opened, revealing a man with short dark hair and deep blue eyes. He was tall, visibly fit, and dressed in a grey shirt and dark-blue jeans. My pulse kicked up a notch when our gazes met, but I ignored the effect of his attractiveness and extended a hand in greeting.
“Hello, Mr. West, I’m Julia.” I smiled. “I’m from Nadine’s Cleaners and I’ll be Kim’s replacement today.”
He took my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. His warmth raced up my arm and I had the sudden urge to yank my hand free from his grasp.
“Nice to meet you, Julia.”
His voice was deep, his tone measured. His gaze slipped over me. There was no sexual undertone to his look, just a simple assessment.
My face warmed with embarrassment. I became acutely aware of my messy hair, baggy t-shirt, faded yoga pants and clunky sneakers. Nadine didn’t make us wear uniforms, but this was basically mine when I cleaned. They might be comfortable while I did my job, but they were definitely unflattering to the opposite sex.
He stepped aside, motioning for me to enter his home. “Come in.”
The short entranceway opened up to the living room. Furniture was sparse, but the room designed tastefully with ivory walls and smooth wooden floors. Large windows with light curtains admitted lots of light.
Hung on one wall were eight large black-and-white photographs of different cities. A grey sofa sat on a thick, charcoal-grey rug. There were no walls separating the living room from the kitchen, so the high-end, stainless steel appliances were visible from my vantage point.
I turned to him and said what I always said to new clients. But this time, I really meant it.
“You have a nice home.”
“Thank you.” A soft lift at the corners of his mouth drew my attention to his lips. The soft shadow of hair around his jaw and chin emphasized their fullness and pinkness. I bet he’d be a really good kisser. “I’m sorry to hear about Kim not feeling well. I hope she gets better soon.”
“Uh… yeah.” I cleared my throat. Ugh. Why did I have to sound so moronic? Definitely because my inappropriate attention was clouding my judgement and my intelligence. “Yes, I hope she can return to her regular schedule soon. I know it can be disconcerting to clients to have someone they don’t really know in their home.”
“It’s nice to meet someone new.” He peered at me. “Although I’m sure I’ve met you before.”
“I doubt that.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Because I’d remember you. “Because, I’m good with faces.”
Heat crawled up my neck. The directness of his stare convinced me he had the power of mind-reading and he knew the effects of his good looks on me. This was a shameful reminder of how long since I last had sex. A few minutes in the company of an attractive man and I was ready to hump his leg like a horny dog.
I looked away from and pretended renewed interest in my surroundings. It shouldn’t even be a pretence. I had a job to do and instead of focusing on Graham West and his handsome face, I should be thinking how quickly I could clean his home and get the hell away from temptation.
“So, where do you keep your supplies, and where would you like me to get started?”
He indicated the stairs. “Let me give you a quick tour.”
He led me around his house and true to Kim’s word, everything was neat and tidy. To the point that I wondered why he even bothered with a cleaning service if he was just fine on his own. I barely paid attention. Instead, my mind was focused on the breadth of his shoulders, and the way his jeans fit his body to perfection.
Keep it professional. Yet when he led me upstairs and showed me his bedroom, the silken sheets brought decidedly unprofessional thoughts. I imagined him dragging me down to his bed, ripping my clothes off, and making me scream his name with his face buried between my legs.
My shoulders sagged with relief when we returned downstairs to safe territory. Get your shit together, Julia. Nadine’s number one rule: don’t fuck the clients. It was printed in big bold text on a sheet of paper she’d given me the first day she hired me.
Finally, he showed me the closet where he kept the cleaning supplies.
I forced a cheeriness in my voice.
“Great! I guess I’ll get started.”
He nodded. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
He began to walk in the direction of his office when I spied a door beside the stairs we hadn’t entered.
“Wait, Mr. West.” He turned and I indicated the door. “Is that a closet or another room you’d like me to clean?”
He didn’t respond right away, but something in his demeanour changed. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Just a strange intuition I’d prodded a predator awake. He strode back toward me, his gait slower than we he’d taken me on the tour.
“I should tell you, Julia, I’d prefer whenever you speak to me you refer to me as sir.”
My eyebrows rose. He can’t be serious? I parted my lips to ask him that question out loud, but thought better of it out of politeness. I waited for him to break a smile or show some sign he was joking, but his features were serious. Expectant. Holy shit, this guy was for real. He legit wanted me to call him ‘sir’ like he was my dad or my teacher.
“Yes, sir.”
I thought the incredulity I felt would leak out in my voice. Instead, I surprised myself by the submissiveness in my tone.
“Good girl.” His praise shouldn’t make me feel good, yet it did. “That door leads to the basement. You are not allowed to enter it.” Then he smiled. In his dark blue eyes I saw interest rise and a hunger that both frightened and excited me. A warning voice said I should turn tail and flee this place, extra money be damned. But like an idiot I remained where I stood, waiting to see if the wolf standing before me would eat me. “Not until the time is right.”