“Yes, sir?” I asked as he shut the door behind me, my hands awkwardly at my sides, brushing the edge of the black dress he insisted we all wear.
It was so rare that I actually saw the man himself, always jet setting around the world on business trips I’m sure. Probably shutting down more factories like my father’s, and shipping them off to the third world.
“Interested in a substantial raise?” he asked me, sliding his hands into his pockets as he looked me over. His well-tailored suit did wonders at showing off his cut physique, and so without giving away anything at all I could still imagine the ripped muscles beneath his suit.
That just made me hate him more, though, but in that weird way that wasn’t comfortable. How could someone be rich and gorgeous and still be so damned cruel?
It wasn’t fair.
It especially wasn’t fair how my body responded to the thought of a raise, my blue eyes going to his. I’m sure they were sparkling, and my spine was a lot straighter.
“Yes,” I answered. Best keep it simple with a guy like him, right?
He wet his lips, taking his time as he inspected me like another of his possessions.
“My previous maid has retired, I need someone to keep up the maintenance of my condo. It’s a full time gig, especially since I’m gone for such long stretches. It’ll require moving into the maid suite and being on call 24/7, but your pay will be doubled,” he said with such curt efficiency.
My head reeled from the prospect, but before I had a moment to even ponder it, he asked.
“Interested?”
I just stared for a second. He was gone, like, all the time, so why did he even need a maid? And what did he mean being on call 24/7? In case there was an emergency dusting?
Then the second part of his statement finally sunk into my thick skull and I was nodding.
Double pay?
I’d give up my life for that, easily enough.
“Very good,” he said and reached into his coat to pull out a small card and slide it across the table to me. “This is my address, and on the back is the time and location of a fitting appointment, for your new uniform. Be there on time. I don’t wish to drag this process out any more than necessary,” he said in that firm, authoritative voice of his.
New uniform?
Who’s even going to see me in his condo?
I ran my fingers through my bleached hair as I reached out for the card, looking it over. “When do I have to move in by?”
Not like the moving part would be that hard. I had to move around a lot the last three years and pruned almost everything down to the necessities.
“Immediately,” he said as he began to walk around the table, studying me. “But you won’t start work until your uniform arrives.”
He pulled open the door and stood aside, waiting for me to leave.
“What are you waiting for? That fitting appointment is…” he checked his watch, “in just twenty minutes.”
Panic sank in then, but I nodded and rushed off.
Ready to start my new life as a domestic servant…
The fitting was not what I was expecting. It wasn’t some dreary sort of office-oriented uniform dispensary or something, but rather a swanky, upper scale clothing store. Where the shirts cost more than I made in a year!
It almost made me turn on my heel and run right out until I remembered I wasn’t the one paying.
The older gentleman who fitted me was professional, albeit thorough and then… off I went.
I went home, bagged up my things, told my family about the promotion — in as little detail as possible, sticking to the point about ‘double pay’ — then headed over to his penthouse condo overlooking the city. I wondered if rent was included. It better be, because I wasn’t prepared for just how swanky it was.
I was so bowled over by it the vista before me, and the expensive furniture, that I missed the first few things his personal assistant said to me.