Chapter 1: Chapter 1
“Let me do that, Amara.” Violet grabbed the bucket of water from Amara’s hands. Violet smiled at her and headed towards the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that offer uninterrupted views of the stretch of sand below, the waves rolling towards the shore, and the dramatic rise and fall of the sun. The view was breathtaking. It was worth the five hours of house work she spent on a Saturday.
Amara works as a housekeeper for a very wealthy family. Her colleague was out sick today and her employer would be coming home tomorrow, so she needed an extra pair of hands. Unfortunately, Bella, her daughter and my best friend, was called over at work for an emergency meeting so Violet filled in for her.
Today’s experience brought to her a new appreciation for housekeepers. Tending to someone’s house, and a big one at that, is no small feat. Every surface wiped, every corner cleaned spotless, sheets changed and washed, food prepared, plants and flowers watered. So many things to do every single day, repeatedly.
Violet hit the play button. She stood on her tiptoes and swung her arms up to raise the mop higher up the wall. As the song reached the chorus, she paused and belted out, “Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play… and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate… Baby I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. I shake it off, I shake it off!” Eyes shut, she shook her hips and ass from side to side, front to back, jumped up and down, and waved her arms like a lunatic. When the chorus ended, she opened her eyes and screamed.
Through the glass’s reflection, she could see a man perched on the outdoor table, staring at her. How did he get there without her seeing him? Idiot, of course she wouldn’t notice with how loud the song was playing. She reached for her phone and pressed pause. She turned around to face the man. She gripped the mop harder to use as a weapon in case he was an intruder.
“Who are you?! What are you doing here?” She almost shouted. She scanned his appearance from head to toe. He looks expensive. Hopefully not a robber. He just continued staring at her, a hint of amusement glinting in his eyes.
After almost a minute, he finally opened his mouth. “I should be asking that question. Who are you?”
“I’m the housekeeper. How did you get in here?”
“By using a key?” He responded sarcastically.
“I don’t have time to play around with you. Just tell me who you are. Or I swear I’ll hit you with this thing!” She pointed the tip of the mop’s handle towards him.
He scoffed. “Would you now? That doesn’t look dangerous enough.
“Would you like to see me try?”
“Sure. But trust me, you’ll regret it.”
She bit her lower lip. What if he really is an intruder? She can’t fight him off. He’s massive and tall compared to her slender, 5’4 body. He could easily flip her over his knee.
“Who are you?!” she repeated. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll call the police.”
“Go ahead. I’d like to see you arrested.”
“Me?!”
“Who else? They can’t arrest the person who lives here, can they?”
Understanding dawned on her. He’s the owner? Isn’t he supposed to come tomorrow? Shit. Did she just threaten him? “I, uh, I’m sorry. Maria is out sick today so I came to help. I’m Amara’s friend.”
Amara, thank heavens, appeared right on time. “Sir Devlin? I didn’t think you would be arriving today,” she stated in alarm.
“I decided to take an earlier flight.”
“I see. We were just about finished with the cleaning, Sir. We’ll be gone in no time. Let me get you some refreshments first. Would you be needing anything else?”
“Don’t bother, Amara. I’ll just go straight to bed. You and this young lady can finish up with your work.”
“My name’s Violet,” she announced, a bit annoyed. He didn’t even bother to ask for her name out of courtesy.
He nodded his head mockingly. “Violet.” Then he turned his back and walked away. When he was almost at the door, he glanced back around. “By the way, I know a very good dance instructor. In case you’re interested. Just let me know.” He ended that little jibe with a wink.
When he was gone, she buried her face in her hands. She must admit dancing is not her strong suit. But what’s more embarrassing was the way she was dressed. She didn’t expect someone other than her and Amara to be in the house, so she changed into her favorite pair of shorts, a very very short one that barely hid her huge butt, the only thing that can be called that in her small body. She recalled shaking her ass off like it was caught on fire. She lifted her head and fanned the heat from her cheeks. Just forget about it, she told herself.