Experiments of Humanity

002

UNEDITED

Content Warning: language, violent depictions

The next day at work is extremely slow so Nikki has me help the housekeepers by making beds in between doing laundry. She comes in half an hour early to meet with the hotel owner, and has a short temper with the rest of us.

"Why's Nikki so grumpy?" the housekeeper I'm making a bed for, Nia, asks as she disinfects the top of the room's desk.

"No clue," I respond, making a neat hospital fold with the sheets and comforter, then make my way up the sides of the queen bed.

"I heard some super important guy's visiting about buying us out," she tells me.

I hum noncommittally, running my hands over the top of the sheets until they're free of wrinkles and bumps, then straighten the corners of the pillowcases.

I head out into the hallway, heading to her next room and knocking on the door. "Housekeeping!" I call into the crack of the door, pausing then knocking again when I don't hear a response. When I'm sure there's no one in the room I use Nia's keycard to unlock the door, opening it and heading straight to the bathroom. I gather all the used towels and the robe on the floor, tossing them on the bed and stripping it. I hear Nikki's voice in the hallway as I'm heading out the door.

"As you can see, our housekeepers are very hard workers, and do such a wonderful job of staying busy." I make sure the door won't lock behind me, and freeze when I turn to the small group of people in the hallway.

No fucking way.

Blondie and his mean friend–Jude–are standing in suits next to Nikki with a third guy whom I don't recognize with them. The two men I already know look just as surprised to see me as I feel to see them, although I'm starting to feel like this is some sort of joke.

"Lyssie, I'm glad I saw you! When you finish making that bed be sure to help Harriet downstairs."

I duck my head down, feeling my face begin to burn in embarrassment. "Yes ma'am." I make my way past them and to Nia's cart as Nikki continues talking.

"That's our laundry girl, Lyssie. Last night wasn't a high-guest night, so she's helping the rest of the housekeepers by making their beds while they clean the rest of the rooms." I can hear the pride in her voice. "She's by far our most efficient and thorough worker."

"I see," I recognize the blonde's smooth voice from yesterday and I glare at the stack of sheets for the new room.

"She can't be that good of a worker," I hear Jude say and I grip the sheets in a fist as I pass them and head back into the room.

"See for yourself!" In this moment I loathe Nikki for making the suggestion, and I want to quit on the spot.

The door swings wider behind me and I don't look as I can hear the four of them make their way into the room behind me.

"This room is disgusting," the new man says, his voice displaying just how gross he thinks it is. I silently agree with him, but I ignore the mess of cans and food and paper towels left around the room, instead focusing on the reason I'm in here; to make the bed.

I drop the sheets on the top half of the bed, grabbing the fitted sheet and tucking it into the bottom half of the bed, then lay the flat sheet on top of it. Then, I put the pillow cases on the four pillows and use one hand to slide the fitted sheet up and into a corner, tucking it and placing two pillows at the same time. I lightly straighten the flat sheet as I make my way around the bed to the other side, and do the same on that side, then kneel at one corner at the foot of the mattress. My hand is making the sharp fold without my brain needing to tell it, and then in a few moments the other fold is done and the flat sheet and comforter are tucked. All in all, it takes me less than two minutes to make the bed, from the first tuck to last swipe of my hand across the top.