NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 75

I follow her instructions to the letter. There's a loose-fitting black dress hanging on the wall. I am near tears putting it on. Does Tessa really expect me to walk out there wearing this? At least provide me with some tall socks or something. I pace the room for a solution. Dammit! Why didn't I think of this myself? I have tall socks, five pairs to be exact. So what, Mary? You're so dumb that you couldn't figure out what a maid's outfit might be like? What? You didn't think to at least glance at the maids who cleaned the bank? Think, Mary; think. Thirty minutes later, I have nothing. Perhaps I should dress and leave. No, Tessa's too close to Matron. There's no lie I can possibly tell that she'll believe. You've got to face the music, Mary.

When I knock on Tessa's door, she yells for me to come in. I enter cautiously. Her back is turned. She's finishing the dregs of a conversation. I use that time to examine her office. The walls are the same boring white. Thank goodness for her furnishings or I'd feel I was drowning in milk. Her chair is black leather and matches her chequered floor tiles. But her sofa is aquamarine blue. It reminds me of the Bloody Sea before it turns red. Her coffee table makes up for that with its tray of red ornamental gemstones. The walls are littered with her certificates and modern artwork. Two leafy plants stand guard on her left and right. There's a tall burnt-orange vase engraved with runes on the right side of her desk. I must admit. This is not the Tessa I love to hate on. This Tessa can get a hug if she asks. She drops the phone and spins around.

"I was beginning to think you didn't want this job. What took you so long? Got lost again?"

"I had some trouble with the uniform, that's all."

She looks me over. "Fits just fine to me."

"Yes, it fits well. Just a bit too short for my liking."

"Worried everyone will see your skin?"

I turn away embarrassed. "I just like to cover up, that's all."

"Listen, Mary," Tessa sinks her teeth in. "No one cares about that. You're the maid, remember? Around here, we expect our maids to be unpolished. You don't work at that bank anymore."

"I didn't say that I did."

"Any questions before I send you off to do what maids do?"

"What's the salary? And when do I get paid?"

"You get five hundred every Friday at three. Got a problem with that, you can leave right now."

"No. Just wanted to know," I reply indifferent. "So; where do I start?"

"Dip in your pocket. That page should tell you everything. Leave the store room for tomorrow."