"This time, I'll be the one to choose."
Actually, I had a meeting early this morning, but when I heard that Mom was going to hire a maid to clean my condo, I decided to choose one myself. The ones Mom picked never quite met my standards. One left dust behind the TV, another missed lizard droppings in the corners. Money isn't the issue if the outcome is good, but I absolutely hate half-hearted efforts.
"You don't need to waste your time on this. Besides, Frung, you don't even know how to choose one. You love cleanliness but can't even clean your room."
"Well, why did you raise me to be like this then, Mom? If you'd taught me when I was little, we wouldn't need to hire anyone."
"Oh, so it's my fault now? Well, whatever, we have money. What's the point of having money if we don't use it? Actually, I have three or four candidates in mind. I'll call them in for interviews today."
Mom hands me a sheet of paper with information about the applicants, probably from a job website. I glance over it without much interest since there are no photos, and the profiles all seem similar.
"What time are they coming?"
"The first one is scheduled for 9:30. It's almost time."
Mom's phone rings shortly after that. She then asks my nanny, whose duty now is to take care of her, to go downstairs and welcome the candidate. While waiting, I skim through the profiles and frown at the age listed.
"This one is only 28, Mom?"
"That's right"
"Why would someone this young be a maid?"
"Not everyone has the opportunity for higher education. There aren't many options for them."
Mom seems to remember something and adds,
"Oh, but this one applied directly with us, through your nanny, not an agency."
"Can we trust her, Mom? Without any background check?"
"Aren't you good at reading people? Once you see her, your instincts will tell you whether to hire her or not."
I have quite a reputation for being able to read people. If I feel someone is untrustworthy. I stay cautious, and they usually turn out to be just that. Like an employee at my company who I sensed was suspicious just by walking past him.
After investigating, we found out he was stealing information to sell to a competitor. This wasn't the first time; there were many cases that I caught. It's either instinct or just that I don't easily trust anyone, so I see things others don't.
The door opens, and Mom and I, who have been waiting, peek to see P Khwan [*[1], my nanny, bringing in the interviewee.
"Here she is. Yu... Say hello to Ms. Frung and Madam. They'll interview you themselves today."
It's like a scene from a movie where the heroine makes her entrance. My nanny steps aside, revealing a petite, sweet-faced girl who walks in politely and greets both me and Mom with a wai. As soon as I lock eyes with her brown ones, my heart races like I've just finished a workout. I grip the sofa tightly and look away, feeling flustered.
"Hello, ma'am. Hello, Ms. Frung"
Hearing her say my name makes me even more anxious. Mom looks at me for my opinion, but I'm at a loss.
"Well, Frung?"
"What?"
"What do you think?"
"Hire her."
"Huh?"
I glance at Mom and then at the petite girl smiling slightly at me. Unlike me, she doesn't look away and stares straight at me with determination, making me blush.
"No need for an interview. She's the one. Hire her."
"Ms. Frung, don't you want Yu to try cleaning first? Why..."
P'Khwan looked at me with confusion. My behavior now is strange to those who know me well. Even I don't know what is happening. I just feel excited and nervous. This is the first time I've felt shy and can't make eye contact with someone. But my gut tells me not to let her slip away.
"She's the one. Hire her. No need to call anyone else. Hello, Ms. Yu."
"Hello, Ms. Frung."
When she says my name again, I finally turn to meet her gaze. The sweet-faced girl tilts her head slightly and raises her eyebrows playfully. Her demeanor is relaxed, making me angry that I can't act normal. No, I have to win.
With that thought, I stand up from my chair and walk confidently toward her, raising my hand and...
"Ow!"
I flick her forehead, leaving a red mark. Yu rubs her forehead and smiles, showing no signs of anger, which makes me smile.
"You're quite the smiler, aren't you?"
"Frung... What did you just do?"
Mom looks at me in shock because I've never acted so familiar with anyone before.
"Do you know this girl?"
"No."
"Then why..."
From smiling shyly, I switch to a serious face again.
"Getting familiar. She'll be cleaning my room. Besides, we're about the same age. What's so strange about that?"
I stand with my arms crossed, defending myself, while Mom and my nanny look like they just saw a ghost. Only Yu seems pleased and smiling. She doesn't seem scared of me at all, which makes her even more endearing.
"Great! Let's get to know each other, Ms. Frung"
It seems I've met someone for whom I have a weak spot. Seeing that I'm kind to her, she hasn't stopped smiling.
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
N
OVEL TITLE:
CRUSH by CHAO PLANOY
Footnotes
1.^"p" is the abbreviation of the word "Phee" (w), which means "older sister" or "older brother" in Thai. It is used as a title and gives off a casual tone in a conversation.
