The Housekeeper

Chapter 3

   I get to the coffee shop perhaps a little too early the next morning, anxiously bouncing my leg. My eyes go back and forth between the door and my watch. Finally, a middle aged man with a salt and pepper colored beard walks in, scanning the shop until his eyes land on mine. He waves and then heads up to the register to order. My anxiety levels raise now that Peter is here, and I try my best to keep it under control. Maybe the caffeine isn't helping me in that department.

  He takes a seat at the table, and takes a long sip of his coffee before offering a handshake.

"Hi there, I'm Peter. It's nice to meet you." He straightens his back.

 "You too. I wanted to thank you so much again for this opportunity." I said graciously, clutching my warm cup of coffee.

 "Of course. Okay, so a quick couple of things, I've got another business meeting in a half hour. Here's the key to the place. I already texted you the address correct?"

  "Yes, you did. It's just fifteen minutes away from my place so it's perfect." I hooked the house key onto my key chain.

  "Amazing. Next thing, so you'll need to do all the laundry of course. Keep an eye on the hand soap levels as well and refill as necessary. We have a closet full of everything you'll need, as well as extra sheets. Of course, make sure you check the cabinets and fridge to make sure the guests didn't leave any food items behind." I nodded as a barista calls out Peter's name from behind the counter, and he briefly gets up to grab his pastry.

  He sits back down and continues, "Apologies. Anyways, treat this as a hotel. I expect above and beyond presentation. Dishes must be done, fridge cleaned out, and of course the usual dusting, vacuuming, and so forth. Any questions so far?" He takes a bite out of his chocolate croissant. He seems a lot more nonchalant than I expected, but if anything, it set me more at ease.

  I shake my head, "No sir, it seems right up my alley. I'm excited to help make this place perfect for your guests." I smile.

 "I appreciate that. Text me if you do have any questions, I usually answer my phone relatively quickly. I'm sorry to rush out but you know, business is business. We'll chat later." He gets up and heads out the door, and just like that, I have the job. As soon as I start to get up from the table, Peter rushes back in.

 "Sorry Danielle, one more thing. There's a key code lock on the door as well, which will be primarily how the guests will get in. You'll need your key if there's an issue getting in. The code is 7881, and the door is programmed to lock behind you automatically, so make sure and memorize that number in case it locks you out."

"Okay, I'll make sure and remember that." I start typing in the code in my phone.

 "And as for the security system, the code for the alarm should be the same. We only have a Ring doorbell and one other camera facing the driveway as surveillance. The budget got a little tight during renovations, so additional cameras will be later down the line."

 "Alright. I do have a question actually. What happens if when I get there at checkout, the guests are still there? Do I call you?" I ask, worried of the possibility of confrontation.

 "Excellent question. Yes, ask them to leave and if they do not, call me and I'll be right over. Either way, they will be charged extra, but you should be fine. Surely you won't have to deal with that much." He smiled reassuringly, still standing by the front door of the cafe. 

 "Sounds good, yeah I doubt that will be a regular occurrence." 

 "Exactly. Well alright then, I really must be off. Bye now." 

  After Peter leaves, I find myself still standing in the middle of the coffee shop. A pit in my stomach has developed. I suddenly get a strange feeling about this job, and I can't explain why.