The pickpocket and the billionaire

Chapter 2 - part 1

2

Paige Hartley

Luckily I didn’t have to see Sebastian the next day, but when I finally left my hiding place, which was in the back of a freaking wardrobe, I was stopped by a woman, who asked me my name.

“Excuse me miss, are you Paige?” When I nodded the woman said: “Thank goodness, Mr Holt has been looking for you all day.”

“I can hardly believe a busy and important man like him would be looking for me.” I replied with an easy smile. She shook her head. Why? I don’t know.

“He just told us to watch out for you. Where have you been last night?” She asked. Of course he wouldn’t bother to search for me for himself. The way he looked at me in disgust yesterday, told me all I needed to know about him.

“In the closet.” I replied easily, the smile slipping of my face to be replaced by a yawn. I had made a bed with the clothes in the wardrobe. In the end it did lie pretty comfortable. Better than the cold ground under a bridge.

“Oh dear.” She mumbled. She motioned for me to follow her and I started walking after her down the hall. “I will take you to Mrs Boggs now. She is the head of the household and she will explain your tasks to you. Mr Holt has also assigned you a room in the guest quarters.”

“I’d like another room.” I immediately said. It was just a guess that the guest rooms were close to his room.

“Then where would you like to sleep? You can’t keep using the closet.” She said in astonishment.

“The servant quarters perhaps? I assume you have those anyway.” I suggested coolly. She nodded.

“If you really want too.” She reluctantly replied.

“What’s your name anyway?” I asked her.

“Verona.” She offered me a smile.

“Cool. I never met a Verona before.” I replied. She just chuckled before we walked inside a kitchen. Yup, a kitchen, because I didn’t know how many there were in this gigantic house. At the stove stood a big man, with a dark skin colour, who was wearing a white apron and one of those cool high toques. He was talking to a woman who sat on the table. She was swinging her feet back and forth while writing something down on a clipboard.

“You must be Paige.” She said without looking at me. I shrugged, not sure if she could see.

“You must be Boggs.” I replied. She didn’t bother to correct me, but nodded.

“Mr Holt’s instructions weren’t very specific, so I divided your tasks myself. I expect you to work each day from eight to one. Afternoons are free, and the pay is sixteen dollars an hour. You don’t have to work on the week-ends either, but when Mr Holt requests it, you’ll have to help out during parties too. Now, because you’re late today, you won’t have to do anything. Follow me to your room.” With those words, she jumped off the table and left the kitchen again. By then Verona was already gone too.  I had to do my best to keep up with all the information Mrs Boggs just gave me. While walking towards my room, she started talking again. “Can you cook?”

I scoffed. “No.”

“That’s okay. Bobby, our cook, will teach you. You just saw him in the kitchen. Each morning you can look on the schedule in the kitchen to know what to do. Sometimes you’ll be needed in the kitchen, and other times you’ll be on cleaning service. It really depends on where we need an extra person. Also, I heard you and Mr Holt started off on the wrong foot, and he assigned you a room in the guest quarters. Now I’m just assuming that you don’t like him very much, and since you will be living here for quite a while, I decided to give you another room. Unless you object, of course.” I shook my head.