Guarded

Chapter 5

Sunday. That meant pancakes for breakfast and pancakes was enough to get me out of my bed. Sunday was always pancakes day, dad always left the house early on Sundays and mother was usually still passed out from drinking all Saturday so the house was almost all mine.

I was practically dancing down the hallway outside of my room when I bumped into Juliá, my personal maid. I hated that phrase. I had a personal maid a personal chef and a personal chauffeur who also acted as my personal bodyguard. The thing was so unnecessary. I could clean, cook and drive myself and though I'd never tested it I was certain the karate I picked up from hours of TV was lethal.

"Juliá! I'm so sorry. I really need to look where I'm walking" I bent to pick up all cleaning products that had fallen from her hands "where are you even going with all this?"

"I'm going to clean your room"

"Juliá," I scolded "you know I've already cleaned my room. You don't have to that" I loved Julia. She had worked here longer than anyone and no one could hate her not even mother. How could you? Juliá was as nice as she was round. She was like a fun aunt and was always fussing over me.

"You must stop that. Mr. Hayes would not be happy to hear you're doing my work"

"And you must stop worrying about me" I kissed her cheek.

"i hawawa kaikamahine" she chuckled.

I carried on down the hallway saying good morning to every worker I saw. I received smiles, a few 'good morning Miss Hayes' and some 'you too Tori's from people I was more familiar with till I tried to greet the tall girl passing me "good morning Clarissa"

Clarissa was three years older than me and was one of the few workers that didn't like me. She looked at me for a moment before looking away rudely and continuing up the stairs. I couldn't blame her for disliking me. To her I must have seemed like some rich brat and my constant complaints about my wealthy lifestyle probably made me seem ungrateful.

I finally made it to the door to the adjoining house. The sign over it read: Gouvernante Maison. Pushing it open I allowed the sound of laughter and music filled my ear as I ran in. Father had a whole house built to keep the workers out of sight that had its own rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and a few rooms with couches and TVs. This was where the workers might be before their shift or to relax and where the live-in maids and twenty-four hour workers lived.

I passed the rooms filled with people having conversations and straight to the kitchen where I found Fonso was whisking eggs. Fonso was my personal chef and the best cook I knew.

"Good morning Fonso!"

"Good morning Tori"

"Pancake Sunday" I sang as I grabbed ingredients from the fridge and soon I was sitting, staring at a plate with stack of perfectly cooked pancakes.

"Oh, yes. I forgot about that"

I turned in the stool when I felt someone behind me and locked eyes with Barbosa who was standing in the doorway. His eyes darted between me and Fonso before glancing around the room. He clearly wasn't expecting to see me in the one part of the mansion I wasn't allowed in. "Good morning Barbosa" I said with a mouth full of pancakes. I didn't expect an answer back but I wanted to be polite.

"It's not his fault" Fonso whispered after a very confused Barbosa left the room "all the new staff Mr Hayes has hired have been forced to sign a contract restraining them from talking when they're on duty"

"All of them?"

"Just the ones that come into contact with you" he said making me roll my eyes.

"Barbosa isn't on duty now though"

"Didn't you tell Mr Hayes you were going to visit that friend of yours?"

"Shit! I forget about that" I had planned to meet up with Anya today and decide what we should were to the party.

"Well he's waiting to drive you"