I stood in front of my full-length mirror, completely mortified. I could only hope that whatever old rich guy who was living in the Hanson manor was batting for the other team or out of the estate for my time there because I would be the day’s entertainment otherwise.
The dress was a bit shorter than I had hoped it would be, and I felt utterly naked. I tried to put on a happy face, but these clothes made me feel nothing less than grumpy.
“Marley, if you don’t leave now, you’re going to be late!” Caroline called from the bottom of the stairs. She herself was rushing to get to a job before she had her afternoon classes.
But she was right. I did have to leave, and I didn’t have time to change. The dress would have to do for today. But I swore, Caroline would hear about it.
***
I pulled up in front of large wrought iron gates. They were well aged, and looked neat with a large ‘H’ for ‘Hanson’ at the top centre. Whoever maintained the grounds did quite a good job. Everything, even under the sheets of fallen snow, looked impeccably manicured and well maintained.
I rolled down my car’s window, looking for some sort of call button.
The speaker box on the gate crackled as a masculine voice came through. “What are you here for?” The voice demanded. They sounded bored, and kind of stuck-up.
“I’m here to clean. Spade’s cleaning ladies?”
There was a moment of silence, and then a buzzing as the large gates swung open, and the voice prompted me to enter. I called out a small ‘thank-you’, and rolled up the car windows – freezing my butt off.
It took me a minute to appreciate the beauty of the Hanson manor. It was a huge, Victorian looking estate that was built years ago. It had somewhat of a castle-like look. Floor to ceiling windows, grey brick walls, several floors; it was so breathtaking.
When I got out of my car, I look a deep breath. This was not going to be a good day on the job.
I knocked on the large wooden doors, bag of cleaning products in tow. My arms already ached from carrying this thing the short distance between the car and the front door.
The heavy doors swung open, and an older man, with thinning grey hair stepped into the open crack. His pointed nose stuck in the air as he judged me with beady grey eyes. “Cleaning lady, I presume.” He had a terrible, forced posh accent, and stepped aside when I nodded.
“Welcome to Hanson manor,” he drawled, gesturing with a bony arm around the foyer. There was a gorgeous grand staircase, two sections separated by a middle rail; all of the rails had ornate wrought iron rungs. The wood was a beautiful oak. The floors were also darker wood. It looked aged in a way that it was kind-of a new-vintage feel. I was in love.
“Henry, who’s at the door?” A man descending the right side of the staircase called. I expected an old man clad in a rich suit to be the owner, but instead, a curly haired, green eyed, pajama wearing, sex-god presented his self at the bottom of the staircase.
“Harry?” I asked in disbelief. My cheeks burned as his eyes crossed over me. His lips pulled up into a devilish grin. I could not believe my luck, and I suddenly felt even more naked than I had this morning.
“Welcome to my home, Marley. Fancy seeing you here,” he let out a raspy chuckle as he made his way over to where I stood next to the butler ‘Henry’.
“Wow,” was all I could manage, trying not to let him look me dead in the eye for fear I would say something stupid.
“You can go, Henry. I’ll show this lovely woman around.”
Henry looked at the two of us disapprovingly, and stalked off somewhere - probably to go chat with the rest of the staff about the new arrival.
“I called you last night,” Harry said quietly, “but you never answered.”
I suddenly remembered that my phone had gone off. I hadn’t recognized the number, so I didn’t bother to call it back.
“I didn’t realize that was you. You should have left a message!”
“There’s always next time.”
I smiled. There was going to be a next time.
***
Harry took me around the estate, going in and out of tens of rooms, talking animatedly about the antique furniture and ornate moldings about the floors and walls.
The time I had left to clean was running incredibly low I’d noticed, and I wasn’t sure where my bag had gone.
“And this, at long last, is my bedroom,” he smiled, pushing open a large wooden door. I was expecting something cold and modern inside, but there was a vintage, grand king sized, four-post bed in a gorgeous dark mahogany wood. The rest of the furniture matched the bed: even looking lovely with the light grey walls and bedding.
“Your house is very lovely Harry, but… I’m running out of time to clean. And I’d hate for you to pay me for nothing,” I murmur, before he can say anything else.
He nods, and laughs. “It’s fine, Marley. You shouldn’t clean a house when you don’t know where anything is,” he notes, resting an arm on my shoulders. “You can leave now if you’d like. There’s not much to clean anyways. And you can come back next week.”
I returned his nod. “Thank-you Harry,” I smiled, and left to find my bag somewhere in the tens of rooms we’d been through.
***
Author's Note
Gaaah. Okay, so I know I take AGES to update. But I do have a life. And school. And friends. And I can't spend all my time writing, or even all my spare time writing. I need sleep too, y'know.
Anyways, thank-you guys for your support. Ilysm. <3
(P.S. Happy 23rd to the bae Ed Sheeran. :))
- Jessicaa :)
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