7 am
I sat in the parking lot outside of MTI. Why would the address lead me here? I've never cleaned anything inside this building. MTI is one of the leading businesses in technology, everybody has their products. I think I read the other day that they own like 200 other companies, ranging from pet care to furniture and more. The CEO was a mystery person, the guys face has never been seen by camera or otherwise.
The front page stapled to my work contract simply had an address, a suite number - 705, and a time - 7:30 am SHARP. I'm assuming that means don't be late, but it doesn't say anything about being early. I lock Gertrude and make my way across the street and into the front doors. I walk across the large lobby and to the receptionist table. She's already busy directing calls across the building.
"Your name?" She asks me without even looking up from her computer.
"Katherine Bernard, I'm here to..." she cuts me off before I can finish speaking.
"Yes Miss Bernard, Spencer here will escort you up." She waves to a guard across the room.
He's tall, way taller than I thought people could be. He towered over me by at least a foot and a half, probably even more. His suit was crisp and he wore sunglasses.
"You can follow me Katherine." He led me to the elevator and once inside he hit the button for floor number seven and switched a key beside it. Up we went, as slow as ever. Occasionally Spencer would look over at me.
The elevator dinged and Spencer turned around, following him I watched the back wall of the elevator open up. We stepped out of the elevator and he took me to a set of double doors at the end of a long hallway. He turned around at the doors and took his place just outside of them, facing back towards the elevator.
I stepped in through the doors and saw a man standing at the far side of the room, looking out of the giant window that was the wall.
"Please sit Miss Bernard." He stated in a voice so familiar, but I couldn't place it. "I can assume that Melissa told you that I bought out your contract."
He turned around and starred at me with the most beautiful set of eyes I had ever seen, like the ocean. It's the man from the penthouse, but why would he buy my contract out after basically kicking me out when he got back? He didn't say it looked good or anything.
"Uh yes sir she did, but she was kind of vague about the whole thing, s-s-sir." I handed him the contract that she gave me and he snatched it right up, tearing it into a million pieces in front of my eyes.
"Well my girls downstairs went ahead and made us a new contract. Within hours of you being gone my home was back in a disheveled mess. No other maid has ever been able to clean it in the time frame I gave you. Miss Bernard, I'm offering you a live in opportunity..." I cut him off.
"Sir, n-not to be r-rude but I already have a place to l-live." I'm shaking, the thought of living with him made me sick to my stomach, with all those women coming in and out, it would be a biological war zone.
"Ahh, yes. Well, consider this, you will keep your old salary and I will give you a considerable bonus once a week." he grabbed a pen and wrote on a sticky note before sliding it across the desk to me. Five thousand two hundred and sixty nine dollars.
"So what's the catch?" I squint my eyes at him. No one just gives out 5 grand every week.
"There is no catch Miss Bernard. You work Monday through Friday, you keep my home in tip top shape, you do the shopping, you do the laundry every night. You living in my home is just merely for convenience, and if I need something done later at night it can get accomplished. You are free to go and do whatever you please on the weekends, you can bring over your friends or whatever, as long as they stay with you in your quarters. You can still pay your rent at whatever crappy place you're living now and we both get what we want." This is a deal of a life time. With that weekly bonus alone I could get Gertrude restored to her original beauty, I could pay off my student loans, and maybe even have clothes that aren't from six years ago.
There's a knock on the door and a supermodel looking woman walks in.
"Good Morning sir, here is that contract you requested." She sat on the edge of his desk and crossed her mile long legs while handing him the thick stack of paperwork. She twirled her hair and bit her lip, obviously trying to get a reaction from him.
"Thank you, now if you'll excuse us Maxine, we have some paperwork to fill out." She huffed and rolled her eyes at me. Stalking out of the office she shut the door a little too hard for comfort.
11:47 am
Everything was signed and double checked. I couldn't tell anyone who I was working for, I could disclose who he was or what he does. Raymond Machado, owner and CEO of MTI, billionaire if not more.
"Here." He handed me a Grove Bank and Trust debit card. "I went ahead and opened you an account with my bank this morning, this is where all your weekly bonuses will go. As well as a special sign on bonus just to show you how much I appreciate you accepting my offer."
His phone started ringing, the generic ring tone singing out through the room.
"Yes" he barked into the phone. He listened for several moments before saying "oh yes, I see, thank you." He looked me up and down.
"That was the movers, they can't seem to find any of your clothes..." I can feel the heat washing over my face. I don't think I've ever been this embarrassed.
"Um, I have a sweater and a pair of jeans under my bed, and my uniforms are dirty somewhere..." he cuts me off.
"Are you really about to tell me that you only have work clothes and one outfit Miss Bernard.." his face looks worried. He holds his finger up as to shush me. "No matter, take the rest of the day, take this card and go buy yourself some things. I need for you to be presentable at all times. I expect you to be home at no later than 6 pm so I can show you around." He smiled and showed me out of his office.
Parker and I walked back to the elevator and went down to the main floor. He chuckled as I shook from nervousness. I haven't owned nice clothes, well ever I don't think. I don't even know if I'm capable of owning nice clothes.
5 pm
I don't even know how he expected me to use so much money. When I checked the card at an ATM earlier the balance was unbelievable, and probably a mistake. What kind of a sign on bonus is ten thousand dollars. I sat at the food court looking at all the bags sitting on my table.
Victoria's Secret, Old Navy, Pacsun, Forever 21, Express, and Bloomingdales. My phone chimes.
Have the valet park your car in VIP parking, they should know. See you soon. - R.M.
Shit, I guess it is almost 6 now. I grab all my bags and make my way to the parking garage. Throwing all my bags in the passenger seat, Gertrude and I made our way to the giant apartment building. I pulled up to the valet and put Gertrude in park.
"I think you're lost dear" one of the valet drivers chuckles. He looks me up and down, still in my work clothes. "This valet is for residents only."
"Mr Machado told me to have you put her in VIP parking." The valet workers face went pale.
"Oh yes ma'am, my apologies. I'm sincerely sorry about what I said just now, I didn't know you were with Mr M" he opens my door for me and I climb out.
I grab my bags from the passenger seat and I tell him "Take it easy on Gertrude, she's an old woman okay" before I head into the giant building.
I walk over to the private elevator and put in the pin from yesterday. The doors open and yet again I'm in the glass box, moving quickly up to the top floor.
