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I slowed to a stop, just gaping at the entrance to 1C. I’m sure they were just rhinestones, not real diamonds, but the entire surface of the door was covered in them with no space between each bauble and the next. There had to be thousands, maybe millions of tiny crystals.
I’d heard of someone encrusting their Mercedes in diamonds but never a door before. It was so pretty and sparkly and compelling, I couldn’t stay away.
Lured against my will—because who had any willpower with a door like that before them—I shuffled forward, already reaching out my hand just to run my fingers along the surface.
Before I could make contact, however, the handle turned, and the diamond-coated door began to open.
Chapter 4
Gabby
Gasping, I reared back, drawing my hand to my chest so the resident wouldn’t see I’d been about to touch their amazing door.
A woman exited.
“There you are,” she said, her voice accusing as her thin eyebrows arched high with irritation. “I called for you nearly ten minutes ago.”
I blinked, confusion reigning. Um. Did I know her?
“I—What?”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “Dear Lord, please tell me you at least understand English. Is that really too much to ask for in the help around here?”
“O-oh,” I stumbled out in sudden realization. She thought I was part of the staff. “No. I’m sorry, you have the wrong—”
“And where is your uniform?” she cut in, eyeing my clothes as if they might be contagious. “Don’t think I won’t be reporting you for such blatant disregard for your dress code. It’s utter insolence, is what it is. I don’t pay this place what I do for such subpar service. Your people should learn to be more respectful.”
Excuse me, but did she just say, my people?
What the actual fuck?
Slinging the gold-linked strap of her purse over her shoulder, she lifted her chin pretentiously. “I have to go, so you’ll need to find the spill yourself. As I said in my distress call, it’s on the hallway carpet between the bathroom and kitchen. I want that stain gone by the time I return.”
With that, she stepped through the doorway and into the hall, narrowing her eyes until I scurried out of her way, and then she swept past me like the insignificant piece of maidservant trash she believed I was.
“Well.” Staring after her in shock, I had to wonder if I’d ever met anyone quite so disagreeable and condescending.
No. No, I don’t think I had.
“Bless her heart,” I murmured, shaking my head sadly. “But that had to be the rudest fucking bitch I ever met.”
She sure had a pretty front door, though. I turned to look at it once more, only to realize it was still slowly falling closed and hadn’t yet sealed shut.
To this day, I’m not certain why I did it. Maybe because she’d been so vulgar and demeaning to me. Maybe because her door was so ostentatious and flashy that it had made me curious about the rest of her apartment. Maybe I was just so desperate and beaten down that I couldn’t help myself.
Or maybe fate forced my hand.
But I glanced after her to make sure she wouldn’t look back. Of course, she didn’t. Why would she concern herself with what some silly maid was doing? Then I slowly slid my foot forward on the carpet to create a doorstop and keep the portal from closing completely.
As the door bumped and then came to rest against the side of my shoe, my heart pounded out a crazy tattoo in my chest. I watched the bitch storm around a corner and disappear from sight. Then I reached out my hand
, pressed my palm flush against the jeweled surface until hundreds of sparkling rhinestones bit into my flesh, and I pushed the door open wide.
Holy hell, was I really doing this?
Holding my breath, I stepped inside the apartment.
Yes, I guess I was.
