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Chapter 5
Piper
The door Darren hadgone through led to the kitchen. Not just any kitchen though, it was one of those T.V. kitchens most of us peasants only dreamed of. It had a double top stove with a large range overhead, and the island and counters were all covered in a dark marble that I would fear I’d scratch if I touched it.
Uh, oh. Put away the china.
“Finally,” Darren sniffed, not any happier for me to be there than I was. “You may eat your meals in here at the bar or in your room. Nowhere else.”
I slid onto one of the barstools and nodded curtly, not trusting myself to be civil.
Darren went about taking a plate from the cabinet and filling it with some kind of beef and vegetable concoction on the stove. Whatever it was smelled heavenly. At this point, I’d have taken anything other than fast food. I was surprised I hadn’t gotten as big as a house from of all the crap I ate because of my prior living conditions.
“I’m sure Master Durand has already made it clear, but you are here for one thing, to do your job, not to socialize and not to poke your nose into the masters’ business.” He placed the plate in front of me along with a glass of lemonade, his brown eyes narrowing to slits. “Some days, you might finish your chores early. If this happens, you have the rest of the day to yourself. You will get Sundays off for you to take care of any personal things.”
“Oh, wow. A full day off to myself.” The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. I paused for a moment, expecting to be chastised for my slip up, but Darren had better manners than me and simply huffed, pressing his lips together until they thinned into a fine line.
Not pushing my luck, I turned my attention back to my plate. I picked up my fork and took a bite of my meal, pretending to listen to him once more. I couldn’t help but let out a hum of pleasure at the taste. This was absolutely divine.
God, I haven’t had food like this in forever.
“So happy you enjoy my food.”
My eyes snapped open and flushed as I realized Darren was staring at me with a bemused look on his face. It was as close to a smile I had ever seen on him. I tucked that little tidbit into the back of my mind for later.
“Are you and me the only people who work here? I haven’t seen any other employees.” I waved my fork around in the air at the obvious lack of workers. “Seems a bit odd for such a big house.”
Darren made a plate for himself as he spoke. “I handle the household, as in I answer the phones, the door, and anything else the masters need. I also, on occasion, cook as well.” He tilted his head toward my plate of food.
I felt like he was telling me not to get used to it. Oh, well. The cook couldn't be worse than some of the questionable gas station food I’d eaten.
Never eat sushi from a guy named Lenny at the corner mart. Your intestines will hate you for the whole weekend.
“The regular cook is Miss Gretchen,” Darren continued. “She only comes a few times a week. Miss Gretchen also makes some premade meals and places them in the fridge.” He gestured toward the large double door refrigerator before coming over to sit by me.
“And I clean the house?” I arched a brow, finding it kind of hard to believe that this massive house ran on only three people.
Darren seemed to understand my reservation. “The masters keep to themselves for the most part and are remarkably tidy. You shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping up with your chores. Just remember the rules, and you will be fine.”
Arching a doubtful brow at him, I shook my head. “You obviously don't know me very well. Rules? Fine, but believe it or not, I attract trouble like flies on shit.” I bit my lower lip and flushed. “Pardon my language. I just thought I'd forewarn you.”
Darren gave a resigned sigh. “As much as I appreciate the gesture, I have to warn you as well. Any trouble you may cause will not end well for you, and I don't mean from the unemployment agency.”
I nodded in understanding at his wilting glare.
Stay out of trouble. Boy, have I got my work cut out for me.
We both ate our meals in silence after that. I could hear the murmurs of the masters from the dining rooms, but they were too low for me to make out what they were saying. I hadn’t seen Darren take them food, so I wasn’t sure exactly what they were eating.
After several minutes, I worked up the courage to ask. “If we're eating this, what are the masters eating?” The word ‘masters’ felt weird on my tongue as if I should be wearing a collar and holding a whip.
Darren gave me an evasive look. “The masters are on a special diet. You wouldn't find it very appealing.”
Probably one of those fake gluten-free diets. I grimaced, the masters losing several hotness points because of it.
When I finished my meal, I took it to the sink and rinsed it before sticking it in the dishwasher, something I had been taught to do since I was young. I turned around to see Darren watching me with a curious expression.
“What? I know how to wash a dish.” I shrugged and started back toward the dining room, but Darren stopped me.
