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The house is massive with a white stucco exterior and a red clay tile roof. The lawn is a vibrant green. Astroturf, I assume, unless this single house is using four hundred times their allotted water allowance. Not that I’d be surprised—droughts are for poor people, after all. The folks in this house aren’t worried about water.
“Are you going to be a personal assistant or something?” she asks, stretching up to look at me in the rearview mirror. “You look like you could be organized like that. Very girlbossy.”
For some reason, that doesn’t strike me as a compliment coming from her. “I’ll be in housekeeping, actually.”
Leighton’s brow furrows. “Oh.”
The moment the car slows, I scramble out of the backseat and onto the sidewalk. I give Leighton a small wave, but before I can turn around, she rolls down the passenger window.
“You have a stain on your shirt.” She points to her own chest to indicate where it is. “Did you know?”
I can’t handle another second of this girl. And it’s not like I have spare seconds anyway. I give her a thumbs up in response and then hustle up the wide steps to the double front doors. I press the doorbell, but nothing happens. After waiting for at least a minute, I knock on the wood doors.
It takes a bit, but finally, the door opens. A middle-aged woman with brutally short gray hair and severe black eyeliner is standing in front of me. “Rayne Garner?”
I nod. “Yes. That’s me. I’m so sorry I’m—”
“You’re late.” She turns on her heel and marches into the house. I hesitate for only a second before I hurry in after her. “I was giving the rest of the staff the morning rundown. They’re in the kitchen.”
We’re moving so quickly through the house that I can only catch bits and pieces of the finery. Polished wooden banisters on the stairs, a white marble table in the entryway, velvet curtains hanging over massive windows.
It’s all gorgeous. I can’t imagine there will be much for me to clean around here. But maybe that’s the point? Houses only look like this when a team of unseen, unheard, underpaid elves are working behind the scenes.
“I’m so sorry I’m late.” I’m practically whispering, but my words echo off the marble.
“Did you hear that, everyone?” the woman responds. She doesn’t have to speak very loudly to project her voice.
I look up and see a loose cluster of people standing at the back of a massive kitchen. They’re all staring at me.
“Miss Garner said she is sorry. If she’d been on time, what would she have heard?”
A petite brunette in the front of the group raises her hand no higher than her shoulder. “‘Sorry doesn’t make the beds,’” she recites dutifully.
“Exactly.” The drill sergeant woman nods and turns back to me. “I was finishing up. Someone else will have to fill you in on your duties and the running of the house.”
I nod, staring back at her for several seconds before it becomes uncomfortable. Finally, she jerks her head towards the others. “Go.”
Embarrassment is rolling down my back. I duck down and join the rest of the staff.
“You all are to change into your uniforms and set about your duties,” she continues. “I’ll be on the third floor, as I mentioned already. That level of the house is off-limits to all but only a handful of staff. Do not come find me. I always have my phone on. Call if you need anything. But it’s better if you don’t.”
With a brisk nod, the woman turns on her heel and marches out of the room.
“She’ll be a treat,” the woman next to me grumbles, earning a quiet chuckle from the group. She has colorful tattoos up and down her arms and the right side of her head is shaved. The other side is curled into perfect purple spirals.
When everyone starts to split off into smaller groups to whisper and talk, she turns to me. “Thanks for being late. It took the heat off of me.”
“What did you do wrong?”
She gestures to her hair. “I was told on the phone that tattoos are fine, but a buzzed purple head is apparently toeing the line. I’m a day in, but I think I’m already on probation.”
She doesn’t seem to mind too much.
“I’d say you took the heat off me then,” I joke. “She’ll probably forget I was late eventually, but unless you can grow your hair out fast, you’re in trouble.”
She laughs and holds out her hand. “I’m Natalia.”
“Rayne.” We shake. “So what did I miss?”
