"Just drop me off in front of the door, I guess," I told the cab driver uncertainly. We had driven down the long paved driveway toward the house, where an ornate fountain bubbled in the front. I was having second thoughts about this but I had come this far, and I wasn't going to waste the cab fare by not even getting out.
"Thank you," I said to the driver, stepping out onto the pavement. The cab left me standing in front of the concrete steps that led to the house with Greek statues flanking either side of the grand entrance. I forced myself to ascend the steps. I raised my hand and knocked on the thick door, noting how soft of a sound my small hand made on the solid carved wood. I hesitated and listened, but heard nothing. Feeling stupid, I looked around the perimeter of the door. There must be a doorbell. No way would my tiny knock be heard throughout this huge house. I saw a button to my right and pressed it, hearing a faint sound of its soothing tone waft out from the other side of the door. I nervously smoothed my skirt and looked at the ground while I waited, simply because I was so overwhelmed that I didn't even know where to rest my eyes in a place like this.
I was intimidated, and completely out of my element.
The door swung open and I was met with a warm faced woman who looked to be in her early fifties. She had bright eyes and a genuine smile. "Hello, you must be Myra. Come in, come in." She stepped to the side and gestured for me to cross the threshold into the mansion. She was wearing a long skirt and an apron, and held a duster in one hand. I immediately recognized her accented voice from our phone conversation a few hours earlier.
I smiled. "It's nice to meet you…" I realized she had never told me her name on the phone.
"You can call me Sophie," she said, extending her hand. "Let's go sit down and have a chat."
"Ok," I said shyly, thankful that she walked ahead, giving me a chance to follow behind her and steal glances at my surroundings. Gorgeous artwork that was obviously original decorated the walls of the light and airy entryway. I followed Sophie into a sitting area that overlooked an outdoor rose garden. The windows were open and the floral scent from the garden permeated the room. "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked me.
"Oh, no I'm fine, thanks," I said, sitting down demurely on the loveseat while Sophie took a seat in an armchair across from me.
"So, Myra, let me tell you about the job first, and then you can tell me a little bit about yourself if this seems like something you would like to do."
I nodded, Sophie's mannerisms putting me at ease.
She settled back in her chair with a small sigh, and smiled. "As you can see, this is a very large house. Your job here is simply to keep it in order."
I nodded, letting her know that she still had my attention. "There are five bedrooms, a large kitchen, four bathrooms, two lounges like the one we are sitting in, plus an entertainment area. Oh, and all of the entryways and the fitness room."
My eyes must have gone wide because she chuckled then and added, "But don't worry, the outside grounds are handled by the gardeners and groundskeepers, so you never have to go out there. There's some acreage as I'm sure you can see. I don't know how they do it sometimes, but they keep this place looking immaculate year around. Although, sometimes I feel like the groundskeepers have the easy job since they don't have to deal with the inside mess and the people." She rolled her eyes.
"Can I just ask one question?" I asked. "How many people actually live here besides yourself?"
Sophie laughed softly. "Oh, I won't be living here anymore. I am just the housekeeper that you'll be replacing. Only one person lives here, Mr. Slade. Although, he does like to have visitors." She frowned slightly. She started to say something, then stopped herself and restarted.
"So, tell me a little about yourself, Myra. Does this seem like something you think you could handle so far? I mean, of course, I will give you a full tour before you decide for sure but…"
"Yes," I answered immediately. How bad could it be with only one person living here? Even if the guy had parties every now and then, it couldn't be so bad taking care of the daily upkeep on a house with only one actual resident. The man was probably old and stodgy, likely a widower who had worked his whole life to be able to afford a place like this. I was sure this would be an easy gig. The house was so quiet. The only sounds were of Sophie and I talking. This could be a peaceful, easy gig to hold me over until I found something permanent.
"Yes, I think I could manage just fine. I actually used to clean houses with my mother when I was a young girl. I'm kind of a neat freak, actually. I like to clean my own place whenever I feel stressed out or anxious. It grounds me."
Sophie smiled. "Well, that's good to hear. What did you do for a job before this?"
"I worked in an office," I said, uneasy about telling her that I was a financier. I didn't want her to think I was overqualified and was only going to work for a couple weeks, even though that was true. I didn't want to have to explain all of that, so I found myself lying. "I was a receptionist. I found the job through a temp agency, and well, it was temporary. Besides, I didn't like the office setting very much. I prefer to work with my hands a little more." I was a terrible liar, and always had the tendency to ramble whenever I was stating some kind of falsehood.
Luckily, Sophie didn't seem to pick up on my white lies.
"Well, good. If you don't like the office, it sounds like you'll have something in common with Mr. Slade." Sophie's smile disappeared a bit.
"So, will I meet Mr. Slade today?" I asked, curious to know who I would be actually working for. Sophie seemed so sweet, and I would like to know who I would actually be dealing with every day if I took this job.
"Probably not. He keeps odd hours much of the time." She smirked. "I may as well be upfront about everything now. Perhaps you are already familiar with the man of this house? Mr. Alec Slade? He is…a bit famous. Or, maybe I should say infamous?"
I shook my head. "No, the name doesn't ring a bell. Although, I have to confess, I've been buried in work and have been living under a rock for the past couple years. I don't keep up with what and who is popular."
"I see. That's just as well. Alec is a good boss, and he will never be unkind to you. He is a good man in his heart, but he also likes to have a good time, sometimes above all else if you know what I mean."
"You're saying he is irresponsible?" I asked with a smile.
"Yes, I think I would call it that."
I think I can deal with a slightly irresponsible old man. He can't be that wild if he has managed to keep wealth like this.
"Well, that's ok. I'm sure he is a nice man," I smiled.
"Oh, yes. I'm sure he will be very nice to you, a young pretty woman. He is a bit of a womanizer, I will warn you. He will surely be pleased that I have hired such an attractive housekeeper, but I'm telling you now that you should not be afraid to be stern with him."
I laughed. "Oh, I grew up in the city. I know how to deal with catcalls," I joked.
"Good, good. Well, in that case, if you would like the job, it’s yours." She reached for a folder that was sitting on the end table, and pushed some papers across the coffee table. "Your salary agreement is on top. If that is acceptable to you, go ahead and sign."
I glanced down at the paper in front of me and my eyes fell on the number listed under weekly salary. I looked up at Sophie. "This number here," I pointed. "This is a weekly amount or a monthly amount?" There had to be some mistake. Nobody pays maids this well. This was only a tiny bit under what I had been making at the top financial institution in the city.
Sophie looked where I was pointing. "No, dear, that is correct. You will earn that much each week. Mr. Slade is not a stingy man. He likes to spend and he treats his staff well."
I tried to keep my surprise to myself as I signed the papers and slid them back toward Sophie.
"Great," she said, replacing the papers into the file folder and tucking it under her arm as she stood up. "Let me give you the grand tour and get you oriented with the place."
Alec Slade. I typed the letters into the search engine and anxiously awaited the results to load. I’d just arrived home after stopping to grab lunch on the way home from my interview. Sophie had given me the grand tour of the estate and the place was gorgeous. She even admitted that there wasn't much to do most days besides light dusting in the rooms that rarely even got used. Monday mornings, she had warned me, were usually a little more labor intensive after Alec had had his weekend fun, which sometimes consisted of quite a few visitors. She’d told me this with a frown, but I didn't question her further.
She seemed to have thought of her employer with respect and affection, although I could tell she was exasperated with him.
The search results loaded, and the image results across the top of my screen displayed the handsome face of a man that could not have been more than thirty years old. I curiously clicked on a photo, which was from a tabloid magazine, thinking it must be Alec Slade's son or something.
When I skimmed the description, I didn't see a delineation indicting he was a junior. I scrolled through some more photos, each one showing that same handsome, chiseled movie star face. Alec Slade was no old widower. I hadn’t just accepted a job to work for an eccentric old millionaire. This was a hot as hell young playboy that owned that house.
Now all the things Sophie had told me made more sense - that older, conservative lady probably couldn't handle his escapades. As I scrolled through the articles written about him, he seemed to really enjoy the nightlife - and beautiful women. Almost every photo featured a supermodel-esque babe on his arm.
I skimmed an article that talked about him possible being sued by a nightclub owner for disorderly conduct that had led to property damage. The article was only from six months ago.
I reached for my phone, tapping Anjali's number. She was the only one who would appreciate how bizarre my situation was.
She picked up immediately. "What's up girl? How's the job search going?"
"You're not going to believe this. Do you know who Alec Slade is?"
"Um, yeah. Only the richest, most eligible bachelor in San Fran. I'm not that old and out of the loop, Myra." She sounded offended that I would even ask.
"Well, excuse me. I didn't know who the hell he was until a couple hours ago. Anyway, I'm working for him now."
"What? As his financial advisor? You've got to be kidding me! Congratulations! Myra, this is big."
"No, it's not big. I'm not his financial advisor, I'm his fucking maid." I explained the long, sad story about how I was unable to find anything in my field and I didn't want to be evicted. When I was done talking, Anjali just laughed.
"Well, you know how to hustle, that's for sure. Just make sure you look hot on your first day of work. You never know, he has a thing for pretty women. Maybe he'll make you his wife and you'll never have to work another day in your life."
"Yeah, right," I said, scrolling through the pictures on my laptop. "Something tells me I'm not his type. As in, I have never been featured in a Victoria's Secret catalog." I rolled my eyes.
Anjali snorted, "Yeah, well, playboys like him can be turned by a good girl sometimes. You never know, don't rule it out."
"You're ridiculous," I said out loud, although I was internally wondering what that would be like as I stared at a picture of Alec Slade's perfectly handsome face.
4
Alec
I've always known I was the black sheep of the family, and I even prided myself on it all these years, but being pushed out of the family legacy fucking hurt, and I don't like feeling pain. Of course, nobody does, but especially not me. I was born to have a good time, and I always believed that was my strong suit, but the older I was getting, the more it worked against me in a major way.
I wasn't ready to lose my father either. He seemed so at ease with the fact that his days were numbered. And in his last days, he had given up on me completely. My brothers didn't even do anything to try to convince him otherwise but why should they? When had I ever done anything to cause anyone in my family to take me seriously?
I laid awake and stared at the ceiling. It was only ten o'clock at night and I hadn't been in bed this early since I was a child that had a strict bed time. I didn’t think I’d ever actually gone to bed at this time as an adult, but my alarm was set for five in the morning. That was the hour at which successful businessmen woke up in the morning. At least I imagined so.
Not that I had any fucking clue what I was going to do when I got up at that ungodly hour. I needed a plan. One month wasn't much time, and what if my father didn't even stick around for that long? It was morbid to think about him dying before I had a chance to convince him that I wasn't a lost cause. He thought that all I gave a shit about was money, and that wasn't true. I wanted a part of the legacy that was my birthright just as much as it was my brother's. Just because I wasn't living some boring life didn't mean that I wanted to be kicked out of the fucking family.
The look on his face when he told me I could go was the same look that I’d been getting from him since I was a child. A look of disappointment that was cleverly disguised. My father was too even tempered and cool to ever say to my face that he wished I were different but he didn't have to say it. I’d felt it my whole life.
I needed a plan and my brothers weren't going to help me. They were busy with their own lives, and I didn't need them telling our father that I had asked them to help me in this promise that I had made. The only person who would know what it was my father really wanted from me was my uncle, my father's younger brother. He was a part of the company himself way back in the day, but then walked away when he decided he didn't give a shit about real estate.
I decided to call him. I needed guidance, and he was the only family available to me anymore.
"Alec, don't tell me you need to be bailed out," Uncle Greg answered. He sounded like he was awake, so that was good.
I chuckled nervously. "No, Greg, I'm not in jail."
"Then why are you calling me at this hour? Shouldn't you be out at one of your clubs or something?"
"No, it's Monday night," I retorted.
"And when has that ever stopped you before?" Uncle Greg asked.
"It hasn't," I admitted, "but I'm getting up early tomorrow. I'm calling you because I need you to help me make a plan. You're the only person in this family who understands me at all and I need your help."
"Is this about your dad? Look, Alec, I know it is hard to be losing your father. He's at peace though, and I know he wants you boys to be, too. I know it's hard for me to think of losing my brother so soon. I always thought he would outlive me, even though I'm the younger one. Although, I guess I better knock on wood, there or else I might drop dead tomorrow."
It was just like Uncle Greg to slip in that wry humor of his during a serious conversation. It was why I always liked him.
"It's about him, yes, but not about his condition. I had a meeting with him and my brothers the other day and he doesn't want me to have my name on the business when he is gone. He promised me a trust fund but he doesn't want my name on the company. Only my brothers. He doesn't think I want anything to do with it, or he thinks I won't take it seriously, and well, I'm not included and it fucking stings pretty bad."
Uncle Greg let out a sigh. "Your father takes his work very seriously, as I'm sure you know."
"Of course I know that," I said.
"That company is his fourth child, Alec. It was his passion. Is it really yours? It wasn't mine."
"I don't know what my passion is, but I'm a part of this family, and I think I should be a part of the company. I made an agreement with him."
"And that was?" Uncle Greg prompted.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I told him that I would clean up my act in thirty days and prove to him that I was worthy of taking over the company along with my brothers. My problem is that I don't know exactly how to prove to him that I am capable. I'm really not even sure what he wants to see."
&nbs
p; "Alec, if I were you, I’d leave it alone. He's giving you the trust fund. You don't need the money. Why bother with this? You are who you are and there is nothing wrong with having a good time in life if that is what you want to do. You're lucky that the company isn't falling on your shoulders. I got the hell out of there when I could. That empire is nothing but an albatross around your neck once you get into it. The pressure is immense at all hours of every day. It's not worth it, just leave it alone Alec. Your father loves you, this isn't about that. Believe me, I know my brother. He thinks the world of each of his sons, even you. I happen to know he has a special place for you in his heart because you remind him of your mother so much."
I felt a lump form in my throat that I quickly swallowed down. "I'm not backing down from this, Uncle Greg. I want to show him that I can be both. I don't want him to die thinking I am irresponsible and incapable of running a business. It just doesn't sit well with me. Please just help me figure out where to start. I'm at a loss here."
Uncle Greg was sympathetic, but honest. "Well, for starters, you're going to want to quit ending up with your name in the tabloids for your antics at the clubs."
"Yeah, I know," I said in a low voice. "I know that much. Although, to be fair, those reporters follow me around way more than they do anyone else."
"That's because you have a reputation, Alec. I just don't see you giving all this up overnight, to be honest with you."
"Well, I can and I'm going to. This just all happened too fast. if I would have known this was how Dad felt all along, maybe I would have quit by now. I didn't know that he was going to kick me out of the company or I wouldn't have let things get this out of hand. I'm about to lose my father, and I don't even know what I would do with my life if I am not a part of the family business. I always took it for granted that I would be, you know?"
Forbidden Neighbor: A Contemporary Romance Boxset (Forbidden Saga Book 2) Page 18
