by Mia Moore
He rose and walked over to her and folded her in his beefy arms. “Promise me, you won’t be a stranger.” His hand patted her back before drifting to her arm, and easing his body back. He lifted her chin with his forefinger. “Keep reading. We’ll get together, talk about books.”
She sniffed and a smile graced her lips looking up at him. “I almost forgot...When Claire and I were talking, it came to me, what I want to do with my life.”
His eyes grew wide and he chuckled. “Oh my God. That’s great. Remember when I asked you what you dreamed of being. You couldn’t come up with a single thing.” He squeezed her arm, giving her a slight shake. “What is it?”
“I’m going to finish school. I want to become a teacher.” She held her breath waiting for his reaction.
His eyes bulged. “A teacher? That’s wonderful! And working at Claire’s you’ll have plenty of time for your studies.” He hugged her once more and when he spoke his voice was choked. “I’m so proud of you.”
The tears flowed on both sides and they didn’t hear Michael get up to leave them alone.
It was the first time anyone had ever said they were proud of her. Not once from her parents growing up and certainly not from that asshole of a husband, Rob.
Chapter 2
Claire was waiting in the lavish foyer of their apartment when Brie stepped off the elevator at two p.m. the next day.
She was every bit as elegant as Brie remembered from the party. Her stomach fluttered. Was that only a couple of days ago? In the dark tailored pants, white cotton tunic, the collar pulled high circled by a length of white gold necklace, Claire was casually chic. Her thin fingers, the long scarlet nails perfectly manicured reached for Brie’s shoulders, drawing her into a warm hug.
Her perfume was a reflection of Claire’s personality, sparkling and bubbly like champagne, tickling the lining of Brie’s nose. When she drew back, a loop of platinum blonde hair escaped from the arranged messy upsweep, falling against the soft crepe of her neck. Her eyes were a dark blue, the outside corners like a cat’s, tilting upwards, under perfectly shaped pale brown eyebrows. There was the flush of springtime in the pink glow of cheekbones set in flawless, ivory skin.
But it was Claire’s smile that captured her essence, dazzling white teeth framed by full coral colored lips. “Brie! It’s so good to have you here, a member of our household. Let me help you with your bags.”
Brie smiled and murmured thanks before Claire’s hand took the suitcase from hers as well as scooping up the smaller bag from the floor. For such a thin woman, she was surprisingly strong. She nodded with her head, motioning for Brie to follow her down the hallway and through the door to her room.
Unlike the first time she’d followed Claire, eyes wide looking like a deer in the headlights, this time Brie followed slowly taking in the furnishings and artwork. The walls were painted a soft gray with a warm pinkish hue, a muted backdrop that accentuated the vibrant splashes of reds and oranges in the paintings on the wall. The themes were similar--simplified, somewhat Oriental portraits of people’s faces with curious expressions.
The door to the room which was to be hers was open. Inside, Rose was folding a blouse and placing it in a suitcase before she clicked it shut and looked up. That day, Rose was in jeans and a sweater, her dark hair loose, flowing to her shoulders. She smiled when she noticed Brie. “Hi. I’m just about cleared out. It’s all yours now.”
Claire whooshed into the room and set the bags down with a clunk on the wood floor. “Rose is going to show you around the kitchen and give you the general lay of the land. I’ll be working in the library, networking AGAIN.” She shook her head, looking skyward. “If I’d known there was this much work helping with this charity gala, I’m not sure I would have volunteered.” She sighed and seemed to float out of the room. Her head appeared, peering round the doorway. “By the way, Alex and I will be here for dinner tonight.” And then she was gone.
Brie took her coat off and folded it over her arm, hiding her fingers working away at the hangnail on her thumb. This was it. She was here and jumping right into the fray, with Claire’s hint that she’d be cooking dinner for Alex and her. “I don’t have any uniform or anything like that to wear. You wore one the night of the party.”
Rose manhandled her suitcase to the floor and shook her head. “During the day it’s fine to wear dark pants or a skirt and white blouse. It’s only when they’re entertaining or there’s a party that they want us to wear a maid’s uniform. I’ll get your measurements and call Bloomie’s. They’ll send over a few. The Baders have an account there.” She stepped towards Brie and took the coat from her arms. “I’ll hang this up and we’ll start the tour. It’ll be mostly the kitchen on this floor and the outdoor kitchen on the terrace.”
She opened the double doors at the far side of the room and stepped inside. Brie followed, her eyes training along the racks of wooden hangers on bars that circled the room like a giant ‘U’. Above the brushed aluminum rod was a wide shelf, while under it, was a tiered shoe rack on one side and a low chest of drawers on the other. Holy cow! Even with all the clothes that Chris had bought her when she’d arrived, there was no way she’d ever come close to filling this space.
Rose turned and nudged her arm, gesturing for her to follow. After closing the enormous closet, she walked across the bedroom, past the floor to ceiling bank of windows overlooking the city, like it was no big deal. After seeing it for four years, it probably was.
“The cleaning crew come in three times a week--Mondays, Wednesdays and of course Fridays. The only cleaning you’ll be expected to do is making the Bader’s bed and doing their laundry. Takes all of an hour each day.” She led the way out the door and down the hallway, opening the first door after Brie’s room and standing back with a flourish.
“This is one of the Guest rooms. It’s exactly like yours, ensuite bath, walk-in closet but the furnishings are pale gray. There’s a friend of Claire’s who uses it pretty regularly, so make sure you look after it when she visits.” She closed the door and continued to the end of the hall where an archway formed.
“Wait,” said Brie. “What friend?” Was this Liam’s home away from home?
“Claire’s oldest friend, from back when they were kids. Her name’s Martha. She does consults and stuff at Lenox Hill Hospital every month or so and crashes here instead of staying at a hotel.” Rose looked up at the ceiling. “She’s… well, she’s okay I guess. She’s kind of particular about some stuff, and Claire loves her to pieces.” She looked at Brie. “If you don’t get on her bad side, you won’t have any problems.”
“And if I get on her bad side?”
Rose snorted. “Just don’t.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m going to have to keep this moving, Brie—I have an appointment.” She guided them into the kitchen.
“The kitchen has every appliance you could ever want, granite countertops and breakfast island; and of course, the view.” She extended her arm inviting Brie to enter. “I have to say, I will miss that.”
Brie entered, her eyes taking in the dark countertop, the built in oven, stainless fridge and stovetop and the island with three chairs tucked under the overhanging top. As rooms go, it wasn’t much bigger than Chris’s kitchen, although the airy view of the cityscape below made it seem bigger.
Rose pointed to a set of double doors at the far side of the room. “Formal dining room in there. They don’t entertain much in terms of dinner parties but when they do, someone comes in to help with the cooking and serving.”
She opened the refrigerator and took a package containing three butterfly pork chops from the bottom rack. “Claire already told me about dinner. I took these out this morning to defrost.” She turned and took a thick recipe book from a cabinet over the stove. There were sticky note flags of many colors extending from the tops and sides of pages within the book. “There’s a recipe in the book for their dinner; I hope you like pork chops. For dessert, it’s fruit for Claire and a sweet for Alex;
his ‘desserts’ are marked in the fridge.
She handed Brie the thick book and reached for another, a skinny ledger type notebook. “This is your bible. Never, ever lose it. It took me a long time to compile. Every phone number and address you’re ever likely to need, grocer, cleaning service, dry cleaner, liquor, wine, Bloomie’s, and Claire’s beautician, hairdresser, masseuse and favorite dress shops.” She shook her head and grinned. “Setting up appointments and last minute dress orders fall in the five percent ‘other duties as required’.”
Brie took the book from her and riffled through the pages, sighing with relief at the alphabetized organization and cross referencing. My God, the woman could write the yellow pages phone directory, if there was such a thing anymore.
Brie’s eyes opened wider as a question flared in her brain. “What about me? Do I eat with them or wait and eat later?”
Rose’s hand lifted and she scratched her head briefly looking down at the floor. “Oh my. Sorry. I guess I’m assuming you know more about this than you do.” She puffed a long sigh. “In the evening they eat in the dining room, just the two of them. You serve and when they’re done, you eat in here. In the morning, it’s casual but hurried. Coffee ready when they get up and they take it in here. He’ll let you know if he wants a regular breakfast or just toast or a muffin on the run. Claire is fresh fruit and plain yogurt, like clockwork. Lunch is just Claire, if she’s here. Nothing fancy, soup or a sandwich.”
She breezed through the archway and walked down the hallway to the elevator.
Brie’s mind and feet were flying to catch up with her. She stopped next to Rose, watching her push the button. “What times? You didn’t say when they eat.”
“Oh yeah, sorry. Dinner’s at eight and breakfast is six thirty. Remember, coffee has to be ready for that time, so you’ll be up at six.” She smiled when the door slid silently open. “Don’t worry, most of the morning’s yours and basically all afternoon. Except for their parties...”
She stepped inside and Brie felt her stomach churn even before the door slid shut and the elevator climbed. She took a deep breath. The parties would net her more money, kind of a bonus incentive for serving, staying up late until the last guest left. An extra two hundred dollars for each one. That would help with tuition. If she could cut it, she’d be able to take five courses a year and would have her degree in three years, especially if she kept at it during the summer. Hell, she’d only be twenty-seven.
The elevator stopped and the doors slid back. Once more the reception area greeted her eyes, a replica of the other two floors.
Rose stepped out onto a pale gray marble floor, the walls a deeper shade of gray. “The master bedroom and three other bedrooms are on this floor, as well as a small office that Alex uses sometimes.” She led the way to the left to a set of double doors. She opened the one and stepped inside.
Brie’s mouth fell open, gaping at the expansive room. Once more the floor to ceiling wall of windows in a room almost as large as the great room downstairs where the party had started the other night. Even the over-sized king bed looked small in there. There was an ‘S’ shaped lounge chair with a white floor lamp overhanging it like a bright umbrella of light, tucked in one corner of the room. She wandered past the bed but paused for a moment gazing at the low chest of drawers set against the wall. A photo of Claire and another woman, both wearing white dresses, topped by black graduation gowns, flat mortar-boards topping their heads, caught Brie’s eyes. She lifted it to have a better look. Claire looked to be in her early twenties.
“Brie?” Rose stepped closer, looking over Brie’s shoulder. “That’s Claire and Martha at graduation.” She picked up another photo and held it before Brie.
This one showed only the dark haired woman, graduation again but this time the gown was scarlet as well as the mortar board. The woman’ expression was serious, her gaze fixed on something higher and off in the distance.
“This is Martha graduating again. Aside from their coloring, they could be sisters.”
Brie set the photograph down on the dresser. Aside from the two photographs, and a dark cherry wood box, the surface was stark and empty. No photographs of Alex?
The box, was it Claire’s jewelry? Her fingers drifted across the surface, about to idly lift the lid to confirm that.
Rose’s hand flashed and rested on hers. “What’s in that box could buy this whole building.”
Brie’s hand recoiled as if from the flame of a fire. Oh my God. People actually kept that kind of wealth, laying around in an un-locked box! She stepped back quickly. There was NO WAY, she’d ever touch that thing again. Even looking at it was scary.
Rose stepped past her, striding to the far side of the room where a door stood ajar.
She peeked inside, her eyes gazing from the sets of showers to the free standing white soaking tub, big enough for four people, let alone one. A marble counter top was carved out for two sinks, sitting on top of a wide bank of cabinets. Mirrors over it reflected the sky and view of the city outside. Everything was pristine, white and airy.
She backed out of the room and turned to see Rose grinning. “Lifestyles of the rich and famous.” She sighed. “Herb and I went to Austin two weeks ago. We rented a little bungalow on two acres of land. You could almost fit the whole house in this room.”
“C’mon. I’ll show you the other rooms. There’re much the same as your bedroom so just a quick peek. She left the room and scampered down the hallway, stopping to open the other three doors on her way.
Brie peeked into each one before joining her at the last dark wooden door.
“This is Alex’s study. I never go in here. No need to. But I thought you should know where it is.” She left the door without opening it, leading Brie back to the elevator. She paused and plucked a dead petal from a flower resting in a vase in a recessed alcove across from the wide aluminum doors. “That’s another thing. Fresh flowers every other day. Claire prefers orchids in pinks and pale yellows. The florist is in the book.”
The elevator door opened and they stepped inside. Brie smiled. Now they were on familiar turf. She’d been up to the poolroom the night of the party.
Rose led the way to the main door, speaking absently over her shoulder. “You need to keep an eye on supplies, both in the bar here and in the great room. I always do it the day before and after one of the parties. And towels. There has to be a good supply of fresh towels here. Claire and Alex use the pool almost every day and of course, you can also use it whenever you want.”
There was a very faint smell of chlorine along with a waft of moist heat that greeted Brie when she entered the pool room. The pool dominated three quarters of the wide space, with a wet-bar set up along one wall. Again, the view was stupendous, windows enclosing the area on three sides. Next to the bar, a set of French doors opened to the outside, a terrace surrounded by a waist high brick wall.
Rose knelt and tugged on a slim white cord that draped from the ladder and into the crystal clear blue water of the pool. She beckoned Brie over with a wave of her arm. In her hand was a black box with a small screen.
“Keep an eye on this. It should read between three thousand and four thousand. It measures the salinity level. The pool company’s number is in the book and they come once a week anyway with supplies and do testing.”
She rose and brushed the water from her fingers. “I’ll show you the outdoor kitchen. C’mon.”
Brie’s eyes were as round as the life rings mounted near the pool. Would she ever remember everything that Rose was showing her?
She glanced at the bar before she passed through the French doors. Just a couple nights ago she’d stood there with Liam trying desperately to avoid looking at the naked bald guy who’d been sipping a drink. And Alex’s obvious enjoyment of her discomfort. Claire had said his sense of humor took a little while to get used to.
Rose strode to the end of the patio. A mammoth stainless steel BBQ built into cabinets, sat next to a four burner stove and
sink. Rose opened cabinets and drawers revealing utensils, spices, everything you’d need. A few feet away a marble topped island with a few stools fronting it, concealed a raft of cutlery and dishes as well as a small refrigerator.
“During the summer, Claire and Alex like to do BBQ’d food for their parties. It’s really no big deal to look after—mostly kebobs and grilled vegetables.” She stood up and grinned.
Brie’s mouth fell open and she shook her head. “Rose...There’s actually a lot more to this job than I’d thought. How will I--”
“It’s not that hard once you get into a routine. Actually, I wrote my schedule in the back of the notebook for you. Just follow that and you’ll be fine. Anything I’ve missed, don’t worry, Claire will let you know. Let’s go back to the kitchen and I’ll show you.” She took a few steps closer to Brie and put her hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”
Brie fell into step beside her. “Claire seems pretty nice. I’ve only said a few words to Alex and...” Her voice trailed off watching Rose’s smile vanish and the roll of her eyes.
“When I first took the job here, I didn’t know what to make of him. He works twelve hours a day and when he was around, he was...” She glanced at Brie and her voice lowered. “Let’s just say, he’s got some quirks. He’s more formal than Claire, likes things just so, especially when there’s a party. I overheard him and Claire talking about you checking out the party the other night. She was okay with it but him...not so much. People who go upstairs are invited. You just went up on your own.”
Her hand rose to her head and she scratched the top, giving Brie a lopsided smile. “Sorry. Maybe that sounds worse than it really is. All in all, he’s okay, I guess. And it’s Claire who runs things here, day to day. Don’t worry about Alex.”
