Jay walked through the open door, not bothering to reply. The rockstar was as pleasant to the elevator attendant, who pressed the button to the penthouse floor.
On the top floor, Jay was greeted by another receptionist who she did not speak with either. There were four different penthouses on the top floor, so they had an attendant to make sure that all of their needs were taken care of.
Jay ignored the woman and opened the grand door that led into her home.
Most of the morning was lost on Jay. All she remembered was waking up, being told her tour was canceled, then finding a cut in her forehead, Johnny and--
Jay stood in the doorway as she looked on at her home. A place that was trashed only hours ago, smelling of liquor, spoiled food, and ass. Now smelt like lemons. All the clothing on the floor had been picked up. Take-out containers were no longer present. The suite sparkled. Black and white surfaces were visible and pristine as if the counters had never seen a dirty day.
Jay moved from the doorway to the kitchen. Rumbling from the dishwasher was a foreign noise. Counters that were covered in moldy food, drinks, drugs, and empty bottles were now visible and wiped down to perfection. Marble floors no longer held her feet with their stick. Now they were smooth and easy to walk on without feeling like you needed a bath.
Curious to see what her room looked like; Jay hurried upstairs. The rockstar’s mouth fell open upon seeing the master suite.
Everything was clean. Even the windows that showcased the entire New York skyline were visible without a smudge. Inside her closet, all the clothing was picked up and hung. Jay did not miss the sound of the washing machine on the way to her room, so what clothes she did not see must have been in the wash.
For the first time in a while, Jay felt a bit lighter. It had been a few weeks since her last maid left, and the house definitely showed. Jay was not one to clean, so her place was suffering. Didn’t help that the services she hired after her parties were awful and didn’t get everything left behind by her guests. Not to mention, most services took all day to do what this new maid did in four hours.
Eager to take a bath in a clean tub, Jay moved to the bathroom to start the water.
“Oh, sorry,” the woman whispered as she nearly bumped into Jay on her way out of the closet.
Their eyes met for a moment. Red depths enveloped Jay, causing her stomach to clench in an uncontrollable way. A way that made her feel all fluttery and exposed. Something she did not like at all.
“Didn’t Johnny inform you that you are not to speak unless spoken to?” Jay said, her flesh suddenly hot as she confronted the help.
Back turned toward Jay, the maid stopped mid-step and faced her employer. Eyes downcast to her feet, she stood there and waited as Jay said what she needed to.
“In my home, you are invisible unless I decide that you suddenly aren’t. Do you comprehend?”
Jay’s gut clenched as red eyes bore into hers. The sight was uncanny. As if staring into the depths of another world. A world that was uncertain and more terrifying than anything she’d seen before.
The maid did not answer her question with words. Instead, a slight nod, told Jay that she understood. Before Jay could think of something else to say, the maid had turned around, headed for the rockstar’s closet.
∞
Weakness was not something Octavia wanted to show. Most saw it in her shy demeanor, her reluctance, and acceptance of misfortune. However, Octavia was anything other than weak. She’d fought through a lot to get to where she was, and still, the battle was not won.
Octavia’s first impression of Jay was built off of false bravado. When they met, years ago, she saw a person with a gentle, caring heart. Now, however, Octavia could see that Jay was anything but kind.
The rockstar was disgusting. The cleanliness was one thing. Octavia felt that while annoying, she could live with picking up after the celebrity. But the blatant disrespect was going to take getting used to.
It’s not that Octavia didn’t have experience dealing with assholes. Hell, her employer had a habit of threatening her life pretty much every time they talked. But that was different. She didn’t have to live with Johnny, take care of him. Jay, on the other hand, she’d have to look after.
After hours of cleaning, Octavia was happy to finally be able to return to her servant quarters.
The one positive about being Jay’s live-in maid was having a suite all to herself. The space was nice enough. Down a hidden hallway, far from the main part of the apartment, it opened to a furnished living room and kitchen. Off to the side of the kitchen was a bathroom, equipped with the standard tub and shower combo. The bathroom led into a bedroom, fitted with a queen-size bed, dresser, and smaller TV, than the one in the living room, mounted on the wall.
Exhausted from the day, Octavia jumped into a hot shower, then dug through her luggage for a set of pajamas.
Dressed in a two-piece red short and tank set, Octavia searched her kitchen for something to eat. Luckily, the fridge was stocked with TV dinners, orange and apple juice, and an array of vegetables perfect for making a salad.
In favor of music instead of TV, Octavia put her headphones in and started to play Mariah Carey’s “Daydream” album. With a pep to her step, she put together all the ingredients to make a Caesar salad.
Once the salad was done, Octavia chose to stand while eating. As a retro club beat from the 90s played, Octavia’s hips started swaying. A fork stabbed at a crouton as she danced in time with the song. All her worries seemed to dissipate as the song and food eased her tension away. Dancing had always been an outlet for Octavia.
Back at her orphanage, she had put together a dance team with her best friends. They were young, seven, eight, and ten but old enough for the pain of the world to be evident in their lives. They didn’t have TVs, but they had a radio, they had a boom box and CDs. Hours were spent, dancing, singing, entertaining each other. Dreams of making it big one day were created. To leave their country, travel to America, and make something of themselves.
Knock Knock Knock on the door drew Octavia’s attention. Even though her headphones were loud, she could still hear everything that went on around her. Trained hearing from years of living in dangerous places.
Fearing that it was Jay, who came to yell at her over something, Octavia hurried to open the door. Eyes grew wide upon sight of the woman who stood before her.
She was so beautiful you’d think she was fake. Full lips were pursed as she gazed down at her phone. Long blonde hair fell on either side of the woman’s shoulders. Bright green eyes shone back at Octavia, riddling her speechless.
“You’re the new maid?” The woman asked, taking an uninvited step into the room.
“Um, yeah.” Confused, Octavia moved aside to let the stranger in.
“I’m Bee, Jay’s assistant.” The woman’s eyes did not meet Octavia’s as she introduced herself. Instead, she gazed around the apartment, seeing a bunch of boxes and suitcases, Octavia’s stuff.
“Hi, I’m--”
“Yes, I know, Octavia,” Bee said, cutting her off. “You haven’t begun unpacking yet?”
“Well, I just started today and cleaned for most of it.”
Bee nodded and moved into the kitchen. “Yes, I noticed. It looks good. Very impressive.” The assistant leaned on a counter, arms crossed, and looked at Octavia. “You seem nice enough. Pretty--except for the scar--but that adds a little pizzazz. You’re soft-spoken, clear hard worker that values your job over yourself. I don’t know what there is to dislike about you.”