I took off my JJ Cleaning polo and khaki pants, then pulled on my pleated uniform skirt. Even with the back unzipped, I had to tug it over my wide hips before I could zip it up and have it fit around my narrower waist. Curvy girl problems.
I sat on the closed toilet lid and bunched up my pantyhose before pulling them over my feet. That was the nice thing about expensive hose—I’d worn these the entire school year, and so far, no runs. I kept my fingers crossed that they would last through my senior year.
I switched out of my sports bra that was comfortable to work in and into a push-up bra before going to my makeup bag. Mom always said half the battle is showing up as the person you want to be. I wanted to be polished, presentable—the professional doctor I hoped to be someday.
A little mascara and matte lipstick worked wonders with the clear complexion Mom had passed on to me, but this curly hair was a challenge. I was busy creating a half French braid to hold it away from my face when the door opened.
Standing in front of me was none other than Kai Rush, an amused smirk growing on his face.
My hands flew to my chest as my braid unraveled, and I stepped back, stammering, “I—I—”
I what? I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed silent.
“I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” he said.
He might have seemed amused, but the power of his presence caught me off guard. I’d never seen Kai this close before, but now he had me pierced under his casual intensity. And he was tall, taller than I’d thought him to be simply passing him in the hallways or sitting across the cafeteria.
He raised dark, arched eyebrows, and I realized he was waiting for a response.
Still covering my more-than ample chest as best I could, I nodded toward my JJ Cleaning polo with the logo facing up. “My mom and I are your new cleaning crew.”
His dark, angled eyes scanned my half-naked body, making me feel fully exposed, before turning to the mirror and examining himself. “Welcome aboard.”
He feathered his fingers through his smooth hair and then plucked at an invisible piece of lint on his uniform. His attire had clearly been custom-tailored, the way the suit jacket framed his trim shoulders. Not the way mine hung loose because I had to buy a size up so it would fit my bust.
Kai adjusted his tie and then smirked at me. “See you at school, Jordan.”
Three
The door clicked shut behind him, only half as loud as my anxiously pounding heart. Kai Rush had seen me in my bra. And not the sports bra. No, this was the lavish one that pushed up the girls with a tiny pink bow in between my cleavage.
I covered my face with my hands. Not only was I his maid, I was also an embarrassment. If Mom found out I’d been in a client’s bathroom, exposed, she would be so disappointed.
Kai hadn’t had the decency to turn around and walk away, but I at least hoped he would keep the encounter to himself.
I tried to still my fretful heart as I finished dressing, gathered up my things, and went back downstairs. When I made it back to the kitchen, Mom was half inside the oven, scrubbing.
“Amá,” I said quietly, careful not to startle her. I’d bumped my head more than a few times the same way.
She disengaged herself from the oven and smiled at me. “You look nice.”
I barely managed a twitch of my lips. “Thanks. So, I’m heading out. Need anything else?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, I’m fine. I have another job after this. Should be home around eight. Will you make supper?”
I nodded. It was the least I could do for how hard she worked for us.
She kissed my cheek, and then I walked back out the front door. The butler somehow appeared, as if he’d been watching me the entire time. Well, where was he when Kai was walking in and seeing me in my bra? Huh?
As I left the front entry, I caught sight of Kai’s Tesla pulling through the gates. One day, just out of curiosity, I’d looked it up. The black car driving away from me right now cost upwards of two hundred thousand dollars. That fact made me detest the boy who drove it even more.
And Mom was worried about me falling in love? Not a chance. He and his dad stood for everything I despised. They practically bathed in hundred-dollar bills while Mom and I wasted away on whatever leftovers they were tossing us for the job.
Still, my cheeks were warm as I walked to my car and pulled out of the multi-million-dollar driveway. I couldn’t get Kai’s dark eyes and his self-satisfied smirk out of my mind. Had he known I was in the bathroom? It wasn’t like he’d stopped to use the toilet or blow his nose or anything. He had simply straightened his already straight tie and left like it was business as usual.
Was he always so strange? So self-assured? And how did he know my name? I’d hardly spoken a word to him since I started at Emerson Academy this fall. Add that to the fact that everyone called me a ‘ship (short for scholarship student), it was a wonder he remembered my name at all.
When I got to school, I still hadn’t solved the mystery of the morning’s encounter. I parked in my designated spot and turned off my car, the engine squealing and sputtering to a halt.
I kept my eyes down as I grabbed my backpack and stepped out of the car.
“Nice ride, ‘ship,” a guy called.
I ignored him and walked inside to my locker. Attention only fueled antagonists, and I had no intention of giving them extra material.
Farther down the hall, I saw my friends congregated around Ginger’s locker.
They were clearly mid-conversation, but Rory smiled at me as I approached them. “I was just saying how thankful I am for you guys!” She pulled me in a one-armed hug. “Last night was so sweet!”
I grinned. “No problem.” I loved making the people I cared about happy, and setting up a surprise make-up “homecoming dance” for her and her boyfriend definitely fell under that category. “How’d it go with Beckett’s dad?”
I knew things had been a little awkward for them since the homecoming game when he found out, along with the rest of the school, that Rory had bet Merritt she could get Beckett to fall in love with her.
“It was fine,” Rory said. “A little awkward, but things eased up, I think.”
“Good,” I replied, then lowered my voice. “You guys won’t believe this.”
They leaned in, curious. I never had juicy gossip.
I took a deep breath. “My mom’s new cleaning client is Kai Rush’s family.”
Zara rolled her eyes. “My condolences.”
“Right?” Ginger said, shaking her head. “He’s such a snob. He hardly speaks to anyone.”
Callie frowned, but left it at that. I knew she didn’t like trash-talking, but some people deserved it.
“And you had to help with the job?” Rory asked with a pout.
“Yep,” I answered. “And get this. My mom told me not to date him.”
Ginger snorted. “As if.”
“Right?” I said.
Ginger shut her locker. “Doesn’t she know you don’t date high school guys?”
I shook my head. “She would be more than happy if I didn’t date again after what happened with Martín.” I glanced around the hallway at all the guys who were not interested in dating a plus-sized ‘ship like me. “She might just get her wish.”