Chapter 5
Theadora
THREEMONTHSLATER…
The room looked like there’d been a drunken out-of-control party. Smashed and empty bottles. Dirty plates and glasses. Smeared cream cake and lipstick on the floor and walls. The bed looked like people had been wrestling on it. Furniture destroyed.
Why did I always end up with the penthouse suites? I stepped out into the hallway to wheel in my cleaning trolley. Up ahead, Lucy pushed hers out of an adjoining room.
“Hey, any princes?” I chuckled.
That was our little joke. She had this continuing fantasy often shared after work while sipping on a well-earned drink about her having her own Jennifer Lopez moment with a Ralph Fiennes lookalike billionaire.
For hard-working girls like us that’s what kept us sane: silly little fantasies and laughs at the expense of the filthy rich clients we cleaned after.
“Nuh. Just lots of mess. And…” Her hazel eyes shone with amusement. “A bin full of used condoms.”
I twisted my mouth. “Gross.” I pointed. “You should see what fucking awaits me in there. I mean, what do these people get up to?”
“Ah, the weirdo habits of the super-rich. Here, I’ll help. That way we can get lunch together.”
“You’re a star,” I said as she followed me into the room.
Lucy’s brown bob swished around as she shook her head. “Holy crap. You weren’t kidding. This is crazy. And look at the walls. Lipstick drawings of dick and balls. Have you called Alan?”
“I’ll have to. This is crazy-shit messy. We’re going to need paint stripper to get that off.”
I puffed out a tired breath. I’d been working at Lovechilde’s, a five-star hotel, for three months, and while the conditions were fair and the pay higher than most cleaning jobs, the work exhausted me, mainly because I often worked double shifts for the extra money.
After an hour of solid cleaning, with me continuously thanking Lucy, we headed down to our lockers.
A notice on the board read: Live-in housemaids wanted for Merivale House. Bridesmere by the sea.
I asked, “Where’s Bridesmere?”
“I went there once for summer. It’s a little over an hour’s drive from the city. It’s a gorgeous fishing village, like something out of a TV show, lots of brightly coloured shops.”
I nodded with interest. I had nothing holding me in that super-expensive city, and although Annabel, my flatmate, was nice enough, I wouldn’t miss the emotional rollercoaster that was her life.
“What? Are you thinking of applying?” Lucy stepped out of her uniform, picked up a pair of jeans and yanked them up her long, skinny legs.
“I am. And it’s live-in, which means I can save on rent.”
“Mm… I guess. But wouldn’t you miss the buzz of the city? Those villages can get a bit stuffy, where everyone knows everyone’s business and all the goss.”
“My life’s not that interesting to fire up gossip.” I fidgeted with my skirt’s zip. Unlike my skinny friend, I’d stacked on weight. “I really need to save. I want to go back to college. You know that.”
Yep. She knew all about my aspirations which weren’t that unrealistic. I just wanted to finish my music degree and teach children piano. That’s where I was heading when my repulsive stepfather from fucking hell interrupted my life.
“Then why not apply? I’ll miss you though.” Her mouth turned down.
I touched her arm and smiled.
Her face sparked up. “Hey, that’s where the very sexy and eligible Lovechilde billionaire sons live. The same Lovechildes who own this hotel.”
“Oh? How do you know about them?”
“I read all about them in Hello. The eldest of the two was a soldier, I believe.”