* * *
"Maddie Thompson!"someone yelled from the front of the waiting room of DeVille Staffing, and I looked up to see a pretty blond woman waving at me.
I gathered up my purse and my references and hurried to where she stood. "I'm Maddie."
"It's nice to meet you. Come with me."
"Okay. Thanks!" I answered enthusiastically, trying to show how eager I was to find a position, hopefully the one I'd applied for.
As we walked back toward an interview room past a line of people waiting to be called, the woman turned around and looked me up and down, making me doubt my choice of the black skirt and pink blouse. I should have gone with my favorite navy blue and white polka dot dress, but after a party at Candy's last week, I forgot to wash it, so business boring was the only choice available.
"Mondays really are busy days here, aren't they?" I asked, needing to fill the empty space in the conversation before my insecurity did as we entered a small room at the end of the hallway.
She nodded and smiled before offering me a seat at the table in the center of the room. "It definitely is. Take a seat and Mr. DeVille will be in shortly. Good luck!"
Before I could say a word, she disappeared, leaving me sitting there with my sweaty palms and butterflies in my stomach. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait too long before a very attractive man with jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes walked into the room. He wore a goatee that gave him a sinister look that intimidated me, but then he smiled and my fears melted away.
Closing the door behind him, he sat down and looked across the table at me, his blue eyes scanning my face for a moment before he said, "Welcome to DeVille Staffing, Maddie. I'm the owner, Mr. Louis DeVille. I've looked at your application and believe you're a perfect match with one of our best clients. If you can start today, we can get you together with your new employer, Mr. Eric Pierce, as his personal cook."
My heart leapt with joy! "Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you! I can start today, of course. Just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it."
Mr. DeVille jotted down a few notes on the application I'd filled out online and then looked up at me. A sly smile spread across his mouth.
"I like to hear an applicant say they'll do whatever they have to in order to make a client happy. I think you're going to be a perfect match for this position. Mr. Pierce is eager to get started immediately. Do you have any details to wrap up before heading out to his house?"
I quickly ran through anything that I might have to do before starting my new job and shook my head. "No, sir. I'm ready to go right now."
His gaze slid down to my breasts, and he arched a single dark eyebrow. "Excellent. I'll arrange transportation for you immediately, and you'll be at your new job in no time."
He stood to leave, but suddenly I began to question everything. Who was this Eric Pierce? Would I be working for just him, or was there an entire family living there that I'd be cooking for? I didn't doubt I could do the job, but I wanted to know what I was getting into.
"Excuse me, Mr. DeVille, but I was wondering if you could tell me a little about the position. How many people live in Mr. Pierce's home? Will I be required to prepare any menus to adhere to any special diets anyone must follow? I want to make sure I do the best job I possibly can."
The owner of DeVille Staffing looked down at me and smiled. "Very good questions. I like that you're so attentive, Maddie. I have a feeling Mr. Pierce will appreciate that too. To answer your questions, Mr. Pierce lives alone, except for other members of his staff. He will instruct you on what he will want you to prepare for him. Do you have any other questions?"
It felt like I should have a million other questions, but as I sat there looking up at Mr. DeVille and getting lost in those gorgeous blue eyes of his, I couldn't think of any others. "No, I guess not," I said quietly.
I needed a job badly, but something felt off about all of this. I couldn’t put my finger on what, though.
“Is something wrong?” Mr. DeVille asked.
Hesitating because I didn’t want to insult him, I finally squeaked out, “You run checks on clients, don’t you? I mean, I know you run checks on those of us who are looking for jobs, but do you do the same for prospective employers? I only ask because I’m going to live there, so I feel like I should know.”
As I spoke, his expression softened until he finally smiled when I finished. “That’s a good question to ask, and you have every right to do so. I can assure you that we investigate all our employers, and Mr. Pierce is an upstanding citizen. You’ll be in good hands with him.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Okay. Thank you.”
"Good. You can go outside to the receptionist and she'll instruct you on where to wait for your escort to Mr. Pierce's house. Good luck, Maddie, and remember that your job is to do exactly as your new employer demands. Do that, and I have no doubt you'll find your new position more than satisfactory."
And with that, he walked out, leaving me sitting there wondering if I'd gotten myself into more than I could handle. I didn't know who this Mr. Pierce was and now I was moving out to his home where he lived alone, except for his staff. I didn't even know where his house was located.
But I didn't have much of a choice. I needed money and I'd succeeded in getting hired, even though as I walked out to speak to the receptionist, I realized I hadn't asked one of the most important questions of all.
How much was I going to be paid for being Eric Pierce's cook?
* * *
Just about an hour later,the car pulled up to an enormous home with a grey stone façade and what looked like enough bedrooms to make the place a hotel. I stared out the backseat window as my mouth dropped open at my new home. Even though I'd likely be living in some small room in the servants' quarters at the rear of the home, I assumed, it still was the nicest place I'd ever been to.