As the taxi drives away down the cobblestone driveway Cheri, a petite brunette of 25 years finds herself standing at the bottom of the impressive front entrance to a mansion on Colby Avenue. Ivy covers the red brick walls leaving the large windows shimmering in the sunlight. Small shrubs outline the larger, beautifully shaped topiaries that bring life and amazement to the grounds. Feeling intimidated and quite nervous Cheri manages to get herself up the stairs to the two large red doors at the top. Taking a few deep breaths she rings the bell that is off to one side, echoing in the foyer just inside the doors. Her heart is pounding out of her chest as she tugs at the short pleated, plaid skirt that falls around her thighs while thinking to herself how she should have dressed more appropriately. At least her button-down blue blouse seemed appropriate enough feeling she may be way out of her league for this job.
Holding tightly onto the paper ad she had found for a maid service job, her heart leaps and her vision blurs from the anxiety running through her body. Her trembling knees make the bottom of her short skirt shake about her thighs as the door slowly opens.
"Yes?" asks an immaculately dressed elderly man standing just inside the door. "Um...I...I...I've come ...umm..." pausing to get her wits about her she starts again, "I've come to inquire about the maid job." showing him the crinkled paper in her hand.
"Fine, do come in." opening the door wide he allows her to enter, "Please, this way." This place is beautiful with marbled floors and a crystal chandelier shining in the stream of sunlight that sneaks in the opened door. "Hmmm," he grumbles, "right this way." as he leads her to a set of French doors, her shoes clicking loudly on the marble floor as she walks making her all the more nervous.
The elderly man opens the doors revealing an incredible library. A bamboo ceiling fan hangs low as it slowly turns like the ones you would see in old movies. A sliding ladder is attached to each wall and step-stools are found along the immensely stocked ceiling-high shelves. The floor is dark hardwood, cherry perhaps, with several plush, muted colored rugs scattered about. The room smells of rich leather and the sweet aroma of an expensive cigar. Cheri sees a puff of smoke rising from behind the high-back leather chair that sits behind a very heavy antique desk at one end of the room. The desk has elaborate carvings in its aged wood structure. There is very little clutter on it, just a simple laptop computer, a cigar box, an ashtray and a stray book here and there. Not much else.
"Mr. Jameson, Sir." the elderly man says in a deep voice that bellows. "A young lady is here to inquire about the job, Sir."
Mr. Jameson responds, "Please, show her in." His voice is deep and warm. The elderly man simply waves her in and she takes a few steps forward turning around briefly as the doors close behind her making her feel a little trapped, causing a lump in her throat. Her eyes dart back to the desk, the large chair spins around slowly as Mr. Jameson puts a card in the book he was reading before closing it. He looks up and smiles a beautiful smile as he looks at the young, nervous girl across the room. He places the book on the desk and rises from his chair, hesitating for a moment before coming around the desk. He walks towards her, and the closer he gets to her, the more she is sure she is either going to sound like an idiot, become completely speechless, faint, or possibly drop dead. In her mind those seem to be her only options.
He is a very handsome man, tall, dark haired with deep dark eyes. He pulls up a chair in front of his desk and gestures for her to have a seat. She sits down straight and tall and tugs at her short skirt pressing her knees tightly together. He sees her motions and grins as he puts out his cigar in the ashtray and leans on the edge of the desk looking her up and down.
"So, my dear, you have come to inquire about the job, have you not?"
"Yes, yes sir." she replies in a tiny voice as that lump in her throat seems to have grown ten times larger. He chuckles at how cute she is sitting there before him all tense and intimidated. He is enjoying this power very much.
Mr. Jameson wastes no time in going over the tasks of the job and all she is hearing is "Wah, wah, wah." as if she were in a Charlie Brown special. Cheri nods as he goes on and on, giving him the impression that she understands every word of what he is telling her, and it's not until he suddenly stops that she realizes she has missed every word. It is eerily quiet now and she isn't sure if he has asked her a question and is waiting for an answer or if it is just the end of his lecture.
To her relief he breaks the awkwardness of the situation by asking about her life, relationships, hometown, that sort of thing. He finds out she is single and has no family locally and at the moment she has no place to stay besides the seedy motel she just checked into. This pleases him as he brings up the most important job requirement; for her to become a full time, live-in maid.
"If you accept the job you will be required to live here in the house with me and the other servants." He tells her, "Think about that my dear. You will have your own room and bath if you choose to take the job. Please do consider it." The blood runs out of her face and her eyes dart around as she doesn't know how to respond to that unexpected news, thinking it was to be an ordinary nine-to-five job.
Standing up he heads to a small bar near the desk, "Can I offer you a brandy?" he asks her abruptly as he pours himself one he also pours one for her without waiting for an answer. She politely takes it in her trembling hand.
"I never did get your name my dear."
"Oh!" she starts to sip but stops herself to answer, "Its Cheri...Cheri Badeaux."
"Hmm...that's French, correct?" he asks slyly, knowing very well it is French and thinking to himself...a French maid, interesting. He turns up his charm a little more, his grin stretching across his face. "I will give you time to think it over...Miss Badeaux. But I will need an answer by week's end."
"Sure, sure..." sipping her brandy her face curls up a little at the taste. "Please, call me Cheri, Mr. Jameson."
He nods and replies "Cheri! Ah! Ma ChΓ©ri!" He puts his hand to his heart to make a sweet romantic gesture. She grins.
The brandy seems to be going down easier now with each sip. Taking her empty glass without hesitation he steps away to refill it and when he returns he sits himself on the edge of the desk directly in front of her. "Pardon me for saying, but you are quite attractive." tilting his head like a puppy while looking down at her blushing face.
She turns her head away and mumbles, "Thank you."
"No, no...I'm being sincere Darling. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Oh yes he does and he is enjoying every minute of it.
Feeling her face get warm from blushing, her vision becomes blurred with tunnel vision. Looking down focusing only on his shoes, she feels his fingers touch just below her chin bringing her face up; he leans in and looks directly into her eyes just inches from her face. His eyes are like deep dark pits ready for her to fall into; he strokes her cheek and brushes her hair behind her ear making her feel warm all over. Just as she is finding herself reaching out to touch his knee she quickly turns away and tries to get up from the chair but falls back down into it, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she says nervously.
"No Darling, I'm sorry. I crossed the line. Forgive me? Please, consider taking the job, I hope this doesn't scare you away. I was truly out of line here."
"No, no...I'll think about it. I'm fine, really." She has already made her decision. Cheri has fallen suddenly for Mr. Jameson and fallen hard. She can't walk away now.
Still unable to keep eye contact with him Cheri gets up from the chair, again fumbling with the bottom of her skirt, tugging at it nervously from where she had been sitting. "I must go now."
"Oh my dear Cheri, I understand. Again, I am sorry."
"No worries Mr. Jameson." No worries?? Where did that come from? she thinks to herself. Now she feels awkward AND stupid. Escorting her to the foyer he asks if she has a ride to where she is going. "Well, ah, no, I don't, I took a cab."
"Then let me get you a driver. Where are you staying?"
Hesitating, and fidgeting, she replies "Ummm, I'm staying at the motel just up the road. I just got to town this morning."